By Stephen Floyd
A former Silverton woman accused of stealing more than $50,000 from her elderly landlady claims she did so after allegedly being threatened by a local man.
On Sept. 9, counsel for Joan Renee Anderson-Varner, 61, currently of Salem, filed a motion asking for the unsealing of the criminal records of a 52-year-old Silverton man.
The motion claimed this individual was the true initiator of the theft, having arrived at Anderson-Varner’s residence “unwanted” and allegedly “threatened her repeatedly.”
While the individual was named in the motion, Our Town is not identifying him here as he has not been publicly charged with the alleged incident.
According to charging documents, Anderson-Varner allegedly entered the home of her neighbor and landlady April 26 on the 300 block of Monson Road and stole more than $50,000 in cash and jewelry.
She is charged in Marion County Circuit Court with aggravated first-degree theft and initiating a false report for allegedly lying to authorities when she called 911 that day to report the incident.
Defense attorney Spencer Todd filed a motion Aug. 21 notifying the court of his intent to argue the alleged crimes were committed under duress and were justifiable as a “choice of evils.”
The Sept. 9 motion added greater detail and claimed Anderson-Varner was violently coerced by the Silverton man, who afterward allegedly forced her to drive him to a hotel in Wilsonville.
It was from this hotel Anderson-Varner called 911 the next day and admitted to lying about the incident and told authorities about the Silverton man, according to the docuents filed.
The motion requested access to a police report in a separate case against the man involving the alleged sexual groping of a minor in early April. Because the case is pending neither the arresting agency nor prosecutors are willing to divulge the report, said Todd.
The motion argued there may be evidence in the report corroborating Anderson-Varner’s account of events. Todd said an independent investigator had already uncovered one similar incident when another woman was allegedly coerced by the man into stealing cash and jewelry from another victim.
A hearing to consider the motion was held Sept. 26, after the Our Town press deadline.