Mother of boy found dead in suitcase in southern Indiana tells judge she's been tracked by the Space Force

SALEM, Ind. (WDRB) -- The woman accused of killing her 5-year-old son and putting his body in a suitcase in southern Indiana made some bizarre comments to a judge Tuesday, including a claim she's under federal surveillance.

For nearly two years, Dejaune Anderson had been on the run, accused of killing her 5-year-old boy Cairo Jordan. Court records show Anderson posted on social media a month before his death, saying she was living with a demonic child.

On March 15, Indiana State Police said Anderson was arrested in Arcadia, California, — outside Los Angeles — on a murder warrant. Her other charges include neglect of a dependent resulting in death and obstruction of justice.

She appeared in court for the first time Tuesday in Salem, a hearing that was far from typical.

Anderson gave an alias to the judge, said she wants to represent herself and said a Space Force military detail has been following her everywhere she goes.

"I've been under NSA surveillance for the past eight months, and how can that qualify me as a fugitive on the run when I've also had a detail from Space Force that was following my every move?" Anderson told Washington County Circuit Judge Larry Medlock.

The hearing lasted 15 minutes, but by the end of it, Medlock was fed up with her antics.

"I'm gonna set your bond at no bond at this particular point in time, and if Space Force comes forward and tells me that they're willing to monitor you, we'll take up the issue of bond at a later time," Medlock said.

Cairo's body was found April 16, 2022, by a mushroom hunter in the woods near New Pekin, Indiana. At that point, no one knew his name.

By June 1, with the help of community donations, a funeral was held in Salem. And then on Oct. 26, six months after Cairo was found, police identified him and officially charged Anderson, his mother, and arrested another woman, Dawn Coleman, 41, of Shreveport. She was sentenced to 30 years in prison with five years suspended to probation.

More than a year after that, on Nov. 21, 2023, Coleman was sentenced to 25 years in prison for her role in Cairo's murder.

Cairo Jordan grave 3-15-24 — The grave of 5-year-old Cairo Jordan in Salem, Indiana, on Friday, March 15, 2024. (WDRB photo)

Court records show Coleman was with Anderson the night Cairo was killed. 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 into the mattress, according to a news release. Coleman told police "it was already done," when she walked in. She said Anderson asked her to help put Cairo in a trash bag and then into the suitcase.

Prosecutors said the two women then drove to an area outside of Pekin, where they dumped the suitcase in a wooded area.

An autopsy found that Cairo died from vomiting and diarrhea that led to dehydration, ISP said. The toxicology report showed no foreign substances in his system, and he had no significant external injuries, according to ISP Sgt. Carey Huls. He was found clean and clothed, and there is no indication he was placed in the suitcase alive.

Investigators said the boy had died about a week or less before the mushroom hunter discovered his body.

Below is a timeline of events in the initial weeks of the case:

April 16: Police said a man who was mushroom-hunting found the body of a boy in a wooded secluded area in Washington County that evening about 80 feet off a rural road near New Pekin, Indiana.
April 17: Police released information in the case and asked for help identifying the child or his parents.
April 18: ISP announced a dedicated tip line for information: 1-888-437-6432.
April 19: Police released that the 5-year-old's body was found inside a suitcase, hoping someone would recognize it. The suitcase was in good condition with Las Vegas logos wrapped around it.
April 24: People living in New Pekin came together for a vigil to show their support, hoping and praying his case will be solved.
May 28: Police said the child died from an electrolyte imbalance, most likely due vomiting and diarrhea, leading to dehydration. Police said he was found clean and clothed, and there was no indication he was placed in the suitcase alive.

Medlock said based on what he heard Tuesday, he'll ask someone from the public defender's office to represent Anderson. If she files a written request and they believe she has the ability to comprehend and represent herself, they will re-evaluate.

Anderson is expected back in court in late April.

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Mother of boy found dead in suitcase in southern Indiana tells judge she's been tracked by the Space Force