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

[carbuff]

The blue truck

He doesn't care if the truck is seen by witness. Why?
a. He stole it
b. He borrowed it
c. He plans on getting rid of it, like in a lake or taking it to a dump yard
d. He is leaving town
e. no one will think it was him because he never drives this truck.
f. He is not from this area

The family doesn't recognize the description of the blue truck. If it was a person close to the family wouldn't they know what they were driving, and say "so and so has a blue truck with a silver bumper"?

LE stops all the trucks in the area, (did they check DMV?) the truck is never found.

g. The blue truck is a red herring and the driver wasn't involved. Some other vehicle was used.
h. The truck belongs in the area and won't be suspected even if it is seen -- or so common that it can't be distinguished from dozens like it.
i. it's a truck he drives for work, not a personal vehicle

 

[DreamyEye]

The blue truck

He doesn't care if the truck is seen by witness. Why?
a. He stole it
b. He borrowed it
c. He plans on getting rid of it, like in a lake or taking it to a dump yard
d. He is leaving town
e. no one will think it was him because he never drives this truck.
f. He is not from this area

The family doesn't recognize the description of the blue truck. If it was a person close to the family wouldn't they know what they were driving, and say "so and so has a blue truck with a silver bumper"?

LE stops all the trucks in the area, (did they check DMV?) the truck is never found.

I feel pretty sure that this person somewhat planned on getting ahold of Jennifer and killing her, so you'd think he'd be concerned about the truck being seen.

In the interest of being fair, though: despite our speculations, he may not have planned to kill Jennifer and didn't know that he was going to become violent, so wasn't thinking about the truck being ID'd.

The other reason he might not care is if he knew the truck was going to be altered soon after he used it ... or, if he himself had the means and intention to alter it.

Those things said, what seems the most likely to me is that it was not his own truck, and he wasn't associated with the truck. Furthermore, he would have needed to have acquired the truck some distance away. The farther away that he got the truck, the less likely people would be looking for it in its home area. (If that makes any sense.)

 

[DreamyEye]

He is not afraid to do this in broad daylight, on her road, by groves that may have workers. A road that a passerby may see him and ID him. A road that her grandmother lives just up the way. Her sister is due within the hour. He knows this is a good time.

a. He looks like he belongs there.
b. He can say he has business there if someone stops him.
c. He knows that no one will see him, because the grove has been picked, no workers.
d. He knows the parents work and her sister gets off the bus at a later time.
e. He knows that no one walks with her now, since the 2 girls moved away.

How does he know?

a. He used to work there, recently
b. He knows the family and he talks to someone who gives him information in a small talk sort or way. The family member doesn't realize it.
c. He works with one of the parents.
d. He took a chance after watching a few days.
e. Jennifer is around this person, and she talks about her family not realizing he is getting information to kidnap her. Like a teacher, or coach, or somebody from school, or church. Someone she trusts.
f. He is around the family because he dates someone in the family or is friends with the family, close friends.

I believe the answer to the first part is "c." He knew the doings of the orange groves and knew that the harvest was done in these groves.

In the second part, I believe the answer is 'e.' I think he 'groomed' Jennifer or set her up so that he could get information from her. I also think it's possible that he knew other people in her family. I don't think, though, that he knew Grandmother lived on the same street.

 

[DreamyEye]

So my next question;

Why doesn't Jennifer drop her books and case, run or zig zag the groves as her mother told her too? Why does she get in without an apparent struggle?

a. She knows the person well enough to accept a ride to the house
b. There are two people and she was taken by surprise
c. He had a gun and pointed it out the window and told her to get in the truck
d. He used a ruse like bumping the truck into her, causing her to fall and told her he would drive her up to grandmas to get help. Another ruse if he knew her is that her mom asked her to pick her up to go somewhere.
e. It was a boy she liked and agreed to go for a coke or short ride.

I can answer this once I think about question #2 more.

I think the answer is 'a' or 'd' or a combination of the two, possibly even having got out of the truck once he knew he had her boxed in out of view from the populated side of the road. Either she went willingly because it was someone she regarded as a friend, or she was knocked out or killed at the edge of the road and placed in the truck.

 

[Skully]

I pretty much have my answer now but for me I can't envision where she was killed and why she was moved to the trail. I do think she was on the trial because he had to have her found for one, he knew the trail would be a good place for that to happen and by being found there, it pointed to someone in Hernando, not Dade City. But where did she die? And I do think her cloths, purse and boots, are still out there in Hernando. He had to have things spread out in order to lead them to believe the killer came from Hernando. That was my first thought when I got into reading about this case a few months back. So somewhere between Jim Denney road and Oak Hill hospital she was killed. Somewhere on the way from the horse trail and Oak Hill are her cloths, waiting to be found.

 

[DreamyEye]

In the time between Jennifer disappearing and the time her body was discovered, the killer must have been very nervous, because the search was on for her. But at the same time, the killer bought himself some time by not allowing the body to be found right away.

