A Granite City, Illinois, woman will spend 55 years in prison for fatally shooting her former boyfriend, Phillip Armstrong, after claiming she fired only a warning shot during an encounter outside her home.
Tara A. Anderson, 40, received the sentence on October 6, 2026, following her conviction for first-degree murder in May. Armstrong, 39, was killed on September 24, 2023, while attempting to retrieve a vehicle from Anderson’s property.
The shooting happened on Madison Avenue in Granite City, in southwestern Illinois. According to evidence presented at trial, Anderson had asked Armstrong to come to her home to pick up the vehicle.
When Armstrong arrived and began loading the car onto a trailer, the situation escalated. Prosecutors said Anderson confronted him before going back inside her home and returning with a handgun.
She then fired a shot that passed through a wooden fence and struck Armstrong. The two were approximately 100 feet apart when the shot was fired.
Anderson Claimed She Fired a Warning Shot
During the trial, Anderson testified that she intended to frighten Armstrong and make him leave rather than kill him. Her defense maintained that the shooting was not intentional.
Prosecutors challenged that explanation, pointing to the circumstances of the encounter and testimony about Anderson’s statements before the shooting. The state presented evidence that she had previously expressed an intention to kill Armstrong.
Assistant State’s Attorney Morgan Hudson argued during closing statements that Anderson’s earlier threats were not empty words. Prosecutors said the evidence supported the conclusion that she intended to cause him harm.
A Madison County jury found Anderson guilty of first-degree murder in May 2026 after deliberating for several hours.
Judge Imposes 55-Year Prison Sentence
The sentence followed the jury’s guilty verdict and the presentation of arguments from both sides. Anderson’s defense sought a shorter prison term, arguing that she did not intend to shoot Armstrong.
The court ultimately imposed a 55-year sentence. The punishment includes additional time connected to the use of a firearm during the crime, according to local reporting. Anderson is required to serve the full sentence under the terms reported by local news outlets.
Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine said the outcome held Anderson accountable for Armstrong’s death. He also praised the investigators and prosecutors who worked on the case.
The prosecution’s position was that firing toward an area where someone is known to be standing cannot simply be dismissed as a warning shot when the bullet strikes and kills that person.
Armstrong’s Daughter Speaks About Her Loss
The sentencing hearing also brought attention to the impact of Armstrong’s death on his family, particularly his daughter, who was 13 at the time of the hearing.
In her victim impact statement, she described the pain of losing her father and struggling to understand how life could continue without him.
She told the court that losing her dad felt as though her entire world had been taken away. Her words highlighted the lasting consequences of the shooting beyond the courtroom and the prison sentence.
Armstrong’s twin brother, Patrick Armstrong, also spoke about the loss, describing his brother as a caring person who would help others whenever he could. Family members said the death had left a lasting void in their lives.
The case concluded with a lengthy prison sentence, but the impact on Armstrong’s family remains. His daughter will continue growing up without her father, while Anderson faces decades behind bars for the fatal shooting.
