MELISSA TREMBLAY: Man arrested in 1988 killing of 11-year-old girl from Salem, New Hampshire (1 Viewer)

You may remember this case:

Former Massachusetts corrections officer arrested for 1988 slaying of 11-year-old girl

A 74-year-old man was arrested this week for the 1988 murder of an 11-year-old girl in Massachusetts.

www.foxnews.com

Melissa Ann Tremblay disappeared in Lawrence, Massachusetts, at the age of 11 on a Sunday evening in 1988 and was found the next day after being stabbed to death and hit by a train.

More than three decades later, her alleged killer was arrested in Alabama and will be returned to Massachusetts to face justice. Marvin McClendon, Jr., a 74-year-old retired Massachusetts Department of Corrections officer, was taken into custody by the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office and will be arraigned in an Alabama court later this week.

Tremblay went with her mother to LaSalle Social Club in Lawrence on September 11, 1988.

"While her mother and mother’s boyfriend remained inside the club, Melissa played in the adjacent neighborhoods and was last seen by a railroad employee and pizza delivery driver during the late afternoon hours," Blodgett said.

Tremblay's mother and her mother's boyfriend searched the area before reporting her missing to police that evening around 9:00 p.m.

Law enforcement located her body in a railway yard a couple of blocks from the social club the next day and an autopsy determined that she had been stabbed to death.

 

[GrandmaBear]

You can just read the podcast too. That's what i did. These sections seemed significant to me plus the fact he was left handed - only 10% of the population are left handed. His van was parked in a car park only a block from where her body was found. He likely assaulted and killed her in that van. Of course by the time the DNA was tested and traced to him, the van was long gone so, i guess, they clearly could not test anything from that.

Police continued asking for help from the public. They were stuck. The clue that they focused in on was the description of the vehicle Melissa was last seen at—a tan van with significant body rust. It was sitting in a surface parking lot at a strip mall at the corner of Parker and Andover Streets, just a block from where her body was ultimately discovered.

He was 41 years old and worked as a handyman and a carpenter for a Seventh Day Adventist church in Lawrence. That church was only a quarter-mile from where Melissa’s body was discovered

Lastly, the van that witnesses saw Melissa near on the day of her death, the one that was tan in color and had significant rust, was similar to one that Marvin drove at the time.

Exactly.

 

[Takeitfromme]

You can just read the podcast too. That's what i did. These sections seemed significant to me plus the fact he was left handed - only 10% of the population are left handed. His van was parked in a car park only a block from where her body was found. He likely assaulted and killed her in that van. Of course by the time the DNA was tested and traced to him, the van was long gone so, i guess, they clearly could not test anything from that.

Police continued asking for help from the public. They were stuck. The clue that they focused in on was the description of the vehicle Melissa was last seen at—a tan van with significant body rust. It was sitting in a surface parking lot at a strip mall at the corner of Parker and Andover Streets, just a block from where her body was ultimately discovered.

He was 41 years old and worked as a handyman and a carpenter for a Seventh Day Adventist church in Lawrence. That church was only a quarter-mile from where Melissa’s body was discovered

Lastly, the van that witnesses saw Melissa near on the day of her death, the one that was tan in color and had significant rust, was similar to one that Marvin drove at the time.

The write up of the pod casts on her sites are just snippets. It's best to actually listen to get all the story....
Like we know for a fact she was NOT killed in the van... there was 60 feet.... 60 FEET of signs of a struggle. Her purse was near part of the struggle site her body was under the train..... if you don't want to listen to the podcast that's perfectly fine but the correct info is worth finding out by listening.

 

[Takeitfromme]

I mean, as much as I loved missy she was my good friend Ilooked up to her. I was a little girl when this happened. At the end of the day there's nothing any of us can do. This jury let us down big time by finding him not guilty. Te evidence strongly suggests that it is him and to me d.N.A does not lie.

 

[Regina]

You can just read the podcast too. That's what i did. These sections seemed significant to me plus the fact he was left handed - only 10% of the population are left handed. His van was parked in a car park only a block from where her body was found. He likely assaulted and killed her in that van. Of course by the time the DNA was tested and traced to him, the van was long gone so, i guess, they clearly could not test anything from that.

Police continued asking for help from the public. They were stuck. The clue that they focused in on was the description of the vehicle Melissa was last seen at—a tan van with significant body rust. It was sitting in a surface parking lot at a strip mall at the corner of Parker and Andover Streets, just a block from where her body was ultimately discovered.

He was 41 years old and worked as a handyman and a carpenter for a Seventh Day Adventist church in Lawrence. That church was only a quarter-mile from where Melissa’s body was discovered

Lastly, the van that witnesses saw Melissa near on the day of her death, the one that was tan in color and had significant rust, was similar to one that Marvin drove at the time.

I wouldn't rule-out right-handed persons and *I also wouldn't rule-out persons in their 40's or older.
*I shared a personal observstion and you responded as though there are no exceptions when of course, there certainly are.

Anyway, I have yet to read anything I find of evidentiary value that I didn't or don't already know.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I mean, as much as I loved missy she was my good friend Ilooked up to her. I was a little girl when this happened. At the end of the day there's nothing any of us can do. This jury let us down big time by finding him not guilty. Te evidence strongly suggests that it is him and to me d.N.A does not lie.

I agree. I have no doubts.

 

[Tresir]

The write up of the pod casts on her sites are just snippets. It's best to actually listen to get all the story....
Like we know for a fact she was NOT killed in the van... there was 60 feet.... 60 FEET of signs of a struggle. Her purse was near part of the struggle site her body was under the train..... if you don't want to listen to the podcast that's perfectly fine but the correct info is worth finding out by listening.

