Jury deadlocks in trial of man accused of 1988 killing of 11-year-old Massachusetts girl, DA says

LAWRENCE, Mass. — The trial of a 76-year-old Alabama man accused of the 1988 killing of an 11-year-old girl in Massachusetts ended Wednesday with a judge declaring a mistrial due to a deadlocked jury.

Marvin C. McClendon Jr. had pleaded not guilty to a murder charge in connection with the death of Melissa Ann Tremblay.

McClendon was arrested last year, decades after Tremblay disappeared. Investigators credit new technology in tying the suspect to the 34-year-old murder. They say evidence recovered from Melissa Tremblay’s body was instrumental in solving the case.

McClendon’s lawyer Henry Fasoldt said his client appreciated the jury being “deliberate and thoughtful” and looks forward to trying the case again.

“Mr. McClendon maintains his innocence and I believe he’s innocent,” Fasoldt said.

A spokesperson for the Essex County District Attorney’s office said they plan to retry McClendon.

No new trial date has been set.

Tremblay, of Salem, New Hampshire, was found in a Lawrence trainyard on Sept. 12, 1988, the day after she was reported missing.

Back in September of 1988, Melissa Tremblay’s mother and boyfriend went to the Social Club in Lawrence. While they stayed inside, Melissa played outside in the nearby neighborhoods. But by that evening, Melissa went missing. She was last seen by a railroad employee and pizza delivery driver. Sadly, her body was discovered in the railway yard. Investigators revealed she had been stabbed to death.

Lawrence and Salem, N.H. are just a few miles apart.

McClendon, a former employee of the Massachusetts prisons department, lived near Lawrence in Chelmsford and was doing carpentry work at the time of the killing, authorities said. He worked and attended church in Lawrence.

Over the years, countless interviews have been done and investigators specializing in cold cases worked diligently on this case since 2014.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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