Anna Cardwell Murder Case: 20-Year-Old Shot Dead By Her Boyfriend

Anna Cardwell’s murder occurred in Wetumpka, Alabama, in 2012. Residents witnessed the horrible murder of a 20-year-old college student a few years ago. 

Anna Cardwell was fatally shot inside her house the next morning after Valentine’s Day in 2012 while her mother was out running errands. 

On Monday, March 6, 2023, Murder Comes Home further excavated into Anna’s shooting-murder case in the episode ‘Stuck in the Middle,’ aired on Monday at 7.00 pm ET on ID.

Anna was shot almost three times before getting struck by a fourth shot to the back of her head.

An investigation, in the end, led to her shooter, Josh Caspari, who has been receiving life in jail without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to capital murder.

Josh allegedly admitted the killing of Anna during an argument over his failed relationship with Anna’s friend.

Anna’s mother said, “He deserves to spend the rest of his life in jail for what he did to my family.”

Anna Cardwell’s shooting-murder case: More details about the case and the killer’s confession

As per the reports, Anna was in her second year of college by early 2012 and was residing at her family house.

Anna spent Valentine’s Day with her boyfriend, and the situation seemed normal until the next morning when her mother, Paula, left home to run some errands. She returned to the gruesome murder scene about an hour later inside her house.

Anna was found dead in the kitchen, lying in a pool of blood. With Anna’s dead body, she also found bloody footprints, handprints, and drag marks inside the house, suggesting a fight between Anna and her killer.

However, no sign of forced entry was found, but the assailant used Anna’s car to escape from the crime scene.

According to WSFA 12 News reports, Anna was first shot thrice, twice in the back and once in the shoulder, after which she tried to escape through the kitchen, but she was likely caught by her murderer and dragged back inside, where Anna was fatally shot in the back of her head, last shot that took her life.

After the investigation, her friend, Josh Caspari, was arrested for Anna’s murder case. 

According to Anna’s family, Josh was unhappy that she did not encourage their bond and even asked her friend to end things with him.

However, the murderer’s mother told the police that Anna picked him up from a Winn Dixie car parking lot that morning, the same place where Anna’s abandoned car was found.

Later, Josh’s roommate, Cody Abernathy, admitted to driving him to a wooded area near Anna’s house the same morning, his alleged lookout spot.

While conducting an extensive search of Caspari’s place, the investigator found 59 incriminating items taken as evidence.

The evidence included bloody clothes, an identical weapon to the one used in the murder, illegal steroids, and $20,000 in cash.

Josh later told police that he and his roommate Cody were after a burglary at a retired police officer Larry Mann’s home.

Josh Caspari pleaded guilty to involvement in the Anna Cardwell murder case in October 2013.

After a brief confession, Josh Caspari was charged with murder. He confessed that he accidentally shot Anna Cardwell that morning.