CLEARFIELD – Two men charged with the murder of Chase Anderson gave conflicting stories during day four of the Denny Bailey homicide trial.
Chase Anderson of Curwensville was 19 years old in August of 2017 when he was reported missing. His partially burned body was later recovered in a remote area of Pike Township.
In April of 2018, Denny S. Bailey, now 41, of Woodland and Kenja Kasheem Tew, now 26, formerly of Clearfield, were both charged with criminal homicide, assault, kidnap to inflict terror, conspiracy and numerous related offenses.
They are accused of taking Anderson to the location where he was found, beating him and stabbing him.
During Friday morning’s testimony in Bailey’s trial, a fourth interview Bailey did with police in December of 2017 was played for the jury.
In this version, Bailey claimed he was not even at the scene when the murder was committed.
He explained that Anderson was staying at an apartment that Bailey’s then-girlfriend, Chantell Demi, knew of because her mother had lived there. He said she told Anderson he could stay there and showed him how to get into it.
Someone saw him there and called police, causing officers to later stop and question Anderson about the place. He told them that Demi said he could use the apartment and that Tew was staying there with him, according to Bailey.
At some point when Anderson was at Bailey’s home, he told him about this encounter saying that he didn’t tell on Demi, but said it once was her apartment.
Bailey said Anderson spoke to Tew, who was also there, saying “I didn’t mean to tell on you.”
After this, Tew “lost it”, Bailey said and they got into each other’s faces. Demi had to separate them.
He said Demi and Tew then went to Walmart where they purchased garbage bags and duct tape.
Later she told him that because Anderson “ratted” on her, she and Tew were going to tie him up and beat him. They scouted for a place to do it, Bailey said.
While he was home, he said Tew and Demi took Anderson to the woods and killed him.
When they returned, Bailey stated they were covered with blood and he helped clean them up. He also burned the clothes and later went back to the scene to try to hide evidence by burning it, he admitted.
Bailey told police that he was previously covering for Demi because he was in love with her and now wanted to tell the “truth.”
“That was never the plan to kill that young man,” Bailey said.
The previous version of Bailey’s story had him and Tew fighting with Anderson but Tew stabbing him in the chest while Bailey claimed to be in a haze, lying in a bush.
According to a previous article, Demi testified Thursday that Bailey was the one who came home with Tew, with both covered in blood after taking Anderson to the remote location.
Demi is also charged for her involvement in the murder case, as well as for burning the vehicle in which Anderson was transported.
Before Tew testified Friday, First Assistant District Attorney Leanne Nedza noted that Tew had been offered a plea agreement that would give him a sentence of 20 to 40 years, but he has not signed it.
Tew‘s story is that Bailey asked him to go with him and Anderson to the woods, so Tew could put Anderson in a chokehold while Bailey talked to him. To get him there, they told Anderson they were picking up a package of methamphetamine.
Tew didn’t want to do this because Anderson was his friend, he said, but Bailey offered to pay him. Demi was also there when the plan was discussed at Bailey’s home, according to Tew.
When they got to the location, Bailey and Demi had chosen, Tew said he did put Anderson in a chokehold before Bailey hit Anderson in the face. Tew let go and Bailey and Anderson wrestled in a briar bush.
Anderson fell forward onto his stomach and Bailey stabbed him several times in the back, Tew testified.
Bailey told Tew “to finish this” and threatened to kill him if he didn’t help. Tew then stabbed Anderson in the shoulder.
It was Bailey who set Anderson’s body on fire, Tew said.
For the next two weeks, Tew said Bailey kept him against his will at his home in Woodland. Bailey had a gun and he kept mentioning it, he testified.
In his cross examination, Bailey’s defense attorney, Joe Ryan, questioned how Tew was seen at a Sheetz store if he was being held hostage.
Tew responded that was only one time but admitted he willingly went back to Bailey’s home after this.
He admitted he even had the gun in his possession but still felt that he couldn’t leave.
Ryan also asked Tew about his ex-girlfriend being involved with Anderson. Tew stated he wasn’t bothered by their relationship.
Bailey’s possible motives were that Anderson had looked in on him and Demi having sex, and or he was concerned that Anderson was going to tell authorities about his drug dealings because Anderson told police about Demi’s connection to the apartment, according to previous testimony.
The trial is scheduled to last through Nov. 5.