Man arrested in killing of 87-year-old woman in her east Oak Cliff home, Dallas police say

Dallas police arrested a man suspected of killing an 87-year-old woman who was found dead Tuesday in her east Oak Cliff home.

Andre Stefan Buggs, 58, turned himself in to police Sunday in connection with the death of Anita Daniels Thompson. He was taken to the Dallas County jail and faces a murder charge, police said. Bail had not been set early Sunday evening.

Officers found Thompson’s body about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday on the floor of her home in the 4100 block of Fortune Lane, near Marsalis Avenue and Kiest Boulevard, police said. She died from homicidal violence, according to police.

Thompson had known Buggs’ family for more than 40 years, her daughter Oletha Morrow said. Morrow called her mother a “God-fearing” woman who loved her family.

Upon hearing the news of Buggs’ arrest, Morrow told

Among the crowd was Thompson’s granddaughter, Danye’ll Jefferson, who recalled going to Thompson’s house while she was growing up.

She said that she’d continued to visit after she had children of her own and that one of Thompson’s dreams was to see Jefferson’s daughter graduate from school.

“She would say, ‘Once she crosses that stage, you can take me home,’” Jefferson said. “But she wasn’t able to see her.”

After the prayer, the group marched to the Glendale Shopping Center, chanting, “No more violence.” Many carried poster boards with a photo of Thompson and the words “Justice 4 Anita.”

The day before her body was found, Morrow said, Thompson had called police to report that the window on her back door had been smashed open. Police confirmed that Thompson called July 5 to report criminal mischief.

Officers were not sent to the home, because Thompson had chosen to “expedite the call,” according to police.

Morrow asked a neighbor to check on her mother about 3 p.m. Tuesday. The neighbor discovered Thompson’s body and alerted her and police. Morrow said police told her it was a brutal murder.

 she felt relieved.

Friends, relatives and neighbors of Thompson’s gathered at her east Oak Cliff home Sunday evening for a prayer vigil.