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A Canyon Country man accused of shooting his wife and sister in a series of deaths LAPD officers suspected were “mercy killings,” is due back in court.

Canyon Country Man Accused Of Double Murder Due Back In Court

A man accused in the “mercy killings” of his wife and sister is due back in court July 22, when the court expects to have a preliminary hearing date set.


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Lance Holger Anderson, 60, of Canyon Country, is accused of fatally shooting his wife and his sister — both of whom reportedly were suffering from mental illness.

He pleaded not guilty at his preliminary arraignment. At a preliminary hearing, the evidence against Anderson will be presented and a judge will decide if there’s enough to merit a trial.

Bertha Anderson, 68, of Canyon Country, was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head, said Lt. Larry Dietz of the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.

The two reportedly lived together at the 26800 block of Claudette Street.

Neighbors reported hearing “two loud booms” the night before Bertha Anderson and Lance Anderson’s sister, Lisa Nave, were found dead in their respective homes.

Anderson was apprehended by Los Angeles Police Department officials near the scene of Nave’s death at a convalescent home in North Hills.

A Derringer pistol, which is suspected to be involved in the crime, was found nearby, and Lance Anderson reportedly was arrested without incident.

Nave was killed the morning Bertha Anderson’s body was discovered, after family members requested a “check the welfare” call at the Canyon Country condominium she shared with Lance Anderson.

A Los Angeles Police Department captain initially referred to the incident as a “mercy killing,” because the victim was not chosen at random, and no other patients inside the convalescent home were injured, according to an LA Times report.

Both Bertha Anderson and Nave were reportedly suffering from serious illness at the time of their deaths.

Detective Ron Duval is handling the investigation for the Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau. He could not be reached for comment Friday morning.

The case is also being investigated by Los Angeles Angeles Police Department detectives because one of the crimes occurred in their jurisdiction.

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Canyon Country Man Accused Of Double Murder Due Back In Court

2 comments

  1. The police Captain who suggested these were “mercy killings” deserves an official reprimand for his conduct. Most killings like these (elderly male kills elderly female spouse or relative) are done without the victims’ knowledge or consent. They are another aspect of the tendency of men – when under extreme stress – to decide that murder and violence are appropriate coping strategies.

    • Very well said. Lisa nave was my wife, and lance anderson murdered her. It was the worst for our children and myself.
      Noone has the right to take another life. He received 1000 years to life. God bless Lisa and Bertha

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About Perry Smith

Perry Smith is a print and broadcast journalist who has won several awards for his focused, hyperlocal community coverage in several different regions of the country. In addition to five years of experience covering the Santa Clarita Valley, Smith, a San Fernando Valley native, has worked in newspapers and news websites in Los Angeles, the Northwest, the Central Valley and the South, before coming to KHTS in 2012. To contact Smith, email him at Perry@hometownstation.com.