EDWARDSVILLE – Closing arguments in the jury trial of Tara Anderson, who is charged with first-degree murder and weapons offenses in the shooting death of Phillip Armstrong, are scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Circuit Judge Amy Maher’s third-floor courtroom at the Madison County Criminal Justice Center.
The Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office confirmed on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, that closing arguments will occur on Thursday morning.
Anderson, the defendant in case 23CF2365, also faces charges of possession of a weapon by a felon and possession of a defaced firearm. Assistant State’s Attorneys Morgan Hudson and Lauren Maricle are prosecuting the case, and David Fahrenkamp is representing Anderson. The Granite City Police Department investigated the murder.
Granite City Police said the shooting occurred on the evening of Sept. 24, 2023, in the 1400 block of Madison Avenue in Granite City. Granite City Police officers arrived and found Armstrong, 39, dead in the roadway with a gunshot wound to his chest, according to police.
Granite City Police said one witness told law enforcement he was with Armstrong when Anderson came outside her home and began yelling at Armstrong. The witness said Anderson went back toward her home, and he then heard a single gunshot from that direction, police said.
Another witness told police they saw Anderson leave her home with a gun and that she said she was going to kill Armstrong, according to police. Police investigators found a .45-caliber shell casing on Anderson’s porch, police said. A .45 caliber handgun was found in Anderson’s basement with Anderson’s fingerprint on the magazine, police said.
