Maybe this possible connection between Marcia and Jerome Barrett is a long shot. But I also see it as a relief in an odd way that investigators really are still trying to solve this.
I feel for Mrs. Trimble and the rest of the family. I can only imagine how much pain she has suffered from the loss of her child, the loss of her marriage (reportedly because of strain the murder caused), the lack of resolution because it remains unsolved and then the revisiting nightmares when new developments arise. The Trimbles especially deserve this crime to be solved.
Steve, very well written piece. Thank you for doing what you do and for doing it so well. Sounds corny I know
But what you do really is valued and your writing is very important. You allow an open forum for such a diverse online community. You pull from so many sources and state smart opinions. And most importantly you remember that these are people - individuals who became victims - not just cases.
I know that this particular child is part of you also - from your childhood to present. She is a link to many parts of all of us. But I think I can speak for Meredith and me - thank you for being there for our friend.
Holy cow! But, will they be honorable and either prove or disprove that this other person murdered her, or will they say "We've convicted someone for this, we're not going to change our position!" and refuse to examine this new information?
If he's truly guilty, I hope he is convicted. I know how Marcia's death haunted you and probably countless other children, Steve. I hope Marcia has justice after all this time.
It's so weird this case is stirring again right after you wrote that piece noting the similarities between Marcia and Jodi - another Jodi and another strand snapping on the tattered web
Beautifully written post, Steve. Long shot or not, The fact that they are still persuing leads in this case is hopeful. It would be wonderful for the Trimble family to finally have the answers that have been elusive all these years.
Thank you for the updates.
Well done Steve, as usual. For what it is worth, Marcia Trimble now haunts many of your regular readers, and seeing justice for her would be a marvelous salve to the wounds that true crime followers self-inflict all too frequently. I will be surprised if Jerome Barrett is involved, but I think it is a significant cosmic coincidence that Marcia's case is back in the news at the same time as Jodi's case.
We simply must believe that Justice, however insignificant in the grand scheme of things, will be served for all the Marcia Trimble's of our Country.
To believe otherwise is to give up hope, and we owe all of these Angels that at the very least.
Thanks for a very well written piece, and thanks for never giving up.
What you do makes a difference, and that means a whole helluva a lot these days.
The arc of the universe is long but always bends toward justice. That's the rumor anyway.
I moved to Franklin, TN five years ago and began working in Nashville. It didn't take long before I had heard quite a bit about two then unsolved cases involving female victims: the Janet March disappearance and the Marcia Trimble murder. There is no doubt that the Trimble case affected your/my generation in this city. The March case, which also involved a victim near our ages, had a similar impact. Those two female victims also stand out as archetypes of victimization for little girls and young wives, don't they? Their stories are both almost mythic.
One of those victims is now seeing some sort of justice. I hope the same happens for Marcia Trimble.
I thought I seen a documentory about a scientist who created a DNA test that can Identfy Nationalities and such. I know Steve said that there is very little dna evidence left in this case , but I wonder if there is enough that maybe they could do a profile like that. To tell if the perp was black or white or any other info they could get from that new test.
Steve ,
Are there any pictures of Marcia?
Had to come to Nashville unexpectedly and this story is all over the news. Still no confirmed connection but the story is definitely front and center again.
http://www.newschannel5.com/glob...y.asp?
s=7424014
I lived in nashville when marsha went missing. i am 50 now. My best friends mom was virginai trimbles friend and they went to the same church. i still have a flyer with marshas picture on it.this case has really stuck with me all these years.as well as it has my friend. i pray they do find out who did this.
GREAT article! I am from Nashvile myself. Moved to another state about 4 years. I have often wonder about this little girl (Marcia Trimble) and if they would ever find the murderer. I pray & hope that the Nashville police, TBI & FBI will not just pin ths on the one guy without sufficient evidence.
Steve, although I don't know you, I share your interest in the Trimble case. I was raised in the Belle Meade?Green Hills area. I am much older but I use to play Sunday afternoon football on the Harpeth Hall campus just across the street from the Trimble home. I attended Parmer.
All of us from that area felt the loss. It has been an open wound for too long.
I think there are some lingering issues that hopefully will be addressed, assuming the DNA match works out. I'm willing to bet he worked at the garden center at the corner of Hobbs and Estes.
Was there DNA from more than one person?
If so, can we still rule out Womack?
Information has come out that Barrett had a previous conviction for pedophilia. How many other unsolved cases might there be? We know they don't get well, so? The Tudors case comes to mind.
I'm glad to have discovered your blog. I'll make a point of checking it frequently.
