Billings’ All Time Most Perplexing Murder

On December 8, 1924, one of the most brutal and mysterious murders in Montana’s history dominated the front page of the Billings Gazette.

The headline screamed "COUPLE MURDERED WITH AX,” and to this day, the murders are considered among the most atrocious crimes committed within the city.

The Gruesome Discovery

The only way the authorities could conceive of a murder as horrible as those of 43-year-old Nels Anderson, a barber, and his wife, 39-year-old Annie, was to assume that only a madman could have carried it out.

The couple were found at their barber shop on Minnesota Avenue on December 7, 1924, with their coats and gloves on, as if they were nearly ready to leave their shop; however, before they could leave, both were killed with an axe – an axe owned by Anderson’s and one they had previously used to cut wood.

Puzzling Details

Reports emphasize the enormous quantity of blood present at the scene, yet there was no sign of a struggle, which was puzzling. There was also evidence that the murders were not committed in a rage but were carried out methodically, considering fingerprints had been wiped off the ax handle, and the killer had cleaned his hands (as police assumed it was a man) in a washbasin at the scene.

A Community In Shock

During the first quarter of the 20^th century, Billings didn’t have the population it does today. At that time, it was still a relatively small community which made it extremely unlikely that someone could commit a crime of that savagery without being detected. It was therefore assumed that the killer had escaped via the local train, the tracks of which ran very near to the Anderson’s shop.

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Lingering Mystery

To this day, more than 100 years after Nels and Annie Anderson were robbed of their lives, there have been no solid suspects in their murders. The murder of the Andersons remains one of the most heinous crimes ever committed in Montana.