Marvin 'Skip' McClendon Acquitted in 1988 Murder

An Alabama man, Marvin 'Skip' McClendon Jr., was found not guilty of the murder of 11-year-old Melissa Ann Tremblay, whose body was discovered in a Lawrence, Massachusetts, trainyard in 1988. The case hinged on whether DNA found under Tremblay's fingernails belonged to McClendon. After a jury initially declared themselves deadlocked, they returned with a not guilty verdict after six days of deliberation. This follows a mistrial from the previous year due to a similar jury deadlock. The Essex County District Attorney expressed disappointment with the verdict but acknowledged the jury's commitment and extended his condolences to Tremblay's family. McClendon, a former Massachusetts Department of Corrections officer, was linked to the case in part through DNA evidence and was arrested in Alabama in 2022.