 

[Skully]

In the time between Jennifer disappearing and the time her body was discovered, the killer must have been very nervous, because the search was on for her. But at the same time, the killer bought himself some time by not allowing the body to be found right away.

Yes, he did buy himself some valuable time. She was found 6 days later. So putting her on the trial worked. He knew a lot of people would be searching, but the search starts where the person was taken and works out. I wonder if he knew it would be raining? I ask because the rain washed away valuable evidence and was that part of the plan? I think the day (Friday) was because something was going on either with him or with Jennifer. Maybe this was the best day to do this, just before a weekend. I wonder if people thought he was out of town or Jennifer was planning to go somewhere over the weekend? Just something I thought about. I think something changed in late 94 because the backpack was found 1/5/95 so he had to get rid of it, but had to make sure it turned up in Hernando, like her body.

 

[carbuff]

Maybe he is from Hernando County. One of the reasons we speculated for why the truck wasn't found is that it was from out of the area -- so the driver might be too. And if that's the case, maybe he took her back to his home area before he killed her.

Maybe he didn't even have to grab her; maybe he lured her with the promise of ice cream. Then after getting the ice cream, instead of taking her home, he took her away.

 

[Skully]

Maybe he is from Hernando County. One of the reasons we speculated for why the truck wasn't found is that it was from out of the area -- so the driver might be too. And if that's the case, maybe he took her back to his home area before he killed her.

Maybe he didn't even have to grab her; maybe he lured her with the promise of ice cream. Then after getting the ice cream, instead of taking her home, he took her away.

The reason i think he was from Dade City is because he would want to mislead LE as to who could have done this, and lead them away from him. That and the truck are red herrings, they were meant to mislead them. Also I don't think he took her to a public place like getting Ice Cream only because if you look at that video even today there is little around to go to. So if there was a local place or even in Hernando, someone could have seen him with her and reported it. So that would be a huge risk on his part. JMO

 

[carbuff]

The reason i think he was from Dade City is because he would want to mislead LE as to who could have done this, and lead them away from him. That and the truck are red herrings, they were meant to mislead them. Also I don't think he took her to a public place like getting Ice Cream only because if you look at that video even today there is little around to go to. So if there was a local place or even in Hernando, someone could have seen him with her and reported it. So that would be a huge risk on his part. JMO

If you assume he intended to murder her, that fits. But if he was trying to seduce her and didn't expect her to fight, then had to dispose of her, that would be different.

And there's nothing to rule out a crime of impulse, either. Bad guy just happens to see her getting off the bus, sees nobody around, and grabs her.

 

[Skully]

If you assume he intended to murder her, that fits. But if he was trying to seduce her and didn't expect her to fight, then had to dispose of her, that would be different.

And there's nothing to rule out a crime of impulse, either. Bad guy just happens to see her getting off the bus, sees nobody around, and grabs her.

I see where you are coming from. I am leaning towards a planned out kidnapping and murder. Only because of recent family interviews. But if it wasn't planned and was just in the right place with the right vehicle and knew how to get her into the truck and then knew Hernando, yes the whole thing would be different. He had incredible timing and luck! I hope his luck runs out if this is the case. In any case I hope his luck runs out. 18 years is a long time to have luck IMO. :maddening:

 

[DreamyEye]

If you assume he intended to murder her, that fits. But if he was trying to seduce her and didn't expect her to fight, then had to dispose of her, that would be different.

And there's nothing to rule out a crime of impulse, either. Bad guy just happens to see her getting off the bus, sees nobody around, and grabs her.

Carbuff, your comment brings to light another puzzle. In one sense there was nobody around ... but in another sense there was a busfull of kids potentially watching. And some of those kids evidently were watching because they were able to give a description of the truck that included some detail. So here again is evidence that the killer WAS taking a huge risk of being seen ... or, hadn't planned to commit a crime. (I mean, he evidently passed the bus--he had to have known it was there and seen the kids inside.)

The last thing we need is another possibility, but sometimes I DO wonder if the blue truck was just a coincidence and she actually ended up in some other vehicle that was hidden in the grove.

Why wouldn't the driver of the blue truck have stepped forward to help in the investigation if he knew he'd been at the place of Jennifer's disappearance close to the time she disappeared?

I am constantly shocked by the number of people who don't follow the slightest bit of news. Just recently I've known of people who didn't know a thing was going on in Egypt until it was 2 weeks into the rebellion. Some people just don't lift their gaze higher than the paths of their own lives. The driver of the blue truck might not have been a news watcher and didn't have a clue that anyone was looking for him or the truck.

 

[carbuff]

Carbuff, your comment brings to light another puzzle. In one sense there was nobody around ... but in another sense there was a busfull of kids potentially watching. And some of those kids evidently were watching because they were able to give a description of the truck that included some detail. So here again is evidence that the killer WAS taking a huge risk of being seen ... or, hadn't planned to commit a crime. (I mean, he evidently passed the bus--he had to have known it was there and seen the kids inside.)

