On November 5, 2024, Marvin 'Skip' McClendon Jr. was found not guilty of the 1988 murder of 11-year-old Melissa Ann Tremblay after a six-day jury deliberation in Essex County Superior Court.

The prosecution's case relied heavily on DNA evidence found under Tremblay's fingernails, which they argued linked McClendon to the crime, excluding 99.8% of the male population.

At the time of the murder, McClendon was a handyman and a retired officer from the Massachusetts Department of Corrections.

McClendon was arrested in April 2022 as a fugitive based on DNA evidence linking him to the murder, having been living in Alabama at the time.

He lived approximately 16 miles from the crime scene in Lawrence, Massachusetts, but had no significant ties to the area.

Melissa Tremblay went missing on September 12, 1988, after playing outside a social club where her mother was visiting; her body was discovered the next day in a railway yard.

Her death was ruled a homicide resulting from multiple stab wounds and subsequent injuries from a train.

During the trial, prosecutors argued that McClendon's comments during his arrest indicated he had knowledge of the crime details and suggested he was fixated on the violence of the attack.

The jury's decision followed a previous deadlock, demonstrating the complexity of the case and the weight of the evidence presented.

Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker expressed disappointment with the verdict, acknowledging the efforts of law enforcement and the jury while extending condolences to Tremblay's family.

Despite the verdict, the Tremblay family continues to seek justice for Melissa and remembers her fondly.

This trial marked McClendon's second attempt at prosecution, following a mistrial in December 2023 due to jurors not reaching a verdict after a week of deliberations.