| ||||||||||
 
Dr. Ronald P. Rogers CHIROPRACTOR Support for your body's natural healing capabilities 270-384-5554 Click here for details 
  
Columbia Gas Dept. GAS LEAK or GAS SMELL Contact Numbers 24 hrs/ 365 days 270-384-2006 or 9-1-1 Call before you dig 
Visit ColumbiaMagazine's Directory of Churches Addresses, times, phone numbers and more for churches in Adair County Find Great Stuff in ColumbiaMagazine's Classified Ads Antiques, Help Wanted, Autos, Real Estate, Legal Notices, More... 
|
Emily Griffitt Anderson murder case: Trial of her husband begins this morning Trial begins at 9:00am, our time. State is seeking death penalty for Emily's husband, Jerry Anderson. Links, search tips, photos accompany this story. Finally, closure may be near for the family of Emily Griffitt Anderson.The trial of her husband, Jerry Anderson, accused of her murder, starts this morning at 10amET/9amCT, at Gastonia, in Gaston County, North Carolina. The trial was moved there from Caldwell County, NC, after Anderson's attorneys argued that Anderson could not get a fair trial in Lenoir, where Anderson was first incarcerated. Emily Griffitt grew up on Burkesville ST in Columbia, KY. The Andersons were recent residents of Adair County. Emily reported missing December 29, 2005 The story began in 2005. Emily had been reported missing on December 29, 2005. She and her husband Jerry Anderson had a holstein business and dairy farm there.Sheriff Gary Clark of Caldwell County, NC, reported that Emily's body had been found in Spartanburg, SC, on January 7, 2006. Her funeral was Wednesday, January 11, 2006, at Dry Pond Baptist Church in Granite Falls, NC. A memorial service was held the next day,Thursday, at the Cane Valley Christian Church. Many remember Jerry Anderson's appearance there that day, before he was arrested and charged with the murder. Prosecutors announced they were seeking death penalty On February 17, 2007, prosecutors in North Carolina announced they would be seeking the death penalty in the case. The intervening time has been a roller coaster of emotions for family and friends, as they have seen appeals for Jerry Anderson's release on bond, as his attorneys successfully argued for the case to be moved from Caldwell County, and for the long wait, until today, for the trial to begin. Family endeared themselves with Adair Countians Emily Griffitt was the daughter of a beloved Adair County Health Department physician, the late Dr. Joseph Griffitt and Amanda Waterson Griffitt. She was born in Fayette County, KY, but the family moved to Columbia not long after. Her sister and brother-in-law, Dee and Jerry Watson, live near Cane Valley, KY. Her brother, Dr. Mike Griffitt, Nicholasville, is a veterinarian whose practice is near Wilmore, KY. All the Griffitt children made many lifelong Adair County friends while attending public schools in Columbia. A childhood worthy of Mark Twain account Growing up here was a wonderful, adventure filled childhood, befitting a Mark Twain account. County Judge Ann Melton remembers her childhood friendship with Emily and her sister. The Griffitts lived in the big two story house at 515 Burkesville, which stood on a large, shady lot. The location was a wonderful haunt for children, especially with the mystery of the cave, entered from the Sales Coffey land next door, which ran under the house. It was an historic place, figuring in a huge way in Columbia history. Not only was it once the home of another distinguished family, that of Pete and Edith Walker, it's also believed to be the place where R.A.C. Martin was taken after the Bank of Columbia robbery. After it was learned that Emily had been murdered, Ann recalled how much fun it was to know the Griffitts. Ann lived in a little house on GuardianStreet, near her grandfather. Her home was on historic lands, too. She and Emily were close friends, visiting back and forth. Judge Melton remembers how sad it was to lose a childhood friend. "We were blood sisters," Ann remembers. "It was Dee's idea. Emily, Dee and I pricked our fingers and touched each others blood. Dee said we were blood sisters forever after that." Mike Griffitt is something of a legend in Adair County, too, remembered not only for his intelligence, but his daring as well. He and an Adair County classmate once climbed the WAIN radio tower. It was a childhood prank, and the other father was extremely anxious, but