22 November 2023 , 09:49
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A woman packaged a five-year-old boy "like trash" after his body was stuffed into a Welcome to Las Vegas suitcase, a court heard.
Dawn Coleman was given a 30-year prison sentence on Tuesday. She faced charges of aiding inducing or causing murder. She was further charged with neglect, obstructing justice and causing the death of Cairo Jordan. The self-styled 'spiritual leader' appeared at Washington Circuit Court in Salem, Indiana, and pleaded guilty to the offences as part of a plea bargaining agreement.
Judge Larry Medlock said: "You packaged Cairo like trash. He was an innocent little boy who wanted to be loved."
Cairo's mother Dejaune Anderson, has not been caught by police but a felony murder arrest warrant has been issued for her. Coleman is said to have helped the boy's mum to dispose of Cairo's body in April 2022. The woman, from Louisiana, faces testifying against Anderson as part of a plea deal relating to Cairo's death. Investigators were told Coleman found Anderson on top of her son in their Louisville home.
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Cairo's body was found in a suitcase dumped in the woods (Indiana State Police)
Mum Dejaune Anderson has not been caught by police and is still on the run (Indiana State Police)She said she had helped Anderson fit Cairo's body in a Las Vegas suitcase before driving to Washington County where she dumped it in the woods. It was discovered by a mushroom hunter later that month. The cause of Cairo's death, autopsy results showed, was from vomiting and diarrhea leading to dehydration and an 'electrolyte imbalance'. Fingerprints from rubbish bags which the boy's body was wrapped and on the suitcase were a match for Anderson's prints.
Anderson was arrested in South Carolina for child endangerment, speeding and failing to stop for officers before her son's death. Coleman was also in the vehicle, but claimed to be her sister. Before Cairo's body was discovered, Anderson was arrested for shoplifting and assault where she punched a security officer in the face. The pair's phones were detected in Pekin, Indiana, near the wooded area where the suitcase was found.
Dawn Coleman was given a 30-year prison sentence (WAVE)Anderson's car stopped on the road near the woods, according to CCTV cameras. The vehicle was also spotted driving across the bridge between Indiana to Louisville. Coleman first pleaded not guilty to the charges. Both women, however, referenced demons and exorcism in their social media posts. Anderson reportedly contacted priest Father Vincent Lampert, an Archdiocese of Indianapolis, claiming Cairo was possessed.
The mum made several disturbing social media posts about demonic possession, exorcism, and 'death attacks' according to the court documents (Indiana State Police)In a tweet 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, meanwhile, called herself billed herself "a healer" and called herself "Mama Gawd."
Before Cairo's body was found, Coleman posted: "Magic is real curses are real and there are some very powerful evil beings here that will curse your womb and then some. Nothing Is what It seems and we are catering to evil beings in children avatars that aren't even children."
Anderson is described by police as five feet, five inches tall and 135 pounds. She had short, dark brown hair in her last photograph and often wears wigs and hair extensions. She is known to travel and visited San Francisco, San Diego, Las Vegas and Houston in November last year.