(Hernando, FL) “For more than 30 years, Jennifer’s family, investigators and the communities of Pasco and Hernando Counties waited for answers. Now, this long running cold case has reached its end,” stated State Attorney Bill Gladson.
After more than three decades, a Hernando County jury has found 64-year-old Jeffrey Norman Crum guilty of the Kidnapping, Sexual Battery and Murder of 12-year-old Jennifer Renee Odom. The State Attorney’s Office of the Fifth Judicial Circuit announced intentions to seek the Death Penalty.
This case represents one of the State Attorney’s Office’s longest-running and most closely followed cold-case investigations. The decades-long effort to identify and prosecute the person responsible for Jennifer’s death reflects the continued commitment of investigators and prosecutors to seeking justice for victims and their families. Jennifer Odom was not forgotten. Her case was never forgotten. And the pursuit of justice never stopped.
“Today’s verdict is the result of decades of determination, perseverance and an unwavering commitment to Jennifer Odom and her family,” remarked State Attorney Bill Gladson. “We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the investigators, forensic professionals, prosecutors and countless individuals who refused to allow this case to be forgotten. My office also recognizes Jennifer’s family, who endured unimaginable loss while continuing to wait for justice. Jennifer was just 12 years old when she was taken from her family. For over 30 years, her loved ones lived without knowing who was responsible for her death. Today, a jury has held Jeffrey Crum accountable for this heinous crime.”
The case against Crum developed back on February 19, 1993, when a 12-year-old Jennifer Odom disappeared after stepping off her school bus in a rural area of Pasco County to walk home. When she failed to arrive home, an extensive search began involving law enforcement officers and community volunteers across approximately 60 square miles of rural Pasco and Hernando counties. Witnesses reported seeing a faded blue pickup truck slowly following Jennifer as she walked. One witness even testified to seeing Jennifer get into the pickup truck.
Six days later, on February 25, 1993, Jennifer’s body was discovered in an abandoned orange grove in Hernando County. Her book bag and clarinet case were not found with her body and were later discovered nearly two years later in a rural area of Hernando County in January 1995.
The investigation remained open for more than three decades as investigators continued pursuing hundreds of leads and applying advances in forensic technology. Investigators eventually identified similarities between Jennifer’s case and a January 1992 attack involving another teenage girl in Pasco County. Jeffrey Norman Crum was later convicted in that earlier case and was serving two life sentences for sexual battery.
A DNA breakthrough in the Pasco County case in 2015 helped investigators identify a member of Crum’s family through a familial DNA search, ultimately leading investigators to Crum in the Hernando County case. Investigators then developed additional evidence connecting Crum to Jennifer’s disappearance and death, including evidence concerning his ownership of a blue truck and his familiarity with the area where Jennifer was taken and ultimately found.
During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence concerning Jennifer’s disappearance, the circumstances surrounding the discovery of her body, forensic evidence and the alleged similarities between Jennifer’s case and the earlier attack.
Thank you to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, specifically Detective George Loydgren, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, especially Cold Case Detective David Boyer, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Biology Division, particularly Analyst Vicki Bellino, and State Attorney Bruce Bartlett’s Office for being instrumental in solving both the Hernando and Pasco cases. Assistant State Attorneys Richard Buxman and Donald McCathran prosecuted this case.
Published on 08/20/2026.