FL FL - Jennifer Odom, 12, Blanton, 19 Feb 1993

[brhardy3379]

Hi. I'm new to WebSleuths and this is my first comment on any forum. In 1993 at the time of Jennifer's abduction and murder I was in my final semester at Springstead High School in Hernando County where her remains were found, and in January of 1995 I was an x-ray tech at Oak Hill Hospital, behind which her book bag and clarinet case were discovered. I'm curious to know, does anyone know the exact location where the book bag and clarinet case were discovered? Satellite imagery from February 1995 and March of 2017 reveals very little has changed there over the years. Oak Hill Hospital's many expansions have not increased the size of the campus itself much and have not encroached upon the woods surrounding it's north and east sides.

 

[hope1]

Does anyone know anything about similar cases in Ohio? I heard that Crum may have lived there. I'm not sure of the dates that he lived there, however.

 

[mollyx]

So I'm a local and was a bit younger than Jennifer when she was murdered. I also went to 4H summer camp with her cousin. I've been following this case for decades and check this thread every few months in the hopes there is new information.

While researching another, more recent local case, I came across the following and was wondering if they may be possibly related?

First is Debra Rizzo, 15, who was found murdered in Clearwater in 1978. She died of blunt force trauma and was probably sexually assaulted. Very eerily similar to Jennifer's case.

Then there's Wendy Huggy. She was last seen in Clearwater and lived in Pasco County...this will be relevant later.

Next is this...unidentified skeletal remains of a young girl found in Tampa in 1994. The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

What stuck out to me in the third case is that the Hernando sheriffs are listed as a contact.

I also found information about this missing girl, Tinze Lucinda Huels Tinze Lucinda Huels – The Charley Project

She kinda looks like the reconstruction sketch of the unidentified remains but the pointier chin makes me think it's probably not her.

Obviously, I am looking at all of these like Crum is the guy. In 1978, Crum would've been around 18. In 1982, around 22. The last time anyone heard from Wendy, she said she was getting a ride home, to Pasco, with someone named "Don".

This is all still garbled in my head, but I feel like there are enough similarities/coincidences between these girls and Jennifer that it's worth bringing up. Maybe someone with better sleuthing skills can dig a little more?

 

[Skully]

Hi Molly, welcome to the thread. Thanks for the links and info. Interesting stuff. There was a movie or documentary with the female detective in it, that worked Wendy's case. I can't remember all the details now, but I thought they had a POI.

 

[mollyx]

Hi Skully! Thanks for the welcome

There was a Dateline, I think, about Wendy and Amy Hurst. Could that be what you're remembering? I haven't been able to find anything about a POI, though.

Here's another missing girl last seen at school, same general area and time: Michelle Lynn Otter Michelle Lynn Otter – The Charley Project

Fort McCoy is about an hour and half away from Blanton and, oddly enough, 40 minutes away from the summer camp I mentioned in my previous post. However, the area is very rural, moreso back then, so you could easily make the drive in half that time, especially if following "backroad rules".

 

[Skully]

The UID in Tampa from 1994 reads like it is just some part of a body found, like maybe the skull, and from that they know the approximate age and gender. Lots of bones missing, so animal activity most likely took the body and scattered it. This person most likely wasn't killed in 94, but years earlier. They don't say how old the bones are. But I did contact Hernando and ask why they are the contacting agency if the bones are found in Tampa. If it is something I can share I will. Thanks for posting these.

And yes, it was dateline. I met the detective some years ago.

 

[mollyx]

Thank you so much for contacting Hernando! I'm crazy anxious about, well, everything, so there was no chance I could do it myself.

I had actually been looking for partial remains on NAMUS when I found this UID, which is what sent me back down this trail. I really wish they had the location where the remains were found...I am still looking through old newspapers for the information but am not having much luck.

 

[Skully]

Thank you so much for contacting Hernando! I'm crazy anxious about, well, everything, so there was no chance I could do it myself.

