Marcia Trimble
It was a big news day today for Nashville, as jury selection started in the trial of Jerome Barrett, accused of killing Marcia Trimble, Nashville's most notorious cold case. In an unusual twist, Barrett requested that the jury come from Davidson County. Usually, defendant's want a jury from outside the venue because of potential bias from news coverage. Not sure why he did that, but it has been speculated that the jury can be culled from young people and new people to Nashville, who do not have a memory of this horrific crime.
Sarah Des Prez
Both of these cases had Nashville holding its breath. How could such violent crimes occur here?It has been said that Nashville lost its innocence over the Trimble murder, and people never felt safe in the same way again.
But also, how could these crimes go unsolved for so long? Sarah was murdered near Vanderbilt campus, where she was a student. Nine-year-old Marcia was killed in her suburban neighborhood as she set out to deliver girl scout cookies. The murders occurred about three weeks apart. Never did people connect the two and think the same person could have committed both. For most of the time, it was thought a neighborhood kid had killed Marcia.
But as it turns out, Barrett had worked at Geddes Douglas nursery, which was then located near Marcia's home. That makes it more probable he committed that murder.
I personally had some ties to both victims through school/church/neighborhood. And I know of many families who were turned upset down when their sons were questioned in the case.
After all these years, on the eve of the trial, there doesn't seem to be as much fanfair about the trial as one would have thought. But then DNA has linked Barrett to the Trimble case. And maybe Nashville is already at peace with the knowledge of who committed the murder.
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