LOUISVILLE, KY. — The trial for Dejaune Anderson, the woman accused of murdering her 5-year-old son and abandoning his body inside a suitcase in the southern Indiana woods, has been delayed once again.
During a court hearing on Monday, a Louisville judge pushed the pre-trial conference back two months to July 20, 2026. Anderson’s defense attorney requested the extension, citing an overwhelming amount of discovery—including a hard drive containing more than one terabyte of evidence—that still needs to be thoroughly reviewed.
The extensive evidence against Anderson includes police interviews, autopsy results, digital forensics, and body camera footage.
The high-profile case was officially moved to Jefferson County, Kentucky, after Indiana prosecutors made the strategic decision to drop their original charges against Anderson.
Because the complex timeline of facts and evidence spans both sides of the Ohio River, prosecutors determined that moving the case to Louisville provided a stronger legal foundation. Shifting the jurisdiction minimizes the risk of a future conviction being overturned on a technicality, as investigators believe the child was actually killed in Kentucky before his body was transported across state lines.
A Jefferson County grand jury subsequently indicted Anderson on charges of murder (domestic violence), first-degree manslaughter, first-degree criminal abuse, and abuse of a corpse. She has pleaded not guilty.
The grim investigation began in April 2022, when a mushroom hunter discovered a hard-sided Las Vegas-themed suitcase dumped in a remote, wooded area of Washington County, Indiana. Inside was the body of 5-year-old Cairo Jordan.
An autopsy later revealed that the child was clean and clothed, showing no signs of physical trauma or having been placed in the suitcase alive. Instead, medical examiners determined Cairo died from severe dehydration resulting from vomiting and diarrhea.
Following the discovery, Anderson evaded law enforcement for nearly two years. The nationwide manhunt ended on March 15, 2024, when Indiana State Police located and arrested her while she was attempting to board public transit in Arcadia, California.
Court documents paint a chilling picture of the weeks leading up to Cairo’s death. Investigators uncovered social media posts from Anderson claiming that her son was “possessed by demons” and that she was living with a “demonic child.” Authorities also discovered she had previously contacted an Indiana priest about performing an exorcism on the boy.
Anderson’s behavior remained erratic following her capture. During her initial court appearances, she made bizarre claims, declaring herself a “princess,” stating she was “representing the entity of Anderson,” and alleging that she was under NSA surveillance with a “Space Force military detail” following her.
Her competency was heavily litigated, resulting in her being committed to Logansport State Hospital in August 2024. After months of psychiatric treatment, doctors ruled her fit to stand trial.
Another woman, Dawn Coleman of Shreveport, Louisiana, was arrested alongside the investigation. Coleman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and neglect of a dependent resulting in death. She was sentenced to 30 years in prison (with five years suspended to probation) and has agreed to testify against Anderson. According to court records, Coleman told investigators she walked into a Louisville bedroom to find Anderson on top of Cairo, stating “it was already done” before helping Anderson pack the boy’s body into the suitcase.
Anderson remains held in Louisville on a $500,000 bond as her defense team reviews the remaining digital evidence ahead of the July hearing.
