Daniel A. Sanders Takes His Mom For A Ride
August 16, 2008 by Unamused
Columbia, MO – It’s never a good idea to break traffic laws when you are transporting a dead body in the trunk of your car, but that’s just what 19-year-old Daniel Sanders did. He wasn’t hauling just any old body either, it was his mother, and people were calling cops to report his bad driving. Hell, it was night and he didn’t even have his headlights on. No wonder he was weaving all over the roads. Â
When pulled over by police, Sanders admitted to running a stop light and produced his intermediate driver’s permit. When asked where his mother was, he stated she was back at home with his 16-year-old brother. Officers arrested Sanders for not having a licensed adult motorist riding with him. I guess mom in the trunk didn’t count.  By then, Sanders had invoked his right to STFU and was hoping that they wouldn’t pop open the trunk. During inventory, prior to towing the vehicle, the body of 53-year-old Helen Sanders was found.
Helen Sanders lived with her two teen sons in Columbia, MO. She worked as psychologist or psychiatrist from her home, and is licensed as a physician with the Missouri Division of Professional Registration.  Neighbors say they pretty much kept to themselves, staying indoors most of the time.  It seems that the father is out of the picture. The younger brother has been released to relatives.
I reckon that Daniel Sanders had some plan half assed plan to bury his mom somewhere. Police have asked neighbors if they are missing any shovels. Cause of death has not been determined at this time. So far, Sanders been charged with Tampering with Physical Evidence.
8:19 pm on August 16th, 2008
I know him, and something must have been very … off for him to act in such a reckless manner. He’s too smart for this.
9:32 pm on August 16th, 2008
I’m always freaked when its a psychologist/psychiatrist parent.
Maybe I shouldn’t be?
10:05 pm on August 16th, 2008
Me too. I always imagine their kids are more mentally stable than the rest. Guess I’m wrong.
11:16 pm on August 16th, 2008
Unamused….you not only amuse me …you are one bad cat! Horrible kid.
12:14 am on August 17th, 2008
Really? Can you tell us more? Considering what his mother did, her winding up dead in the trunk is particularly disturbing.
1:36 am on August 17th, 2008
I don’t really know what happened. I only found out today because a reporter approached me trying to dig up information information on his family. I’ll be visiting him soon, though.
1:48 am on August 17th, 2008
Thank you. I guess I was wondering what it is you know about Daniel that makes you say this is out of character for him. And if it was out of character for him, then what on earth could have happened to have Daniel driving a car with his dead mother in the trunk? For example, would he do something extraordinary to protect his little brother? (I’m just tossing out something, I don’t mean anything by referring to the younger boy.)
2:00 am on August 17th, 2008
Well, I’m probably the person closest to him, and he’s extremely intelligent and extremely meticulous. The way he was caught suggests that he was trying to draw attention to himself, which doesn’t really make any sense. Neither he nor his brother had a good relationship with their mother, though. She was extremely controlling and kind of insane. Anyways, I don’t really know, I haven’t talked to him since the 13th, and nothing he said or did suggested that something like this would happen. I was really really shocked and freaked out (still am, obviously). I wish I knew more but I don’t.
2:10 am on August 17th, 2008
042390, thank you again. Being close to Daniel, I know this must be an extremely difficult time for you right now, and I appreciate you taking the time to respond to my question. For your sake, I hope the details being reported appear more incriminating and “dastardly” than they really are. Please feel welcome here should you want to discuss anything and/or vent. We can be a rowdy bunch, but the vast majority of our members have hearts of gold and don’t like seeing people hurting.
2:21 am on August 17th, 2008
I’ll find out how accurate they are when I see him (I almost dropped everything to go out there but I need to make sure I’m on his visitation list and figure out visitation hours first). Suffice to say that my life has taken a turn for the surreal as of today. I just hope the toxicology report comes clean – if so, they won’t really have anything to link him to his mother’s death, as there were no apparent signs of injury, autopsy was inconclusive, etc. and they haven’t found any substantial evidence (to my knowledge, unless they’ve got something up their sleeves). If they don’t find anything, he’ll face a minimum of 2 years, max 4 years for tampering with evidence, which is unfortunate but survivable.
This article was particular informative: http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2008/08/16/update-autopsy-results-woman-found-trunk-could-take-2-weeks/ , and they’re updating fairly regularly. Most interesting bit:
His mother had breast cancer recently, and she was severely anemic during chemo. I’m not sure what this ‘theory’ may be, though.
