Bio

Darrell Eston Lee was born on June 6, 1957. Lee was involved with Karen Thompson. She later became his partner in the kidnapping, robbery, and murder of John Calvin Anderson. Lee and Thompson were using drugs and alcohol during the crime. They stopped several times to use cocaine and drink while Anderson was being held captive.

Lee also had prior violent felony convictions. These later became one reason the court supported his death sentence. The crime began as a robbery. Lee and Thompson approached John Calvin Anderson as he was leaving a medical clinic in Phoenix. Anderson agreed to give them a ride.

Once inside the car, Lee falsely claimed he had a gun and forced Anderson to drive away. Thompson then took Anderson’s wallet, which had cash, credit cards, and an ATM card. The main motive was money. Lee and Thompson used Anderson’s bank card and credit cards before and after the murder. There is no verified evidence that Lee personally knew Anderson before the crime. Anderson appears to have been targeted because Lee and Thompson wanted money, transportation, and access to his bank cards.

Murder Story

On December 5, 1991, Darrell Eston Lee and Karen Thompson approached John Calvin Anderson outside a medical clinic in Phoenix, Arizona. Anderson was 57 years old. They asked him for a ride, and he agreed. After they got into Anderson’s car, Lee falsely claimed he had a gun and forced Anderson to drive away. Thompson then took Anderson’s wallet, which had cash, credit cards, and an ATM card.

Lee and Thompson used Anderson’s bank card and credit cards. At one point, they tied Anderson’s hands and feet and left him in a ditch. Anderson begged for his life, and they first left him there. Soon after, Lee and Thompson returned and put Anderson into the trunk of his own car. They drove back to Phoenix and then toward California. During the drive, they stopped several times to use cocaine and alcohol.

Anderson was tied up in the trunk for about eight hours. At one point, he managed to partly open the trunk and hold out a windshield sign that said, “NEED HELP, CALL POLICE.” Two men saw the sign and contacted police, but officers could not find him in time. Later that night, Lee and Thompson tried to kill Anderson by running car exhaust into the trunk. The attempt failed because Anderson kept pushing the trunk open.

Anderson then escaped from the trunk and tried to run away. Lee chased him and wrestled him to the ground. Thompson brought Lee a belt, and Lee tried to strangle Anderson with it, but the belt broke. Lee then told Thompson to get a rock. As Lee held Anderson down, Thompson hit Anderson in the head with the rock. The blow fractured his skull and killed him.

After the murder, Lee and Thompson put Anderson’s body back into the trunk. They drove to California and later returned to Arizona. They eventually buried Anderson in a shallow grave outside Tucson. Investigators later found important evidence, including the windshield sign, pieces of a bloody belt, Lee’s prescription sunglasses, and a rock with blood and hair on it. Anderson’s glasses and blood were also found in the trunk of the car.

Lee first denied involvement. Later, he admitted being involved with Anderson’s car and credit cards. He also later admitted he was present during the killing and was holding Anderson down when Thompson struck him with the rock. Lee and Thompson were indicted for first-degree murder, kidnapping, theft, armed robbery, and credit-card theft. Thompson pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against Lee. Lee pleaded not guilty and went to trial.

On November 18, 1992, Lee was convicted on all counts. On March 8, 1993, he was sentenced to death for first-degree murder. He also received prison sentences for the other crimes. The court found that the murder was committed for money, that Lee had a prior violent felony conviction, and that the killing was especially cruel. The court reviewed possible reasons for leniency but ruled that they were not strong enough to avoid a death sentence.

The Arizona Supreme Court upheld Lee’s conviction and death sentence on May 21, 1996. Lee continued appealing for many years. His federal appeal was denied in 2024, and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to review his case on June 23, 2025.