James Paul Anderson, a 39-year-old former special education teacher and ex-clown from Texas, died in court on Friday after ingesting drugs just before he was due to receive a 35-year prison sentence for the murder of his wife. Anderson was convicted for the killing of 34-year-old Victoria Anderson in 2023, as reported by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
Anderson experienced a medical emergency shortly after arriving at the Criminal Justice Center in Houston. Initial reports suggest that he consumed drugs while awaiting his sentencing. He was quickly transported to a local hospital via ambulance, according to Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen.
A court bailiff administered naloxone, a drug used to counteract opioid overdoses, before Anderson was taken to the hospital. Despite these efforts, he was pronounced dead at 11:05 am.
In the aftermath of the incident, a brown bag containing a crystal-like substance, suspected to be methamphetamine, was discovered in a nearby trash can by Anderson’s attorney. This prompted the judge to close the courtroom and declare it a potential crime scene.
Witnesses reported that Anderson, known previously as a clown by the name of Mister Jazzz, had a brief conversation with his defense attorney upon arriving in court. He then requested a few moments alone, during which he was seen spitting something into a garbage can. Shortly after, he began to vomit. An autopsy is currently being conducted to determine the exact cause of death.
Anderson, who once worked for the Cleveland Independent School District, was arrested on September 24, 2023, following a lengthy standoff with police. The police were called to his Kingwood home after his wife dialed 911, reporting that her husband was threatening to shoot her. The emergency dispatcher heard gunfire over the call.
Upon the arrival of the police, Anderson allowed his three-year-old son to leave the house, then barricaded himself inside with his deceased wife’s body. He surrendered approximately five hours later. Authorities have indicated that there were previous reports of domestic issues at the residence, and that Victoria Anderson had filed for divorce about a month before her death.