ALBANY – Evelyn Odom has been sentenced to life with the possibility for parole for the death of her daughter, Kenyatta “KeKe” Odom, known for decades as “Baby Jane Doe.”
Chief Judge Denise Marshall brought a close to the case Friday, February 6, 37 years after the 5year-old’s body was found in Ware County.
Life with the possibility of parole was the minimum sentence for Odom’s charges. She was sentenced as follows:
• Count 1: Felony murder — Life with the possibility of parole
• Count 2: Cruelty to children — Merged with Count 1
• Count 3: Aggravated battery — No sentence, as she was found not guilty by the jury of this charge
• Count 4: Conspiracy to commit a crime — 1 2 months to run concurrently with Count 1
• Count 5: Concealing the death of another — 12 months to run concurrently with Count 1
• Counts 4 and 5 are running concurrently with Count 1, meaning they will be served at the same time as Count 1 and not after, which would be a “consecutive” sentence.
Before the sentence was handed down, the defense attempted to get a reduced sentence for the mother. They argued because the jury returned a not guilty verdict for her aggravated battery charge, which the state alleged caused the young girls’ death, she should not be automatically sentenced to life.
“We do not believe the sentence today reflected what truly took place in trial,” Julius Collins, the attorney representing Evelyn Odom, said. “There was no evidence she caused the death.”
Defense attorney’s hoped for a “Sentencing Deviation” which would allow the judge to impose a sentence outside of recommended guidelines.
Ultimately, Judge Marshall decided to proceed with the sentencing guidelines. Before the sentence was handed down, other children of Odom gave impact statements.
Defense attorneys said they plan to file appeals, but the District Attorney said he believes evidence is clear Ms. Odom caused her 5-year-old’s death.
She was convicted in August 2025 after just a few hours of deliberation by a Dougherty County jury after a two-and-a-half week trial.
