In a shocking turn of events, a 56-year-old Georgia woman, Evelyn Odom, has been arrested on felony murder charges nearly 35 years after her 5-year-old daughter, Kenyatta Odom, was found dead. The case, which had remained unsolved for decades, has taken a significant step towards justice.
The heart-wrenching saga began on December 21, 1988, when the remains of a young child were discovered at an illegal dump site near Millwood, Georgia, in Ware County. The child, who came to be known as “Baby Jane Doe,” was found wrapped in a blanket inside a duffel bag, which had been placed inside a TV cabinet encased in concrete. The initial medical examination in 1988 indicated that the girl’s death was a homicide, but the cause of death remained elusive. Furthermore, the child could not be identified, as she did not match any local missing children reports.
The case baffled investigators for years, with hundreds of leads and tips yielding no success. However, one crucial lead emerged when an Albany Herald newspaper was discovered at the dump site, suggesting a connection to Albany, Georgia, nearly 100 miles away. This clue led authorities to focus their efforts in that direction.
In 2019, investigators turned to cutting-edge genome sequencing technology to finally identify the young victim. By analyzing the genetic information, they established a family tree from the Albany area that was likely related to the girl. This breakthrough represented a significant advancement in forensic technology compared to the limited tools available in 1988.
While the genome testing brought them closer to solving the case, it wasn’t until 2022 that a tipster contacted the police after news reports aired on the anniversary of Kenyatta Odom’s death. This individual had never believed the story that the child had gone to live with her father.
Evelyn Odom and her live-in boyfriend at the time of Kenyatta’s death, Ulyster Sanders, were arrested without incident. They face charges of felony murder, first-degree cruelty to children, aggravated battery, concealing a death, and conspiracy to conceal the death of another person. The motive remains undisclosed.
The arrest of Evelyn Odom and Ulyster Sanders represents a significant step toward justice for Kenyatta Odom, whose identity and tragic story have finally come to light after decades of uncertainty.
