Cairo Ammar Jordan
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CANDID ID: IN_22_702
AGE
5   years
STATE
Kentucky
DATE OF DEATH
4/16/2022
DEATH RECORDS
Not Available
STATE REPORTS
SUMMARY OF DEATH
Five-year-old Cairo Ammar Jordan of Atlanta was found deceased inside a Las Vegas-themed suitcase in a rural wooded area of Washington County, Indiana, on April 16, 2022, by a mushroom hunter. An autopsy determined he died from an electrolyte imbalance most likely due to vomiting and diarrhea that led to dehydration. His mother, DeJuane Anderson, who had made social media posts accusing the child of being possessed by demons and needing an exorcism, allegedly killed him at her Louisville-area home. Her friend, Dawn Coleman, who had been living with them, reported walking into a bedroom and witnessing Anderson lying on top of the child with his face pressed against a mattress, with the child already unresponsive. Coleman helped Anderson place the child's body in a trash bag and then into the suitcase, which they dumped in the woods of rural Washington County. It took investigators nearly six months to identify the child. Coleman was arrested in San Francisco in October 2022 and later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, receiving a 25-year prison sentence. Anderson evaded law enforcement for nearly two years before being arrested in California in March 2024 on charges of murder, neglect of a dependent resulting in death, and obstruction of justice.
Contexts/Conditions

Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?

Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?

Is there any mention of a firearm incident?

Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?

Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)

The fatality report states that "the mother's friend stated she entered a room, observed the mother on top of the child with the child face down on a mattress, and the child was unresponsive." The NY Post elaborates that Coleman "witnessed Anderson lying on top of the child, with his face flushed up against the mattress." This describes a physical act consistent with smothering or suffocation. While the autopsy determined the cause of death was electrolyte imbalance/dehydration, the mother was charged with murder, and the act of lying on top of the child with his face pressed against a mattress constitutes an inflicted physical action against the child.

Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?

Multiple sources explicitly state the child died from dehydration. The NY Post reports: "An autopsy report showed Jordan died from an electrolyte imbalance, most likely due to vomiting and diarrhea that led to dehydration." The Fox 5 article similarly states the autopsy found death "from an electrolyte imbalance most likely due to gastroenteritis, or vomiting and diarrhea that led to dehydration."

Is there any mention of medical neglect?

The child died from "an electrolyte imbalance, most likely due to vomiting and diarrhea that led to dehydration" (NY Post, Fox 5, KNOP). This is a condition that is typically treatable with medical intervention. The mother was charged with "neglect of a dependent resulting in death" (NY Post). The failure to seek medical care for a child experiencing vomiting and diarrhea severe enough to cause fatal dehydration implies medical neglect, even though the term is not used explicitly.

Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?

Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?

Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?

Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?

Is there any mention of sexual abuse?

Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?

Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?

Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?

Individuals Involved

Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?

Was a biological father involved in the death?

Was a biological mother involved in the death?

The fatality report identifies the perpetrator as "Mother." The NY Post states: "Anderson is suspected to have killed her son, Cairo Jordan, at her Louisville-area home." The WAFB article quotes the prosecutor: "Cairo's mother, Dejuane Anderson, is still on the run. She's the one police believe is primarily responsible for his death." Multiple sources consistently identify the biological mother as the perpetrator.

Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?

Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?

The fatality report describes the accomplice as "his mother's friend" and states: "The friend said she helped the mother put the child in a suitcase, and then they dumped the suitcase in the woods." This friend is identified in multiple news articles as Dawn Elaine Coleman. The NY Post reports she "admitted to walking into a bedroom where she witnessed Anderson lying on top of the child." Coleman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and received a 30-year sentence with 5 years suspended. She is a female friend involved in the child's death.

Was a foster parent involved in the death?

Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?

Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)

Was a sibling involved in the death?

Child Characteristics

Was the child adopted?

Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?

Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?

Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?

Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)

Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)

Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?

Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?

Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?

Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?

Parent/Caregiver Factors

Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?

Both DeJuane Anderson and Dawn Coleman were arrested and charged. The NY Post reports: "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)." Anderson was arrested in California in March 2024. Coleman was arrested in San Francisco in October 2022 and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, receiving a 30-year sentence with 5 years suspended (WAFB).

Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?

Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?

Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?

Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?

The NY Post reports: "Before the boy's death, Anderson had allegedly made a series of Facebook posts accusing her son of being demonic and needing an exorcism." The KNOP article states: "Anderson had previously posted on social media that she thought there was a demon inside her child." The NY Post headline also describes Anderson as "believing the boy was possessed." While no formal mental health diagnosis is mentioned, the persistent belief that one's child is possessed by demons and requires an exorcism reflects concerning ideation that implicates the mother's mental health as a factor in the child's death.

Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?

Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?

Notable Details

Several notable details emerge from the sources. The NY Post reports that "Anderson had allegedly made a series of Facebook posts accusing her son of being demonic and needing an exorcism," indicating the mother's belief in demonic possession as a possible motive. The Fox 5 Atlanta article states "Court documents say that he died in Kentucky and his body was dumped in Indiana," creating jurisdictional complexity as the child died in Kentucky but the prosecution occurred in Indiana. It took investigators nearly six months to identify the child (NY Post, WDRB). The WDRB article describes how the Salem, Indiana community rallied around the unknown child: residents "made T-shirts for Jordan, held vigils and gathered to give him a proper burial." The Fox 5 article notes that "the same Las Vegas-style hard-side suitcase found with the 5-year-old boy inside appears in photos on Coleman's social media," which aided investigators. Anderson evaded law enforcement for nearly two years before being captured in California.

Lives Cut Short