Retired Corrections Officer Arrested for 1988 Murder of Melissa Tremblay
More than three decades after 11-year-old Melissa Tremblay was killed in Massachusetts, 74-year-old retired corrections officer Marvin McClendon Jr. of Alabama, has been arrested in connection with her death.
Tremblay disappeared on September 11, 1988, from a social hall in Lawrence, Massachusetts where her mother and her mother’s boyfriend remained. Tremblay left to play in the neighborhoods surrounding the social clubs shortly before she was killed.
On September 12, 1988, Tremblay, who lived in Salem, Massachusetts, was found dead at the Boston & Maine Railway Yard in Lawrence. She had been stabbed and was eventually ran over by a trail car, where one of her legs was amptuated.
On Tuesday evening, officers in Cullman County Alabama arrested McClendon. It is not clear if McClendon knew Tremblay or her family, but police know he lived in nearby Chelmsford in 1988 and worked in Lawrence.
Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett explained in a press briefing that McClendon was a person of interest for a while, citing evidence found at the crime scene. Although he would not give specifics, he did say more information would be released during the arraignment.
Blodgett went on to explain his office has been diligently working on this case since 2014, with investigators that specialize in cold cases. Tremblay’s surviving relatives were notified of the arrest.
Marvin McClendon Jr., Cullman County Alabama Sheriff’s Office
