WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ind. – A Louisiana woman arrested in connection with the death of a five-year-old boy found abandoned inside a suitcase in rural Washington County in 2022 will spend more than 18 years in prison for her role in the child’s murder.
Dawn Elaine Coleman, 41, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced Tuesday by Washington Circuit Court Judge Larry Medlock to 30 years with five years suspended to probation. Coleman had entered a plea agreement to a Level 1 felony charge of conspiracy to commit murder.
Coleman was arrested in October 2022 in California on a warrant issued in Washington County after law enforcement determined she was involved in the child’s disappearance.
After being a mystery for months, the boy was eventually identified as Cairo Jordan, son of Dejuane Anderson, of Atlanta. An investigation revealed Coleman was acquainted with Anderson and the three had stayed in a home together in Louisville.
A probable cause affidavit states that Coleman admitted to walking into a bedroom of the home where she witnessed Anderson lying on top of the child, who was face down on the bed with his face on the mattress. Coleman told police “It was already done” when she walked in. She said the suspect asked her to help put Cairo in a trash bag and into the suitcase.
The two then drove outside Pekin, where they dumped the suitcase in a wooded area. It was found by a man searching for mushrooms on April 16, 2022. He opened the distinctive “Las Vegas” imprinted suitcase to make the discovery.
Coleman’s fingerprint was identified on a black plastic bag containing the child’s body.
Following her arrest last year, Coleman told police she had known Anderson for about a year and had traveled extensively with her and Cairo.
Anderson remains at large and will be charged with murder when she is located. She is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
