Jurors to decide if Jennifer Odom’s convicted killer gets death penalty
Sentencing phase for Jeffrey Crum underway
A decades long cold case is finally in its final chapter. Jeffrey Crum faces the death penalty in the brutal kidnapping and murder of 12-year-old Jennifer Odom back in 1993. FOX 13's Kylie Jones reports.
BROOKSVILLE, Fla. - The same jury that convicted Jeffrey Crum of kidnapping, sexually assaulting and killing Jennifer Odom will now decide if he gets the death penalty or another life sentence.
Jeffrey Crum sentencing trial begins
The backstory:
Jurors deliberated for a little over five hours last week before finding Jeffrey Crum guilty in the decades-old murder of Jennifer Odom, who vanished from her Pasco County school bus stop in 1993 before her body was found days later in Hernando County. Crum is already serving two life sentences for a separate 1992 attack on a 17-year-old girl in Pasco County.
Detectives linked Crum to the 1993 case in 2023. During closing arguments in the conviction phase, prosecutors highlighted testimony from Crum's son, Jeff Crum Jr., who testified that his father gave him a musical instrument around the time of the girl's death that later disappeared. The prosecutor noted that Crum's son testified his father admitted to the crime years ago, saying, "Remember Jennifer Odom? I did her, too."
What we know:
On Monday, the state presented additional testimony about aggravating factors in the case, in its argument about why Crum should be put to death.
The prosecution argued that Jennifer's kidnapping and murder was planned, saying Crum took her to an isolated and secluded area. Prosecutors also said that Jennifer was a child, and wasn't a threat to Crum.
1985 sexual battery case testimony
On Monday, the jury heard testimony from the victim of a 1985 sexual battery that Crum was convicted of in Hillsborough County. At the time, she was 18 years old.
"And made me get into the floorboard, and told me he was going to tape me and let a bunch of men to have fun with me, and then he was going to kill me," the victim said. "He told me I would never see my child again alive."
What they're saying:
Jennifer's family shared emotional impact statements on Monday morning.
"She was a barefoot water skiier, an archer, clarinet player, a Girl Scout, the best babysitter ever and a devoted member of our Catholic Church," Jennifer's aunt Mary Beth Lambert said. "But most of all, she was my precious niece."
Jennifer's stepfather held back tears as he spoke about Jennifer's life and the impact that her murder has had on their family.
"People use the words like closure and justice," Jennifer's stepfather, Clark Converse, said. "Closure would be our beloved daughter being returned to us. And justice would be the ability to have our lives be normal again."
Converse says that Jennifer's mother, Renee Converse, suffered a series of strokes around the time that Crum was charged with Jennifer's murder. An advocate with the State Attorney's Office read a statement on Renee Converse's behalf.
"For over 30 agonizing years, our family was left to carry this heavy cross without answers and during a lifetime of milestones that Jennifer was cruelly denied," an advocate read on Converse's behalf. "We spent three decades trapped in a state of suspended grief, frozen by the horrific mystery of who stole her from us."
The other side:
The defense called three witnesses to discuss mitigating factors that contributed to Crum's behavior. The defense called Crum's stepsister, his son, Jeffrey Crum Jr., who also testified last week, and a neuropsychologist who performed a number of psychological tests on Crum.
Crum's stepsister was asked about alleged instability and alcohol abuse by Crum's father. Crum Jr. testified that his father had a history of abusing alcohol and had made comments to him about being beaten as a child.
"He had extreme physical and emotional abuse which caused him to suffer from trauma his entire life," Dr. Hyman Eisenstein said. "He had a history of dysfunctional upbringing surrounded by alcohol and substance abuse, early on and continuous."
Eisenstein also testified about statements made by Crum's son.
"Jeffrey Jr. said that the father basically was an alcoholic. Alcohol controlled him. When he took drugs and alcohol, he referred to him as a ticking time bomb. He also said that there was some mental deficiency going on with the dad, and he waited too long to get help."
Jury penalty recommendation requirement
What we don't know:
It remains unknown how long the jury will deliberate before delivering its recommendation.
State attorneys announced their intention to seek the death penalty. Under the legal threshold for this case, at least eight of the 12 jurors must vote in favor of the death penalty for it to be recommended.
Evidence and witness testimony details
The backstory:
Jennifer Odom vanished after getting off her school bus in Pasco County, where classmates recalled seeing her walk down a private road as a blue truck pulled up alongside her. Her body was discovered days later in a wooded area in Hernando County, and prosecutors said her backpack and clarinet case were recovered two years later in another rural area.
The unsolved case altered how local parents handled school commutes for years while the suspect remained at large. During trial testimony, Jennifer's childhood best friend, Michelle Sample, recalled the last moments she saw her walking home before she disappeared.
Sentencing phase continues
What's next:
The state and defense rested on Monday. Closing statements are expected to begin Tuesday morning.
Crum is facing life in prison or the death penalty.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from WTVT broadcast scripts and courtroom reporting from prosecutors, witness testimony, and records from the State Attorney's Office.