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

Support and visitation are indeed separate legal issues.

Do we know that a court denied visitation/access? Or merely did not specify a visitation/shared parenting arrangement? OR did Dad just ignore that as he apparently ignored his responsibility as a parent?

Did Dad arrange for that by moving & avoiding providing information to Mom? Not typing what I want to say about Dad. :mad:

Sherry Wiggins, may you receive all the support you need now & moving forward. You did your level best to provide for your beautiful daughter! We, and she, know this.
Even if visitation was court ordered, it's difficult for the noncustodial parent to have it complied with except for going back to court constantly, and that's expensive. There's no agency, that I'm aware of, that goes after a non-compliant custodial parent. At least there isn't in my state, maybe other states have a different set up. Maybe it has changed in the past 23 years, but my ex had a heck of an uphill battle trying to get his ex-wife to comply with their court ordered visitation schedule. She did whatever she wanted and never once was she held accountable for refusing let him see their kids. The one time he tried, it took three years to get a court date.
 
Wasn't she much younger than the father?

I had a teen neighbor who was manipulated out of her baby by another neighbor and his mother. She was slightly learning disabled, I think her whole family was, and her mother was elderly at the time, so she didn't have anyone advocating for her. I felt so badly when I found out, because this happened after I moved away, and had I known then, I would have helped her, or at least given her the heads up the other neighbors were up to something. She was so naive and gullible.
She was 20~ when Amore was born and he would've been around 34~
 
With the power dynamic issues with Sherry being around ~15 years younger than the father, having her own struggles, and probably lacking access to resources that could have helped her and Amore, the cards were stacked against Sherry and Amore from the get-go and it is a really sad story. I wish it could have had a different outcome for both.
I'm thinking that, even if Sherry was aware that she could fight for visitation rights, she had no way of getting in contact with the Vickerstaffs, did not know where they were, and/or didn't have the money for court fees.

Sherry was another victim in this story and I am really glad that people are becoming so accepting and recognizing that there are two victims in this story. :( I hope she has people to rally around her and support her on the journey to getting justice for Amore.

Like Laughing, not going to say what I think about Amore's so-called "Father", and I think "stepmom" probably made a deal to get a reduced sentence.
 
Baby-Jane-Doe-11.pngIMO I don't think any of the pictures available of Amore or the sweet little girl at Vacation Bible School are clear enough for comparison really, but if I had to pick 2 it would be these and I think it's a strong possibility it was Amore at the VBS that summer - at least like @iamshadow21 I can't see any details to make me think it wasn't her.
Maybe its just the idea that there was another little tike of about 5 years old, who seemed unkempt and malnourished (isn't that what authorities stated was shared by the source of the picture?) had an obvious defect of the left eye that appears the type that could have been caused by a blow, attending VBS just 3 miles from where Amore's remains were found, and within the time frame authorities believe Amore was murdered....? I just don't want to think that is really possible.
 
I think Ruth has already made a deal and that's why she's only charged with what she is. I think she's given evidence against him, and that's why he's charged as the killer, not both of them. But I could be wrong.

There's no way she didn't abuse Amore too. That little girl was starved, and a child can only starve in a home where nobody feeds her.

<modsnip - quoted post removed>
I think Christmas Doe is a very different situation than this one. Amore's remains showed serious healed injuries. Whatever happened to Christmas Doe happened suddenly, not as a torturous end to a lifetime of abuse. I think Christmas's death was either a concealed accident or that her parent was murdered as well.

I am so glad to see charges laid in this case. This kind of thing happens a lot more often than any of us would like to think. We can't imagine taking custody of a child just to get a check and then essentially disposing of that child while continuing to receive child support payments. What is going on with the child support system?! How is it that Othram had to go to the extra effort of locating the biological mother because that was easier than finding out the biological father had been receiving child support?
 
