FORT WORTH -- Their backgrounds are as different as night and day.
Walter "James" Anders had considered the streets and shelters his home for much of the past 30 years.Lisa Minette Juran comes from a well-to-do background, related to some of Fort Worth's most famous families.But through her volunteer work at the First Street Methodist Mission in Fort Worth, police say Juran met and befriended Anders, allowing the 51-year-old man to work around her house and even occasionally stay in her garage.In a shocking twist, Juran now stands accused of helping dispose of Anders' body after her boyfriend, George Thurston, allegedly fatally shot the man late last month."Juran was in a dating relationship with George Thurston, who she also met while performing volunteer work," said homicide Sgt. Cheryl Johnson. "During the last few days of May, Anders was shot by George Thurston and Juran assisted Thurston with disposing of Anders' body after the murder."Juran, 51, surrendered at the Tarrant County Jail this afternoon on a warrant for tampering with evidence, a Class A misdemeanor, and was immediately released upon posting bond.Thurston, 55, arrested by police Wednesday afternoon, has been charged with murder and remained held Friday in the Mansfield jail with bail set at $250,000.Juran's grandmother, the late Mary Meacham Brants, was the daughter of H.C. Meacham, the first mayor of Fort Worth under the city manager form of government and for whom Meacham Airport is named. Her great aunt is the late Minnie Meacham Carter, widow of former Star-Telegram owner Amon G. Carter Sr.Johnson said investigators are still investigating the motive behind the slaying.Anders' decomposing body was found May 30, wrapped in bedding and dumped near railroad tracks in a field west of Eighth Avenue and north of Windsor Place.Johnson said during the investigation, homicide detectives Matt Barron and Kyle Sullivan learned that Anders had been in contact with Juran prior to his death. Juran, the investigators would learn, had met Anders through her volunteer work."Through that friendship, Juran allowed Anders to work around her house and occasionally stay in her garage," Johnson said.Thurston has been living with Juran in her Arlington Heights home in the 3900 block of Birchman Avenue, police confirm.Juran had announced on her facebook page that she was in a relationship with Thurston on March 30."His name is George Thurston; we've been crossing pathes for 25 or 30 years! His dad lives one street over, and, we ran into each other when I was going through my divorce, struck up a friendship, started dating about 6 monthes after my divorce was final. He's six foot two with eyes of blue (I love standing on my tippy toes to kiss!), spoils me rotten, isn't into rodeos (went with me to Stockyards once), but, understands that bucking bulls are my business, now, and, has no problem with me going off to rodeos & bucking bull competitions- it is really good !!!," she wrote.Tarrant County court records show Thurston was sentenced in 1984 to two years in prison for armed burglary. Since then, he has been jailed for misdemeanor convictions including theft, driving while intoxicated, assault of a family member, criminal trespass and criminal mischief.Anders had told family members that he was living in a garage apartment behind the Arlington Heights home of a man with whom he'd recently begun doing tree-cutting work. Edith Coulter, Anders' mother, said her son had told her that a woman he described as the man's wife was financing their job and that that the three planned to split the profits three ways."He said she had a lot of money and owned some businesses," Coulter said.Deanna Boyd, 817-390-7655Twitter: @deannaboydHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