I had actually been looking for partial remains on NAMUS when I found this UID, which is what sent me back down this trail. I really wish they had the location where the remains were found...I am still looking through old newspapers for the information but am not having much luck.

you are welcome. Just in case it is a mistake, they can contact NAMUS and have it corrected.

 

[hope1]

Wow Skully and mollyx, this is so interesting! I was doing a lot of research awhile back, and sort of took a break. I was working on a detailed timeline, and I think I should get back to work on it. Have you seen this Bay New 9 segment? 1993 Cold Case: The Murder Investigation of Jennifer Odom, 12, Continues

 

[hope1]

So I'm a local and was a bit younger than Jennifer when she was murdered. I also went to 4H summer camp with her cousin. I've been following this case for decades and check this thread every few months in the hopes there is new information.

While researching another, more recent local case, I came across the following and was wondering if they may be possibly related?

First is Debra Rizzo, 15, who was found murdered in Clearwater in 1978. She died of blunt force trauma and was probably sexually assaulted. Very eerily similar to Jennifer's case.

Then there's Wendy Huggy. She was last seen in Clearwater and lived in Pasco County...this will be relevant later.

Next is this...unidentified skeletal remains of a young girl found in Tampa in 1994. The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

What stuck out to me in the third case is that the Hernando sheriffs are listed as a contact.

I also found information about this missing girl, Tinze Lucinda Huels Tinze Lucinda Huels – The Charley Project

She kinda looks like the reconstruction sketch of the unidentified remains but the pointier chin makes me think it's probably not her.

Obviously, I am looking at all of these like Crum is the guy. In 1978, Crum would've been around 18. In 1982, around 22. The last time anyone heard from Wendy, she said she was getting a ride home, to Pasco, with someone named "Don".

This is all still garbled in my head, but I feel like there are enough similarities/coincidences between these girls and Jennifer that it's worth bringing up. Maybe someone with better sleuthing skills can dig a little more?

 

[hope1]

There is also Jennifer Marteliz who was abducted while walking home from school in 1982. She was never found and was in Hillsborough County. Someone on this site suggested her.

 

[Mrs. Badcrumble]

Next is this...unidentified skeletal remains of a young girl found in Tampa in 1994. The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

What stuck out to me in the third case is that the Hernando sheriffs are listed as a contact.

The UID in Tampa from 1994 reads like it is just some part of a body found, like maybe the skull, and from that they know the approximate age and gender. Lots of bones missing, so animal activity most likely took the body and scattered it. This person most likely wasn't killed in 94, but years earlier. They don't say how old the bones are. But I did contact Hernando and ask why they are the contacting agency if the bones are found in Tampa. If it is something I can share I will. Thanks for posting these.

And yes, it was dateline. I met the detective some years ago.

Hi, there! I also suggested a possible connection to Jennifer in the Jane Doe's thread in the Unidentified section! Did you hear back from Hernando, @Skully?

Tampa Girl's WS thread:
FL - FL - Tampa, WhtFem UP61522, 11-15, most likely 12-14 years old, Jan'94

 

[mollyx]

Hi!

I'm glad someone else made the connection! It's also notable, to me, the proximity of the remains to US 41...in 1990, Crum moved from Tampa to Brooksville, right off US 41. Both Jennifer and Carolyn were found very close to that road, too.

I found a couple other possible victims and put together some notes and a timeline. It's not very formatted, though, so I'd want to clean it up a bit before posting.

One thing I haven't been able to find is any real information about Crum's past employment. His occupation has only been listed as "laborer".

 

[Mrs. Badcrumble]

Forensic genealogy has solved many cold cases the last couple of years. Often has one perp been connected to several other crimes through DNA evidence that they weren't even connected to in the first place, and I have a feeling this might be the case here as well.

We have a few locals in Tampa Girl's thread who are trying to find out a little bit more about the remains. "January 1st" is often named as a default date for when the actual discovery date is uncertain/lost, so we want som make sure if this is the actual date for when she was found, or a given one, so to say.

