Jan 30
Opelika Sweetheart Jane Doe (UPDATE)
Opelika Jane Doe ➜ Remains of an unidentified child found in 2012 have now been identified as Amore Joveh Wiggins
We covered her case in a previous post (Opelika Sweetheart Jane Doe) back in January 2021 when she was an unidentified child. But we are thrilled to report that at last, the little girl has reclaimed her name.
At last, after more than a decade, we are so relieved to be able to tell you that this precious little girl is Amore Joveh Wiggins.
Lamar Vickerstaff was a native of Opelika but had enlisted in the US Navy, a migratory career that would assist him in hiding the truth behind Amore’s disappearance for more than a decade. He lived in a variety of cities across the US including Jacksonville, FL; Norfolk, VA; and Honolulu, Hawai’i. In January 2006, Lamar and Sherry Wiggins, a woman from Norfolk, VA, witnessed the birth of their daughter Amore Joveh Wiggins. A few months later in May, Lamar married his present wife Ruth as he and Sherry went separate ways.
Unfortunately, in 2009, Sherry lost custody of Amore to Lamar and his wife. She has continued paying child support in the years since 2009 but was not allowed to see Amore, having lost her visitation rights. It appears Sherry believed her daughter was still alive and safe with her father and stepmother.
Othram laboratories has gain fame over recent years for their specialized expertise in building DNA profiles for genealogical testing in cases involving unidentified persons. They collected the evidence necessary to begin working on Amore’s case in January 2022 and by October they had successfully identified Lamar as her father. Police spoke with both Lamar and Ruth, but they did not provide information about Amore’s mother and Ruth denied knowing of her existence.
Further investigation eventually led police to Sherry who confirmed that she had a child with Lamar and that he and Ruth had taken custody of the girl in 2009. Police uncovered the fact that despite Amore living with them from 2009 until her death, Lamar and Ruth had never enrolled her in school and had never reported her disappearance.
Lamar and Ruth Vickerstaff were arrested on January 17, 2023 in Jacksonville, FL on charges ranging from felony murder and child abuse to failure to report a missing child. Police were able to pick up Ruth during a traffic stop and Lamar voluntarily surrendered himself to police after coming to the scene. Lamar was stationed at Naval Station Mayport as a chief engineman but had retired not long ago.
Although the case itself is not yet reached its end, the truth has come and Amore can finally take back her name and life. Our thoughts and prayers are extended to her mother and any extended family who held her dear. Sleep in peach sweetheart. 🕊️
*Original Post with Case Details Linked Below
Resources
- Robinson, C. (2023) ‘Opelika Jane Doe identified after 11 years: Father and his wife arrested’, AL.com, 19 January, Link.
- DNASolves.com (2023) ‘Opelika PD Leverages Othram’s Genetic Testing Platform to Identify Opelika Jane Doe’, Link.
- Micolucci, V. (2023) ‘Jacksonville police arrest couple wanted in Alabama ‘Jane Doe’ murder’, News4JAX, 19 January, Link.
