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The Funeral of a Fallen Officer
Chapter Forty-four
Names and addresses have been changed, except Kenilworth Officers
A routine traffic stop.
Oh how I hate that over used phrase! But that is what the newspapers printed on the front pages of The Chicago Trumpet. Officer Stanley Anderson, an Officer from the Hallandale, Illinois Police Department is missing today after his squad car was found last night parked on an exit ramp leading onto the I 294 just outside of the village that he had sworn to serve and protect just a few years ago. His squad was found minutes after he placed a call to his department last night at 12:15 a.m. The red lights were still flashing and his door was open, but the Officer was no where to be found.
What happened to Officer Stanley Anderson? He called in to his department around 12:15a.m. stating that he was making a traffic stop."Car 229 making a stop on a black 19 -- (rest of transmission was covered by another police agency) at exit ramp 44 leading onto I 294 , and it doesn't look good. Send me" [the radio message was covered again by another police agency].
Those were the last words heard from Officer Stanley Anderson of the Hallandale Police Department.
When the back up unit arrived on the scene only minutes later (it was reported that the second squad arrived on the scene at 12:20 a.m.) there was no one there. Squad 229 had all of the lights flashing and the radio mike was on the seat next to the Officers hat. The driver's door was open. That was it. No evidence of any struggle, nothing. The Officer, Stanley Anderson had vanished.
At 12:45 a.m. Hallandale Police received a telephone call from The Elks Night Club (a very classy club and known Mob hang out). They had been robbed by three masked men that escaped in a large black 1969 or 1970 Lincoln. That was all of the information that was available. Not much to go on, but perhaps this was the vehicle that Officer Anderson had stopped, and if so may God help him!
There is a slight twist to the story here that must be told. An Illinois State Police Officer had investigated a red Jeep with three white males parked alone the side of Interstate 294 just a few miles south of the Wisc. Border at approximately 2:40 a.m. This was no where close to Hallandale, but the Trooper made a note of the investigation at the time. It seems the Jeep had run out of gas and a friend had been called to bring gas to the stranded three. In the rear of the Jeep was a 55-gallon container. When asked by the Trooper what was inside the container, one of the subjects stated it was Kerosene for the farm, and they were on their way up to Madison Wisc. To store it on the farm. The Trooper stood by until a female arrived, bringing fuel for the stranded vehicle. (The female will play a very big role in this story).
I had gone on a vacation six months after Officer Anderson had disappeared and we had stopped in Salem Illinois for breakfast on our return trip. Salem is 250 miles south of Hallandale. The story about Officer Stanley Anderson was statewide news. As we entered the restaurant I saw Two State Troopers eating breakfast. I excused myself from my wife and went to the table where the two Troopers were eating. I showed them my Police I.D. and asked them if they had heard anything about the missing Officer from Hallandale.
Officer Stanley Anderson was still missing. We talked about the job, about Kenilworth and the Percy investigation and etc. (The Percy murder was known all over the state and everyone had their own ideas who the killer was.) Bottom line, Officer Anderson was still missing.
A few months went by and the case of the missing officer broke wide open.
Ellen Mercer, a girl friend of Jack Stark, the driver of the red Jeep had a falling out. Jack had bragged about the armed robbery of the Elk's Club and the killing of police officer Stanley Anderson of the Hallandale Police Department back in October of last year.
Jack Stark and two of his friends robbed the Elk's Club and were on their way to Jack's home in Westmont Illinois when they were stopped by Officer Stanley Anderson for speeding. As the Officer was calling the stop in to his dispatcher, Jack Stark slipped out of the right front door of the Lincoln and came around behind Officer Stanley sticking an ice pick into his neck. Officer Stanley fell to the ground. The three then picked him up and placed him into the trunk of the Lincoln and sped away. Leaving the squad off to the side of the roadway with the lights still flashing and the door open.
They went to Jack Stark's home in Westmont Illinois. They placed the body of Officer Stanley Anderson into a 55-gallon container and after lifting the container into the rear of Jack's Jeep Station Wagon, left for Wisc.
It was thirty-five minutes later after leaving Jack Stark's house when the Illinois State Trooper checked them out.
The fact that the Trooper checked the Jeep out never made the news prior to the confession of Jack Stark. The State Police knew who Jack was on the night that he was checked out by the Trooper. But without a confession or more evidence their hands were tied.
Once Ellen told her story and led the Police to the body, Jack confessed and gave up his two friends.
They had taken Officer Stanley Anderson to a farm up near Madison Wisc. , That belonged to Jack's uncle and buried the body in a grave. When the body was located and removed, found in the back pocket of Officer Anderson was a book of the New Testament. It had been book marked by the Officer to page 202, John 18,19 Chapter 31,Pilate said to them, "Then you yourselves take him and try him according to your own law." They replied, "We are not allowed to put anyone to death."
Officer Stanley Anderson was a Christian and had already gone to be with his Father in heaven long before his body was found.
When Officer Capps and I entered the Chapel in Hallandale where Officer Stanley Anderson had been placed in a sealed casket, I overhead a lady say, " Oh my, they are all the way from Kenilworth." Yes we were and I was honored to be among the 2,000 police officers that were there that day.
There were over 485 squad cars from all over the United States in the Funeral possession leading to the cemetery to lay Officer Stanley Anderson in his final resting place on earth.
Jack Stark and his two buddies were found guilty and sentenced to life with no possible chance of parole.
When the officers at our station read the verdict in the Chicago Trumpet we all cheered and yelled for a very long time. It won't bring Officer Stanley Anderson back, but justice was served for a change.
Be careful fellow officer; don't get hurt out there. Be alert and treat all traffic stops as dangerous!
© James D. Fullington
All Rights Reserved 2001 March 20.
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