Opelika Jane Doe
On January 28, 2012 the skeletal remains of a young African-American girl were found behind a trailer park in the 1700 block of Hurst Street in Opelika, Alabama. It was concluded that she had been dead for around 8 months to 2 years. She had a malformation of her left eye, and she may have been blind in it. A pink shirt with heart buttons and a ruffled neckline was found near the body, it is unknown if this shirt belonged to Jane Doe or not. The autopsy showed that the young girl was aged anywhere from 3–7. Since only a few bones, including a skull and a mandible, were found a cause of death could not be determined. However, the death was ruled a probable homicide. This is because Jane Doe’s bones showed signs of malnutrition and abuse. This made suspicion fall on the parents of the young girl, and it still does. Due to the location of the skeletal remains it is believed that whoever killed this girl was most likely a native to Opelika because it wasn’t visible from the road and was quite hidden from view.
The investigators did everything they could to identify this girl, they created reconstructions of what the girl may have looked like and checked schools and interviewed locals. But they came up empty handed. It is believed that Jane Doe was kept at home and wasn’t allowed to go outside in order to hide the abuse that was going on in her family’s home. After these initial findings the case went cold, but investigators refused to close the case or declare it as a cold case.
In 2016 investigators received a tip that Jane Doe may have gone to vacation bible school (V.B.S.) at Greater Peace Church in 2011. Several pictures of the young girl believed to be Jane Doe were included. The person who gave the tip stated that the girl didn’t really interact with the other kids and appeared to have been neglected. This could confirm the fact that she wasn’t allowed to be around people outside of her family, so when she was with people she didn’t know how to interact with them. Also, her neglected appearance corroborates with the neglect and starvation seen in her bones. In the photograph, although it is blurry and grainy, you can clearly see that the girl also had a malformation of her left eye. Although the police were hopeful that this tip would lead to the identity of Jane Doe, every lead in relation to the photograph ran dry. In 2017 an isotope test was performed on Opelika Jane Doe’s body by the University of South Florida Institute of Forensic Anthropology and Applied Science. This test revealed that the girl was born in and had lived in the South Eastern portion of the United States. It is likely that she was from Alabama or its surrounding states.
In May of 2020 enhanced versions of the V.B.S photos were released to the public. They more clearly show the face of the young girl, hopefully this will help to identify her. This has inspired a renewed effort and public outreach to get this little girl identified. The reward for information that will lead to this little girl’s identity is $20,000.
This girl was most likely killed by the very people who should have protected her. Even though Jane Doe could have been kept inside most of the time, she must have had the ability to leave the house to go to the V.B.S. program. With these enhanced photos, hopefully a neighbor or friend will come forward with information that could lead to her identity. While some V.B.S. programs have a check-in list and sign-up process, some are open to the community and offer free food and entertainment. This would appeal to neglectful parents and/or the young girl. The V.B.S. program I went to (also in the South) was open, and many kids with parents who couldn’t afford to feed their kids everyday during the summer would drop off their kids before they went to work or something. If Jane Doe was abused and neglected, it is more likely that she went there on her own. The V.B.S. in my hometown had flyers and some buses (after my time) that would pick up and attract people to the church. And from what I can gather the V.B.S. program in Opelika ran the same way, so there are no church records (that we know of) that could lead to this little girl’s identity. However, I truly believe that those images are the key to cracking this case.
There is only one rule out in the case of Angelica Cassandra Livingston who went missing with her grandmother (Portia Washington) on June 10, 2006 at the age of 7 from West Columbia, South Carolina. Her grandmother’s boyfriend, 46 year-old Kevin Lynch, who (as of May 2012) has been convicted of both of their murders and sentenced to life in prison. The bodies of Portia Washington and Angelica Livingston have still not been found.
After 8 years this little girl remains unidentified, but the police haven’t given up. They continue to investigate this case and fight for this little girl. As mentioned previously there is a $20,000 reward for any information about the child’s death or her identity. If you have any information that could lead to the identification of this young girl and/or her killer(s) please contact the Opelika Police Department’s Secret Witness Hotline at (334)-745–8665.
