Beaverton man pleads guilty except for insanity in 2022 Polk County highway shooting

A Beaverton man pleaded guilty Thursday in Polk County Circuit Court to murder except for insanity in the 2022 shooting death of Tigard man on the side of Highway 18 west of Grand Ronde in rural Polk County.

Justin McAnulty, 25, was committed to the Oregon State Hospital and placed under supervision of the Psychiatric Security Review Board for life for the murder of 45-year-old Dennis Anderson.

According to a September 2023 psychiatric review, McAnulty has a psychotic disorder and lacks the capacity to appreciate the criminality of his conduct.

On July 13, 2022, Anderson and his common-law wife were returning to their Tigard home after a day trip to Lincoln City and pulled over on the shoulder of Highway 18 near milepost 15 to let McAnulty pass, according to court documents.

McAnulty stopped and shot Anderson nine times with a nine millimeter Glock handgun, killing him.

He also shot at Anderson’s wife who was not struck, according to court documents.

McAnulty then drove off in his black BMW 550, which he sold days later.

He was arrested and charged with murder two months later.

In a statement, Polk County District Attorney Aaron Felton said Anderson was unarmed when he was shot.

“Although both the state’s and defense’s experts reached the same conclusion about the defendant’s mental status at the time (of) the shooting, today’s outcome is extremely disappointing,” Felton said.

“While McAnulty’s guilty plea at long last takes responsibility for killing Mr. Anderson, I strongly believe that Mr. McAnulty presents a risk to community safety and should be securely confined for the remainder of his life,” he said.

Bill Poehler covers Marion and Polk County for the Statesman Journal. Contact him at bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon man committed to state hospital after murder plea