On this date in Minnesota History: June 22

June 22, 1963 - T. Eugene Thompson’s role in the brutal slaying of his wife was revealed to the public today.  In his confession to police Thursday evening, Dick W. C. Anderson admitted he committed the actual slaying. Anderson said he entered the Thompson house shortly after 5 a.m. the day of the murder and lay in wait in the basement until other members of the family had left the house. All telephones had been removed except the one in the kitchen near the basement stairs. The prearranged plan was for Thompson to call his wife at 8:25 a.m. and when the phone rang, it was the signal for Anderson to sneak up the basement stairs and attack Mrs. Thompson with a length of rubber hose.

The rubber hose would supposedly leave a mark that would make it look like she had fallen in the bathtub. Anderson was supposed to disrobe her and carry her to the bathtub where he would hold her under water and drown her. Anderson discarded the plan after testing the basement stairs and finding that several creaked. “He was afraid that Mrs. Thompson would hear his approach before he got into position for the knockout blow.”

The phone rang as scheduled, and Anderson used a map of the home given to him by Thompson to follow his victim to her bedroom, where he found her lounging in her bed listening to the radio. Anderson knocked her unconscious, “disrobed her and attempted to carry her to the bathroom for the faked drowning, but Mrs. Thompson revived, slipped from his grasp and after snatching a robe from her bedroom, fled down the stairs to the front door,” which happened to be bolted with a night chain. This delayed her long enough for Anderson to run down the stairs and grab her, whereupon he began to beat her with his pistol, which fell apart during the struggle. Anderson then “ran to the kitchen, grabbed a paring knife and stabbed his victim until the knife blade broke off in the throat.”

St. Paul Dispatch; “Anderson Story Implicating Thompson Related”; June 22, 1963; p.1

T. Eugene Thompson

Murder of Carol Thompson; see March 6, 2013 blog
Gun handle pieces found at the scene of Carol Thompson’s murder identified; see April 9, 2013 blog
Thieves admit to stealing and selling gun used in Carol Thompson murder; see April 17, 2013 blog


Suspects arrested in Carol Thompson’s murder; see April 19, 2013 blog


Suspect implicates another as actual murderer in Carol Thompson case; see April 21, 2013 blog


T. Eugene Thompson represented one of the suspects in his wife’s murder; see April 23, 2013 blog


Pistol used to bludgeon Carol Thompson found; see April 30, 2013 blog


T. Eugene Thompson walks out on grand jury; see May 2, 2013 blog


Getaway car in Carol Thompson murder located; see May 3, 2013 blog


Blood-stained trousers believed to have been worn by Carol Thompson’s murderer found; May 9, 2013 blog


Suspect in Carol Thompson’s murder confesses, implicates T. Eugene Thompson; see June 20, 2013 blog


T. Eugene Thompson arrested in his wife’s murder; see June 21, 2013 blog


Minn. Supreme Court affirms T. Eugene Thompson’s conviction; see Jan. 7, 2014 blog

Minn. Supreme Court denies T. Eugene Thompson’s attempt to collect wife’s insurance death benefits; see Feb. 10, 2014 blog