An Alabama man was acquitted on Tuesday of the murder of an 11-year-old girl from New Hampshire, a case that dates back over 35 years.
The case hinged on the jury’s belief regarding the DNA discovered under Melissa Ann Tremblay’s fingernails and its connection to Marvin “Skip” McClendon Jr. On Tuesday, after informing a judge of their indecision on Monday, the jury concluded their deliberations on the sixth day and acquitted McClendon.
Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker expressed his disappointment with the verdict while commending the hard work of prosecutors and law enforcement in the case.
A judge declared a mistrial in McClendon’s case last year due to a jury deadlock. A girl from Salem, New Hampshire, was discovered deceased in a trainyard in Lawrence, Massachusetts, on September 12, 1988, just one day after she was reported missing.
The young girl was with her mother and her mother’s boyfriend at a social club in Lawrence, close to the railyard, and went outside to play while the adults remained indoors, according to authorities from last year. She was last seen that evening.
Janet Tremblay, the girl’s mother, passed away in 2015 at the age of 70, as noted in her obituary. Surviving family members have been present in court to watch the ongoing trial.
The family stated that they respect the process, yet they maintain that McClendon is still guilty of murder according to the DNA results.
After dismissing multiple suspects, including two individuals with substance abuse issues, authorities shifted their focus to McClendon.
In 2022, he was taken into custody at his home in Alabama, partly due to DNA evidence.
Jessica Strasnick, an Assistant District Attorney from Essex County, informed the jury that remarks made by McClendon during his arrest indicated his awareness of specific details regarding the crime. She emphasized that he was “fixated on the fact that she was beaten, ladies and gentlemen, because he knew that she wasn’t just stabbed that day; she was beaten.”
According to Strasnick, a left-handed individual, identified as McClendon, was responsible for stabbing Tremblay. She informed the jurors that the carpenter and ex-corrections officer from Massachusetts was well-acquainted with Lawrence, often visiting local bars and strip clubs. He resided under 20 miles away when the incident occurred.
Strasnick informed the jury that the DNA evidence collected from beneath Tremblay’s fingernails rules out 99.8% of the male population.
Fasoldt stated that there was no evidence indicating the DNA originated from beneath Tremblay’s fingernails or that it belonged to McClendon.
Fasoldt indicated that there is evidence suggesting a right-handed individual, as opposed to a left-handed one, may have been responsible for stabbing Tremblay.
He also claimed that McClendon had “no significant link” to Lawrence — aside from residing 16 miles (25 kilometers) away in Chelmsford. In 2002, he relocated to a piece of land that belonged to his family in Alabama.