A 1982 homicide cold case ended Monday after a Seymour man was sentenced.
Jackson Circuit Court Judge Richard Poynter sentenced 63-year-old Ronald Anderson to 18 years in prison for the death of 24-year-old Clifford Smith.
In December 1982, trappers found Smith’s body along the White River. Investigators found he died from a gunshot wound to the head.
Indiana State Police said Sgt. Kip Main with the Versailles post has been on the case since 2015. In his investigation, he determined Anderson and Smith were together at East 13th Street in Seymour on Oct. 30, 1982.
The investigation also found that Anderson got a shotgun from the home and drove off with Smith. Investigators believe the homicide occurred the morning of Oct. 31. ISP says Anderson allegedly returned to the crime scene soon after to hide evidence.
Anderson was arrested exactly 41 years after the homicide on Oct. 31, 2023.
His murder charge was dropped after investigators determined “sudden heat” was in play at the time of the killing. He pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter on April 4.
