Woman sentenced in Indiana to 25 years in prison in Cairo Jordan case
The woman who pleaded guilty in southern Indiana to the charge of conspiracy to commit murder in relation to a boy's death was sentenced to 30 years in prison by a judge Tuesday morning.
Dawn Elaine Coleman will serve 25 years in prison, with five years suspended to probation per the terms of her plea agreement.
Coleman, 41, of Shreveport, Louisiana, is one of the two women police allege are responsible for the death of 5-year-old Cairo Jordan, whose body was found inside a suitcase in Washington County, Indiana, in 2022. Coleman was arrested in California in October 2022 after police issued a warrant for her arrest in Washington County.
“We are committed to following this case through until the end,” Washington County Prosecutor Tara Coats Hunt said in a statement Tuesday. “None of the law enforcement officers and agencies involved in this sad case will find closure until we have ensured Cairo’s mother is held accountable for her actions. This conviction is only the first step in obtaining justice for Cairo.”
The other suspect in connection to Cairo's death is his mother, Dejaune Ludie Anderson of Atlanta. Anderson remains at large, Indiana State Police officials said. A police investigation determined Coleman had been living with Anderson and Cairo in a house in Louisville.
Coleman's arrest affidavit stated she allegedly walked into a bedroom of the home, where she witnessed Anderson lying on top of Cairo, who was face down on a mattress. Police said Coleman told them that "it was already done" by the time she walked in and that Anderson asked her to help put Cairo in a trash bag and then into a suitcase.
Anderson and Coleman then drove to a wooded area outside Pekin, Indiana, where they dumped the suitcase, according to police. A man reportedly found the suitcase while hunting for mushrooms, according to police.
Fingerprints belonging to Coleman and Anderson were found on contents within a suitcase with "Welcome to Las Vegas Nevada" painted on its shell, the Courier Journal previously reported.
Read more about the Cairo Jordan case: A child's body was found in a suitcase near the woods in Southern Indiana. What we know.
Police also found phones owned by the women in the area where Cairo's body was found. Additionally, RiverLink data found a car owned by Anderson crossed a bridge between Louisville and southern Indiana the day the body was recovered.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call 1-888-437-6432.
Reach reporter Leo Bertucci at lbertucci@courierjournal.com or @leober2chee on X, formerly known as Twitter
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Woman receives 25 year sentence in connection to Cairo Jordan's death
