DOUGHERTY COUNTY, Ga. (WALB) - On Thursday, Aug. 21, the trial against Evelyn Odom continued.

In court Thursday morning, an audio recording of the day Odom was arrested was played. She was arrested on Nov. 15, 2023.

In the recording, GBI Agent Taylor Hundley, along with another GBI agent, was heard questioning Odom about the murder of her daughter, Kenyatta Odom.

“I wouldn’t make that type of mistake. I wouldn’t kill my child,” Odom says.

The GBI agents asked Odom when the last time she saw Kenyatta was. Odom told the agents that when she was in pre-school, and she stated Kenyatta went to live with someone named “Madea.”

“I trusted her. I trusted her. I trusted her to make sure she was alright. I trusted Madea,” Odom could be heard weeping.

In the recording, Odom says she was shocked to learn that her daughter was dead. Agents then pressed Odom about what happened to Kenyatta, stating they have evidence and would not be wasting their time if they didn’t have scientific facts. Investigators say Odom’s then-partner, Ulyster Sanders, confessed and showed remorse. That’s when investigators pressed Odom to confess to anything that lines up with the evidence.

“My truth is the truth, you can believe [Ulyster Sanders] if you want to, but the truth will come out,” Odom says.

“Are you sorry that it happened?” the agents asked Odom.

“I’m sorry that she’s gone,” Odom replied.

“Do you take any responsibility?” the agents asked.

“Why would I? I would not do that. I didn’t have anything to do with that. I didn’t conceal anything,” Odom says.

Agents then asked Odom about Kenyatta and her abilities. Odom noted that Kenyatta did not have any disabilities.

“Do you have pictures of Keke?” the agents asked.

“No, I only have one picture of Greg, one picture of Patrick, and one picture of Kerri, but I don’t have any pictures of Keke,” Odom responds.

Agents asked Odom why she didn’t have any pictures of Keke, and Odom was unable to state why.

“What good mother gives their child to someone, and they don’t know their name. She trusted you... Thank God Greg, Patrick, and Kerri didn’t suffer the same fate. Your kid trusted you, and she paid the ultimate price. She didn’t have a choice; she was five years old,” the agents said. “She was a beautiful little girl; you threw her away like trash.”

After the recording, Agent Hundley was examined by the state. Hundley said there was no public record of the death certificate. Odom’s DNA was submitted, and it was determined as consistent with being the child of Zmecca Luciana, also known as Evelyn Odom.

“There was no information on Madea, or Madear, we never had information. During the investigation, we asked other individuals if they ever had any contact with Madea. Family members said no. We interviewed family members the same day Odom was interviewed in 2023,” Huntley says.

Hundley says the defendant never gave any address or directions to Madea. Only Mary Odom, Evelyn Odom’s mother, gave her the same information about Madea, but there was no description of the car she drove, and no other relatives of Madea.

GBI agents revealed in their initial investigation, they did not know about a situation involving hot water, a bath, feet being burned, or skin hanging off, but they did learn about it after Sanders told them about it.

After the first half of the morning, Agent Hundley’s testimony was suspended, and the state called Dr. Lora Darrisaw, GBI Medical Examiner and Director of Pediatric Forensic Pathology.

Dr. Darrisaw reviewed the crime scene photos along with autopsy photos and gave her analysis of the photos.

According to Dr. Darrisaw, there were abnormalities of the legs that were consistent with the child being put in hot water and being held there.

“The body has been significantly altered by decomposition changes. Part of decomposition, the very top layer of the skin will slip away from the skin, blisters shown. I want to show you the difference between decomposition and injured skin.” Dr. Darrisaw stated.

“The feet and the lower part of the legs are consistent with burn injuries in comparison to the arm, that is consistent with normal decomposition. Most of the body that’s exposed has a discoloration, the arms have a smooth decomp. Feet have discoloration and an “ugly” emergent burn when an individual has been held in hot water," testified Dr. Darrisaw.