9:45 am on August 17th, 2008
I am really sorry for what you are going through and hope it turns out right and Daniel didn’t do anything…again, I know it is a hard time for you, please feel free to come back anytime. I wonder if Helen maybe died naturally from the chemo or something? Sounds like Daniel may have just freaked out, if he found his mom or something? Anyway, thanks for coming here and talking to us!!
12:11 pm on August 20th, 2008
Hi,
I work out of RI & conducted MD consults on mental health / substance abuse insurance benefits with Helen and other MD’s. She was always professional, objective, down-to-earth, good sense of humor, had a gentleness to her and yet a strong quality to her as well, and overall likeable. Helen always showed an interest in how I was doing – not intrusive, but adding some personal touch to the far-away phone consults.
I have no idea what happened of course, but I have theories based on conversations with Helen and articles.
Helen really felt strongly about her love for her sons, but also rules, regulations, consistency in parenting. Helen felt that is how kids strived and also did not get into trouble as a result – we know sometimes this leads to well-behaved, emotionally satisfied adults, but also some turn to rebellion. Maybe Helen’s two intelligent sons who began college at age 16 were trying to assert themselves as adults and felt stifled – but more-so than the usual 16yo and especially since they both started college so early. Of course, maybe it was an accident in which they felt they would be implicated, so they did not do the right thing and just the call the police, despite their innocence.
I know Helen moved to MO to be with her children, but maybe they felt it was too much – Helen felt they were smart, but young. Not only that, but the sons never had any contact with their bio father from when they were born and Helen may have put so much focus on the boys w/o knowing it was making them frustrated and possibly angry – of course these are all thoughts.
I really cared for Helen – Dr. Sanders as a colleague – someone I could count on….. I have a master’s degree in clinical psychology and a license to practice as a mental health and substance abuse counselor – currently working for an insurance company.
My thoughts may not be objective at this time – I am in total shock of Helen’s death and the way in which this is unfolding. I hate to judge so soon, but my gut, my intuition tells me it was murder by her son(s) even if not planned. When I see the eyes of Daniel her 19yo son (photo), there is a disconnect there, something that should be there, but it is missing – And I don’t just mean the look of “I just lost my mother”. Besides, Helen’s blanket-wrapped body had to find its way to the trunk somehow – this is not just tampering or obstructing evidence – This Is Foul-Play.
I am not sure why they stayed inside so much as a family, but again this may have caused frustration and anger on the part of her sons.
I miss Helen terribly.
3:34 pm on August 20th, 2008
You have a really good point. I do know that both Daniel and his brother felt stifled and controlled by their mother. Daniel once told me that he felt his mother loved an ‘abstract’ version of her sons, rather than loving them as real individuals, and that she was willing to sacrifice that reality for the good of the abstract. I know that Daniel felt betrayed by her in a few instances. Neither of her sons had a good relationship with her, and it’s just come out that his brother assaulted their mother and threatened to kill her last year (something that Daniel never told me).
If you’re keeping up with the news, it’s looking as if perhaps Daniel’s brother killed her and Daniel’s covering up for him. I don’t know whether to feel relieved or panicky.
You’re right about the disconnect. Daniel does have a thousand-yard stare, heh. But if you watch him in court, he seems incredibly tense. I’m so worried for him and I’m glad I’ll be able to visit him soon.
I’m terribly sorry for your loss. This is so hard.
4:09 pm on August 20th, 2008
RE:
Hi, You are the person I hoped would reply since we both have ties to the family – yours more personal than mine. Obviously, I’m far away, but this has hit me very hard. I have cried and prayed. I’m so sorry for where you’re at with all of this and I also appreciate your empathy/sympathy.
I hate to say it, but I think that Daniel may indeed, as you say, be covering up for his 16yo brother Gary killing his mom Helen – our Dr. Sanders who I loved to talk to greatly in my work.
Daniel may feel a sense of responsibility in that way in being the oldest male in the house. Take care of everyone kind of thinking. How horrifying to think of last year’s threat to Helen by son Gary and the lack of healthy family relationships. I hear stories all the time being in the field, but until now… not someone I care for who was found dead wrapped up in a blanket in her car trunk with her son driving. Those stories were just on TV and removed from me until now – until Helen.
