July 01, 2024
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Standard man convicted of murdering sister-in-law has died in prison

Clifford Andersen dead at 71

By Kim Shute

Clifford A. Andersen, then 68, of Standard looks at his legal team after a Putnam County jury found him guilty July 20, 2018, of first-degree murder and the concealment of the homicidal death of Deborah Dewey, 62, of Ladd, in 2016. The next month, Judge Stephen Kouri sentenced Andersen to 60 years in prison. (Dave Cook)

PUTNAM COUNTY — Clifford Andersen, who was convicted in 2018 of murdering his 62-year-old sister-in-law, Deborah Dewey, has reportedly died in prison.

Andersen, 71, was sentenced to 60 years in prison for homicide and concealment of a homicidal death after being convicted by a jury in July 2018. He appealed his conviction in October of that year. Putnam County State’s Attorney Christina (Judd) Mennie said the appeal likely will be dropped in light of Andersen’s death.

The case, which brought in special prosecutors to assist Mennie, was an emotional one for Dewey’s family. Prosecutors painted Dewey as a frugal, yet generous person, who they say was killed by Andersen after a series of loans made to him for his gambling habit dried up.

Andersen initially was charged with concealment of a homicidal death after police announced that Dewey’s body had been recovered from a shallow grave in the front yard of a house at Fifth Street and Route 71 in Standard. Charges were later upped to homicide.

Andersen served three years of his prison sentence.

The Illinois Department of Corrections typically, and swiftly, removes an inmate’s record from its website and Andersen’s record has been purged as of Friday morning.