5-Year-Old Kenyatta Odom Identified as Victim Found at Illegal Dump Site in Ware County; Mother and Boyfriend Charged with Murder

Police – Accident – Death – Obituary News : WARE COUNTY, Ga. — Authorities in Ware County, Georgia have identified the little girl whose body was found at an illegal dump site in the area. The child, known for decades as “Baby Jane Doe,” has been identified as 5-year-old Kenyatta Odom, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). Her mother, Evelyn Odom, also known as Zmecca Luciana, and her mother’s live-in boyfriend at the time, Ulyster Sanders Sr., are now facing charges in connection with the child’s murder.

The GBI announced on Monday that DNA genome sequencing played a crucial role in identifying the young girl. The breakthrough in the case led to the charges being filed against the girl’s mother and her boyfriend. The charges they are facing include felony murder, cruelty to children in the first degree, aggravated battery involving family violence, conspiracy to commit a crime, and concealing the death of another.

The case of Baby Jane Doe dates back to December 21, 1988, when her body was discovered in a wooden box on the side of the road. According to Carol Schweitzer from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a trucker found the box off Duncan Bridge Road in Millwood, which is located northwest of Waycross. The discovery shocked the community, and for years, the child remained unidentified.

In 2017, new images of Baby Jane Doe were released by the GBI, providing a glimpse of what she looked like. The images showed her wrapped in a brown baby blanket, placed in a gym bag, which was then stuffed into a cement-filled suitcase hidden in a TV console cabinet at an illegal dump site. The GBI described her as wearing thermal bottoms and a white pullover sweater with a pink pony emblem. She also had pierced ears.

Investigators are urging anyone with additional information about the case to come forward. The GBI Tip Line can be reached at 1-800-597-8477. Tips can also be submitted through the GBI’s website or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.

It was reported in March that a newspaper clipping from the Albany Herald was found near the TV cabinet where Baby Jane Doe was discovered. This led investigators to believe that she may have had a connection to Albany, Georgia. The investigation into the case is ongoing, and authorities hope that with the identification of the victim, more information will come to light.

The tragic case of Baby Jane Doe has haunted the community for over three decades, and now, with the identification of the young girl, there is hope that justice will be served. The charges against her mother and her mother’s boyfriend highlight the seriousness of the crime. Authorities are dedicated to uncovering the truth and bringing those responsible to justice.

As the investigation continues, the community is urged to remain vigilant and provide any information that may help bring closure to this heartbreaking case. The GBI and other law enforcement agencies are determined to find answers and ensure that no child goes unidentified or forgotten. The identification of Kenyatta Odom is a major step forward in this long-standing mystery, and it is hoped that it will bring some solace to those affected by her tragic death.

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