I don’t get to see Daniel in court – is it on Tru TV (Court TV) or just local Missouri TV? My prayers to you. Thanks for replying. – T
4:28 pm on August 20th, 2008
Other than myself, his brother is the closest person to him and pretty much all he has. It wouldn’t surprise me if he were trying to protect Gary in the only way he knew how.
It’s also good to be able to talk to someone who knows the family, at least a little – my friends are sympathetic but they only really know what I’ve told them.
I’m far away too, actually – I’m in VA, but next weekend I’m making the grueling 16-hour drive to see him. It just makes the whole thing more surreal, being distant like this. It’s also terrible timing – I’m going into my first year of college and I move on Friday, so I should be focusing on that right now, but I really just can’t stop worrying.
I’ve been keeping up with all this through the news – the Columbia Tribune is updated every day at 3pm our time, 10am on weekends. Here’s the link: http://www.columbiatribune.com/ . Here’s a link to a short video of Daniel in court: http://www.komu.com/satellite/SatelliteRender/KOMU.com/ba8a4513-c0a8-2f11-0063-9bd94c70b769/dcd10005-80ce-0971-0171-138e9e5a1739 . If you don’t know him, he might seem ‘emotionless’ as they said in the video, but I can tell he’s tense as hell. I’ve been (mostly) fine throughout this entire ordeal, but I did break down and cry when I saw him in court.
10:09 pm on August 24th, 2008
Update:
According to a sworn affidavit filed Thursday, Boone County Deputy Medical Examiner Eddie Adelstein told police that an autopsy found a “significant amount of fluid, or liquid,†in Sanders’ lungs and that she had suffered broken ribs and a broken sternum.
http://www.newstribune.com/articles/2008/08/24/news_state/129state11trunk.txt
2:14 am on August 25th, 2008
Deceased mom threatened by son, police say
Older teen waives preliminary hearing
By JOE MEYER of the Tribune’s staff
Published Wednesday, August 20, 2008
The 16-year-old son of a woman found dead in the trunk of her car last week allegedly assaulted his mother last year and threatened to kill her, according to court documents filed in connection with the death investigation.
Gary Sanders and his 19-year-old brother, Daniel Sanders, have been labeled as people of interest in the death of their mother, 53-year-old Helen Sanders, whose body was discovered by police during a traffic stop Thursday night.
Daniel Sanders, who was driving the car, waived his right to a preliminary hearing yesterday in his first court appearance on a charge of tampering with physical evidence. Waiving the proceeding will allow the defense quicker access to information about the investigation, said his lawyer, Chris Slusher.
Since Friday, police have requested and received at least eight search warrants in the case, including three to search each one of three desktop computers found in the bedrooms of the sons and mother.
In sworn affidavits requesting to search the computers, police said electronic data might reveal more information, particularly because Helen Sanders kept a lot of personal records.
“Helen kept meticulous records/notes/documentation, printed from what was believed to be her computer,” according to one of the affidavits. “It is believed that if there have been any recent threats against Helen, or if she had any suspicions of anything/anyone, she could have documented these suspicions in some type of journal in her computer.”
Police also received search warrants to analyze two cell phones recovered from the family’s home at 4509 Melrose Drive because of evidence that Daniel Sanders experienced car trouble before police pulled over the car he was driving and found his mother’s body in the trunk.
In the trunk with Helen Sanders’ body, police found a shovel that appeared to be recently purchased, according to the court documents.
Police witnesses said the Mercury Grand Marquis was stuck in a ditch “for an extended period of time.” When passers-by would ask Daniel Sanders whether he needed assistance, he replied that he had help on the way, according to the court documents.
“Sanders eventually obtained help from a passerby, and the car was removed from the ditch,” one affidavit said. “He had a flat tire so one of the witnesses mentioned telling Sanders to use the cellular phone Sander’s had to call someone.”
During Thursday night’s traffic stop, police noticed damage to the car and a spare tire on the front passenger side, according to the court documents. The woman’s body was wrapped in a blanket underneath the soiled tire.
Daniel Sanders was immediately arrested on suspicion of driving without a license because he had a provisional driver’s license with no licensed adult in the car with him. His brother was taken into custody at the home shortly thereafter.
Neither teen, who both started taking classes at the University of Missouri when they were 16, spoke with police while in custody. Gary Sanders was later released to grandparents from St. Louis.
