Prosecution looks to revoke bond for Washington County suitcase death suspect

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ind. (WAVE) - The woman charged in connection with the death of the 5-year-old boy found in a suitcase in southern Indiana was in court on Thursday.

Dawn Coleman is charged with neglect of a dependent causing death and aiding in murder. If convicted, she faces more than 100 years in prison. Washington Circuit Court Judge Larry Medlock set Coleman’s bond at $5 million at her first court appearance in November.

The prosecution believes that $5 million bond isn’t enough. They filed a motion to revoke bond, citing that murder is a non-bailable offense.

In April, the body of Cairo Jordan was found in a suitcase in the woods of Washington County. Six months later, Indiana State Police announced the arrest of Coleman. They also issued an arrest warrant for the boy’s mother, Dejuane Anderson. She is still at large.

The judge heard testimony from an Indiana State Police detective during the hearing. He outlined interviews with Coleman after her arrest in San Francisco, California. Coleman told officers shortly after her arrest she had followed Dejaune Anderson around the country for a year and occasionally babysat Cairo. Following Anderson’s release from the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections for a robbery arrest this spring, Coleman walked into a room in a house the three were staying at and found Anderson on top of her son. He was face down on the bed beneath her, and Coleman told police it was already done.

The detective said Coleman helped place him in a trash bag, transported his body to Washington County, and then dumped it in a suitcase in the woods.

The coroner determined the boy died of an electrolyte imbalance, but during the hearing the two sides disputed what caused that imbalance.

The prosecution said since a murder charge is the worst offense in Indiana law the judge should revoke her $5 million dollar bond, which would keep Coleman in jail until the trial in May.

The defense argued the opposite though, saying her bond should be lowered because she has cooperated with police, and she has no significant criminal history.

Judge Medlock said he would issue a written decision about bond but didn’t indicate when it will be released.

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