Mother Arrested from Washington After She Dumped Infant in Phoenix Airport Dustbin in 2005
Phoenix, AZ: The identity of “Baby Skylar,” a newborn girl discovered lifeless in a trash can at Phoenix International Airport, remained a mystery for nearly twenty years.
After using DNA and genealogical research to solve the case, authorities in Phoenix said on Tuesday that 51-year-old Annie Anderson, the infant’s mother, was detained in Washington state.
After obtaining an arrest warrant from a grand jury in Maricopa County, authorities said Anderson is now awaiting extradition to Arizona to face first-degree murder charges.
The presence of an attorney representing Anderson who could comment on her behalf was unclear as of Tuesday.
The Phoenix police department also stated that they were unaware of Anderson’s criminal record or the length of time she had been in Washington.
Finding the lifeless infant girl in a woman’s restroom at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on October 10, 2005, with her body wrapped in newspaper and a black plastic bag prompted detectives to launch their investigation.
“The evidence at the scene showed that the birth likely did not place at the airport, and the toilet was where the baby was abandoned by the suspects or the suspect,” Phoenix police Lt. James Hester said at Tuesday’s news conference.
According to Hester, who is a member of the homicide squad of the police department, “Baby Skylar” was born alive. According to him, the medical examiner ruled the killing a homicide and determined that the infant had died from asphyxiation.
There was a long period of silence in the case, according to the police, until 2021, when DNA evidence was preserved at the crime scene, and a genealogy study suggested a possible match.
According to Hester, “she identified herself as the mother of the victim” when officials interviewed Anderson in Washington in January 2022.
