After nearly two years of evading capture, the mother of a five-year-old boy, whose lifeless body was discovered in a suitcase in the woods of Indiana, has been apprehended.
In April 2022, a shocking discovery was made by a mushroom hunter in Washington County. The hunter stumbled upon the suitcase containing the body of a young boy, later identified as Cairo Ammar Jordan. The revelation came after months of investigation and public appeals for information, as reported by WDRB.
Authorities had been searching for the boy’s mother, Dejaune Anderson from Georgia, issuing an arrest warrant. Despite their efforts, she remained elusive. Indiana State Police speculated she might be hiding in the western United States.
In a related development, Dawn Coleman of Louisiana, a friend of Anderson, faced charges related to the tragic event. She was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder in connection with Cairo’s death and received a 25-year prison sentence in November 2023.
Coleman’s testimony provided chilling details. She recounted witnessing Anderson pressing down on Cairo while he was face-down on a bed. Coleman admitted to assisting Anderson in concealing Cairo’s body in a trash bag and suitcase, which they then abandoned in a forest near Pekin, Indiana.
An autopsy revealed the boy’s cause of death as dehydration, resulting from vomiting and diarrhea. Investigators believe Cairo passed away a week or less before his body was found by the mushroom hunter.
The breakthrough in the case came when Indiana State Police announced the arrest of Dejaune L. Anderson. On Thursday, March 14, 2024, U.S. Marshals apprehended her in Arcadia, California. She faced charges of murder, neglect of a dependent resulting in death, and obstruction of justice, as per the warrant from Washington County, Indiana.
The arrest followed a tip from a concerned citizen, leading authorities to Anderson as she attempted to board a public transit train. Indiana State Police expressed their determination to continue the investigation, highlighting the emotional weight of the case and the extensive effort involved in reaching this point. The arrest marked a significant moment in the pursuit of justice for Cairo.