Annandale man charged with stabbing, killing wife during argument

Charges have been laid against an Annandale man who stabbed and killed his wife during an argument.

Rodney Allen Andersen, 85, has been charged with second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of his wife early Thursday morning. The maximum sentence is 40 years in prison.

According to court documents, police were dispatched to the 30 block of Knollwood Street West in Annandale at 9:54 a.m. after Andersen called 911 to report that he had stabbed his wife.

Annandale police arrived on scene and tried unsuccessfully to remove Andersen from the home. Officers then entered the home and found Andersen sitting on the steps with his hands on his head.

Authorities saw a woman lying on her back on the kitchen floor, her body covered in blood. She was later identified as Andersen’s 82-year-old wife.

Officers began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the woman’s body, which was still warm, and found multiple stab wounds to her abdomen. Life-saving efforts were unsuccessful and the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to court documents, police saw a large kitchen knife in the sink that appeared to be bloodstained.

Andersen was taken to the Annandale police station, where he told officers that he and the woman had been married for more than 65 years and argued often. During the argument Thursday morning, Andersen told officers, “I guess I lost my mind.”

He said he did not know how many times he stabbed his wife, but he knew he stabbed her at least once.

Andersen’s next court date is set for September 19.