The last thing we need is another possibility, but sometimes I DO wonder if the blue truck was just a coincidence and she actually ended up in some other vehicle that was hidden in the grove.

Why wouldn't the driver of the blue truck have stepped forward to help in the investigation if he knew he'd been at the place of Jennifer's disappearance close to the time she disappeared?

I am constantly shocked by the number of people who don't follow the slightest bit of news. Just recently I've known of people who didn't know a thing was going on in Egypt until it was 2 weeks into the rebellion. Some people just don't lift their gaze higher than the paths of their own lives. The driver of the blue truck might not have been a news watcher and didn't have a clue that anyone was looking for him or the truck.

If the truck belonged to a migrant worker who didn't speak much English, and he was on his way to a new field, perhaps in a different county, it wouldn't be at all surprising if he hadn't heard about a missing schoolgirl in the area he left behind.

 

[DreamyEye]

If the truck belonged to a migrant worker who didn't speak much English, and he was on his way to a new field, perhaps in a different county, it wouldn't be at all surprising if he hadn't heard about a missing schoolgirl in the area he left behind.

I think so too.

 

[DreamyEye]

On Friday, February 19, 1993, Jennifer stepped off her school bus around 3 p.m., waved goodbye to friends, and started walking the short 200 yards to her home in rural Pasco County, FL. Children on the bus reported they saw a faded blue pickup truck slowly following Jennifer as she walked home, but Jennifer never made it to her door.

snipped by me. This is from post #11 on this thread and the information is attributed to FL LE.

I'm just wondering if anyone has ever seen any explanation from LE regarding how they know that Jennifer never made it to her door? I can see where they might know she never got inside the home, though even this seems like it might be difficult to prove. But it seems it would be really hard to prove she never made it to her door.

It seems likely it was stated in this way for a reason. I'm just wondering what might indicate to LE that she didn't make it to the door.

 

[Beatrice]

2 killers?

http://www.unsolved.com/ajaxfiles/mur_jennifer_odom.htm

 

[Skully]

Wow, people are reading here, I hope that someone who reads here knows that one little thing that would give Jennifer and her family justice.

Note: please remember that this is not the place for psychic comments or posts, you can use the dream thread for you posts about dreams and such. Jennifer's dream thread is the last of them and I want to keep it open, as we have worked hard to follow the TOS and everyone here has been helpful with this case and keeping her name out there. Thanks!

 

[IWannaKnow]

http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/ne...m's-murder-still-tops-on-investigators'-minds

After 18 years, Jennifer Odom's murder still tops on investigators' minds

Investigators still receiving tips
Posted: 02/19/2011
By: Jamison Uhler

~BBM~

Renee recalls in the months leading up to Jennifer's murder repeatedly sitting both her daughters down to instruct them on how to get away from an attacker as they walked home from school. It was if a mother's intuition was eerily clairvoyant.

“We talked about it. We played it out everyday. If something wasn’t right, drop your stuff and run. Zig Zag the orange grove,” Converse remembers.

The Converse home used to sit nestled among rows of orange trees. The Odom girls knew the ins and outs of the layout. They played there for years. “The fact that we knew not to get in the car with anybody and we practiced it just doesn’t make sense to me. So that part of me makes me think it was somebody that we know,” says Jennifer’s sister Jessica. She is 27 now. She is a mother.

 

[Skully]

I tend to agree with Renee and her daughter. I think it was somebody they knew. I have been trying to retrace the steps of the killer with the video's and what we know from the paper. I also found other things, but can't post them because no one is named a suspect and we can't discuss, but the idea a stranger took her is out for me. The idea of a grove worker, is still on the table, but is less and less likely for me now. I think it was someone close to the family. Smart, cunning, knew the ins and outs of the family routine and was under the radar. Maybe never questioned either.

 

[IWannaKnow]

I tend to agree with Renee and her daughter. I think it was somebody they knew. I have been trying to retrace the steps of the killer with the video's and what we know from the paper. I also found other things, but can't post them because no one is named a suspect and we can't discuss, but the idea a stranger took her is out for me. The idea of a grove worker, is still on the table, but is less and less likely for me now. I think it was someone close to the family. Smart, cunning, knew the ins and outs of the family routine and was under the radar. Maybe never questioned either.

I totally agree Bern. I have a person in mind in fact, emailed it to Hernando but did not hear back from them. The person I have in mind would be very close to Jennifer, but didn't see her on a regular basis. I think if he drove up to her, she would not only have gotten into the truck with him, but would have been overjoyed to see him which would completely explain why she got in with all her stuff.....she trusted him - loved him would not be a stretch. He was a mechanic at the time, maybe he still is, IDK....worked on cars. I think I even understand the motive but of course, I'm guessing at all of this. I do not have any definite piece of evidence which would prove my theory, or I would have been calling Hernando incessantly.....