Editor’s Note: This story contains discussions of child abuse that may be disturbing. Reader discretion is advised. If you suspect a child is being abused, find out how to report it in your state here. To connect with a counselor, you can call the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4253.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Jennifer Odom was kidnapped and killed after she stepped off her school bus in Florida in 1993. Her accused killer has still not faced justice for the crime.
Now, newly released court documents reveal what authorities believe happened to the 12-year-old after she was abducted.
Jennifer was abducted after getting off the school bus in front of her family’s Pasco County home in February of 1993.
Her body was found six days later. In 2023, local authorities charged Jeffrey Crum Sr. with her murder.
“This is a bad guy, who is very violent, who enjoyed violence and enjoyed hurting people,” said Hernando Sheriff Al Nienhuis when Crum was charged.
In 2015, Crum was convicted of raping and beating another Pasco County student, after she stepped off her school bus.
“She was getting off of her school bus and was horribly attacked and sexually assaulted, brutally is an understatement,” said Nienhuis at the time.
The crime was just weeks before Jennifer was abducted and killed.
It wasn’t until Jeffrey Crum Jr. committed a different crime and was then arrested and convicted that he had to surrender DNA that led authorities to charge his father with Jennifer’s murder.
Newly released court documents show Crum Sr. also confessed to his son about Jennifer’s murder and another murder as well.
“He said he sees demons at night,” the documents stated. “Defendant said, ‘Remember that little black girl when you were a kid, I did that.’ Defendant admitted to raping the little black girl. He also said he ‘did’ Jennifer Odom.'”
The court documents stated that Crum told others that he killed Jennifer, including a woman whom he kidnapped and raped.
“He said he took Jennifer Odom and brought her to his home where he held her for 1-2 days and on the second day something happened which angered Defendant,” the record stated. “Defendant said he struck Jennifer Odom in the head and killed her.”
Crum is serving a life sentence for another crime, and no court date has been set for a trial about the murder of Jennifer.