Amore Wiggins ("Opelika Jane Doe")

On January 28, 2012, skeletal remains of a small child were found in a wooded area of a trailer park off Hurst Street in Opelika, Alabama. Forensic examination determined the remains were those of a young Black girl, estimated to be between roughly four and seven years old. The examination revealed a disturbing history of injury: the child had been malnourished, showed evidence of a prior eye injury, and had numerous healed and unhealed fractures across her skull, arms, legs, shoulders, and ribs, indicating prolonged abuse.

No one reported the child missing, and investigators could not determine who she was. For nearly 11 years she was known only as 'Opelika Jane Doe' or 'Baby Jane Doe.' Authorities publicized reconstructions and pursued leads for years without success, and the case became a focus of national attention among those working unidentified-child cases.

The identification ultimately came through forensic DNA analysis and investigative genetic genealogy. In 2022 the remains were sent to the Othram laboratory, which built a genealogical profile, with additional help from genealogist Barbara Rae-Venter. That work led investigators to the child's biological family. In January 2023, the Opelika Police Department announced that the child was Amore Joveah Wiggins, who had been born in 2006.

Investigators learned that Amore's father, Lamar Vickerstaff Jr., and his wife had obtained custody of the girl years before her death, and that her biological mother had lost contact with her. On January 17, 2023, Lamar Vickerstaff Jr. was arrested in Jacksonville, Florida, and charged with felony murder in Amore's death. His wife, Ruth Vickerstaff, was charged with failing to report a missing child. Authorities said Amore's death had gone unreported for years.

The identification transformed a long-unidentified remains case into a homicide prosecution. During later court proceedings, prosecutors said the father had acknowledged responsibility for the girl's death, and he was held without bond. The case stands as an example of how genetic genealogy can restore a name to a child who was never reported missing and open a path toward accountability, even more than a decade after the crime.