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I think Christmas Doe is a very different situation than this one. Amore's remains showed serious healed injuries. Whatever happened to Christmas Doe happened suddenly, not as a torturous end to a lifetime of abuse. I think Christmas's death was either a concealed accident or that her parent was murdered as well.

I am so glad to see charges laid in this case. This kind of thing happens a lot more often than any of us would like to think. We can't imagine taking custody of a child just to get a check and then essentially disposing of that child while continuing to receive child support payments. What is going on with the child support system?! How is it that Othram had to go to the extra effort of locating the biological mother because that was easier than finding out the biological father had been receiving child support?
Sorry, yeah, I possibly wasn't clear, I didn't mean that the cases were identical, I just mean that children who appear cared for, with clean clothes and hair neatly groomed can be victims of violence, too. I didn't mean to imply Christmas Doe '88 experienced protracted violence and starvation like Amore did. What I was trying to get at is that people kind of expect abused kids to look skinny, dirty, and unkempt. And yeah, some do. But some, there are no outward obvious signs that they're living in hell.
 

Saw this today--an interview with Sherry Wiggins. Definitely adds more clarity to the situation regarding what happened between Sherry and Lamar. And shocking that in 2013 she was notified that her last appeal to see Amore was denied...after Amore had already been murdered. What is wrong with our court system?
 

Saw this today--an interview with Sherry Wiggins. Definitely adds more clarity to the situation regarding what happened between Sherry and Lamar. And shocking that in 2013 she was notified that her last appeal to see Amore was denied...after Amore had already been murdered. What is wrong with our court system?
That's just awful! Her poor Mom!
 

Saw this today--an interview with Sherry Wiggins. Definitely adds more clarity to the situation regarding what happened between Sherry and Lamar. And shocking that in 2013 she was notified that her last appeal to see Amore was denied...after Amore had already been murdered. What is wrong with our court system?
Reading this article I kept getting madder and madder! Major points from the article:
  • Sherry and Lamar met in Virginia when Sherry was 19, he was 35. They lived in the same apartment complex.
  • They moved in together when Sherry fell pregnant, his family was bothered by him having a child out of wedlock and the pair knew they would never marry.
  • Lamar became physically abusive towards Sherry, and she broke up with Lamar and left their shared apartment.
  • Sherry was a single mother to Amore in that timeframe, and Lamar was an absentee father and did not pay child support. In 2009, Sherry went to court to attempt to get child support payments from Lamar, but she was facing charges and decided Amore would be in a more stable household with the Vickerstaffs.
  • Sherry had visitation and actively visited Amore until the Vickerstaffs allegedly moved to Hawaii. At that point she attempted contact with Lamar who refused to let her see her daughter. She brought Lamar to court to resume visitations and hopefully get custody of Amore, but her appeals were exhausted as of 2013 (after Amore had died), so Sherry kept paying child support and not seeing Amore. :(
  • Although Sherry did not have a positive relationship with the Vickerstaffs, she hoped that Amore would seek her out when she was 18 and that she would have a good relationship with her daughter.
  • This past December, Opelika PD visited her and told her Lamar Vickerstaff was proven to be the father of Opelika Jane Doe. Sherry saw the clay bust of Amore and felt at once it was her. DNA conclusively proved that Jane Doe was Amore. :(
  • Sherry noted that she tried to see her many times and was rebuffed. She wished that she could have gotten her and stated she was a phone call away, and would have taken Amore from the Vickerstaffs.
 
