Identified! AL - Opelika, 'Juvenile Jane Doe', BlkFem, UP9834, 4-7, in woods, abused, Jan'12 *reward* - Amore Joveah Wiggins

[Grungster]

Just read through the thread, was it ever determined whether her eye was actually removed? I assume that if it was the reconstructions would have it missing. Sorry if I missed it.

The only thing that was determined was that she had an eye defect and that she was possibly blind in it. This was something that wasn’t released until the photos came out and that makes me and I’m sure everyone else think the girl in the photos is Jane Doe

 

[BrownBear]

Thanks, that's what I thought but making sure, as a surgery would have records which would be helpful.

 

[PeriwinkleE]

I noticed this artist’s rendering is new as of today. This might have been discussed here previously and if it has, I’m just bumping. Getting her face out there to as many eyes as possible has got to jog someone’s memory. She had to have met someone whom she made an impression on who remembers her. She lived somewhere when she healed from that eye and other injuries. Have they asked the congregation if anyone remembers her? Gone out to the rural places and talked to the old people who don’t do technology? They are plentiful in the small towns someone might move to when they’re keeping their little girl home for after “an illness” or “accident”. Right? They just haven’t seen her in this context. Throw a bandage on the rendering! Someone remembers her.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The images were taken in the summer of 2011 at Greater Peace Community Church, located just three miles from where Opelika Jane Doe was found. “We know there are people who have information about who this child is. We've tracked down tips from across the country and now believe that she may have ties to the Orlando, Florida area,” said White. “We won’t stop until we can give this child her name back. She was just a little girl; she deserves dignity and a proper burial.
Who is Opelika Jane Doe?

Have you seen this child? Jane Doe2012

 

[squish]

I had a strange dream about this case, although I can’t remember the details. It’s particularly disturbing because we likely have pictures of the little girl alive. Also knowing that she had a damaged eye from the abuse, and seeing the evidence of that.

It’s hard to believe they can’t identify her from this. She’s in two different outfits so presumably was there for two days. Surely they can do facial recognition searches of the adults that must be in the remainder of the images. Like how an amateur sleuth did with the pictures of the lady who was found alive on the Croatian island, and managed to find other pictures of her which led to her being identified.

 

[killarney rose]

Years ago, we registered kids that attended VBS. We got their parents name and contact info. But churches have gotten away from that in recent years-mine has. If they had registered this little girl, then this case might be solved. I’m not criticizing the church, VBS can be chaotic with so many children there.

 

[Springrain]

Years ago, we registered kids that attended VBS.

Sorry, I think I'm missing something - what is VBS referring to? I'm assuming a children's church organization?

“We know there are people who have information about who this child is. We've tracked down tips from across the country and now believe that she may have ties to the Orlando, Florida area,” said White.

I am curious as to the informant(s) said about Orlando. Since Greater Peace Community Church was so close to where she was found, it sure seems she was local. I wonder if they had recently moved to the Opelika area from Orlando, and/or if most of Jane Doe's family is in the Orlando area. Maybe her parent(s) even went back to Orlando after she died.

 

[killarney rose]

VBS is short for Vacation Bible School. Way back in the thread I believe it was said she was attending a VBS at the Greater Peace Community Church.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

New images: Opelika Police Department continues to investigate 2012 Jane Doe cold case

 

[Laughing]

IIRC, up-thread someone figured out that this church has buses or vans, and likely sent them out into the community to bring kids to VBS. IIRC, that's also part of the reason for the mention of the mobile home park? (Fair warning, I've had COVID since then. )

This child may have come from a neighbor's, a babysitters, a tangential relationship?

At the very least, looks like this church treated her as the deserving small person she is, welcome to join in their event!

I expect that her mother is unidentified in another location.

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[Nocgirl]

I have a hard time believing no records from the church exist to find out what name she was registered under. Also no family members have submitted any DNA to the ancestry sites? Familial DNA is being used in so many states. Sorry if this has already been covered.

 

[Nocgirl]

I was wondering the same thing A go fund me could easily be raised to do testing and catch the scum that did this.

Since they have this does DNA I wonder if they will go the genealogy route? Eight years is a long time for this baby girl to be nameless

 

[Nocgirl]

Too far apart and Jeahessye's mother was seen carrying a large item and discarding it in a local dumpster. It's believed that was probably her little body. what a horrible woman. I am in AZ and followed that sad case.

Does anyone know if Jahessye Shockley has been formally ruled-out yet? Apologies if I missed any discussion about this. (ETA: If not, don't submit it. I read on a similar forum she's been submitted. She is in NamUs.)

 

[Laughing]

I have a hard time believing no records from the church exist to find out what name she was registered under. Also no family members have submitted any DNA to the ancestry sites? Familial DNA is being used in so many states. Sorry if this has already been covered.

