Murder in Burlingame

Police allege that at 8:31 a.m. Anderson arrived at the 1501 Los Montes Drive home of her ex-husband's parents. The son was visiting his grandparents, who own the home, and his father, 53-year-old Frank Burns, Jr. Burns lives with his parents.

Anderson had flown from Shoreview, Minn., 10 miles northwest of St. Paul, to drop off the son at his family's home a week or two before the crime. Police did not know where she went between that day and her arrival back at the home Sunday morning.

Anderson was voluntarily let back into the Burns' home and allowed to see her son. Burns heard a scream within minutes and raced to a rear bedroom where he told police he saw his ex-wife stabbing their son.

Burns was able to pull Anderson from their son and pin her to the kitchen floor until police arrived about four minutes later. Anderson stabbed her ex-husband in the right leg during the struggle.

Anderson was arrested and Burns was treated at Peninsula Hospital and released.

There was little evidence of a struggle between Anderson and her son, according to police who said the boy was dressed and on the bed during the attack.

His body was found on the floor and Police Commander Brad Floyd described the scene as "shocking but not in disarray."

The number of stab wounds to the son will not be known until an autopsy is completed either early today or tomorrow. Anderson is expected to be arraigned and formally charged early this week.

In this quiet, upscale neighborhood perched in the hills above Burlingame, the only time cops are present are when kids have a party or to make traffic stops, said Bob Tatemichi, a neighborhood resident.

Tom Notaro, a retired school administrator, has lived in the Burlingame Hills neighborhood for almost 40 years. This is the first time anything like that had happened in the area, he said.

"This has always been a very quiet neighborhood," Notaro said. "I guess times have changed."

At a press conference Sunday afternoon Burlingame police remained baffled by the crime and the lack of motive. Investigators had not completed interviewing Anderson or Burns so could not comment on the nature of their marriage, divorce or possible motive.

Burlingame police Chief Gary Missel said Anderson was not hysterical when officers arrived. She made incriminating statements about the stabbing.

"It appeared she knew exactly what she'd done," Missel said.

The crime has shaken the police force not only because of its gruesome nature but also because "a murder in Burlingame is a rare occurrence," according to Missel.

Burlingame's last murder was in 1997 and there have only been eight murders in the city within the last 10 years. Missel said in his 29 years on the job he'd never encountered a parent murder a child.

Most of the investigating officers have never handled a homicide, Missel said, and the murder would be burdensome.

"For us it's difficult. It totally taxes our personnel," he said.

Staff writer Andrew Becker contributed to this report.