Police found a pink children’s shirt and a small bunch of curly hair. Her community lovingly nicknamed her Baby Jane Doe. Her father was stationed in Mayport.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A couple were arrested in Jacksonville on Tuesday after the skeleton of a baby was discovered in Alabama more than a decade ago.
On January 28, 2012, police officers in Opelika, Alabama, called out to a trailer park following a report of a skeletal remains. Investigators found the skull in the residence’s yard, but most of the bones were found near the woods. rice field.
baby jane doe
The FBI conducted a physical examination at a laboratory in Quantico, Virginia. Upon examination, it was determined that the body likely belonged to a black girl aged 4 to 7. According to police, the community affectionately nicknamed her Baby Jane Doe.
When an autopsy was performed, it was found that the child had fractures to her skull, arms, legs, shoulders, and ribs.In total, she had more than 15 individual fractures due to blunt force trauma. All injuries occurred before her death. Baby Jane Doe is also believed to have gone blind from malnutrition in her left eye due to her orbital fracture. Her death was ruled a murder that likely occurred between the summer of 2010 and the summer of 2011, officials said.
After attempted and unsuccessful DNA testing, a comprehensive genealogical profile of baby Jane Doe was created and uploaded to the database. Once uploaded, an experienced genealogist was assigned to the case. In October 2022, investigators were able to identify the baby’s father as her 50-year-old Lamar Bickerstaff, Jr., who was born and raised in Opelika. He lived in several locations during his Navy career, but ended up in Jacksonville, Mayport Naval Station.
Detectives met with Vickerstaff at a naval base and informed him of his daughter’s death. He did not give authorities any information about the child’s identity. married Bickerstaff in 2006.
Never been reported as a missing person
Genealogists were able to identify several possible matches for Baby Jane Doe’s mother before detectives narrowed it down to one Maryland woman. In December 2022, authorities met with her 37-year-old Sherry Wiggins to confirm that she is the biological mother of her child. A Virginia resident told police she gave birth to a baby girl named Amore Jovia Wiggins in January 2006. Wiggins was able to show investigators documents proving that she had been paying Vickerstaff child support since 2009.
After examining school and pediatric records in the area where the Vickerstaff family lived, detectives discovered that Amore did not attend school. She was never reported missing.
Lamar and Ruth Bickerstaff were arrested in Jacksonville on January 17. Lamar Vickerstaff was still stationed at Mayport at the time of this arrest, according to the Naval Base.
They are turned over to Lee County, Alabama.
This is an active investigation. If you have information, please contact the Opelika Police Department Investigative Division at (334) 705-5220.
