Victim: Elizabeth “Liza” Olsen
Murderer: Anthony Givens, 17
Crime date: December 2, 1996
Crime location: New Buffalo, Michigan
Examples of Juvenile Murderers
On December 2, 1996, Anthony Givens, 17, invaded 44-year-old Elizabeth “Liza” Olsen’s home in New Buffalo, Michigan. Givens broke in through a window and found Liza asleep in her bedroom. Liza awoke and was brutally attacked by the burglar. DNA evidence established that she was raped by Givens. Givens also struck her three times over the head with a T.V. Liza’s partner Joy came home during the robbery and was also attacked by Givens. Givens hit her, wrestled her into the back bedroom and forced her to lie on the floor. He hit Joy on the head with the T.V., fracturing her skull, stole some more items, and left. Joy survived. Liza did not.
10. Anthony Givens from Michigan
Anthony Givens raped and murdered 44-year-old Liza Olsen in her home in New Buffalo, Michigan. Prior to this crime, he had engaged in several other violent acts. A few weeks before killing Liza he broke into another woman’s home and sexually assaulted her. He was armed with a knife and told the woman “shut up or I’ll kill you.” He then struck her in the head with a bottle. Givens had juvenile adjudications for unlawfully driving an automobile and 2nd degree home invasion. He was given three years of probation for the unlawful automobile use. The probation term included 90 days tether. He was on tether when he raped and murdered Liza.
These are the southwest Michigan men whose mandatory life sentences will get another look
Anthony Jovan Givens
DOB: April 11, 1979
Age at murder: 17
Date of murder: Dec. 2, 1996
Victim: Elizabeth Olsen, 44, of New Buffalo, whose home was invaded
The crime: Givens, of Union Pier, broke into Olsen’s home to steal. He sexually assaulted Olsen and struck her on the head with a television set, killing her. Olsen’s partner survived a skull fracture after Givens struck her in the back of the head with the TV.
On December 2, 1996, Anthony Jovan Givens, (dob 4/11/1979), of Union Pier, age 17, and a probationer entered a home through a window to steal but killed victim Elizabeth Olsen
by hitting her with a TV. Olsen’s partner Joy Goldsmith came home during the robbery. Givens beat Goldsmith with a TV also but she survived. Olsen had been sexually assaulted. Givens was convicted of 1st degree felony-murder and sentenced to life without parole.
Givens was born in Chicago but was sent to live with his grandmother on Locke Road in Union Pier in order to get away from the gang activity in Chicago. Givens was attending New
Buffalo High School at the time of this offense. His attendance was sporadic at school.
He had juvenile adjudications from Ingham County in 1995 for unlawfully driving away
an automobile and home invasion 2nd degree.
Givens pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful use of an automobile in 1996 in Berrien County
and was sentenced to a 3 year term of probation that included 90 days tether. Givens was on
tether on the date of this murder.
The deceased Elizabeth Olsen was known as Liza. She and the surviving victim, Joy
Goldsmith lived together on Raz Road, New Buffalo.
Givens broke into the home through a window. Givens encountered Liza sleeping in her
bedroom. Liza woke up and Givens took a television set in the room and hit Liza three times
with it over the head.
Goldsmith then arrived back home while Givens was still in the house. Givens hit her,
wrestled her to the back bedroom, and made her lay face down on the floor. Givens then hit her in the back of the head with the television set. Goldsmith sustained a fracture to the back of her
skull from the blow. Givens stole some items from the home before he left.
The autopsy of Olsen showed she sustained a number of abrasions and bruising about her
forehead and face. She displayed a deep laceration near her right eye and cheek. A very forceful
blow with a blunt object was found to be the cause of her death. DNA evidence established Liza
had been sexually assaulted by Givens.
Givens was interviewed and confessed to the crime. During the interview, the defendant
stated to detectives, “I knew it was just a matter of time before you guys would catch me because I probably would have done this again.”
Givens was convicted at trial of 1st degree premeditated murder, assault with Intent to
murder, and two counts of criminal sexual conduct in the 1st degree.
Givens had additional criminal charges filed against him for an incident that took place a
few weeks prior to the homicide. Givens broke into the home of a woman that lived on his
street. The woman was still was sexually assaulted by Givens. Givens told the woman to “shutup or I’ll kill you.” He was armed with a knife and struggle with the victim over the knife. He then hit the victim over the back of the head with a bottle. Givens confessed to the assault when he was interviewed by the police. This case was dismissed after Givens was convicted of the murder charge.
Elizabeth Olsen, “Liza,” 44 at the time of her death, was an image consultant and sold
beauty products. She had previously been married and had a son and step-daughter. Joy
Goldsmith, Olsen’s partner for 15 years, told the court at sentencing: “I hold him no animosity
or anger; however, because of the violence of this crime, Givens needs to be removed from the
streets forever.”
