Indianapolis, Indiana – Authorities have arrested Dejuane L. Anderson in connection with the death of her 5-year-old son, Cairo Jordan. The boy’s body was discovered stuffed inside a suitcase in the southern Indiana woods two years ago. Anderson has been charged with murder, neglect of a dependent resulting in death, and obstruction of justice.
According to a news release from the Indiana State Police Department, Anderson was apprehended in Arcadia, California, following a tip from a citizen. Detectives, working with the U.S. Marshals Service, arrested Anderson as she attempted to board a public transit train.
Anderson is currently being held at the Los Angeles Police Department detention site without bond. It is unclear when she will be extradited back to Indiana to face charges.
Last year, Anderson’s friend, Dawn Elaine Coleman, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit murder in Cairo’s death. In exchange for her cooperation, additional charges against Coleman were dropped, and she was sentenced to 25 years in prison and an additional five years of probation.
The discovery of Cairo’s body in April 2022 sparked a widespread investigation. The 5-year-old boy was found dead inside a distinctive suitcase that had been discarded in a wooded area. With no signs of trauma or identified witnesses, family members, or acquaintances, authorities utilized crime scene evidence technologies to narrow down the suspect list to Coleman and Anderson.
Coleman’s testimony revealed that she found Anderson sitting on top of Cairo, who was already lifeless. She admitted to helping Anderson put the child’s body into the suitcase before driving to Indiana to dispose of it in the woods. Fingerprints and cellphone data connected the women to the area where Cairo’s body was found.
With Anderson’s arrest, the investigation into Cairo Jordan’s death moves forward, providing some closure for law enforcement officials and a sense of justice for the young victim.