Boone County Deputy Medical Examiner Eddie Adelstein said today toxicology results from an autopsy of the body might not be available for about two weeks, although he has asked a St. Louis lab to expedite the results. An autopsy Friday did not determine a cause of death.
“It’s a very unusual case, and we’re documenting everything we possibility can,” Adelstein said. Sanders was said to have had breast cancer, but Adelstein said that did not appear to play a role in her death.
After the court hearing yesterday, the evidence-tampering case against Daniel Sanders will be bound over to the trial court level.
In a court hearing yesterday, Associate Circuit Judge Deborah Daniels ruled on some defense motions, ordering that police investigators must preserve their investigative notes. The prosecution must also notify the defense of any evidence testing that might leave no remaining material for the defense to test and must notify the defense before the body of Helen Sanders, 53, is released by the Boone County medical examiner’s office.
Daniels made no immediate ruling on other defense motions, including a request to lower Sanders’ $250,000 bond.
Sanders stood silently next to Slusher during most of the hearing, responding only “yes” when Daniels asked whether he wanted to waive the preliminary hearing.
Daniels is scheduled for circuit court arraignment Monday afternoon in front of Circuit Judge Gene Hamilton.
3:18 pm on August 25th, 2008
Hi 042390, I am a Mizzou Maneater reporter and incredibly interested in talking to you to get your perspective. If you have the chance today and would be willing to speak on the phone, please email me at sjaxp2@mizzou.edu to get my number, as I’m reluctant to post it.
ShockedNT–If you are also willing to talk, I think you could shed a light on Helen as a person that has been overlooked thus far. My deadline is today, but please please email if you feel comfortable.
5:44 pm on August 25th, 2008
I’m sorry, but neither Daniel nor Gary are talking, and since I haven’t been in contact with either of them I’m just going to take their lead.
6:41 pm on August 25th, 2008
I appreciate your reply! And respect your decision.
1:02 pm on August 26th, 2008
TO: SJAXP2.
Sorry I missed your deadline – and also my line of work doesn’t allow me much. I’m sorry. I feel I cuuld get in trouble talking. Not that I’m hiding anything myself, just my company may look poorly on my decision to interview. Good luck with sincerity and feel free to respond.
Also, “042390″ – we spoke here before. . . Hang in there. – T
1:56 pm on August 26th, 2008
That’s alright. I thank you both for getting back to me. After researching this case, I come to think of it as a tragedy for all involved. I hope you both are doing well and wish you luck with coping.
9:11 pm on August 27th, 2008
I am also a very close friend of Dan’s. I’ll remain neutral on any comments due to the nature of the situation, but I’d like to speak with you, 042390. I am acutely aware of the behavior of his mother Helen, who I will state is a very different person than described above. People are capable of sounding however they want to sound on the telephone.
I’m worried about Dan and would appreciate you meeting me at a third party chat-room so we can exchange e-mails, especially if you’re heading to Missouri.
1:49 pm on August 29th, 2008
I would be happy to. Actually, just email me – my email is 042390@gmail.com.
2:00 am on September 7th, 2008
It is official. Helen Sanders’ death was a homicide. http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/783766.html
9:49 am on September 12th, 2008
I knew Helen and her boys when they lived in St. Louis. We met at a Mensa Kids meeting that she hosted. She was trying very hard to find more social contacts for the boys. My daughter and Gary had playdates once a week for about 2 years. I got to know Helen and Gary very well. I even took care of the boys overnight when she had breast cancer surgery. Her sister called last week to tell me about her death. I was shocked but even more shocked to read about the circumstances of her death. I would have been less surprised if you told me they had found the cure for cancer. They were brillant. This has consumed my every thought for a week now. Her parenting was at times extreme (she wouldn’t even let them learn to ride a bike for fear of ingury) but from a mother of 4 gifted daughters I know that gifted children present a demanding challenge that often people don’t understand.
10:35 am on September 12th, 2008
Wow, what a terribly strange and tragic case. I don’t know how I missed it before this! Thanks for posting it, UC. And thanks to those of you who know the family for sharing your thoughts with all of us. I will be watching for updates.
Wishing peace for everyone hurt by this senseless death, and swift justice for whoever’s at fault (I’m not convinced that that party is Daniel, either, BTW.)