IF the program had a bus route -- the driver probably picked up every kid at the location, no questions asked.

The child might have provided her first name only, or a first & surname that do not match any records.

But -- I certainly hope that the good folks who planned & carried out that VBS talked to LE, and talked & talked until every tiny detail was recorded by a skilled interviewer.

My ancestors are uniformly from the British Isles. It is my understanding that the DNA genealogy services are mostly used by people with European ancestry. Since interested adults must obtain a kit & supply a sample, matching material may not be available for this little one:

For Asians, blacks, Latinos, genealogical tests don't tell full story

The article does indicate hope:

One smaller site has taken a different approach. AfricanAncestry.com looks solely at African heritage and has since 2003. It has over 33,000 African samples, representing 40 African countries, said Gina Paige, the company’s president. Co-founded by African-American geneticist Rick Kittles, it is 100 percent black-owned.

Placing her samples with this company might make a difference.

Those VBS pictures show a cared-for child -- what changed???

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[annemc2]

I have a hard time believing no records from the church exist to find out what name she was registered under. Also no family members have submitted any DNA to the ancestry sites? Familial DNA is being used in so many states. Sorry if this has already been covered.

I think that in a lot of communities VBS is a very casual thing. There was a thread on reddit recently where people talked about how they'd just sign up for whichever ones were close by just to have something to do in the summertime. In smaller towns where the churches are a big part of the community I can see where a struggling parent might just send their child off to a VBS to have a break. Believe me, I considered it when my kids were younger - most of the time they are totally free!

As most of these programs are put on short-term by the church they really don't have to follow strict regulations like daycare or school programs (as far as I know, please correct me if I'm wrong). My mom even helped out with the VBS at her church a few years ago and they took a gaggle of kids to a waterpark. I'm sure that if so-and-so's friend and little brother wanted to tag along for the day it would have been no problem. When the camp's over and everyone's good just toss the sign-in sheets.

I think that the DNA tests aren't done as much in some poorer communities just because a hundred bucks would be a lot of money to spend on what a lot of people consider a lark, especially when money is super tight. For instance in Opelika, residents with income under poverty levels are 23.1% of the population,while 31.1% of children in the area are below the poverty line (Wikipedia).

 

[killarney rose]

That’s a good point that I never considered. The church might’ve tossed the records after VBS. When we took registration, we kept the registration cards from one year to the next in order to contact those children the following year to let them know when VBS was being held. Then the old records were tossed.

 

[Springrain]

Even if Jhessye Shockley hasn't been formally ruled out, I don't see any way it could be her. I can't see Jhessye's mother going from Arizona to Alabama to dispose of Jhessye's remains. I know it's a thing that CAN and does occasionally happen (like Letitia Stauch disposing of Gannon's remains across the country), but it's not usual, and I don't think Jhessye's mother would have had the resources to do that, especially when she had other kids.

I don't know how I didn't realize VBS was vacation bible school lol I knew that Opelika Jane Doe was spotted at a church camp organization, so I don't know how my mind didn't put that together. Thanks!

I wonder if her parents were in Orlando and they placed in the care of another relative and/or associate in Opelika, who then brought her to the VBS and eventually, neglect and abuse led to her death and they just swept it under the rug. Or if Opelika Jane Doe's parents died in Orlando and then someone got custody of her and moved her to Opelika.

 

[proctorelites]

I watched a Life in The E.R. show not too long ago. In that show, there was a child at the hospital, being treated by a 1st year female doctor, 4 yr old black female child was brought in by a school staff member with untreated burns to her legs

Her hair was in braids, we see of the "living child" photos taken at a Bible school. I cant screnshot the child in this streaming app- it wont allow it.
The show is Trauma: Life in The E.R. on Discovery plus,. 'Loss of Innocence' captured at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, Lousisiana, premier date shows 2/3/2011, child being called Tiara-(also states the last name) the doctor was upset bc CPS refused to step in b/c they didn't have a past case on the child. There was evidence of abuse according to the doctor. Child telling them she gets beat with a stick. At first glance she looks too tall but later as she walks with a teddy bear, she doesn't look as long. I havent compared faces- this would be way way way over the top- made for tv stuff.
Revised to include show date, show name, location - and how uncomfortable I am now that I'm posting - eeek

 

[carbuff]

That’s a good point that I never considered. The church might’ve tossed the records after VBS. When we took registration, we kept the registration cards from one year to the next in order to contact those children the following year to let them know when VBS was being held. Then the old records were tossed.

That's what we did in the church where I helped with VBS. We had two three-week sessions and we had a lot of people who were basically using VBS as summer child care because there weren't a lot of other options in our small town.

 

[proctorelites]

I just updated my post to include new orleans and 2-3-11. How unlikely would this be. When were the VBS pics taken?