The Murder of Marcia Trimble
34 Year-old Case Goes To Trial
Jerome Barrett Murder Trial
Nashville Tennessee
Thirty-four years ago, 9-year-old Marcia Trimble went out to deliver Girl Scout cookies in her quiet middle-class neighborhood. She was missing for over a month and found on Easter Day in 1975, assaulted, raped and dead in a neighbor's garage under a plastic swimming pool.
In the summer of 1979, police arrested neighborhood man Jeffrey Womack, aged 15 at the time of Trimble's murder, for his suspected involvement with the case. Womack had reportedly boasted to friends that he had raped and murdered Trimble. In addition, he had reportedly been seen with Trimble the day she disappeared. Womack told an undercover investigator seemingly incriminating details about the murder. Upon interrogation, Womack passed two polygraph tests. In 1980 the case against Womack was dropped due to lack of evidence. Some investigators continued to believe he was a viable suspect.
Samples from Trimble had been preserved throughout the years, and had deteriorated. But, with more modern DNA testing Jerome Sydney Barrett's DNA was found on Marcia Trimble's blouse.
Can that new technology shine enough light on evidence collected 34 years ago to convince a jury of Barrett's guilt?
The defense was expected to counter the argument by saying there are other DNA samples that are bad, and possibly setting up a position that all of the DNA must be discounted.
Another defense expected to be used by Barrett's team is the theory that teenage neighbor Jeffrey Womack is the real killer of the child.
Jerome Barrett had a past of rape and molestation charges over the years. He was recently convicted of murdering Sarah Des Prez, a Vanderbilt student who was found dead in her Nashville apartment on February 2, 1975.
Read resource details...
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090714/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Marcia_Trimble
http://www.wsmv.com/marciatrimble/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=stream1
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07-20-09
Sex Offender Convicted of Murdering Girl Scout in 1975
Trimble verdict closes a painful chapter in Nashville history
A Nashville jury convicted Jerome Barrett of 2 counts of second-degree murder in the 1975 strangulation death of Girl Scout Marcia Trimble.
The 9-year-old disappeared while delivering Girl Scout cookies in her upscale Nashville neighborhood.
When Jerome Barrett went to Copeland Drive, He didn't go there for the 9-year-old Girl Scout, who was delivering cookies on a chilly night while her mother cooked dinner. He was looking for another woman, a woman who screamed, fought off his advances and got away a few days before, despite the knife he held at her throat.
Whether he thought the Marcia Trimble, tall for her age, was the woman or he saw an opportunity, it was Marcia whom Barrett strangled on Feb. 25, 1975. HE left his DNA there on her shirt.
The 62-year-old Barrett became a suspect in the case 1 1/2 years ago through DNA testing.
He is currently serving a life sentence for the 1975 rape and murder of a Vanderbilt University coed. He faces 44 years in prison on each count in this case.
The case is regarded as the most notorious in Nashville history because of the circumstances of the girl's death and the length of the investigation.
Resources
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090720/NEWS03/907190384/Trimble+verdict+closes+a+painful+chapter+in+Nashville+history
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,533800,00.html?test=latestnews
07-17-09
Case Goes To The Jury
The defense rested this morning in the trial of Jerome Barrett, charged in the 1975 murder of Green Hills schoolgirl Marcia Trimble, and each side presented its closing arguments in Davidson County Criminal Court.
Assistant District Attorney Katy Miller first argued the state's case. Citing the testimony of former Trimble family neighbor Marie Maxwell, Miller said "she remembered that the taller person was wearing a long, drab coat. That's important." She recalled yesterday's testimony by former Berry Hill police officer Tommy Lunn to the effect that Barrett was wearing just such a coat when Lunn arrested him in March 1975.
The bulk of the prosecution's closing, however, revolved around the available physical evidence from the crime scene.
"This case is about science," Miller said. She reminded the jury of the testimony of former state medical examiner Jerry Francisco and decomposition expert William Bass that forensic evidence indicates the body had been in the garage throughout the 33 days she was missing.
Read full resource details...
http://www.nashvillepost.com/news/2009/7/17/trimble_murder_trial_jury_to_begin_deliberations
07-15-09
Marcia's Mother Testifies
Virginia Trimble Ritter, mother of the 9-year-old girl, Marcia Trimble, found murdered in a neighbors garage in 1975, fought back tears as she identified the blouse her daughter was wearing the day she went missing.
She told jurors how her daughter disappeared delivering Girl Scout cookies.
"She was walking out the back door. She said mom, ‘Miss Maxwell is home and I'm going to take her cookies," Trimble said. "She said mom I don't need my coat I'll be right back."
She never returned.
"I went to marcia's room knelt started praying that day and I haven't stopped."
Virginia described the search for her daughter, and then how she waited until more than a month later when her pastor and police came to her door.
"I wanted to go in and sit down because I knew it wasn't going to be good news," said Virginia.
Virginia was shown the last known photograph to be taken of her daughter. It was a group picture. Marcia was wearing the same blue checkered blouse she wore when she disappeared.
Harold Moffett took the stand and told the jury how he found the body of Marcia Trimble. He told jurors it happened when he was getting a tire in his brother-in-law's garage on Easter Sunday.
"I saw a little girl's face looking up at me. She had on a blue and white checked looking blouse. Her arm was lying across like this. I guess that is when I went into shock," said Moffett.
The body was in the back corner of an open garage. The home belonged to John and Marie Thorpe. They lived on Estes Road roughly 100 yards from the Trimble home on Copeland Drive.
A neighbor thought she spotted Marcia in her driveway that February evening.
"I saw three individuals standing next door at Miss Howard's house," said former Trimble neighbor Marie Maxwell.
Marie Maxwell was almost positive one of those people was Marcia Trimble.
"I was sure enough that it was Marcia that I when I got in the house I left the baby dressed up, sat her down, went and got my checkbook thinking Marcia will be here in a minute," said Maxwell.
Jurors also heard from the Medical Examiner who looked at the girls body in 1975.
Dr. Jerry Francisco says back then, no one worried about contaminating DNA.
"We had no concern for DNA therefore there was no care taken to avoid contamination in the preparation of these slides," said Francisco.
Authorities have claimed the DNA of at least 5 people were found on Trimble's body.
Francisco says that can be explained by contamination though defense attorneys say it could point to something else.
"Who's DNA is that? When you've heard all the evidence you will have more questions than answers," said Laura Dykes to the jury.
Read resource details...
http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=10733094
http://www.wztv.com/newsroom/top_stories/wztv_vid_912.shtml
http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=10734943
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2009/jul/15/
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