Wandermere Murder Suspect Charged with Tampering with a Witness
Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Detectives charged Murder Suspect Jonathan R. Andersen for attempted Tampering with a Witness in connection with the drive-by shooting and murder of Misty R. Hirsch last July. Despite a court order revoking Anderson’s phone privileges and steps taken by Detention Services staff to prevent further contact with witnesses in this case, Anderson is believed to be continuing his attempts to do so. This afternoon, Detectives executed a search warrant for Anderson’s person and personal property located in his jail cell.
On September 12, 2019, Detective Kirk Keyser provided a certificate of facts outlining the continued attempts of Anderson to intimidate a material witness in the murder of Hirsch. Later the same day, during a hearing held in front of Spokane Superior Court Judge Szambelan, all of Anderson’s phone privileges while incarcerated in the Spokane County Jail were revoked. A copy of the court-ordered revocation was provided to the staff at the Spokane County Jail.
Anderson was promptly moved to a different cell to prohibit Anderson’s access to phones and facilitate the court order.
As standard procedure, Detention Services staff searched Anderson’s original cell and belongings for contraband or any activity that would violate jail policy. During the search, staff located a letter that appeared to be an attempt by Anderson to pressure a witness into changing the witness’s testimony, include steps the witness should take.
The information was provided to Detective Keyser who on September 13, 2019, applied for and was granted a search warrant for Anderson’ property and person.
During the execution of the warrant, the letter was located, along with additional evidence, and seized. The letter was written to “K” and mentioned the baby of “K” and the mother and boyfriend of “K”. Detective Keyser connected this information and identified “K” as a material witness and noted, “K” has an infant child and the mother and boyfriend of “K” had also be interviewed during this investigation.
The letter instructed “K” to stop cooperating with investigators and to “retract all prior statements to law enforcement that have anything to do with JA”, the initials of Jonathan Anderson. The letter indicated if “K” did this, the witnesses name would be cleared of any “snitch or “rat” label that “JA’s drug gang has put onto you”. It continued, noting “…you will not make it to a trial situation unharmed” and “K” will “be silenced if necessary”.
Also, the letter noted “K” would receive a paid lawyer and a total of $50,000 cash for cooperation. It went on to pose the question, “Do you have the courage to do whats right for everyone? Including yourself and your precious boy?”
The handwritten letter will be submitted for examination by a forensic handwriting expert as this investigation continues and additional charges are possible.
Anderson was charged with Tampering of a Witness on September 3, 2019, after phone calls urging a material witness’s testimony were discovered.
Anyone with information regarding this murder investigation or the tampering with or intimidation of any witnesses is urged to contact Detective Kirk Keyser at 509-477-6611.
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Corporal Mark Gregory
Spokane County Sheriff’s Office
Spokane Valley Police Department
Public Information Officer