After 35 years, a haunting cold case in Georgia has finally been resolved. The young girl, previously known only as “Baby Jane Doe,” whose remains were found in a cement-filled suitcase inside an abandoned TV console in 1988, has been identified as five-year-old Kenyatta “Keke” Odom. In a significant breakthrough, her mother and stepfather have been charged with her murder.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) revealed the child’s identity at a press conference on Monday. The girl’s mother, Evelyn Odom, 56, also known as Zmecca Luciana, and stepfather, Ulyster Sanders, 61, face multiple felony charges, including murder, cruelty to children in the first degree, aggravated battery, concealing the death of another person, and conspiracy to conceal a death.
Agents at the GBI described the resolution as a moment of justice nearly 35 years in the making. The indictment, as reported by WSB-TV, details the harrowing abuse that led to Kenyatta’s death.
According to the indictment, Odom and Sanders scalded the child in hot water, causing severe disfigurement to her legs and feet, which ultimately led to her demise.
After her death, the couple reportedly wrapped Kenyatta’s body in a baby blanket, placed her in a gym bag, and encased her in concrete inside a suitcase. The suitcase was then left inside a discarded TV console approximately two hours away from their Albany home.
Revealing ‘Baby Jane Doe’s’ Identity in Georgia’s Cold Case
It took about three months before her body was discovered by road workers in December 1988. Initial investigations estimated her age to be between three and four years old.
The GBI’s medical examiner determined homicide as the manner of death. The breakthrough in this cold case came from advanced forensic techniques, including genome sequencing, which in 2019 helped establish a potential family tree for Kenyatta in the Albany area.
However, it wasn’t until a tipster responded to a news story commemorating the anniversary of the girl’s death in 2022 that investigators were able to learn her name. The nature of the tip has not been disclosed.
On November 1, the GBI presented their findings to a Dougherty County jury, leading to the arrest of Odom and Sanders without incident last Thursday.
In their statement, the GBI expressed gratitude towards a private donor who offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the child’s identification. The resolution of this case brings closure to a tragic chapter and highlights the relentless efforts of law enforcement in solving long-standing mysteries.
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