PHOENIX — The suspect in the 2005 Baby Skylar case has officially been booked in jail here in the Valley. Annie Anderson's first court appearance in Arizona meant more details were finally released through newly obtained court documents.
The extradition process for Anderson took months. The 51-year-old was arrested back in December in Washington state. Anderson is accused in the death of a newborn that was found in a bathroom at Sky Harbor International Airport nearly 19 years ago.
"It's exciting to see justice," said former cold case homicide detective Troy Hillman. "It's taken a long time to finally be given to this little baby that never had a chance."
Hillman is now retired from Phoenix Police. When he served with the department, he and his team worked on what's now known as the "Baby Skylar" case for years.
"To find a deceased newborn in the women's restroom was very disturbing, and then later to be classified as a homicide was devastating," said Hillman. "And I think that stuck with us, and to know like who and why would they murder this poor baby?"
ABC15 was also told investigative genetic genealogy helped in the case. Phoenix police announced Anderson's arrest in February and said they believed she was in the Valley nearly two decades ago for a real estate boot camp.
Late Thursday, Anderson heard her charges read for the first time in an Arizona courtroom.
ABC15 reported in February that those included first-degree murder, child abuse, and abandonment or concealment of a dead body.
On Friday, new details about what Anderson allegedly said happened back in 2005 were revealed in newly obtained court documents.
Police said they tracked Anderson down in 2022, and that's when Anderson allegedly told police she gave birth in her hotel bathtub. Court documents said she also claimed the baby was stillborn. Police said that's inconsistent with evidence and information from the medical examiner.
Court documents also said Anderson admitted to taking the baby to Sky Harbor in a backpack and "knowing she couldn't go through security..." put the baby in a bathroom trash bin.
The judge at Anderson's initial appearance said she would be held without bond at least until her first hearing in court. Anderson will return to court next week for her arraignment.
"This was a case that we were all devastated by," said Hillman.
He said his team never gave up on "Baby Skylar" and he will continue to follow the case.
"We wanted to see this baby get justice and nobody was calling, nobody seemed to care about this baby, but we did," said Hillman.
