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

[megs1477]

This is the court appearance from this afternoon. Jeffrey Crum is the very last person at the end of the stream.

 

[PayrollNerd]

I don’t understand…what science solved this case? This is one of the few where they really deserve a pat on the back for the good old fashioned detective work.

The DNA was the connection that pulled it all together from what I understood. Lots of good detective work for sure.

 

[Skully]

I don’t understand…what science solved this case? This is one of the few where they really deserve a pat on the back for the good old fashioned detective work.

thank you megs, no one will ever know how many people, hours, years went into today! George made it happen, I know, I have spent the past 8 years next to him and yes I was there. People don't understand that you can't give up your cards in the game, it takes work, I mean hard work and he did it. I cried today and I was happy today, but he deserves all the credit he gets for this case. So thank you. This was good old fashioned detective work. I guess she missed the 40 agencies that were included, the numerous detectives over the past 30 years and countless hours put into this case to get here today. Oh well, I get it.

 

[ladygator]

Hi all. I haven't posted in a really long time. Just don't have the time any more to follow cases and post. But this is the one local crime for my area that I'd always hoped to see solved and I'm so happy the day has come. Awesome job by our LE!!! Hat tip for their countless years of working the case. And hugs to the family for this must be a surreal and emotional day for them.

 

[megs1477]

thank you megs, no one will ever know how many people, hours, years went into today! George made it happen, I know, I have spent the past 8 years next to him and yes I was there. People don't understand that you can't give up your cards in the game, it takes work, I mean hard work and he did it. I cried today and I was happy today, but he deserves all the credit he gets for this case. So thank you. This was good old fashioned detective work. I guess she missed the 40 agencies that were included, the numerous detectives over the past 30 years and countless hours put into this case to get here today. Oh well, I get it.

I think with so many cases being solved with dna and genetic genealogy, it was automatically assumed by many that was the case here. There are countless people who deeply appreciate the hard work of everyone involved! None of these cases are easy…if they were, they wouldn’t be cold!! What was accomplished after 30 years was nothing short of amazing! I pray those who have the ability to speak up finally with do so and seal the deal!!

 

[RhinoFlyer]

Arrest made in Jennifer Odom Case I just found out Tampa Bay Times Article

 

[imstilla.grandma]

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Here's a timeline of what we know about the death of Jennifer Odom and the eventual arrest of Jeffrey Crum. Video:

Jennifer Odom timeline: How detectives spent 30 years investigating a Pasco County girl's murder

Here's a timeline of what we know about the death of Jennifer Odom and the eventual arrest of Jeffrey Crum.

www.wtsp.com

 

[Skully]

I think with so many cases being solved with dna and genetic genealogy, it was automatically assumed by many that was the case here. There are countless people who deeply appreciate the hard work of everyone involved! None of these cases are easy…if they were, they wouldn’t be cold!! What was accomplished after 30 years was nothing short of amazing! I pray those who have the ability to speak up finally with do so and seal the deal!!

I was just taken back by her words. It was an amazing day for us, and to come here and that is the first thing I read was not what I expected. Weather or not you have DNA it is still an lot of work to get to where you have what you need to prove that you have the right person.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Just so unbelievably heartbreaking, poor little girl.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/28/us/florida-cold-case-suspect-jennifer-odom-hernando-county/index.html

“We’re not exactly sure how long her abductor kept her captive, or when exactly the murder took place, but we are relatively confident the murder took place in that field,” Nienhuis said.

“Dozens and dozens, maybe even hundreds of items were tested and retested every time a new technology came out, thinking that little glimmer of hope that we might be able to get that smoking gun,” Nienhuis said.

A break in the case happened in 2015, when investigators used DNA analysis to narrow down Crum as a suspect in a different case that happened about 13 months before Odom’s killing, the sheriff said.

“So (Crum) quickly, quickly, almost instantaneously, became our number one suspect in the Jennifer Odom case,” Nienhuis said.

 

[megs1477]

I was just taken back by her words. It was an amazing day for us, and to come here and that is the first thing I read was not what I expected. Weather or not you have DNA it is still an lot of work to get to where you have what you need to prove that you have the right person.

Please don't let one person's words damper anything related to yesterday! I'm still over the moon and I'm just an uninvolved bystander!

