MILLWOOD — After nearly 35 years, the remains of a 5-year-old girl found in south Georgia have finally been identified. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) announced on Monday that Kenyatta “KeKe” Odom, originally known as “Ware Baby Jane Doe,” was discovered on December 21, 1988, near Millwood in Ware County. The GBI has charged the girl’s mother, Evelyn Odom, and her live-in boyfriend at the time, Ulyster Sanders, with her murder.

Odom’s body was found in the woods encased in a concrete container, making it difficult to identify her at the time. The GBI’s Regional Investigative Field Office in Douglas joined forces with the Ware County Sheriff’s Office to investigate Odom’s killing after evidence found near the child suggested a possible connection to the Albany area.

Despite extensive efforts by authorities to identify the girl through forensic testing and missing person searches in other states, her identity remained a mystery. It was only in 2019, when advanced techniques such as genome sequencing, private labs, and genealogy services were utilized, that a family tree from Albany was identified as potentially related to the child. The breakthrough came three years later, following a news story on the anniversary of Odom’s death, which prompted a tip leading to her identification and the revelation that she died in Albany.

The GBI’s Medical Examiner Office was unable to determine the cause of death, but they classified the case as a homicide. The investigation into Odom’s killing resulted in a True Bill being returned by a Dougherty County grand jury on November 1. Subsequently, Evelyn Odom, also known as Zmecca Luciana, aged 56, and Ulyster Sanders, aged 61, both residents of Albany, were arrested on Thursday. They now face charges of felony murder, first-degree cruelty to children, aggravated battery – family violence, concealing the death of another person, and conspiracy to conceal the death of another person.

Evelyn Odom is confirmed to be the mother of the deceased child, while Sanders was her live-in boyfriend at the time of Odom’s death. Once the investigation is concluded, the case file will be handed over to the Dougherty Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution. In a special arrangement, the Waycross Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office will also assist in prosecuting the case.

The GBI expressed gratitude to a local donor who provided a $5,000 reward for information leading to Odom’s identification. The cause of death is currently undetermined, and further details regarding the case are awaited as the legal proceedings progress.