Man convicted for fatally stabbing homeless man in River Parks

Jeffrey Wade Anderson Jr., 36, will serve a 25-year federal prison sentence for his role in the death of Joe Burton, 71, a year ago.

In January, Anderson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Indian County. He admitted to stabbing Burton to death near the splash pad at River Park's busy 41st Street plaza after the elderly man's comments to Anderson upset him.

The plea agreement called for a judge to sentence Anderson to prison for up to 25 years. The plea agreement called for the judge to either accept the terms and impose a sentence or reject it, in which case Anderson could have either withdrawn his plea or continued with sentencing.

Anderson told authorities after his arrest that he was at the park grieving the death of his mother nearly seven years earlier and other problems in his life when Burton, whom he knew from previous interactions, told him he should be more respectful of others.

The comment apparently upset Anderson, who retrieved a switchblade from a homeless camp where he had planned to stay, according to court documents.

While at the nearby camp, Anderson yelled and cursed at Burton, who was across the lawn, according to court documents.

Some time later, Anderson said he ran “full speed” toward Burton, who was playing guitar, and stabbed him once in the chest, puncturing his left lung and pulmonary artery.

Anderson then yelled to several bystanders that someone should “call the…morgue,” before running away.

He was arrested about two hours later after leaving the nearby homeless camp.

Anderson later said he had recently lost his job and was worried he wouldn't be able to pay his rent and care for his daughter. His daughter's mother had also died in 2021, according to court documents.

Anderson's court-appointed attorney said that although Anderson was taking medication for mental health issues at the time, those medications did not appear to be working as they should. He said his disorganized thinking while being questioned by police was consistent with unmedicated schizophrenia.

Since his imprisonment about a year ago, Anderson's medication regimen “is working and should be considered the basic treatment for him while he is incarcerated,” Assistant Public Defender Lindsey Holguin wrote in a sentencing memorandum .

Holguin urged Hill to sentence Anderson to 15 years in prison.

In a sentencing memorandum filed with the court, federal prosecutors urged U.S. District Judge Sara Hill to sentence Anderson to 25 years.

“This murder was senseless and based on the slightest of provocations,” Assistant District Attorney Scott Dunn wrote in the memo. “A stupid, inconsequential disagreement over a perceived slight caused Anderson to fly into an uncontrollable rage, arm himself with a knife and take the life of another man. »

Hill also ordered Anderson to serve a five-year sentence of post-incarceration supervision by the U.S. Probation Office.