Annie Anderson: Alleged baby-killer who left body in bathroom arrives in Arizona after extradition

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

PHOENIX, ARIZONA: The woman accused of killing her newborn baby and leaving the body at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport nearly two decades ago has arrived in Arizona after a lengthy extradition process. 

Fifty-one-year-old Annie Anderson, who had been awaiting extradition for three and a half months in Washington, is now in Arizona and facing murder charges as per AZ family.

The incident dates back to October 2005 when the body of a newborn baby was discovered abandoned in the Terminal 4 bathroom at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. The baby, known as 'Baby Skylar', was determined by the medical examiner to have died from suffocation.

Abandoned newborn baby found dead in bathroom during laptop search

Investigators discovered that Annie Anderson had attended a real estate boot camp in October 2005 and flew to Washington after allegedly abandoning her deceased baby. 

Lieutenant James Hester of the Phoenix Police stated they knew who the baby's father was and had no evidence of his involvement in Baby Skylar's death. 

It's believed Baby Skylar lived for only 24 hours but left an impact on strangers at her funeral and remained in the hearts of Arizonans. 

Her story began on October 10, 2005, at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. Troy Hillman, a retired detective, recalled, “There was a businessperson that said, ‘Hey, I’m missing my laptop. They notified security and housekeeping, and started looking for the laptop, and this is Terminal 4 of Sky Harbor Airport,” 

During the search, maintenance workers found the newborn's body in a bag during a search for a missing laptop. 

He claimed,  “They ended up pulling something heavy out of the bag, a black bag, Once they kind of investigated what that was, they found a deceased newborn inside the bag. She just literally was welcomed into the world only to be murdered. It was just horrific,””

Despite extensive investigations, the baby's mother was never found. The medical examiner determined Baby Skylar died from suffocation, leading to a homicide case. 

In 2021, DNA and genealogy eventually led police to Annie Anderson, confirmed to be Skylar's mother. 

In January 2022, authorities traveled to Washington and executed a search warrant. Following interviews with Anderson, investigators verified her as Baby Skylar's mother.

Anderson was initially arraigned in a Washington jail and awaiting extradition back to Arizona to face multiple felony charges.

Hillman believes the search for the missing laptop was instrumental in discovering Baby Skylar's body, calling it "divine intervention."

He added, “That just kind of burns at me to this day. This didn’t have to be this way, and somebody needed to explain why they did what they did,”

Annie Anderson’s extradition was delayed to face charges

The extradition of suspect Annie Anderson back to Arizona to face charges was delayed. 

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) requested the delay. They needed time to figure out how to transport her, either by van or airplane. 

Criminal defense attorney Russ Richelsoph explained the situation. He said the planning couldn't start until the county attorney’s office initiated the extradition order. This order then had to go to the governor for signing. 

The court gave MCSO until April 12 to bring Anderson to Arizona. Richelsoph mentioned two factors complicating the planning. 

First, it's a first-degree murder case receiving media attention. Second, there's the consideration of returning her to the place where the crime occurred. 

Richelsoph noted that MCSO handles this part of the extradition process independently. The sheriff’s office keeps details confidential for security reasons. 

A Washington judge denied a motion to unseal documents explaining why Anderson was charged with first-degree murder. Richelsoph explained this could be due to differing laws and procedures in Washington. The information may become public once Anderson is back in Arizona custody.