Jury reaches verdict in death of Granite City man shot through a fence
A Madison County jury found a Granite City woman guilty of first-degree murder on Thursday in the 2023 shooting death of her on-and-off again boyfriend.
The prosecution and defense agreed that Tara A. Anderson, 40, fired the shot through a wooden fence that killed 39-year-old Phillip Armstrong.
But Anderson’s attorney David Fahrenkamp had argued it was a “warning shot,” and Anderson did not mean to harm him. Anderson testified that she fired the shot to scare him away.
The prosecution said Anderson acted with the intent to kill or at least knew her actions could kill or seriously injure someone.
The bullet struck Armstrong in the chest, Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine said in a post-trial news conference.
“No one gets to claim ‘warning shot’ after firing directly into an area where they know a person is standing,” Haine stated in a news release. “The law is absolutely clear: If you shoot at someone and hit them, that is not an accident. That’s murder.”
The shooting happened on Sept. 24, 2023, outside Anderson’s home in the 1400 block of Madison Avenue in Granite City. The prosecution said Anderson messaged Armstrong to come there to retrieve a car and confronted him when he arrived.
Assistant State’s Attorney Morgan Hudson alleged in her closing arguments that Anderson had told people she wanted Armstrong dead on multiple occasions.
“This case is simple and straightforward. She said she was going to kill him, and she did,” Hudson said.
Fahrenkamp contended in closing arguments that if Anderson had wanted to hit Armstrong, she would have positioned herself differently and moved closer.
The jury deliberated for more than three hours on Thursday before reaching their verdict.
Armstrong’s twin brother, Patrick Armstrong, said afterward that he feels justice was served. His wife Katie Armstrong agreed.
“I think the verdict will be life-changing for our family,” Katie Armstrong said. “I’m not sure if we’ll ever get full closure, but it will start healing wounds.
“Phillip was a father, son, identical twin brother, cousin and friend to many people,” she added. “He’s going to be dearly missed.”
Anderson’s sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
First-degree murder is punishable by 20 to 60 years in prison. The jury made a special finding that Anderson personally discharged a firearm during the commission of the offense, which means a term of 25 years to life will be added to her murder sentence, according to the state’s attorney’s office.
Jurors did not find Anderson guilty of a lesser felony charge filed against her of possessing a firearm with a defaced serial number.
This story was originally published May 14, 2026 at 3:36 PM.