DOUGHERTY COUNTY, Ga. (WALB) - For the first time since the murder trial of Evelyn Odom began, Chief Judge Denise Marshall allowed Odom’s children and other family members inside the courtroom on Friday, August 22.

Evelyn Odom is on trial for murder and other charges in the death of her five-year-old daughter, Kenyatta “Keke” Odom.

Kenyatta’s remains were found in Ware County in 1988 and were unidentified for over 30 years.

On Friday, GBI Agent Alex Julian took the stand, and the defense played the audio recording of Julian and another agent interrogating Sanders about Kenyatta’s death.

“How did Evelyn treat her kids? As far as taking care of them, she takes care of her kids. They weren’t rumbustious,” Agent Julian asked.

“She disciplined the kids; she took care of the kids,” Sanders answered.

“How?” Julian asked.

“It wasn’t all the time that she had to discipline them. She would spank them, but that’s about it,” Sanders answered.

According to agents, the relationship was good between Odom and Sanders, but after their son, Ulyster Sanders Jr., died at 5 weeks old, the relationship became too much, and Sanders broke up with Evelyn just a month later.

The GBI agents asked Sanders if he knew the reason he was getting interviewed. Sanders told the agents “no.” Agents told him they found remains in the woods in Ware County, and had DNA evidence that linked him to the case.

“Did she treat the children fairly? If she treated them fairly, we wouldn’t have one of them found discarded. So, you weren’t truthful,” the agents asked.

“When I left her, I left her with all the kids. Anything after our relationship was over with... He treated them after that... I wasn’t there, so I wouldn’t know how things were being handled,” Sanders responded.

“You haven’t killed anybody have you? You haven’t killed anyone in your life?” the agents asked Sanders.

“No,” Sanders declared.

“You’re 61 years old. At 61, you’re sitting at an important place in your life. I know you were out there in Waycross know you can tell us,” the agents said. “Did you kill Kenyatta? Did you go out there with the mom when they dropped her off?”

“No, I didn’t,” Sanders insisted.

“That’s not going to cut it,” Agent Jullian said. “If somebody did intentionally hurt that baby, was it you?”

“No,” Sanders said. “I went to work, and when he came home, I noticed Kenyatta was not there.”

“I think one of two things happened. I think you came home, and Kenyatta was already dead when you got back, and you’re like, ‘What happened here?’ Or it happened after you came back. So just be honest. I do appreciate you starting to open up, and I know, given enough time, we’ll get there. I need you to tell us a little bit more about what happened when you came home,” Agent Julian pressed. “When did you first see her body after she had been deceased. Was she already in the box,” he asked.

“When I got there, she was in the room. She was sick. ell, you want to call the paramedics and take her to the doctor, to the hospital?’ and she said no. I asked [Evelyn] whae said I don’t know.” Sanders stated.

At that moment during the audio, Sanders began to get emotional.

“I asked her if she took her to the doctor,” Sanders said. " She was in the back bedroom.”

“What was Kenyatta wearing?” Agents asked.

“I don’t know, probably her sleeping attire,” Sanders says.

“When you got there, she was already dead?” asked Agent Hundley.

“Yes, ma’am,” Sanders answered.

“Was she just lying there on the bed, floor, or chair?” agents asked.

“On the bed,” Sanders says.

“What else do you remember about how she was?” asked agents.

“She was just lying there, and I kept asking her if she [Evelyn] wanted to call the ambulance, and she kept saying no,” Sanders said.

“So, when she said no, what was her response about Kenyatta?” Agents asked.

“She was like, we have to do something. I said we have to call the paramedics so we can see what’s going on with her. From there, she was like, ‘We have to come up with something.’ I don’t know what to do with her, and that was something I didn’t want to get involved in. I told her if she was sick, you should call the doctor,” Sanders said.

“Who put her inside the suitcase?” asked agents.

“She did,” Sanders replied.

“And you both had to put it in the car?” asked agents.

“Yes,” he replied.

“Were you driving? What car was it again? A truck, SUV?” agents asked.

“It wasn’t an SUV, it was a hatchback. A blue hatchback,” he replied.

“Can you describe the place y’all went to? Why did you all pick that area?” agents asked.

