A cold case detective recalls the “Baby Skylar” case, which has been going on for decades

PHOENIX. The mystery of “Baby Skylar” spanned decades. A newborn was found dead in a bathroom at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in 2005. It was a case that rocked the Valley, languishing for years until the police announced about arrest of woman from Washington state at the beginning of this year.

ABC15 is taking a closer look at how police tracked down 51-year-old Annie Anderson, where she’s been for the past two decades, and how her court case is unfolding in Arizona.

Arizona Crimes Solved spoke with a former Phoenix homicide detective who spent years pursuing justice in the case.

Watch Part 1 of this episode of Arizona Crimes Solved in the player above. You can also watch the full episode now on the ABC15 app on your streaming devices.

NEWBORN FOUND IN SKY HARBOR

“Sky Harbor has been busy,” Troy Hillman said. “I mean, it’s not growing by the hour, but the airport is very busy.”

Hillman previously worked for the Phoenix Police Department as a homicide detective, helping solve cases such as the high-profile “Channel killerHis team also worked on the Baby Skylar case, revisiting it about 10 years after the infant was found in Phoenix Sky Harbor.

“The shock and horror that someone is going to kill this helpless baby that was just born,” Hillman said, describing how he first read the case file.

On October 10, 2005, the crime scene was a restroom in Terminal 4. Hillman compared the moments that led to the search for Baby Skylar to “divine intervention.”

“I believe there was a gentleman at the airport who was missing a laptop,” Hillman said.

According to him, an employee of the airport was looking through the garbage in an attempt to help.

“When the housekeeper basically pulled the trash can into the bag and thought, ‘That’s really hard,'” Hillman said. “And then when she was investigating there was another white bag and then she opened it and found a dead newborn.”

ABC15 has footage from 2005 when police began investigating at the airport. Our report says police were hoping surveillance cameras at undisclosed locations would help them find the person who left the child. But Hillman said there appeared to be no footage to help the case.

In the following days and weeks, the Valley rallied around the newborn and even held a funeral. The Phoenix detective named the girl Skylar.

“We used genealogy successfully in the Channel murders, in the Zombie Hunter case,” Gillman said. “But it was limited to the male DNA line, so we couldn’t use it in Baby Skylar’s case. So we approached a company called Parabon and they were able to do the phenotype.”

The company has developed a composition of what the mother of baby Skylar will look like at the age of 25.

“They actually gave a composite photo of what they generated with the computer of what the mother was supposed to look like,” Hillman said. “So our goal was to push it in the media, get it out there. Because we believed that the mother (the suspect) boarded the plane at Sky Harbor and then flew to one of the states, possibly overseas.

Even after scouring the hotels and Hillman’s team following up on any potential leads, it took about seven years before there was a break in the case.

Nearly two decades after Skylar was found, Phoenix police finally made an arrest.

ANNIE ANDERSON ARREST

In February 2024, the police announced a major break in the case. A genetic genealogy investigation helped police and the FBI track down 51-year-old Annie Anderson.

“During the stand, Annie Anderson identified herself as the victim’s mother and described what had happened,” said Lt. James Hester of the Phoenix Police Department after the arrest. “Anderson was arrested in connection with the death of Baby Skylar and is currently in Washington State awaiting extradition to Arizona.”

Officials did not say in February who helped provide the DNA sample that ultimately led to the break in the case. Police said at a news conference that Anderson visited the Valley back in 2005 to study real estate.

ABC15 asked Hillman what it was like to watch the arrest in the case.

“It was amazing, again, there were no family members to really support Baby Skylar,” Hillman said. “But we felt we helped. So it was a great day to give this kid justice.”

ABC15 reached out to Anderson’s attorney in Washington, Rachel Stein-Sheridan, who sent the following comment within days of the arrest:

“Ms Anderson will answer to these alleged allegations in court and through the appropriate legal process. She is grateful for the support of her family and community and requests privacy on their behalf.”

But months passed before Anderson arrived in Arizona. Snohomish County officials confirmed the 51-year-old woman is fighting extradition. During this process, she appeared in court several times.

ABC15 eventually obtained the first photos of Anderson and learned more about the woman arrested for first degree murder. Snohomish County also released dash cam video of her arrest.

As for where Anderson has been for decades, those close to her told ABC15 that she lived in the Northwest for many years, even with her children and grandchildren.

Arresting officers asked Anderson at one point if she knew this was coming.

“In a roundabout way,” Anderson said.

Eventually, the governor’s warrant was signed, and after months of waiting, Anderson was transported to Arizona in April. Her arrival marked a new stage in the case.

ANDERSON ARRIVES IN AZORION

In April 2024, Anderson heard the charges against her during initial court appearances in Maricopa County. She pleaded not guilty at her arraignment a few days later.

When the 51-year-old landed in Arizona, new details of what she allegedly told police were revealed in new court documents.

Police said they first tracked down Anderson in 2022, and that’s when Anderson allegedly told police she gave birth in her hotel bathtub. She also claimed the baby was stillborn, court documents say. The police said that the information does not correspond to the evidence and data of the medical examiner.

Another year passed until Anderson was taken into custody in Washington in December 2023. The media reported on her arrest only a few months later.

But with the arrest, the battle has now moved into the courtroom. New records filed by the district attorney’s office say police spoke with the child’s father, who allegedly told investigators Anderson claimed she didn’t know she was pregnant with their son in 2004. ABC15 is not releasing the father’s name, but court records say he told police Anderson needed to be rushed to the hospital. He allegedly told police he also didn’t know Anderson was pregnant with Skylar in 2005.

Court documents also say Anderson admitted to taking the child to Phoenix Sky Harbor in a backpack and, “knowing she couldn’t pass security…”, put the child in a trash can in the bathroom.

Those documents also said Anderson had relationship and financial problems and had many children to care for. The records claimed she knew about the Safe Haven laws at the time.

Safe Haven signs, which are often displayed at fire stations and other locations, let people know you can drop off a newborn without prosecution.

ABC15 obtained footage from September of Anderson and her legal team fighting to have her bail reduced by $1 million.

“She’s willing to take him to court if she has the passport,” said Anderson’s attorney, Cathy Gibson-McLean. “I don’t think there is any indication, given her lack of criminal history or involvement in law enforcement or the criminal justice system, that she has any intention of running away.”

County prosecutors disagreed, asking the judge not to lower the bond.

“The state’s concern is for the defendant to return to court,” said Deputy District Attorney Shawn Steinburg. “We ask that this bond remain in place because the severity of this fence and the sentence it carries is a strong incentive for those who have covered up this crime for 18 years and have never lived in Arizona, not to return there. let me know if she was fired.”

During oral arguments, both prosecutors and Anderson’s attorneys disputed the evidence in the case. In the end, the judge decided to lower the bail amount to $200,000. If released, the court will require Anderson to remain on staff and be on electronic monitoring.

Anderson’s trial was originally scheduled for next month, but was later moved to February 2025. The next court date is Dec. 5, according to Maricopa County Superior Court staff, and it will be virtual.

ABC15 reached out to Anderson’s attorney for this story over several days by phone and email, but did not hear back.

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