Steve, I ran across this blog today and am reading it in shock. I was 10 years old and went to the same church as the Trimbles when Marsha disappeared. It did indeed turn the community upside down. I live in NC now and had not thought about the case in years. While watching AMW on tv, something brought Marsha to mind. Imagine my surprise to find out there's a possible lead in the case after all these years! I pray Virginia Trimble and the rest of the family find justice at long last.
Very compelling blog,there's something not right with this case though I agree. I do not think Barret killed her. My reason for thinking this is the fact that he had developed a pattern. He was arrested and charged for the the rape of the college girl and suspected in the murder of the 19 yr old girl... his pattern of violence was young adult girls and not once was there one involving a child. Also it was stated by the police that he didn't match their profile and it seemed strange that not one of the neighbors saw a black man walking or driving around in the area... in the 1970's in the white southern neighborhood. I live in a small town and there are only a small handful of black people here and you can bet if I saw one in my neighborhood tomorrow I would notice and it's 2008! Either the man is a ninja capable of great hiding technics or one of the neighbors is lying about not seeing anyone suspisious, perhaps they knew Barret and are involved or perhaps he was never seen cause he was never there. Also I find it strange that the girl was killed and left in a garage 150 yards from her house, why didn't Barret kidnap her and take her to a place no one would ever find her, not a stones throw from the house. How would he have known that the garage was there and that it was open(no forced entry found in garage) and how would he have known that no one would come in during the act and why would he leave her there in such an obvious place. Who was in charge of looking in the garage, they need to be questioned as to why it took them 33 days to look under a kiddy pool and why did it take them 33 days to catch the wiff of rotting flesh, it's because it was rarely used, only a neighbor or owner would know that no one would be looking to hard in there, Barret would not have known and thus would have hidden the body better, why didn't he stuff her into his trunck and dumped her in a river. Also, for another thing, why was Macia's girl scout money missing. It doesn't add up, Barret was a rapist, yes, and a murderer, yes, but petty theft seems so far beneath him. Why would he steal it, it doesn't match his pattern, he stole nothing from his other victims, it seems more like a cover up, like it was intensionally taken to throw blame onto a stranger. But kidnappers, molesters, rapist and murders dont take something so petty as what $20 or something, they got more important things on their mind such as a good body ditching site and a good alibia. I think it was someone she knew, think about the facts people they dont add up to Barret, they add up to someone who could get close enough to get her to trust him and get little Marcia to go into the garage. If it was a stranger, especially a black man in the time, she would not have trusted them and other than by force would she go into the garage...no one heard her scream, her house was 150 yards away and no one heard her scream. How could someone not notice a black stranger lurking and how could someone not hear little Marcia's scream, its because she never screamed, she knew the killer, she trusted him, she followed him into the garaged and before she could scream she was attacked. I believe it was a family member, the police never got DNA from them caused they trusted them, such as the now deceased father, or I think it was a nieghbor, someone she knew and trusted.
Do I believe Barret is a horrible person, yes and he should be punished for the things he did, but not for the things he may not have done. I think this case is still unsolved
Lived in Nashville for 20 years, was always interested in the Trimble case, as I recall Larry Briton on one of the local news channels stayed caught up on it, what if anything has he had to say on recent developments?
I now reside in the washington dc met area. I have followed this case from day one. I do believe it could have been a family member, such as the deceased father. Marcia did not return home in a timely manner. She was probably engaged in a sex game with other children. Her father went looking for her and became angry because of her activity and strangled her. True she may have been raped/molested but that doesn't mean the same person killed her. Why was the neighbor who Jeffery Womack often assisted babysitting so protective of him. Why was a neighbor's shower curtin found in another neighobr's garage. I never recall hearing they talked often to her brother Chuck. The grandfather was a well known judge in Nashville. If she left the house around 5:15 5:30 to go across the street to deliver cookies why would the parents wait almost 2 hours later to start looking for her. There are a lot of missing pieces in this case which have been in authorities hands all the time. I believe the suspects are the father and Jeffery Womack. One being the rapist, the other being the murderer. I think Jeffery Womack's attorney knows all to well the role Jeffery played in ths case and has a very good relationship with the person(s) who could nail him. It was stated in the past the kids would engage in sex games. What does a 9 year old girl know about engaging in sex games. I don't think the same person who raped her killed her. Somebody knew when and where the search was being conducted at all times and knew when to put the body in the garage. I hope this case is bought to closure very soon. If Jerome has any involvement he need to admit to it. He will be locked up the rest of his life anyway for other crimes he has committed. The brother and March Eagerton were outside playing basketball in the yard, how did they not see anything. Was Meredith Harris the girl they saw her with. Somebody has the key to this entire case however because it was stated it was a botched up investigation they are not coming forward. I wonder if Mrs. Trimble ever suspected her husband at the time.
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