Man accused of killing 11-year-old girl in 1988 Lawrence cold case found not guilty

The 77-year-old Alabama man on trial for the 1988 murder of an 11-year-old girl in Lawrence was found not guilty by a jury in Lawrence District Court Tuesday, the Essex County District Attorney’s office told Boston 25.

Marvin McClendon, a 77-year-old man from Alabama, was arrested in 2022 for allegedly killing Melissa Tremblay, more than 30 years after the girl’s death. In September 1988, the Salem, New Hampshire girl was found beaten and stabbed in a Lawrence railyard.

The non-guilty verdict ends McClendon’s second trial for the girl’s murder. The first trial ended in a mistrial when the jury became deadlocked.

In 2022, the Essex County District Attorney’s office said the evidence recovered from Tremblay’s body was “instrumental” in identifying McClendon as the suspect.

Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker said his office was “disappointed” by the result.

“While disappointed with the verdict, the efforts of our prosecutors and law enforcement in this case were extraordinary,” said Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker. “I recognize the work and dedication of the jury during their long deliberations in this case. My thoughts are with the family of Melissa Ann Tremblay, who have suffered greatly due to the crime that took her life.”

During the trial, prosecutors urged the jury to convict the Alabama man by arguing that he was left-handed, like Melissa’s killer and unlike his other family members. But McClendon’s lawyer told the jury the evidence against McClendon was circumstantial and did not go beyond a reasonable doubt.

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

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