It's not that i don't want to but i prefer to read if i can do that. I didn't know stuff was missing from the write up though so thanks for pointing that out.

Were both trials recorded?

 

[Tresir]

I wouldn't rule-out right-handed persons and *I also wouldn't rule-out persons in their 40's or older.
*I shared a personal observstion and you responded as though there are no exceptions when of course, there certainly are.

Anyway, I have yet to read anything I find of evidentiary value that I didn't or don't already know.

What about the van evidence and where he parked it and worked? Put together with the left handed evidence and the DNA, that seems quite a bit to me. Plus there seems to be more evidence, by the sound of it. Like she was seen talking to him. IMO, if it gets to a situation where there is too much for it to be coincidence, then my hinky meter is over 50% and i would convict.

Comparing it to Delphi, perp in his 40's, no DNA, no evidence re right or left handedness, car and perp seen at CS on video, admits being there, confessea numerous times, perps bullet at scene, there are some similarities.

 

[Takeitfromme]

It's not that i don't want to but i prefer to read if i can do that. I didn't know stuff was missing from the write up though so thanks for pointing that out.

Were both trials recorded?

No this podcast covers beginning to the declaring of a mistrial in trial 1. The one coming out in 2 weeks will cover the second trial as well

 

[Tresir]

No this podcast covers beginning to the declaring of a mistrial in trial 1. The one coming out in 2 weeks will cover the second trial as well

ok that will be good then.

 

[Tresir]

I wouldn't rule-out right-handed persons and *I also wouldn't rule-out persons in their 40's or older.
*I shared a personal observstion and you responded as though there are no exceptions when of course, there certainly are.

Anyway, I have yet to read anything I find of evidentiary value that I didn't or don't already know.

Well i certainly dont know everything as i am just coming in to the case. I havent seen or read the trial info, i don't know if there were multiplle suspects or just him. He appears to be the only guy with a van like that and she was seen talking to him near that van. The first jury had only one dissenting juror causing the mistrial and he was found not guilty the second time. I guess it unlikely he will be tried again or anyone else will be charged, so what we think cannot be proved.

But i don't believe anyone else did it.

 

[Takeitfromme]

Well i certainly dont know everything as i am just coming in to the case. I havent seen or read the trial info, i don't know if there were multiplle suspects or just him. He appears to be the only guy with a van like that and she was seen talking to him near that van. The first jury had only one dissenting juror causing the mistrial and he was found not guilty the second time. I guess it unlikely he will be tried again or anyone else will be charged, so what we think cannot be proved.

But i don't believe anyone else did it.

There were many suspects over the years....once the DNA profile came about genetic genealogy was used and all former suspects were ruled out and McClendon was ruled in.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Well i certainly dont know everything as i am just coming in to the case. I havent seen or read the trial info, i don't know if there were multiplle suspects or just him. He appears to be the only guy with a van like that and she was seen talking to him near that van. The first jury had only one dissenting juror causing the mistrial and he was found not guilty the second time. I guess it unlikely he will be tried again or anyone else will be charged, so what we think cannot be proved.

But i don't believe anyone else did it.

He can't be tried again.

He did it.

The first jury had it right except for one idiot.

 

[GrandmaBear]

There were many suspects over the years....once the DNA profile came about genetic genealogy was used and all former suspects were ruled out and McClendon was ruled in.

They had plenty. Makes absolutely no sense to me and never will.

 

[Tresir]

He can't be tried again.

He did it.

The first jury had it right except for one idiot.

What if there was new evidence, even then he couldn't be tried again?

 

[Tresir]

There were many suspects over the years....once the DNA profile came about genetic genealogy was used and all former suspects were ruled out and McClendon was ruled in.

That makes sense the DNA could be used to rule out others. How did they rule out any accomplice(s) though who may have helped him.

 

[Tresir]

I wouldn't rule-out right-handed persons and *I also wouldn't rule-out persons in their 40's or older.
*I shared a personal observstion and you responded as though there are no exceptions when of course, there certainly are.

Anyway, I have yet to read anything I find of evidentiary value that I didn't or don't already know.

I was sharing what I thought was significant about what i have read, not responding that there are no exceptions. There can always be exceptions, like a relative or friend of his was involved too, who knows. The DNA would have been used to rule out irrespective of right or left handedness, then i guess they were just left with him and he happened to be a left hander.

Do you have a suspect in mind.

 

[Takeitfromme]

What if there was new evidence, even then he couldn't be tried again?

Nope double jeopardy law in the US.... he could be tried for a different crime against another victim which I'll never believe Missy was the only one. But as of now he has not been linked to any other crime.

 

[Takeitfromme]

That makes sense the DNA could be used to rule out others. How did they rule out any accomplice(s) though who may have helped him.

It was only his DNA under her fingernails. No one else's DNA was on her anywhere

 

[Takeitfromme]

I was sharing what I thought was significant about what i have read, not responding that there are no exceptions. There can always be exceptions, like a relative or friend of his was involved too, who knows. The DNA would have been used to rule out irrespective of right or left handedness, then i guess they were just left with him and he happened to be a left hander.

Do you have a suspect in mind.

He's the only left handed male in his family so that ruled out his brother and his cousins. It's complicated

 

[GrandmaBear]

What if there was new evidence, even then he couldn't be tried again?

No. Double jeopardy. You can't try someone twice for murder. Not when the trial reached a verdict.