“I don’t know, it was dark by the time we got there. She got an aunt that stays over there.” Sanders replied.

“Did anyone else go with y’all?” agents asked.

“It was just me and her. I don’t think we really walked too far.”

Agents continued asking Sanders about his version of the story. He was questioned about how Kenyatta got the burns on her feet.

“She [Evelyn] just called me while I was at work and just said she was sick and that I need to come home. She had a burn or something on her foot. It was almost like a hot water type burn. Something about she was getting her ready for a bath, and the water was hot. That’s what was told to me.” Sanders said.

When Sanders went to work, he says he doesn’t remember Kenyatta being sick in any way.

“When I came home, she didn’t look too good. Her eyes were swollen; they were closed.” Sanders said.

“Was Evelyn crying? Was she acting like she should’ve been acting as a mom that lost her child?” Agents asked.

Sanders replied, “No.”

Agents again pressed Sanders about his whereabouts when Kenyatta was burned, but after being pressed by agents, he finally admitted that he was at home when he says Evelyn ran Kenyatta’s bath.

“Did she scream, did she cry? Was Evelyn yelling at her? Agents asked.

“Yes. She was telling her to get in the tub and don’t get out.” Sanders replied.

“So, the story you’re telling me is that Evelyn caused the death. Can you tell us a little more about the conversation that went on? You saw the burns...and I could almost guess that this wasn’t the first time Evelyn had done something like this,” the agents asked.

“No, she locked her in the closet for making a bowel movement, not going to the bathroom, she punished her if she accidentally used the bathroom on herself. Sometimes I’d see her slap her upside the head, and I’d ask her why’d she hit her like that, and I’d tell her just show her how to go to the bathroom,” Sanders said.

“Was it just Kenyatta that got that kind of treatment?” agents asked. “Has she ever put hot water on Kenyatta before that or anything extreme?

“In a way. I don’t understand why she got that kind of treatment. I mean no more than I seen her when she wet the bed, she would put her in the closet, tell her go get in the closet, and close the door. Kenyatta was probably about 3 years old.” Sanders said.

“You mentioned that she had some mental health issues? Describe it to me,” the agents said.

“You know how people have a dysfunction with the way they walk? Like a wobble? The way she walked, she almost couldn’t hold her balance. She was really small and fragile. That’s how she was when I met her. She just had an off walk.” Sanders said.

Agents noted that Kenyatta did not have delays in her speech. She did not stutter, lisp, or talk differently.

Sanders told agents that Evelyn would often times leave the kids alone at home and “go into the streets.” He says on the night that Kenyatta was burned, he wanted to call for help.

“I was scared.” Sanders said crying. “I cared so much about her.”

“Do you agree you bear a certain responsibility in this?” agents asked. “What are the consequences of those actions?”

“I should have called and got help.” Sanders says.

“Do you regret it?” Agents asked.

“Yes.” Sanders replied.

“What could you have done differently?” agents asked.

“I would get her out of that situation and taken her with me.” Sanders replied.

Sanders told agents that his sister was skeptical about his and Evelyn’s other child, Ulyster Sanders Jr. passing away, causing agents to ask him why would he stick around Evelyn.

“Because I loved her.” Sanders said. “I couldn’t stay with her no more after this. I moved on and started over.”

Sanders says the story that Evelyn asked him to tell people was Kenyatta went to stay with relatives in Ohio.

“A certain amount of years, she went and and stayed up in some parts of Albany, New York and she had all of them [the kids] up there with her then. After that she kept coming back and was jumping around from Fitzgerald, to Tifton, to wherever she moved around to. I haven’t talked with her [Evelyn] to this day.” Sanders says.

Agent Julian then tells Sanders he is under arrest.

“We do have to face our actions. You’ve been charged and Evelyn has been charged as well. Would you like to make a phone call to your wife?” agents say. “Your wife deserves to be told the truth. You can also wait until the jail.”

“I can’t go home anymore. I don’t know what to say to my wife.” Sanders says.

Agents then arrest him, and the second recording ends.

The defense was not able to cross examine agent Julian about the recordings before court ended for the day.

The state is expected to wrap up their witness list Monday.

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