Security was heightened at the Hernando County Courthouse as the trial for Jeffrey Norman Crum began on Monday. The 61-year-old man, who was already serving life sentences for other crimes, has been charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, and sexual battery in connection with the 1993 abduction and killing of 12-year-old Jennifer Odom. Authorities had previously linked Crum to a separate 1992 assault case after he became a suspect when his DNA was found on evidence from that attack. The investigation into Odom’s disappearance has spanned decades, with law enforcement scouring over 60 square miles of rural Pasco County in the years following her vanishing. While some items belonging to Odom were recovered, her red sweater and Hooters jacket have never been found despite extensive searches by police dogs and volunteers.
Facts
- Jeffrey Norman Crum, 61, was arrested in July 2023 and charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, and sexual battery in the 1993 abduction and slaying of Jennifer Odom.
