SELLERSBURG, Ind. — Dejaune Ludie Anderson was arraigned Tuesday for the murder of her son, whose body was found stuffed in a suitcase in Washington County, Indiana.
Anderson is accused of killing 5-year-old Cairo Jordan in April 2022 in the Louisville area. She and her friend, Dawn Coleman, then drove into Indiana to dump the body, according to court documents. A mushroom hunter later discovered the suitcase and the boy's body.
Anderson told the judge she wanted to represent herself at her trial — initially set for August. She gave a different name and said she represented the entity of Dejaune Anderson.
The judge denied her bond over her objection stating she has been under "NSA surveillance" for 18 months and has a detail from Space Force following her every move. The judge told her that is not a legal objection, but said if the Space Force comes forward – he will consider her objection.
On April 10, the judge ordered a psychiatric evaluation of Anderson to determine her competency to stand trial.
Anderson was on the run for two years before Indiana State Police announced her capture in Arcadia, California, on March 14. She was caught while trying to board public transportation without incident, Indiana State Police Sgt. Carey Huls said.
The arrest was on a warrant issued out of Washington County, Indiana, for murder, neglect of a dependent and obstruction of justice.
Case background
13News learned Anderson was arrested in South Carolina on March 12, 2022, for child endangerment, speeding over 25 mph and failing to stop for officers. Police claimed the pursuit lasted for 30 minutes until Anderson ran out of gas. Coleman was in the car with her, and police said Anderson told them Coleman was her sister.
13News has also learned, just about two weeks before the boy's body was found, Anderson was arrested in Louisville for shoplifting and assault. That incident happened March 31, 2022.
Court documents allege Anderson's Facebook page had photos of Cairo, and the images matched the autopsy photos of the boy. She also allegedly posted about needing to do an exorcism on her son to remove a "very powerful demonic force." She also allegedly made a post about telling her story in a book or podcast about living with a demonic child.
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Days later, Anderson and Coleman's phones were pinged in Pekin, Indiana – not far from where Cairo's body was found. Additionally, surveillance video from a property owner shows Anderson's car stop on the road where the suitcase was found.
Police said Coleman's Facebook page showed her with the same suitcase that the boy's body was found in.
Police said they used technology to pull fingerprints from trash bags the boy's body was found in, along with the suitcase. Court documents claim the fingerprints came back a match to Anderson.
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Documents say Coleman told investigators she walked into a bedroom of the trio's Louisville home and found Anderson on top of Cairo. The boy was face-down on the mattress, and court documents claim Coleman told investigators, "it was already done."
Coleman said she helped Anderson put Cairo's body in a hard-sided suitcase with a Las Vegas label before they drove across the Ohio River into Washington County, Indiana, where Coleman dumped the suitcase in the woods.
According to the court documents, Coleman claims Anderson talked about her son being possessed as they got into the car and then drove to Indiana to dump the suitcase.
Coleman was arrested and was sentenced to 25 years in prison, with five years suspended, in November 2023.
As part of her plea agreement, Coleman would have to testify against Anderson in any criminal case related to the death of Jordan.