A mother who allegedly killed her 5-year-old son and stuffed his body in a suitcase — believing the boy was possessed — in Indiana was arrested Thursday after nearly two years on the run.
DeJuane Anderson was taken into custody by US Marshalls in Arcadia, Calif., a suburb of Los Angeles, on Thursday, the Indiana State Police announced.
“It’s still a somber day, but we’re very, very pleased and happy that we have who we believe everybody to be involved in this tragic murder case in custody at this time so the investigation can move forward,” Indiana State Police (ISP) Sgt. Stephen Wheeles said, according to Fox 5 Vegas.
The alleged murderous mother, who had been on the lam since April 2022, is being held in a California jail as she awaits extradition in Indiana.
Anderson is suspected to have killed her son, Cairo Jordan, at her Louisville-area home and was assisted by another woman, Dawn Elaine Coleman, to get rid of his body in the “heavily wooded area” of rural Washington County.
Jordan’s body was found in a brightly colored suitcase with “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada” written across it by a mushroom hunter on April 16, 2022.
Investigators took nearly six months to identify the boy.
Police said he was found clean and clothed and believed he was already dead when he was placed in the suitcase.
A warrant was issued for Anderson’s arrest in October 2022, charging her with murder, neglect of a dependent resulting in death (Level 1 Felony), and obstruction of justice (Level 6 Felony), according to police.
Before the boy’s death, Anderson had allegedly made a series of Facebook posts accusing her son of being demonic and needing an exorcism.
Coleman, who had also been on the run, was arrested in San Francisco in October 2022.
Coleman, who had been staying with the mother and son in their Louisville home, admitted to walking into a bedroom where she witnessed Anderson lying on top of the child, with his face flushed up against the mattress, police shared.
She told police, “It was already done,” when she walked into the room, and Anderson asked her to help put Cairo in a trash bag and then into the suitcase.
The two then drove to Washington County in Indiana to dump the suitcase containing the boy’s body.
An autopsy report showed Jordan died from an electrolyte imbalance, most likely due to vomiting and diarrhea that led to dehydration.
Law enforcement honed in on Anderson’s whereabouts after ISP detective Matt Busick was tipped off by a “concerned citizen” that the mother had taken refuge in The Golden State.
ISP investigators, working hand-and-hand with US Marshalls in California, arrested “without incident” while she tried to board a public transit train, police reported.
Police said it could take up to 30 days to get her back to Indiana.
Coleman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder back in November and was given a 30-year sentence with five years suspended in exchange for the plea.
She is expected to testify against Anderson during the trial.