She says based on many investigative findings, including crime scene and autopsy photos, audio recordings, and a consultation with the GBI and the prosecution, Dr. Darrisaw determined “the cause of death was homicide with complications of burn injuries. The information was consistent that no medical attention was sought to provide assistance and treatment of the burns. The days after the burns resulted in her death. And she was ultimately disposed of.”

Dr. Darrisaw was questioned on the validity of death by homicide and how a person can die from burns. She stated that some complications result in burn injuries; for example, leaking of the skin, fluids leaving the body, burn shock, which is fluids and proteins leaving the body, extensive injury, inflammation, and a decrease in the volume of blood from the organs.

Dr. Darrisaw stated that burn injury complications are more dangerous for young children and the elderly because their health is not as good.

The defense then cross-examined Dr. Darrisaw, asking her to explain how an autopsy is done and what the process of evaluating for infections is.

Dr. Darrisaw stated that the infections came from the different types of burns. In this case, she stated that Keke had emergent burns, which are from hot liquids, primarily from water.

“We can talk about the pattern of water burns. The pattern is to identify if it’s accidental or inflicted. For example, if a child pulls a pot of water off the stove, the water will have a splash or triangular pattern vs certain parts of the body having a line without a sparing,” Dr. Darrisaw said. “These are consistent with the account that Keke has emergent burns.”

Dr. Darrisaw testified that it is difficult to determine the levels of burns because it’s dependent on temperature and exposure time for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-degree burns, and it varies from child to child. Fourth-degree burns go into the bone.

According to Dr. Darrisaw, Keke’s body was very decomposed. According to Sanders in his interview, this incident happened around spring or summer, and the body was discovered in December, which is enough time for the body to go through the decomposition process.

The defense then asked her questions about communication with DA Edwards about dye being on some of the photos she analyzed, and if she would put it in her report.

“I may or may not,” Dr. Darrisaw replied.

After lunch, GBI Special Agent Taylor Hundley wrapped up her testimony, much of it surrounding the investigative measures she and other GBI agents took before and after Keke’s body was identified.

Agent Hundley testified that even before Kenyatta was identified, genealogy testing indicated that KeKe’s family was likely from Albany. She says the testing also revealed a distant relative of hers.

She testified that some of the original evidence in the case may have been lost due to crime labs opening and closing over the decades. She explained that this case was even closed in 1990 before being reopened, when the GBI’s cold case unit started keeping homicide cases open until they’re either prosecuted or resolved.

Agent Hundley says the break in this cold case came in 2023, when a family member of Keke’s called the GBI with a tip, after seeing a flyer asking if anyone recognized the sketch or recreation of remains found in Ware County in 1988. Based on that tip, the GBI then confirmed that the Ware County Baby Jane Doe was KeKe. This week, experts have testified that KeKe is Evelyn’s daughter.

The defense asked agent Hundley if there were pieces of evidence that could have been further tested for DNA or fingerprints, like the suitcase that Kenyatta was found in and the items she was found with.

“Some of the original cold case evidence, we don’t have.” Agent Hundley said. " I have always known that if I needed to get hair from someone, it would have to be collected in real time around the time of the crime."

The defense also asked Agent Hundley if she ever was able to confirm that “Madea,” who Evelyn says Keke went to live with, ever existed. She said no.

The defense moved onto questions about Kenyatta’s potty training. There were a number of contradictions to the validity of her potty training and if she was fully trained.

The defense asked Agent Hundley if there was sexual abuse in the home and Agent Hundley said yes, there was a mention of one case of a sexual abuse in the home.

“Was that person related to Ulyster Sanders?” the defense asked.

“Yes.” Agent Hundley replied.

The defense questioned if sexual abuse could case potty training issues or bed wetting at night.

“Yes.” Agent Hundley replied.

Agent Hundley’s testimony wrapped up, and the court was adjourned for the day.

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook and X (Twitter). For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app from the Apple Store or Google Play.

Copyright 2025 WALB. All rights reserved.