Dr. Griffitt, the story was told around Adair County, took it philosophically, "What are we going to do about it?" he asked the other father. "We can't kill them," he said, putting the mischief into perspective. Emily was a warm, witty woman The Griffitts were smart, fun, and full of life. Emily was a warm, witty woman who left friends everywhere she went. That's part of what makes the tragedy so hard for Adair Countians. Barbara Shepherd of Columbia remembers working with Emily, "a really nice person", at Aaron Medical Center at one time. In her most recent residence in Adair County, before she and Jerry moved to North Carolina, the Andersons lived in Cane Valley and Emily worked for Joe Pyles. Emily and her family have many, many friends in Adair County who are following the case with them and are praying for them during the long days as they wait for justice in the case. Estimates of the trial length run to a month to six weeks, possibly longer. Family thankful Adair Countians are with them, follow the case Opal Watson, Columbia, the mother in law of Dee Watson, said recently that the Griffitt family deeply appreciates the concern everyone has shown in the case. "We're grateful people here are her forgetting about her," she said. Now the long ordeal reaches another emotional zenith, and the prayers and concerns are needed as much as ever. Memories of Emily Griffitt will most assured live on in Adair County. For now, Adair Countians hope that the results of the trial will bring justice and a beginning of healing for this family which is now so much a part of life here. Two websites will be carry the latest news of the trial. One is the Lenoir, NC, News-Topic. Click here to read the Saturday, May 12, 2007, story, "Anderson trial to begin." in the Another newspaper to check often is the Hickory Record in Hickory, NC.Click here to read the Sunday, May 13, story, "Sawmills man's murder trial starts Monday in Gastonia," in the Hickory, NC, Hickory Record This article has a photo of Jerry Anderson in jail garb. Click here to read the ColumbiaMagazine.com obituary of Emily Griffitt Anderson. To read other ColumbiaMagazine.com stories about the case, enter Emily Griffitt Anderson in the search box in the site menu. This story was posted on 2007-05-14 07:47:45
Printable: this page is now automatically formatted for printing.
Have comments or corrections for this story? Use our contact form and let us know.
More articles from topic News:
Tourism spending in Kentucky hits $10 billion Seven from Adair receive Masters at WKU, Saturday Two vehicle accident results in injuries to 8 of 9 occupants Remembering: Karen Hamlett Remembering: Karen Hamlett State does big computer upgrade in office of Clerk Sheila Blair Library Board meeting rescheduled to May 21, 2007 ADV: Delmer & Arleter Burton sale is TODAY! Ann Northrup campaigning this afternoon in Columbia Watch for road crews in District 1 and District 6 View even more articles in topic News |
 
115 Jamestown St. Columbia, KY. 270-384-2496 
  
   
 Provided by the Adair Co Fiscal Court and the Adair Co. Emergency Mgt. Agency 
|
||||||||
|
| ||||||||||
|
Quick Links to Popular Features
Looking for a story or picture? Try our Photo Archive or our Stories Archive for all the information that's appeared on ColumbiaMagazine.com. | ||||||||||
|
Contact us: Columbia Magazine and columbiamagazine.com are published by Linda Waggener and Pen Waggener, PO Box 906, Columbia, KY 42728. Please use our contact page, or send questions about technical issues with this site to webmaster@columbiamagazine.com. All logos and trademarks used on this site are property of their respective owners. All comments remain the property and responsibility of their posters, all articles and photos remain the property of their creators, and all the rest is copyright 1995-Present by Columbia Magazine. Privacy policy: use of this site requires no sharing of information. Voluntarily shared information may be published and made available to the public on this site and/or stored electronically. Anonymous submissions will be subject to additional verification. Cookies are not required to use our site. However, if you have cookies enabled in your web browser, some of our advertisers may use cookies for interest-based advertising across multiple domains. For more information about third-party advertising, visit the NAI web privacy site.
| ||||||||||
