Charge: Wright County man fatally stabs wife of 65 years, tells police, ‘I guess I lost my head’

He said they were arguing that morning, as they often did, according to the criminal complaint.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
September 16, 2024 at 12:40PM
Wright County Justice Center (Wright County Justice Center)

A man fatally stabbed his wife of 65 years last week and told police, “I guess I lost my head,” according to murder charges.

Rodney Allen Andersen, 85, of Annandale, was charged in Wright County District Court with second-degree murder in connection with the attack in the couple’s home Thursday.

Andersen was arrested at the scene and remains jailed in lieu of $1 million bail. He’s due back in court on Thursday. Court records do not list an attorney for him.

According to the criminal complaint:

Andersen called Annandale police about 9:45 a.m. He said he stabbed his wife, 83-year-old Janet Louise Andersen, and was unsure whether she was alive. Officers arrived to find him shaken and sitting on steps just inside the front door of the home on W. Knollwood Street.

His hands were on his head and he was looking down. The officers found his wife dead on the kitchen floor from stab wounds to her abdomen. A bloodied large kitchen knife was in the sink.

Andersen told police that he and his wife had been married for 65 years. He said they were arguing that morning, as they often did, and “I guess I lost my head” before stabbing her.

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Paul Walsh

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Paul Walsh is a general assignment reporter at the Star Tribune. He wants your news tips, especially in and near Minnesota.

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