PHOENIX — The mystery of "Baby Skylar" spanned decades. The newborn was found dead in a Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport bathroom in 2005. It was a case that rocked the Valley, going cold for years, until police announced the arrest of a woman from Washington state earlier this year.
ABC15 is taking an in-depth look at how police tracked down 51-year-old Annie Anderson, where she was for the past two decades, and how her legal case in Arizona is playing out.
Arizona Crime Uncovered sat down with a former Phoenix cold case homicide detective who pushed for justice in this case for years.
Watch part 1 of this Arizona Crime Uncovered episode in the player above. You can also watch the full episode now on the ABC15 app on your streaming devices.
NEWBORN FOUND AT SKY HARBOR
"Sky Harbor was busy," said Troy Hillman. "I mean, it's been growing by leaps and bounds every year, but a very busy airport."
Hillman formerly worked with Phoenix police as a cold case homicide detective, helping to solve cases like the high-profile "Canal Killer". His team also worked on the Baby Skylar case, reviewing it about 10 years after the infant was found at Phoenix Sky Harbor.
"Shock and awe that someone would murder this helpless baby that had been just born into the world," Hillman said while describing reading the case file for the first time.
On October 10, 2005, a restroom in Terminal 4 became a crime scene. Hillman compared the moments that led to finding Baby Skylar to "divine intervention".
"There was a, I believe, [there] was a gentleman in the airport that was missing his laptop," said Hillman.
He said an employee at the airport searched the trash trying to help.
"When the housekeeper basically pulled the trash can in the bag; and thought it was, well, this is really heavy," said Hillman. "And then when she explored, there was another white bag, and then she opened that up and found a deceased newborn."
ABC15 has footage from 2005 when police started their investigation at the airport. Our report states police were hopeful surveillance cameras, which were placed in undisclosed areas, would help find the person who left the baby behind. But Hillman said it turned out there wasn't footage to help the case.
In the days and weeks following, the Valley rallied around the newborn and even held a funeral. A Phoenix detective gave the baby girl the name "Skylar".
"We had successfully used genealogy on the canal murders, the Zombie Hunter case," said Hillman. "But that was limited to the male DNA line, so we could not use it on Baby Skylar's case. So, we went to a company called Parabon, and what they were able to do is do phenotyping."
The company developed a composite of what the mother of Baby Skylar would look like at the age of 25.
"They gave, actually, a composite photo of what they generated by a computer, of what the mother would have looked like," said Hillman. "So our goal then was to push that out to the media, widespread. Because, we believed that the mother, [the] suspect boarded a plane at Sky Harbor and then flew to one of the states, internationally, possibly.
Even after canvassing hotels and Hillman's team following up on any potential leads, it would still take about seven years before there was a break in the case.
Nearly two decades after Skylar was found, Phoenix police finally made an arrest.
ARREST OF ANNIE ANDERSON
In February 2024, police announced a major break in the case. Investigative genetic genealogy helped police and the FBI track down 51-year-old Annie Anderson.
"When confronted, Annie Anderson identified herself as the mother of the victim and provided an account of what occurred," said Lt. James Hester with Phoenix Police Department after the arrest. "Anderson was arrested for the death of Baby Skylar and is currently in Washington state awaiting extradition to Arizona."
In February, officials wouldn't say who helped provide that DNA sample that ultimately led to the break in the case. Police said at their news conference that Anderson had been visiting the Valley back in 2005 for a real estate boot camp.
ABC15 asked Hillman what it was like to watch an arrest made in the case.
"It was amazing, again, there were no family members to really support Baby Skylar," said Hillman. "But we felt like we, we had helped. So, it was a great day to give that baby justice."
ABC15 reached out to Anderson’s attorney in Washington, Rachel Stine-Sheridan, who sent the following comment in the days following the arrest:
"Ms. Anderson will be responding to these alleged charges in court and through the proper legal process. She is grateful for the support of her family and community and asks for privacy on their behalf."
But it would be months until Anderson arrived in Arizona. Staff with Snohomish County confirmed the 51-year-old was fighting her extradition. She appeared in court multiple times throughout this process.
ABC15 eventually obtained the first pictures of Anderson and learned more about the woman arrested for first-degree murder. Body camera video of her arrest was also released by Snohomish County.
As for where Anderson had been for decades, loved ones told ABC15 she had lived for many years in the northwest, even having children and grandchildren.
The arresting officers asked Anderson at one point if she knew this was coming.
"In a roundabout sort of way," said Anderson.
Eventually, a governor’s warrant was signed, and after months of waiting, Anderson was flown to Arizona in April. Her arrival marked a new phase in the case.
ANDERSON ARRIVES IN AZ
In April of 2024, Anderson heard the charges she was facing at her first court appearances in Maricopa County. Days later at her arraignment, she pleaded not guilty.
When the 51-year-old landed in Arizona, new details about what she allegedly told police were revealed in new court documents.
Police said they originally 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 information is inconsistent with evidence and information from the medical examiner.
It was another year until Anderson was taken into custody in Washington in December of 2023. Her arrest wasn't made known to the media until a few months later.
But with the arrest, the battle has now moved to the courtroom. New records filed by county prosecutors said police spoke with the baby’s dad, who allegedly told investigators Anderson claimed to not know she was pregnant with their son in 2004. ABC15 isn't naming the father, but those court records say he told police Anderson had to be rushed to the hospital. He allegedly told police he also didn't know Anderson was pregnant with Baby Skylar in 2005.
Court documents also said Anderson admitted to taking the baby to Phoenix Sky Harbor in a backpack and "knowing she couldn't go through security..." put the baby in a bathroom trash bin.
Those documents also say Anderson was having relationship and financial issues and had multiple children to care for. Records alleged she knew about Safe Haven laws at the time.
Safe Haven signs, often displayed in fire stations and other places, let people know it is acceptable to drop off a newborn, without criminal prosecution.
ABC15 obtained footage from September when Anderson and her legal team fought to have her $1 million bond reduced.
"She's willing if she has a passport to surrender it to the court," said Anderson's Attorney Katie Gibson-McLean. "I don't think that there's any indications, given her lack of criminal history or involvement with law enforcement or the criminal justice system, that she has any intent to flee anywhere."
County prosecutors disagreed, asking the Judge to not reduce the bond amount.
"The state's concern here is the defendant coming back to court," said Deputy County Attorney Shawn Steinburg. "We are we are asking that this bond remain in place, because the gravity of this fence and the sentence it carries with it is strong incentive for somebody who hid this crime for 18 years and has never lived in Arizona to not come back to the state if she's released."
During the oral arguments, both prosecutors and Anderson’s attorneys argued about the evidence in the case. Ultimately the Judge decided to lower the bond to $200,000. If released, the court will require Anderson to stay in the state and have electronic monitoring.
Anderson’s trial was originally set for next month, but it’s since been pushed to February 2025. Her next court date is Dec. 5, which is set to be virtual according to Maricopa County Superior Court staff.
ABC15 did reach out to Anderson's attorney for this story over several days by phone and email but did not hear back.
Watch more episodes of Arizona Crime Uncovered in the player below:
