Following the grisly casino homicide, the murderer meets his end after almost three decades on death row in Tennessee.
Gerald Powers' Brutal End: From Casino Winnings to Death Row
Last week, Gerald Powers, a notorious murderer, met his end in a Tennessee prison. [Jimmy Chan/pexels.com]
A Fateful Night in 1996
Back in 1996, Powers orchestrated a horrific crime. It all started at a Mississippi casino, Sam's Town Casino in Tunica, where Powers had his eyes on a young woman named Shannon Sanderson. Reports suggest that she walked away with around 5,000 USD (approx. 4,393 EUR) from a lucky blackjack game.
As she left the casino, Powers is said to have followed her for roughly 40 miles (approx. 64 kilometers) to her house in Memphis. Multiple witnesses recalled a heated argument outside Sanderson's residence, with Powers dragging her into the backseat of a Chevrolet Beretta. The car then sped away.
Investigations later revealed that Powers took Sanderson to an abandoned house, where he fatally shot her and made off with her casino winnings and jewelry. Sanderson, a 25-year-old mother of three, became another tragic victim of Powers' ruthless actions.
Powers' Confession
After the murder, Powers returned to his family in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and claimed to have won a large sum at the casino. His wife, however, grew suspicious when she noticed him cleaning his car and the interior thoroughly. A series of discussions led Powers to confess to robbing and murdering Sanderson. Upon hearing a news report about Sanderson's death, his wife immediately contacted the police.
A Life on Death Row
In 1999, Powers was convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated robbery. Known for multiple robberies that targeted women, Powers was sentenced to death in the same year. In 2003, his verdict was upheld in an appeal, and he was moved to Tennessee's death row.
In 2022, Tennessee delayed the execution of the death penalty due to concerns about the state's lethal injection protocol. Despite this reprieve, at least four men [Link in English] are slated for execution in Tennessee this year.
It's worth noting that cases like Sanderson's are not unheard of. In recent years, casino-related crimes have made headlines, including the 2024 incident at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa, Florida, where a couple was robbed shortly after winning 3,000 USD (approx. 2,636 EUR) on a slot machine. The perpetrators also shot the man three times in the legs and injured the woman.
Similarly, the world-famous Bellagio Casino in Las Vegas was robbed in 2010, with the perpetrator known as the Biker Bandit making off with 1.5 million USD (approximately 1.32 million EUR). However, he was apprehended just a few months later.
The End of a Gruesome Chapter
Powers, who spent 29 years on death row, died of cancer last Sunday, almost exactly 29 years to the day after his crime. His attorney confirmed his terminal illness, though the official cause of death is still pending a medical examiner's report.
While Powers' sentence was never carried out, his victims and their families finally found a measure of closure with his death. Although the memory of Shannon Sanderson remains tainted by the horrific act, the courage and compassion she displayed during her life serve as a poignant reminder of the goodness that can exist in the face of unimaginable evil.
[1] Gerald Powers, Murdered Shannon Sanderson: The Deeply Disturbing Details You Should Know, ABC News, April 16, 2025.[2] Firsthand Report: Three Victims of Casino-Related Crimes, ABC News, July 5, 2024.[3] Casino Robberies: Common as Scarily as Jackpots, ABC News, September 20, 2010.
2025 marked the death of Gerald Powers, a notorious murderer, in a Tennessee prison, almost exactly 29 years after he orchestrated a crime at a Mississippi casino.In 1996, during a heated argument outside the home of Shannon Sanderson, a victim of Powers' murder, eyewitnesses saw Powers dragging her into his Chevrolet Beretta.At the casino that fateful night, Sanderson had reportedly walked away with around $5,000 USD from a lucky game of blackjack, a common source of joy at other casinos and casino-games like poker.In recent years, casinos, such as the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa, Florida, have become hotspots for crime and justice, with stories of robberies and violence making general-news headlines.*Despite being sentenced to death for first-degree murder and aggravated robbery in 1999, Powers' execution was delayed due to concerns about Tennessee's lethal injection protocol, leaving four other men facing execution in the state this year.
