OPELIKA, Ala. (WSFA) – Nearly 11 years to the day after the discovery of her body, the Opelika Police Department is preparing to hold a news conference regarding the case of “Opelika Jane Doe,” a young African American girl between ages 4-7 whose real name has been as elusive as the reason for her death.
The police department released few details about the news conference other than to say it will be held Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Opelika Police Department.
We will carry this news conference Thursday morning.
There is reason to believe investigators have made a major breakthrough in the case, however. A spokesperson for Ortham, a private, Texas-based laboratory that specializes in forensic genealogy, confirmed to WSFA 12 News Wednesday that the girl has been identified, though her name has not yet been released.
Othram, said in a press release that it teamed up with Opelika police and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children “to explore using advanced DNA testing to build a comprehensive genealogical profile for the unknown child” and that it was “working to develop a DNA extract from the child’s remains that is suitable for further testing.”
Opelika Jane Doe’s remains were found behind a mobile home on Opelika’s Hurst Street on Jan. 28, 2012. Her bones told the story of a tragic and short life that ended in what was likely a murder.
“According to all the records from her bones that she was malnourished and suffered from abuse,” said Opelika police Capt. Johnathan Clifton during a 2021 interview.
The child’s case has proved difficult to crack, though forensics experts developed renderings of what they thought the child might have looked like. The images highlighted a distinct feature. Police believe her eye was damaged as a result of abuse.
The years passed without answers, though investigators followed up on every lead. There was a belief she may have been from the North Carolina or Virginia areas.
In 2016, another clue came in. Someone working at church a few miles from the site of the girl’s discovery said they recognized the child, according to police. The church employee believed the child had briefly attended Vacation Bible School at Opelika’s Greater Peace Baptist Church.
Police hit another brick wall, however. “The problem is that we received this tip in 2016, and [the church] only kept records for a few years and no longer had records of the attendees,” Clifton said.
Police then sifted through Sunday school photos taken during the summer of 2011 and came across some that resembled the little girl found in the woods. The photos were released to the public, but no new information was immediately generated. In 2020, investigators released an enhanced photo believed to possibly be same child as Opelika Jane Doe.
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If anyone has information about Jane Doe, please call the Opelika Police Department at 334-705-5200 or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST.
Central Alabama CrimeStoppers is offering a $5,000 reward in the case. Additionally, the Alabama Governor’s Office, the Lee County District Attorney’s Office, and a private citizen are offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the identity of the girl and the conviction of her killer.
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