Jurors to decide if Jennifer Odom’s convicted killer gets death penalty

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

What we know:

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".

Jury penalty recommendation requirement

What we don't know:

Court proceedings for the sentencing phase are scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. Monday, where the jury will hear victim impact statements and additional testimony. 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.