*This news article contains graphic details and may be upsetting to some GANT News readers.
CURWENSVILLE – Charges have been filed against three people in relation to the murder of Chase Anderson, 19, of Curwensville in August of last year.
Kenja Kasheem Tew, 22, of Clearfield and Denny Scott Bailey, 38, of Woodland, have been charged by Clearfield-based state police with:
- criminal homicide, H1;
- aggravated assault, F1;
- kidnap to inflict injury/terror, F1;
- criminal conspiracy engaging – criminal homicide, F1;
- criminal conspiracy engaging – aggravated assault, F1;
- criminal conspiracy engaging – kidnap to inflict injury/terror, F1;
- criminal conspiracy engaging – aggravated assault, F2;
- aggravated assault, F2;
- tamper with/fabricate physical evidence, M2;
- abuse of corpse, M2;
- simple assault, M2, two counts; and
- recklessly endangering another person, M2.
Chantell Renee Demi, 26, of Woodland has been charged with:
- criminal conspiracy engaging – criminal homicide, H1;
- criminal conspiracy engaging – aggravated assault, F1;
- criminal conspiracy engaging – kidnap to inflict injury/terror, F1;
- criminal conspiracy engaging – aggravated assault, F2;
- tamper with/fabricate physical evidence, M2; and
- criminal conspiracy engaging – abuse of corpse, M2.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, Anderson was reported missing by his family to the Curwensville Borough and Lawrence Township police departments on Aug. 22.
Cpl. Mark Kelly, current Curwensville police chief, learned Anderson was working for Bailey. Bailey was referenced as being Anderson’s boss.
Kelly also learned from Clearfield Assistant Police Chief Greg Neeper that Anderson had been working for Bailey and routinely traveling to Pittsburgh for “meth” and other drugs.
On Aug. 29, Kelly requested assistance from investigators with the Clearfield-based state police in order to further his missing person case.
Investigators developed a witness who was the last person to have contact with Anderson by phone on Aug. 12-13. She could hear Tew in the background during their conversation.
She also said on Aug. 28, she was with Tew at Sheetz in Clearfield. She reportedly heard him make the comment that Anderson “wasn’t coming back alive.”
A second witness said Anderson left her residence at approximately 3 p.m. Aug. 13. He was reportedly going on a “drug run” and taking Tew with him.
Anderson hadn’t taken Tew with him before. She warned him against going. She later exchanged text messages with Anderson while he was with Tew and “the boss.”
On Aug. 30, investigators interviewed a third witness who had been approached by Tew at Sheetz. He wanted to speak with her alone and they went to the back of the store.
Tew allegedly admitted that he’d been involved in a murder. However, he neither would identify the victim nor provide any other details.
The witness later learned from a relative that Anderson was missing. She messaged Tew and asked to talk to him, but he didn’t reply.
A day later, she ran into Tew at Sheetz again. Tew allegedly admitted to being involved with Anderson’s murder, which he described to her in detail.
On Aug. 30, investigators interviewed Tew for the first time. According to him, his boss – Bailey – told him and Anderson that they needed to “go for a ride” to get a “package” in the Pike Township area.
Tew and Bailey allegedly assaulted Anderson before stabbing him multiple times and then setting his body on fire.
Tew said that Demi helped him and Bailey “clean up” after and Bailey burned their clothes. He said a couple days later, he saw Bailey take a bag of weapons into the woods.
After an interview, Tew led investigators to human remains in a wooded area. The remains were found burned and later identified by Dr. Dennis C. Dirkmaat as being that of Anderson.
After an interview, Bailey led investigators to a wooded area near his residence, where he had buried the murder weapons. Investigators found a set of brass knuckles and a knife.
Demi admitted that she’d purchased the duct tape, zip ties and garbage bags that were used in the murder, according to the affidavit.
State police filed additional charges against Demi, Bailey and Joseph Clayton Ralston, 38, of Curwensville for allegedly destroying evidence.
According to the affidavit in that case, Demi and Ralston intentionally set fire to a 2005 Ford Explorer owned by Bailey’s mother. Through interviews with witnesses, investigators found that Bailey had instructed Demi to dispose of the vehicle.
Bailey, Tew and Demi have been incarcerated on parole violations since the start of the homicide investigation, District Attorney William A. Shaw Jr. said in a press release.
All three were arraigned on the charges today by Magisterial District Judge Michael Morris. Preliminary hearings are scheduled for April 11 during centralized court at the jail.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Ralston. Anyone with information on Ralston’s location is asked to call the Clearfield-based state police at 814-857-3800.
