Police arrested a man Tuesday night in connection with a Halloween killing cold case in rural Indiana that was left unsolved for 41 years.
Detectives with the Indiana State Police arrested 61-year-old Ronald J. Anderson on suspicion of killing Clifford Smith, 24, on Oct. 31, 1982, according to a police statement.
Smith was reported missing by his wife on Nov. 4, 1982, before his body was found by animal trappers near the White River near Rockford, north of Seymour, Indiana. He had died of a shotgun wound to the head.
No arrests have been made in the case until now.
Sgt. Kip Main has been investigating the case since 2015. "Information gathered during the investigation indicated that Anderson was responsible for the death of Smith," the police statement said.
The investigation found that Anderson was at a property on East 13th Street in Seymour in the early hours of Oct. 30, 1982, with Smith and others.
Police allege that Anderson took a shotgun from the house and left in a vehicle with both Smith and the weapon. Smith was not seen alive again.
Police also allege that Anderson returned the weapon back to the property on 13th Street and then returned to the crime scene "to hide potential evidence."
Anderson was arrested at his home on the east side of Seymour without incident, police said. He remains in Jackson County Jail and is due to appear in court. It was not immediately clear whether he has legal representation.
"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," the force said in a statement.