9:42 pm on September 25th, 2008
i knew gary sanders not to long ago. i moved from columbia and lost his number but at one point during his sophmore year he had math with me and towards the end of the year we dated till he did not respond and i lost his number at the begining of his junior year. i went to his house a couple times and he came to mine. we had long discussions and laughed and joked with one another.
i think i breifly met his brother once but do not recal much at all. his mother was very friendly but she seemed a bit unstable or weird though i do think she was a very kind person and the cercumstances are very un fortunante. i do not mean to point any fingers but i read through alot of what has been said and though gary doesn’t seem like the person to do this he is still not off the suspect list. i beleive due to the marks on daniel sanders and the broken ribs and sturnum on helen that their was a likley struggle.
i watch alot of forensic files on true tv and judging from those shows i watch i have made a small conclusion to the reports to that maybe daniel sanders held helen (his mother) under water and she fought back struggling to get free resulting in the scratch marks on her eldest son.
today i was visited by two investigators asking me questions about this case that is how i found out about this and it struck me as ironic due to my current situations.i also learned that they learned of me through a sort of memour that gary had wrote which included my name in it. i feel very badly for what has happened and would love to receive any information anyone has to offer on my old friends family hurtblackwolf@yahoo.com is my e-mail if you wish to send me some info. thank you very much and try not to let things get to you to much it will only eat at you in the end.
5:15 pm on September 26th, 2008
I am very close to the family and it is painful to see you all speculate about what may have happened when you don’t really know, in response to a very tragic situation.
If this were your family, would you post what you posted?
It is encouraging to see that the police are following leads.
I am just praying for all the family and friends.
As the family was a very quiet family and they just lost Helen, my guess is that all this blogging would upset them.
If you want to honor Helen, donate to a charity in her name, don’t feed the negative press here. She deserves better.
5:41 pm on September 26th, 2008
If this were my family, I would be grieving and caring for my family, not searching the Internet. And even if I did, I sure wouldn’t pick a lame ass screen name like “FamilyValues3″ and expect the people I’m attacking to be nice to me.
3:52 pm on October 1st, 2008
if it were my family would i post here…. hmmm, let me think wait duh. you know nothing about me so dont go talking shit to me. and i said nothing offensive i said helen was a very kind person which she was and the situation is very unfortunante i just look at what evidence has been released and made an obvious observation as to what may have happend. and if i had money it would go to gary’s grandparents looking after him in texas not a charity that gives most of the profits to the goverment.
10:12 pm on July 5th, 2009
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2009/feb/17/trial-delayed-case-body-car-trunk/
The above link indicates trial was anticipated in June (originally scheduled in February, but postponed). Does anyone have any information?
peace
w
10:51 am on July 6th, 2009
I contacted one of the reporters covering this case on behalf of the Columbia Tribune in Minnesota. He emailed me back this morning, as follows:
“Thanks for the note. His trial is now scheduled to start Sept. 11 with
jury selection in Adair County and then resume at 9 a.m. on Sept. 14
here in Boone County. If you check the Tribune around those dates, I’m
sure will have coverage of the proceedings.”
So, there you have it, if you’re interested.
peace
3:58 pm on August 11th, 2009
Thank-you for posting than information on the new trial date. I am (like several other persons who have posted) also someone who knew the family; or, parts of it. Specifically Daniel. There has not been a lot of news recently, even the trial getting delayed has mostly fallen off as news.
With respects to what familyvalues3 posted, though (something I had wanted to reply to at the time but thought better of), this is actually how I found out what had happened. My timeline of events went where everything was normal, and then I didn’t see or hear from Daniel for about a month and became very concerned, so I … looked things up on the internet.
And … found them.
12:18 am on August 12th, 2009
Dec 08 :
http://archive.columbiatribune.com/2008/dec/20081209news002.asp
seems all the earlier links are broken
Feb 09:
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2009/feb/17/trial-delayed-case-body-car-trunk/
altho link is broke, if the child was only 16 who were they living with before mom moved in, didn’t somebody state their father was not part of their lives – So were the boy(s) legally emancipated?
10:47 pm on August 13th, 2009
The phrasing in the article is somewhat unclear. She moved so that the boys could continue to live at home while they went to College, as opposed to living in a Dorm or something-like.
8:28 pm on October 10th, 2009
Trial was to have started with jury selection on September 11. After 3 weeks perusing the online version of the Columbia Tribune for trial updates, still nothing. So I contacted the Trib via email, requesting status update.
Latest news is trial postponed due to conflicting schedules on the part of the judge and the attorneys. No new trial date has been set.
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