Granite City Woman Sentenced to 55 Years for Murder

Tara A. Anderson was sentenced to 55 years in prison on Tuesday for the first-degree murder of her ex-boyfriend, Phillip Armstrong, following a September 2023 shooting outside her Granite City home.

Granite City Woman Sentenced for 2023 Murder

The conviction stems from the fatal shooting of 39-year-old Phillip Armstrong on Sept. 24, 2023. Armstrong was shot outside Anderson’s residence located in the 1400 block of Madison Avenue in Granite City.

Prosecutors established during the trial that Armstrong had visited Anderson’s home at her request to pick up a vehicle. As Armstrong attempted to load the vehicle onto a trailer, Anderson confronted him, went inside the house, and returned carrying a .45-caliber handgun. She fired from approximately 100 feet away, sending a bullet through a wooden privacy fence that struck Armstrong. Anderson maintained during her trial that she had merely fired a warning shot.

Prosecutor urges strict sentence as daughter speaks

During the sentencing hearing, Assistant State’s Attorney Morgan Hudson urged Judge Maher to deliver a strict sentence, emphasizing the severe dangers associated with firearms. “This is real life. “Somewhere along the way, people have lost sight of how dangerous guns are.”

Armstrong’s 13-year-old daughter delivered an emotional victim-impact statement during the proceedings, explaining how every future milestone serves as a painful reminder of her father’s death. “It felt like my whole world had been taken away from me, and I didn’t know how I was supposed to keep going without my Dad,” she told the court.

Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine issued a statement praising the law enforcement agencies and prosecutors involved in securing the conviction. Haine commended the Granite City Police Department, investigators, and the prosecution team for establishing the facts and presenting a rigorous case to the jury.

Questions Regarding the Madison County Homicide Case

What specific crime was Tara A. Anderson convicted of?

A Madison County jury convicted Anderson of first-degree murder in May for the shooting death of Phillip Armstrong.

Where did the fatal shooting take place?

The shooting occurred on Sept. 24, 2023, outside Anderson’s home located in the 1400 block of Madison Avenue in Granite City.

What defense did Anderson present at trial?

Anderson argued in court that she did not intend to shoot Armstrong and had only fired a warning shot from approximately 100 feet away.