Woman pleads guilty to leaving nephew’s body in a suitcase in the Indiana woods

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ind. (TCD) -- A Louisiana woman pleaded guilty to helping her sister dispose of a young boy’s body, which had been placed in a hard-shell suitcase in the woods.

Indiana court records show Dawn Coleman entered the plea on Nov. 3 for conspiracy to commit murder. She had originally been charged with aiding, inducing, or causing murder, neglect of a dependent resulting in death, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy to commit murder.

WTHR-TV reports Coleman is required to testify against the boy’s mother, DeJaune Anderson, as part of the plea agreement. Anderson, however, remains on the run even though there is a warrant out for her arrest. Anderson faces the same charges, as well as murder.

Coleman will be sentenced Nov. 21, but WTHR reports the defense and prosecution agreed Coleman should serve 25 years in prison with five years of probation.

On April 16, 2022, a mushroom hunter walking in a wooded area discovered the Las Vegas-themed suitcase and called law enforcement. Indiana State Police investigators took over the case and said the child inside the suitcase was a 5-year-old Black male. An autopsy later showed the boy, who was identified as Cairo Jordan, died from an "electrolyte imbalance" due to viral gastroenteritis.

Several months later, in October 2022, Indiana State Police announced they arrested Coleman in San Francisco.

According to Coleman’s arrest affidavit, about one month before Cairo was found dead in the suitcase, on March 12, 2022, a South Carolina Highway Patrol officer tried to stop Anderson because she was driving 92 mph in a 60 mph zone. Anderson reportedly failed to stop, so the officer engaged in a pursuit until Anderson ran out of gas. Coleman and Jordan were also in the car. Anderson reportedly identified Coleman as her sister.

Anderson went to jail and was later released. On March 31, 2022, Anderson was arrested in Louisville, Kentucky, for allegedly robbing a store.

Investigators obtained a warrant to look through Anderson and Coleman’s social media accounts and reportedly discovered Facebook messages in which Anderson wrote about how Jordan needed an exorcism and that he was "demonic."

In one message, Anderson reportedly tweeted at someone and said she needed to speak with him "urgently."

She wrote, "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."

Coleman shared a similar message on Facebook, writing, "Just because the avatar is of what we call a child does not mean that it is actually a child there are beings that are here that are not supposed to be here that pick avatars to hide behind to play roles to steal energy and to ruin lives you better check to see if the children that you think are children actually have souls or if they’re not menevolent [sic] beings with a soul and in a child Avatar."

MORE:

• Woman takes plea deal in death of boy found in suitcase in southern Indiana; would have to testify against boy's mother - WTHR
• State of Indiana v. Dawn Coleman
• Dawn Coleman probable cause affidavit
• Boy’s body reportedly found inside suitcase with Las Vegas design in rural Indiana woods, 4/20/2022 - TCD
• Cause of death revealed for boy found in Las Vegas-themed suitcase in Indiana woods, 5/27/2022 - TCD
• Young boy found in Indiana suitcase is positively identified as mom remains on the run, 10/26/2022 - TCD
• Body in Suitcase Identified, One suspect in custody, Second Suspect Sought, 10/31/2022 - Indiana State Police