Man accused of kidnapping, killing Jennifer Odom in 1993 heads to trial

A man linked to a decades-old cold case through DNA evidence goes on trial Monday for the 1993 abduction and murder of 12-year-old Jennifer Odom.

admin August 17, 2026 2 minutes read

BROOKSVILLE, Fla. – A man linked to a decades-old cold case through DNA evidence goes on trial Monday for the 1993 abduction and murder of 12-year-old Jennifer Odom.

Hernando County police investigation

What we know:

Jury selection begins at 8:30 a.m. Monday at the Brooksville courthouse for Jeffery Norman Crum, who faces charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping and sexual battery.

Kidnapping and murder of Jennifer Odom

The backstory:

Odom disappeared on Feb. 19, 1993, after stepping off her school bus in northeastern Pasco County to walk 200 yards to her home.

Her body was found six days later along horse-riding trails off Powell Road in Hernando County, and two years later, hunters found her missing book bag and clarinet case in a rural area.

Jennifer Odom was last seen walking toward her northeastern Pasco County home before her body was found days later in Hernando County.

Investigators spent 30 years chasing leads, including searching for a blue truck seen in the area where Odom was last seen.

DNA connects Jeffrey Crum to crime

Crum became a primary suspect in 2015 after DNA evidence connected him to a January 1992 attack where a teenager was kidnapped off a Pasco County school bus and left for dead.

He was already serving two life sentences for that crime when a grand jury indicted him for Odom’s death.

Jeffery Norman Crum faces the death penalty in Hernando County following a 2023 indictment for the 1993 murder of Jennifer Odom. Image is courtesy of the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office.

Crum has a long criminal history dating back to the 1980s, including arrests for armed robbery, carrying a concealed weapon and domestic battery.

Hernando County sheriff evidence gaps

What we don’t know:

Authorities have not confirmed how long the kidnapper held Odom captive or the exact time she was killed, though they believe the murder occurred in the field where her body was discovered. Officials have also not disclosed the specific contents of the grand jury proceedings that led to the indictment, as those details remain secret by law.