An Indiana mother who allegedly killed her 5-year-old son and stuffed his body in a suitcase was arrested Thursday after nearly two years on the run, believing the boy to be possessed.
Indiana State Police took Dejuan Anderson into custody Thursday with U.S. marshals in Arcadia, Calif., a suburb of Los Angeles. announced.
“While these days are still dark, we are extremely pleased and pleased that we are able to take into custody at this time a person we believe may be involved in this tragic murder and move forward with our investigation,” the Indiana State Police (ISP) said in a statement. “I think so,” he said. ) Sergeant Stephen Wheels said: According to Fox 5 Vegas.
The alleged killer’s mother has been on the run since April 2022 and is being held in a California prison while awaiting extradition in Indiana.
Anderson allegedly killed his son, Cairo Jordan, in his Louisville-area home and disposed of his body in a “wooded area” in rural Washington County with the help of another woman, Dawn Elaine Coleman. It is suspected that
Jordan’s body was discovered by a mushroom hunter on April 16, 2022, inside a brightly colored suitcase with the words “Welcome to Las Vegas, Nevada” written on it.
It took investigators nearly six months to identify the boy.
Police said the man was found clean and fully clothed and was believed to have been dead by the time he was placed in the suitcase.
According to police, a warrant was issued for Anderson’s arrest in October 2022 for murder, abandonment of a dependent resulting in death (a Level 1 felony), and obstruction of official business (a Level 6 felony).
Before the boy’s death, Anderson is said to have posted a series of posts on Facebook accusing his son of being demonic and in need of an exorcism.
Coleman was also on the run, but was arrested in San Francisco in October 2022.
Coleman, who was staying with the mother and child at their home in Louisville, admitted that she went into the bedroom and saw Anderson lying on the mattress, red-faced, on top of the child, police said. . share.
She told police she was “done” when she came into the room, but Anderson asked her to help him put the hand warmers in a trash bag and then into his suitcase.
The two then drove to Washington County, Indiana, to dump the suitcase containing the boy’s body.
The autopsy report found that Jordan died from an electrolyte imbalance, likely caused by vomiting and diarrhea that caused dehydration.
Law enforcement focused on Anderson’s whereabouts after ISP Detective Matt Busick was tipped off by a “concerned citizen” that his mother was evacuating to the Golden State.
ISP agents worked with U.S. Marshals in California and arrested her “without incident” as she was about to board a public transit train, according to a police report.
Police said it could take up to 30 days to bring her back to Indiana.
Coleman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder in November and was sentenced to 30 years in prison, suspended for five years.
She is scheduled to testify against Anderson during the trial.
