Louisiana woman, 41, is sentenced to 30 years for her role in death of boy, 5, who was found stuffed in a ‘Welcome to Las Vegas’ suitcase – as judge slams her for ‘packaging Cairo like trash’: Child’s ‘killer’ mom remains on the run
The ‘spiritual healer’ charged in the death of a five-year-old child whose body was found in a suitcase has been sentenced to prison.
Dawn Coleman, 41, received a 30-year prison sentence on Tuesday, with five years suspended. She was charged with aiding, abetting or causing murder, neglect of a dependent resulting in death, and obstruction of justice in the murder case in Cairo, Jordan.
Coleman appeared in Washington Circuit Court in Salem, Indiana and pleaded guilty as part of a plea bargain.
“You have trashed Cairo,” Judge Larry Medlock said. “He was an innocent boy who wanted to be loved.”
An arrest warrant for murder was issued for Cairo’s mother, Dejaune Andeson, in November 2022, but she remains at large.
Dawn Coleman, 41, pleaded guilty Tuesday to three charges, including aiding, abetting or causing murder
She was sentenced to 30 years, suspended for five years, in connection with the death of five-year-old Cairo Jordan
Coleman admitted to helping Dejaune Anderson put her son’s body in a suitcase with a “Las Vegas” decal before dumping it in a wooded area in Indiana
Anderson has been on the run since last year. According to police, she is known to travel frequently
Coleman allegedly helped Anderson dispose of her son’s body in April 2022.
As part of the plea deal, the Louisiana woman will have to testify against Anderson in any criminal case related to Cairo’s death.
Coleman told investigators she found Anderson on top of her son at the trio’s home in Louisville.
She admitted to helping Anderson put Cairo’s body in a suitcase with a Las Vegas emblem before they drove into Washington County and dumped it in the woods.
A mushroom hunter came across the suitcase later that month, not far from a cul-de-sac.
Autopsy results showed that Cairo died of vomiting and diarrhea that caused dehydration and an electrolyte imbalance.
Police removed fingerprints from garbage bags in which the boy’s body was wrapped along with the suitcase. They came back a game before Anderson.
A month before her son’s death, Anderson was arrested in South Carolina for child endangerment, speeding and failing to stop for officers.
She led police on a 30-minute chase that only ended when she ran out of gas. Coleman, who was in the car with her, claimed to be her sister.
Coleman branded herself as a spiritual healer on social media, calling herself ‘Mama Gawd’
An autopsy revealed that the young boy died of an electrolyte imbalance caused by dehydration from vomiting and diarrhea
The 41-year-old initially pleaded not guilty to the charges before reaching a negotiated agreement
About two weeks before the discovery of Cairo’s body, Anderson was arrested in Louisville for shoplifting and assault after punching a security guard in the face.
Days later, the duo’s phones were pinged in Pekin, Indiana, not far from the wooded area where the suitcase was dumped.
Surveillance footage shows Anderson’s car stopped on the road near the wooded area. The day Cairo’s body was found, the car was seen driving over the bridge from Indiana to Louisville.
Coleman initially pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Both women posted extensively on social media, referring to demons and exorcisms.
Anderson even contacted Fr. Vincent Lampert, priest of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, claimed her son was possessed.
“I have survived my five year old’s death attacks for the five years he has been alive,” she wrote in a tweet.
‘I was able to weaken his powers through our blood. I have his real name and he is 100 years old. Need assistance.’
Before her son’s death, Anderson contacted a priest claiming her son was ‘100 years old’ and had launched ‘death attacks’ against her
In an April 2022 post on Coleman’s Facebook page, the 41-year-old wrote: “We’re targeting evil beings in child avatars who aren’t even children.”
As part of the plea deal, Coleman will have to testify against Anderson in any criminal case related to the five-year-old’s death.
On Facebook, Coleman billed herself as a healer, calling herself “Mama Gawd” and writing that her “mission” was to “support souls.”
On April 8, 2022, eight days before Cairo’s body was found, Coleman posted a message that read: “Magic is real, curses are real and there are some very powerful evil beings here that will curse your womb, and more .
“Nothing is as it seems and we focus on evil beings in child avatars who aren’t even children.”
Cairo would have turned seven in October.
Police describe Anderson as five feet tall and 135 pounds.
Although she had short, dark brown hair in her last known photo, she often wears wigs and hair extensions.
Anderson is known to travel, and last November police said she had visited San Francisco, San Diego, Las Vegas and Houston.