SEYMOUR, Ind. – Detectives have arrested a man in connection to a 41-year-old homicide case in Jackson County, according to the Versailles District of the Indiana State Police.
Ronald Jackson Anderson was arrested Tuesday morning in his Seymour home and charged with the murder of Clifford Smith. The arrest comes on the 41st anniversary of Smith’s death.
Smith, 24, was reported missing by his wife in November 1982, and his body was discovered along the White River near Rockford, Indiana, on December 1st. Detectives determined that Smith died from the result of a gunshot wound to the head.
After no arrests were made in the initial investigation in 1982, the case quickly turned cold. Sgt. Kip Main of the ISP Versailles District has been investigating the case since September 2015.
According to a statement from the Versailles Post, information gathered during Main’s investigation has indicated that Anderson was responsible for Smith’s death.
Investigators believe that Anderson was at a Jackson County residence with Smith on the night of October 30th, 1982, where he retrieved a shotgun from the location. After leaving with Smith and the weapon, Smith was never seen alive again.
Detectives also allege that Anderson returned to the crime scene after the murder to hide potential evidence.
Anderson, now 61, was transported to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department where he is currently awaiting an appearance in the Jackson County Circuit Court.
Indiana State Police Sgt. Steven Wheeles says that the police continue to investigate all unsolved homicide cases.
“The Indiana State Police is committed to solving previously unsolved cases to provide closure to the family and to make an arrest so those responsible for these crimes are held accountable and prosecuted in court.”
