ARLINGTON — An Arlington woman has been arrested for investigation of murder in the 2005 case of a baby found in a trash can at the Phoenix airport.
Annie Sue Anderson, 51, has been in the Snohomish County Jail since December of last year on a no-bail hold, jail records show. Snohomish County court papers show she faces charges of first-degree murder, child abuse and abandonment or concealment of a dead body in Arizona court.
On Oct. 10, 2005, Anderson’s newborn, who came to be known as Baby Skylar, was found in the Phoenix airport bathroom wrapped in newspapers and a towel, police said. She’d reportedly been stuffed into a Marriott hotel bag.
Two days after authorities found her, the medical examiner there determined she’d been suffocated. The death was classified as a homicide, according to The New York Times. Anderson was in Phoenix at the time for a “real estate boot camp,” Phoenix police Lt. James Hester said at a press conference Tuesday.
The original detectives worked on the case until retiring in 2016, Hester said.
In recent years, authorities used genetic genealogy to link the baby with Anderson.
A genealogist initially identified a member of Anderson’s family tree as a possible relative of the baby, FBI special agent Dan Horan said at the press conference. The family member consented to a DNA test, leading to an apparent match with the defendant.
Court records show Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Anderson around 4 p.m. Dec. 21, on a fugitive warrant at her home in the 17600 block of Upland Drive, east of the Arlington Municipal Airport. A plain-clothes officer approached Anderson’s home and told her there was a problem with her car outside.
She came out to inspect her vehicle and was met with several officers, according to court documents.
Upon her arrest, Anderson identifed herself as Skylar’s mother, Hester said. She reportedly gave a statement to police recalling the day of her daughter’s death.
Details of her statement have not yet been released.
Anderson was facing extradition to Maricopa County, police officials said.
A spokesperson for the county sheriff’s office in Arizona did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Anderson is set for a hearing in Snohomish County Superior Court on March 18. Her lawyer in Snohomish County was listed as public defender Rachel Stine-Sheridan.
“Ms. Anderson will be responding to these alleged charges in court and through the proper legal process,” Stine-Sheridan wrote in an email Wednesday. “She is grateful for the support of her family and community and asks for privacy on their behalf.”
In recent years, Anderson specialized in web design and business strategy, according to her social media pages. The defendant also reportedly founded a youth organization called One Generation Peace Coalition.
Her website, AnnieAnderson.com, went dark around the time of her arrest, according to an internet archive.
Anderson had no felony convictions in Washington, according to court records. It was unclear if Anderson had lived in Snohomish County for the past two decades.
On Tuesday, Hester thanked law enforcement partners for bringing “long, overdue justice” to Baby Skylar.
“Cold case homicides are challenging,” Hester said. “Time is not often kind to investigations as our leads dry up, leaving detectives few options to move a case forward. This community we serve rightfully expects our victims are never forgotten.”
Maya Tizon: 425-339-3434; maya.tizon@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @mayatizon.
Jake Goldstein-Street: 425-339-3439; jake.goldstein-street@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @GoldsteinStreet.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
