State Attorney William “Bill” Gladson announces the grand jury indictment of Jeffrey Norman Crum. Crum was indicted on one count of first-degree murder, one count of kidnapping and one count of sexual battery of Jennifer Odom on July 24, 2023.

Jennifer was abducted after getting off a school bus in Pasco County on February 19, 1993.  She was found dead in a Hernando County orange grove six days after she was abducted. Crum was previously convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 2019 in Pasco County for sexual battery of a 17-year-old girl that occurred on January 16, 1992.  That case had very similar facts and circumstances to this case.

Sheriff Al Nienhuis and his detectives with the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office worked diligently and exhaustively to investigate the case and apprehend the defendant responsible for these heinous crimes. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, Pasco County State Attorney’s Office, and several other agencies nationwide provided support during the lengthy investigation. The defendant is currently being held on no bond in the Hernando County Jail.

The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office has released a photo of Crum from 1993 with the hope that someone may recognize him and possibly provide additional information about Jennifer’s murder. If you, or anyone you know, has information regarding this case, you are encouraged to contact Detective George Loydgren at (352)754-6830.

William “Bill” Gladson was elected State Attorney for the Fifth Judicial Circuit in November 2020 and took office January 2021. He is a former law enforcement officer and career prosecutor with over 20 years of trial experience. As State Attorney, Gladson leads a team of over 250 employees who serve the citizens of Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion, and Sumter counties, an area encompassing more than 1.2 million people.

Posted on 7/27/2023