Georgia mother-of-four Imani Roberson vanished after Sunday dinner. Now her husband is charged with her murder
Donell Anderson arrested and charged after wife’s remains found close to torched husk of her SUV almost three weeks after she disappeared, writes Joe Sommerlad
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“You shouldn’t have anything. You should lose everything. Because that was just out of nowhere, for no reason. You are a sociopath to me. You’re insane.”
That was the message Imani Roberson’s younger sister Patience had for her brother-in-law Donell Anderson after he was arrested and charged with the Georgia mother-of-four’s murder, almost three weeks after she first disappeared.
Also speaking to FOX 5 Atlanta outside Rockdale County Jail where Mr Anderson was being held was Roberson’s father, Ronald Acklin, who told the television cameras in a tone of steely resolve: “We’re going to make sure that this malicious, malevolent person… does not ever see the streets again.”
Mr Anderson, 22, was arrested at an apartment in Atlanta on the evening of Friday 4 August shortly after his wife’s remains had been found by police cadaver dogs in a wooded area outside the city earlier in the day.
Currently represented by a public defender, the suspect was denied bail on Sunday and, should he ultimately be convicted of the horrific crime of which he stands accused, Mr Acklin and his surviving daughter may well see their wishes granted.
On 9 August, the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office annocuned a second arrest in the case; Mr Anderson’s brother, Cedarius Glaze, 28. Mr Glaze has been accused of helping to hid Ms Roberson’s body.
Here is everything we know about the disappearance of Imani Roberson and the arrest of her husband Donell Anderson.
A quiet Sunday dinner
Roberson, 30, was last seen on 16 July when she left the house of her mother, Clarine Andujar-White, in Conyers, Georgia, after bringing her children – all boys aged 11, nine, three and two months – over for Sunday dinner.
Roberson departed in her white Mazda SUV at around 5.30pm, leaving the two eldest behind after they decided to stay the night with their grandmother, heading back to her own place across town. She was last seen driving on Plantation Road.
When Ms Andujar-White subsequently called her daughter and got no answer she became concerned, eventually visiting Imani’s house herself the following day, finding it empty and reluctantly filing a missing person’s report.
Traces of blood
The police arrived and discovered traces of blood at the property, commencing a hunt for the missing woman that would ultimately clock up more than 400 hours of search time without yielding an outcome as the family appealed for information and detectives executed a series of search warrants, conducted interviews and checked cell phone records.
Grainy footage from a neighbour’s Ring doorbell handed to the family and subsequently passed on to the authorities and the media showed Roberson’s car backing speedily out of her driveway and racing away on the evening she went missing after a loud bang was heard at the property, which Mr Acklin claimed had been a gunshot.
The torched car
Ten days later, on 27 July, officers discovered the charred husk of Roberson’s car.
It had been set on fire and dumped near Camp Creek Parkway off Union Road in Atlanta, around 24 miles from her home, apparently having been burned from the inside, its logo singed into the ground among the ash left behind.
Eight days after that, the police canines discovered human remains that proved to belong to Roberson not far from the spot where her vehicle had been found torched, prompting a SWAT team to pick up Mr Anderson that evening.
The suspect was duly charged with felony murder, malice murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during commission to attempt a felony by the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office.
Mr Glaze was arrested in early August on suspicion that he assisted Mr Anderson with hiding Ms Roberson’s body.
‘Foul play was evident’
Speaking at a press conference on 5 August, Sheriff Eric Levett revealed that his office was still looking for a second suspect but did not name them or offer any further information.
“It was clear that foul play was evident in the disappearance of Imani,” he said of the moment his officers had first visited Roberson’s house.
Gesturing to the deceased’s grieving parents standing beside him, Sheriff Levett said: “I promised them that I was gonna find Imani and find out who had done something to Imani, and that today we have done.”
He continued: “When that body was found, it was our mission, especially mine, to make sure that we could convince our judges and/or DA’s office that we have enough evidence to secure a warrant and to get him off the street. This investigation is still ongoing and I can assure you that another arrest will be made.”
Ms Andujar-White said: “When I couldn’t reach Imani almost three weeks ago, I knew something was wrong. Late last night my worst fears were confirmed and our family is devastated.”
Mr Acklin – who became understandably emotional during his appearance before reporters, especially when he reflected that this was the third of his children he had “lost to the state of Georgia” – commented: “It’s not the news that we wanted, but I’m happy that we can hold them accountable.”
Four kids without their parents
Sheriff Levett concluded with a broader message for the community: “If there’s anyone that’s out here that is involved in a toxic relationship, whether you are receiving mental abuse, verbal abuse, or physical abuse it is not worth keeping quiet and we need for you to step out and say something so we can end such tragedies like this.
“These are four kids now without a mother and unfortunately now without a father.”
Imani Roberson’s children, none of whom were harmed during the episode, will be raised by their grandparents, the sheriff confirmed.
For now, the motive behind their mother’s killing remains a mystery.
Mr Acklin had previously told the website 11 Alive that his daughter had been in the process of moving in with her mother, without specifying why, perhaps indicating an imminent separation.
On Monday evening, a vigil was held by mourners outside of Roberson’s home in Conyers. Those in attendance to pay their respects brought candles and balloons in white and purple: her favourite colours.