An Alabama man charged with the 1988 murder of an 11-year-old girl in Massachusetts was found not guilty by jurors in his second trial on Nov. 5.
Marvin McClendon Jr. of Breman, Alabama, was arrested in 2022 for the murder of Melissa Ann Tremblay, whose body was found in the old Boston and Maine Railway Yard in Lawrence, Massachusetts, on Sept. 12, 1988.
His first trial ended in a mistrial last year after the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict.
Tremblay, a resident of Salem, New Hampshire, was with her mother and mother’s boyfriend at a social club in Lawrence on Sept. 11, 1988, before her death. While the adults stayed inside the club, Tremblay went outside and played nearby.
When the adults realized that Tremblay was missing, they frantically searched the area and later reported her disappearance. Her body was found in the railway yard the following day.
A factor in the case was whether the jury believed DNA found under Tremblay’s fingernails was from McClendon.
Essex County Assistant District Attorney Jessica Strasnick told the jury that the DNA evidence taken from under Tremblay’s fingernails excludes 99.8% of the male population. Strasnick said a left-handed person stabbed Tremblay.
McClendon’s lawyer, Henry Fasoldt, argued that there was no proof the DNA came from McClendon. He said evidence also showed that a right-handed person, rather than a left-handed person such as McClendon, could have stabbed Tremblay.
He also argued that McClendon had “no meaningful connection” to Lawrence, other than living 16 miles away in Chelmsford. He moved to Alabama in 2002.
Fasoldt thanked the jury for their careful deliberations and said that McClendon could finally return to his home in Alabama after being held for 2 1/2 years.
Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker expressed disappointment with the court’s decision but commended the efforts of prosecutors and law enforcement officers in the case.
“I recognize the work and dedication of the jury during their long deliberations in this case,” Tucker said after the verdict was announced on Tuesday. “My thoughts are with the family of Melissa Ann Tremblay, who have suffered greatly due to the crime that took her life.”