 

[Skully]

Hi, there! I also suggested a possible connection to Jennifer in the Jane Doe's thread in the Unidentified section! Did you hear back from Hernando, @Skully?

Tampa Girl's WS thread:
FL - FL - Tampa, WhtFem UP61522, 11-15, most likely 12-14 years old, Jan'94

Yep heard back. Not our case, just wanted to know any outcome or updates is all.

 

[Nicci_in_PA]

Hi all! Came across this thread when doing some research on this case. I grew up in Pasco County in the 90s and heard about this when it happened and have followed it through out the years. Someone asked if there had been any similar cases of attempted kidnappings or kidnappings in the 90s. I was a part of an attempted kidnapping from the South holiday library in 1994 when I was 11. It was 2 men, one who was very skinny with a mullet and shorter, stockier man with a shaved head. They were driving a beat up pickup truck, light colored (I'm unsure if it was white or light gray or light blue) with crap in the back. I am also very interested if anyone else had anything similar. I have seen the picture of Crum and he could be the man I saw that day, similar face shape and features but I am unsure without seeing a younger picture of him. I have reached out to local police who kind of disregarded me as a crackpot but I always felt the similarities were there. I had no idea that the case Crum was arrested for took place in Holiday being that that is where I grew up. Anyone have any additional info on this? Or anyone have a similar experience in this area?

 

[Skully]

Hi all! Came across this thread when doing some research on this case. I grew up in Pasco County in the 90s and heard about this when it happened and have followed it through out the years. Someone asked if there had been any similar cases of attempted kidnappings or kidnappings in the 90s. I was a part of an attempted kidnapping from the South holiday library in 1994 when I was 11. It was 2 men, one who was very skinny with a mullet and shorter, stockier man with a shaved head. They were driving a beat up pickup truck, light colored (I'm unsure if it was white or light gray or light blue) with crap in the back. I am also very interested if anyone else had anything similar. I have seen the picture of Crum and he could be the man I saw that day, similar face shape and features but I am unsure without seeing a younger picture of him. I have reached out to local police who kind of disregarded me as a crackpot but I always felt the similarities were there. I had no idea that the case Crum was arrested for took place in Holiday being that that is where I grew up. Anyone have any additional info on this? Or anyone have a similar experience in this area?

Call again, call Hernando County Sheriff's Office and ask for Detective Loydgren 352.754.6830
If you already spoke to him, thank you, if not, call him. Also, did you report this back in the 90's?

 

[Nicci_in_PA]

Call again, call Hernando County Sheriff's Office and ask for Detective Loydgren 352.754.6830
If you already spoke to him, thank you, if not, call him. Also, did you report this back in the 90's?

Yes, my parents filed a police report at the library the day it happened. I've asked both my parents if they ever heard anything after that, and they never did. I believe I spoke with Detective Loydgren and it was almost like he didn't believe I could remember that much from that long ago. But a case that is 25 years old, I figured any thread you could possibly pull may help. I know I would absolutely recognize the man that approached me that day, as I spoke with him briefly. I've even contemplated reaching out to the Holiday police department but I'm really unsure of what, if any, my next steps would/should be.

 

[Nicci_in_PA]

I came across this photo in my countless searches on this case. It was on a blog that chronicled come of the events in this case. This man could be a dead ringer for thenone I saw that day minus the moustache. The man I saw had no facial hair minus a five o'clock shadow and he also had a dangly earring in his right ear. Finding any information on cases before the internet is indeed tough.

 

[Skully]

Yes, my parents filed a police report at the library the day it happened. I've asked both my parents if they ever heard anything after that, and they never did. I believe I spoke with Detective Loydgren and it was almost like he didn't believe I could remember that much from that long ago. But a case that is 25 years old, I figured any thread you could possibly pull may help. I know I would absolutely recognize the man that approached me that day, as I spoke with him briefly. I've even contemplated reaching out to the Holiday police department but I'm really unsure of what, if any, my next steps would/should be.

Okay it's good you talked to him. I will check our files and see if I can find one that "matches up" with what you stated here.