Reading this article I kept getting madder and madder! Major points from the article:
  • Sherry and Lamar met in Virginia when Sherry was 19, he was 35. They lived in the same apartment complex.
  • They moved in together when Sherry fell pregnant, his family was bothered by him having a child out of wedlock and the pair knew they would never marry.
  • Lamar became physically abusive towards Sherry, and she broke up with Lamar and left their shared apartment.
  • Sherry was a single mother to Amore in that timeframe, and Lamar was an absentee father and did not pay child support. In 2009, Sherry went to court to attempt to get child support payments from Lamar, but she was facing charges and decided Amore would be in a more stable household with the Vickerstaffs.
  • Sherry had visitation and actively visited Amore until the Vickerstaffs allegedly moved to Hawaii. At that point she attempted contact with Lamar who refused to let her see her daughter. She brought Lamar to court to resume visitations and hopefully get custody of Amore, but her appeals were exhausted as of 2013 (after Amore had died), so Sherry kept paying child support and not seeing Amore. :(
  • Although Sherry did not have a positive relationship with the Vickerstaffs, she hoped that Amore would seek her out when she was 18 and that she would have a good relationship with her daughter.
  • This past December, Opelika PD visited her and told her Lamar Vickerstaff was proven to be the father of Opelika Jane Doe. Sherry saw the clay bust of Amore and felt at once it was her. DNA conclusively proved that Jane Doe was Amore. :(
  • Sherry noted that she tried to see her many times and was rebuffed. She wished that she could have gotten her and stated she was a phone call away, and would have taken Amore from the Vickerstaffs.
That’s so heartbreaking. I hope Sherry is able to find peace, I can’t imagine. Sleep peacefully, sweet Amore. You are loved.
 
There is a go fund me to raise money for Amore's funeral and travel expenses for her mother.

https://www.wtvm.com/2023/01/20/opelika-baby-jane-does-mother-creates--childs-funeral-expenses/

For some reason the link that goes directly to the isn't working, but you can find a link within the article.
 
The poor mom. Turned her life around beautifully and still could not get at least visitation rights. While the father with his oh so respectable navy job killed the child and collected child support for a decade.
 

Saw this today--an interview with Sherry Wiggins. Definitely adds more clarity to the situation regarding what happened between Sherry and Lamar. And shocking that in 2013 she was notified that her last appeal to see Amore was denied...after Amore had already been murdered. What is wrong with our court system?

I don't live in Virginia.

If I did, my state legislator, state senator, the governor, and most anyone else I could think of would know that I find this completely unacceptable:

Sherry says she went to court several times trying to force Lamar to resume visitations and regain custody of her daughter. But by 2013 she says the court informed her her appeals were exhausted. Sherry says the only thing she could do to connect with her daughter was continue paying the child support she had been responsible for since 2009.

How exactly were her appeals exhausted?

Gross miscarriage of justice imho.

Awaiting justice for (alleged) Killer Dad and (alleged) Wicked Stepmother. :mad:
 
I don't live in Virginia.

If I did, my state legislator, state senator, the governor, and most anyone else I could think of would know that I find this completely unacceptable:

Sherry says she went to court several times trying to force Lamar to resume visitations and regain custody of her daughter. But by 2013 she says the court informed her her appeals were exhausted. Sherry says the only thing she could do to connect with her daughter was continue paying the child support she had been responsible for since 2009.

How exactly were her appeals exhausted?

Gross miscarriage of justice imho.

Awaiting justice for (alleged) Killer Dad and (alleged) Wicked Stepmother. :mad:
I get the appeal for custody may have been exhausted, but it sounds like she was already granted visitations from previous agreements, which the court should have upheld and helped her get visitation enforced. At the very least, he should have been made accountable for denying access to Amore.
Do we even know if he showed up to any of these hearings?
 
I get the appeal for custody may have been exhausted, but it sounds like she was already granted visitations from previous agreements, which the court should have upheld and helped her get visitation enforced. At the very least, he should have been made accountable for denying access to Amore.
Do we even know if he showed up to any of these hearings?

If he was active duty military -- probably not. Years ago I worked at Child Support Enforcement, it's hard to require an active duty service person to appear for this sort of thing.

But, his income & benefits -- hope her child support order was low, since his dependent benefit would have provided for the little girl.

(Not typing what I wanna type about imho Sperm Donor/Baby Stealer LW.)
 

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