CLEARFIELD – The last defendant in the Chase Anderson murder case pleaded guilty Monday in Clearfield County Court.
Kenja Kasheem Tew, 26, pleaded guilty to conspiracy/third-degree murder and conspiracy/kidnapping, both felonies, as well as misdemeanor conspiracy/tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse before President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman.
Tew received a sentence of 20 to 40 years in state prison.
It was noted by District Attorney Ryan Sayers that this plea agreement was offered to Tew with the condition he testify against his co-defendant, Denny Bailey, 41, of Woodland during his trial in November. Tew’s testimony helped the jury find Bailey guilty of first-degree murder and other related charges.
He added that he felt the plea was reasonable considering Tew’s cooperation in the case.
Tew himself addressed the court saying that he was “truly sorry” for what happened, adding that he deserved everything he got for his actions.
Initially in the summer of 2017, Anderson was reported missing by his mother but the investigation turned into a murder case after it was reported that Tew was telling people that Anderson was not coming back.
After being questioned, Tew took police to a remote area of Pike Township where they found Anderson’s body, which was partially burned.
Both Tew and Chantell Demi, 30, of Woodland, who was Bailey’s ex-girlfriend testified at Bailey’s trial that it was Bailey, who plotted to take Anderson to the clearing in the woods to scare him, beat him and leave him to find his own way home.
Instead, Tew testified, after putting Anderson in a choke hold as Bailey asked him to, Anderson got loose and fought with Bailey, who stabbed him in the back several times.
In December, Bailey was sentenced by Ammerman to life in state prison without parole on the murder charge, 20 to 40 consecutive years for conspiracy/murder, 72 months to 12 years consecutive for kidnapping, and 60 months to 10 years consecutive for conspiracy/kidnapping.
He gave concurrent sentences of 16 months to three years for abuse of a corpse and nine months to two years for tampering with evidence.
Also, in December, the third person charged in this crime, Chantell Demi, 30, of Woodland, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nine to 18 years in state prison for conspiracy/aggravated assault, kidnapping, conspiracy/kidnapping, tampering with evidence, and conspiracy/tampering with evidence.
In the second case, she pleaded guilty to arson for burning the vehicle used to transport Anderson, conspiracy/arson and tampering with evidence for which she received a consecutive term of six to 12 years.
She will serve a total of 15 to 30 years in prison in addition to her current sentence of two to five years for felony possession of drugs and firearms.