Whether it is neglect, abuse, or child endangerment, crimes involving children are some of the most disturbing. But when unspeakable acts happen at the hands of parents, it can almost be too much to bear. Such is the case of a 5-year-old boy whose body was discovered stuffed in a suitcase in a densely wooded area.
Nearly two years after the body of Cairo Jordan was found in southern Indiana, his mother has been arrested. Dejaune Anderson was apprehended more than 2,000 miles away on the West Coast. Let's take a closer look at the details surrounding this tragic case.
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Anderson was arrested in Los Angeles on March 14.
On March 14, Anderson, from Atlanta, Georgia, was arrested in Los Angeles, Indiana State Police reported in a statement released the following day. The US Marshals Service in California took her into custody as she attempted to board a public transit train. Anderson had had a warrant out for her arrest in connection with her son's death since October 2022.
Anderson faces three felony charges related to Cairo's death.
Although she evaded law enforcement for nearly a year and a half, Anderson now faces three felony charges. The mother was arrested on charges of murder, neglect of a dependent resulting in death (a Level 1 Felony), and obstruction of justice (a Level 6 Felony), according to the Indiana State Police statement. A court date has not yet been reported.
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A man discovered the suitcase with the boy's body in April 2022.
A man hunting for mushrooms stumbled across a hard-shell suitcase that read "Las Vegas" on the front in a wooded area in eastern Washington County, Indiana, CBS News reported. Cairo's body was discovered inside. The man called 911, and detectives with the Indiana State Police conducted the investigation.
The boy's cause of death was revealed a month later.
In May 2022, an autopsy report revealed that Cairo died as the result of an electrolyte imbalance, CBS News reported. Sgt. Carey Huls, the public information officer for the Indiana State Police, explained that the electrolyte imbalance was caused by gastroenteritis, leading to dehydration. Cairo's identity was announced in October 2022, the same time a warrant was issued for Anderson.
A different woman already has been sentenced in connection to the boy's death.
A woman named Dawn Coleman was sentenced to 25 years in prison in November 2023 for her role in Cairo's death, according to the Associated Press. Coleman, of Shreveport, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder. As part of her plea deal, she agreed to testify against Anderson.
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