 

[imstilla.grandma]

According to Nienhuis, Crum was serving two life sentences for attacking and sexually assaulting the Pasco County girl when detectives connected him to Jennifer Odom's murder. The "almost identical" nature of the two cases was key in their investigation, the sheriff said.

“I have confidence that we have the right person and that we have the right aggravators in this particular case to treat it as a death penalty case," Gladson said.

Crum made his first court appearance Thursday afternoon and asked for a public offender. His next court date is set for Aug. 29.

Sheriff: Man arrested for 1993 murder of Jennifer Odom attacked another young girl a year earlier

Jeffrey Crum, now 61, has been arrested in connection to the 1993 murder of 12-year-old Jennifer Odom.

www.wtsp.com

 

[arielilane]

Out now on EP268 a case that made big news this week when police announced an arrest in 1993 Florida murder of 12yr old #JenniferOdom Police allege that #JeffreyNormanCrumSr killed her. We also talk w/ a tipster in the case who may have helped solve it
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jennifer-odom/id1264424015?i=1000623553246

https://twitter.com/x/status/1688199909030174720

https://twitter.com/CriminologyPod

 

[Tapeartree]

Hi all. I haven't posted in a really long time. Just don't have the time any more to follow cases and post. But this is the one local crime for my area that I'd always hoped to see solved and I'm so happy the day has come. Awesome job by our LE!!! Hat tip for their countless years of working the case. And hugs to the family for this must be a surreal and emotional day for them.

Me too. I would follow this case over the years to see if there was any updates. I just noticed that they arrested someone, and I am glad that her family will get justice.

I lived in Pasco County close to Hwy 52, and I traveled to Tampa via US 41 each day when this crime happened. It really stuck with me over the years, and I thought about her whenever I drove through the western side of FL.

 

[IMWizzy]

I hadn't realized that they made an arrest in this case until now (a year and a half later). I am so happy they finally connected the dots to this guy. I am 3 years older than Jennifer and grew-up in Pasco, not far from where she lived. This was crushing to the community and changed the lives for kids in the area. Parents suddenly stopped letting kids go outside until the street lights came on. They had to travel in groups. Older kids, like myself, were asked to walk with the neighbor's kids to and from the bus stop when the parents weren't able.
I cannot imagine what her parents are feeling (I haven't had a chance to see if the Converse's were still with us). I hope his trial does not drag on for years and the family can finally get the peace they deserve.

 

[PayrollNerd]

https://www.wfla.com/top-stories/court-documents-reveal-new-information-in-notorious-tampa-bay-cold-case/

Snip
Newly released court documents show Jeffrey Crum Sr. also confessed to his son about Jennifer’s murder and another murder as well.

 

[dotr]

Aug 5 2025 rbbm

https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/southeast/jennifer-odom-cold-case-confession/

“This is a bad guy, who is very violent, who enjoyed violence and enjoyed hurting people,” said Hernando Sheriff Al Nienhuis when Crum was charged.

In 2015, Crum was convicted of raping and beating another Pasco County student, after she stepped off her school bus.

“She was getting off of her school bus and was horribly attacked and sexually assaulted, brutally is an understatement,” said Nienhuis at the time.

The crime was just weeks before Jennifer was abducted and killed.''

“He said he sees demons at night,” the documents stated. “Defendant said, ‘Remember that little black girl when you were a kid, I did that.’ Defendant admitted to raping the little black girl. He also said he ‘did’ Jennifer Odom.'”

FDLE - Sexual Offender and Predator System

rbbm

Designation:
Sexual Offender

Name:
JEFFERY NORMAN CRUM

Status:
Confinement

Dept of Corrections #:
486346

Date of Birth:
08/18/1961

Race:
White

Sex:
Male

Hair:
Brown

Eyes:
Blue

Height:
5'04"

Weight:
144 lbs

JEFFERY NORMAN CRUM is a sexual offender under Florida law.

Positive identification cannot be established unless a fingerprint comparison is made.

Click Here to Track this Offender

Aliases
JEFFREY CURM, Jefferey Norman Crum, Jeffrey Norman Crum, Jeffry Norman Crum, Jeffrey Crum, Jeffery Crum, Jeffrey N Crum]]​