On Jan. 8, Anthony Wessel, 41, entered a Clackamas County courtroom wearing prison stripes and shackles, escorted by a deputy and trailing another prisoner. Wessel sat quietly in the hive of hushed activity in the nearly full courtroom, waiting for Circuit Judge Michael C. Wetzel to take the bench and begin the day’s proceedings.
OCPD investigators said that Wessel confessed to having shot his wife, Anna, 37. He appeared in court with legal counsel for an opportunity for the court and all parties involved to check the status of the case.
During the status check hearing, Wessel waived his right to a speedy trial, setting a timeline for jury selection to begin in November.
Wessel is currently lodged in Clackamas County Jail without bail. State prosecutors say that his alleged crimes constitute domestic violence.
Wessel could potentially undergo several more hearings before his trial in November. Should settlement hearings not produce an agreement between him and the district attorney’s office, a 12-person jury trial is set to begin on Nov. 12.
Anna’s sudden loss this past Nov. 13 was felt by many in the community, as a longtime OCHS choir accompanist and manager of Geeks & Games, a store in Oregon City that seeks to provide an inclusive space for purchasing and playing a variety of game types.
On Nov. 14, after walking into Oregon City Police Department just before 1 p.m., Wessel was arrested on a second-degree murder charge and unlawful use of a weapon.
The Wessels’ four children are staying with family in Longview, Washington. Wessel has signed over custody of the four children to Anna Wessel’s sister Janet Wilcox Fish and Fish’s husband Kendall.
Family members and the owners of Geeks & Games are encouraging community members to contribute to a GoFundMe campaign to support Anna Wessel’s sister in the extra expenses of suddenly having to care for four additional children.
