Indiana State Police identified the child Wednesday as 5-year-old Cairo Ammar Jordan from Atlanta, Georgia. Police say he was 5 years old at the time he was found and would have turned six on Oct. 24.
The 5-year-old was found in April inside a suitcase in a wooded area of Washington County, Indiana. The autopsy revealed the boy died from an electrolyte imbalance caused by a severe stomach bug.
Police said on Oct. 14, based on physical evidence in the case, they identified two suspects.
They then issued two felony arrest warrants for the child’s mother, DeJaune Ludie Anderson, 37, from Atlanta, Georgia, and Dawn Elaine Coleman, 40, from Shreveport, Louisiana. The two have been charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in the death of a child and obstruction of justice.
After the arrest warrants were issued, detectives traveled to California where they located and arrested Coleman.
Cairo was never reported as missing, according to police.
The probable cause affidavit says cell phones for both Anderson and Coleman were tracked to the area the boy was found on April 14th, two days before the suitcase was discovered. The documents go on to say that Anderson had been making social media posts for months referring to the child as a “demon.”
According to court documents, fingerprints on the trash bag that Jordan was wrapped in matched Anderson’s. A second match was found on the trash bag to Dawn Elaine Coleman.
On April 12th, Anderson tweeted “I have survived the death attacks from my 5-year-old throughout the 5 years he has been alive. I have been able to weaken his powers through our blood. I have his real name and he is 100 years old. Need assistance.”
On April 15th, the day before Jordan’s body was discovered, Anderson posted on Facebook, “This is a whole demon in a child body. Why you think she need a cigarette?!! Losing energy huh! 64 years old in a child body. Was full of gifts and magickal (sic) rites stronger than many of you because your frequency not high enough. Start asking spirit to reveal these things to you hiding behind a body. “
Police say Riverlink cameras captured Anderson’s car driving south on the I-65 bridge from Indiana into Kentucky on the same day the suitcase was discovered.
The toxicology report showed no foreign substances in his system, and he had no significant external injuries, according to ISP Sgt. Carey Huls. He was found clean and clothed, and there is no indication he was placed in the suitcase alive. A month after he was found, ISP said Jordan likely died from an electrolyte imbalance, most likely due vomiting and diarrhea, leading to dehydration.
Court documents show Anderson was arrested in Louisville on March 31, 2022 on a 2nd degree robbery charge. She is accused of trying to steal merchandise from Oxmoor Mall and striking a security guard. Anderson was released on her own recognizance on April 11th but never showed up for her court appearances. A warrant was issued for her arrest in May.
Mark McDonald, a medical director for Norton Children’s Hospital, said dying from dehydration is uncommon for a young child, unless in some type of neglect. He said it could also take several days to die from dehydration, depending on fluid intake.
Anyone with information regarding this case, is asked to call 911 or the nationwide toll-free tip line at 1-888-437-6432.