The Daily News-Journal from Murfreesboro, Tennessee • 7

www.dnj.cofr) THE DAILY NEWS JOURNAL Sunday, July 19, 2009 1 A7 STATENATION mm Jury finds man guilty of second-degree murder "We only wanted the truth. I think today we got the truth. Some of it anyways, at least most of it" Virginia Trimble Ritter Mother of Marcia Trimble nirr GANNETT TENNESSEE A Nashville jury has found Jerome Barrett guilty of second-degree murder in the killing of 9-year-old Marcia Trimble as she collected money for Girl Scout cookies in her Green Hills neighborhood 34 years ago. "We only wanted the truth Marcia's mother, Virginia Trimble Rittex said after the verdict. "I think today we got the truth.

Some of it anyway, at least most of it." Though prosecutors were hoping for a first-degree murder conviction to give Barrett a second life sentence, Tom Thurman said they were pleased with the verdict. "This trial was never about Thurman said. "It's more about determining guilt and putting this case to rest. Specifically, those whose names have been linked to this case boxes were next to her. For decades, police continued to work the Trimble case, which came to represent a loss of innocence for Nashville.

In the 1990s, DNA testing began to shed new light on the case. In 1996, police say they believe Marcia Trimble was killed when a sexual assault involving more than two young males in the girl's neighborhood "got out of But police had no suspects matching the DNA evidence. In November of 2007, Barrett, of Memphis, was charged in the death of Sally Des Prez, 19, who was found dead, in her Nashville apartment on Feb. 2, 1975. He was sentenced to life in that case after a jury convicted him in January of this year.

In investigating Barrett for the Des Prez case, they linked him to the Trimble murder. GANNETT TENNEESSEE PHOTO Virginia Trimble Ritter closes her eyes Saturday as she holds and reflects on a painting her daughter Marcia Trimble painted before she was killed while selling Girl Scout cookies in 1975. Food stamp hike keeps Police: 6 slain in suspect in custody families fed essean that food stamps have not kept pace with the cost of groceries and needed to be increased anyway. Rosa Diaz, a 21-year-old single mother who lives in Madison, said the increase from $289 to $375 per month helps to keep her pantry full. man" seen driving recklessly in a white car with a little girl on the day Marcia disappeared.

They searched a Dickson truck stop when a girl matching her description was spotted there. Dog trainers were brought in from Philadelphia and boaters dragged a lake at Percy Warner Park as police lost hope and began searching for her remains. On Easter Sunday, a neighbor found Marcia's body in a garage, just 80 yards from where she was last seen. She was covered with an antique shower curtain and a toy swimming pool, which was turned upside down. Six Girl Scout cookie Huntsville's Hall Cultured Marble and Granite late Saturday morning, said Allen, who works on the city's major crimes unit.

He said the information was explicit and led right to the business and victim. "We have no clue as yet of what unfolded there and how it relates to here," he said. Fayette ville is a town' of 7,000 people about 90 miles south of Nashville near the Tennessee-Alabama border. Huntsville is the largest city in northern Alabama with more than 170,000 people and is about 20 miles south of Fayet-teville. since switch County.

Spokesman Rick Kaplan for the Federal Communications Commission said engineers are working toward ASSOCIATED PRESS NASHVILLE A hike in food stamp benefits this year is helping consumers get more food during a tough economy and provide the state's economy with $210 million in stimulus funds. In just the first three months since the increase of about 13.6 percent, the state Department of Human Services reported an additional $49 million has been spent in food stamps. Richard Dobbs, policy director for food stamps at DHS, told The Tenn- over the years can hold their heads high." The jury sentenced Barrett to 44 years in prison. He is already serving a life term. The foreperson of the jury declined to speak through a district attorney's office spokeswoman, saying she'd rather let the verdict speak for itself.

Trimble's disappearance on Feb. 25, 1975, shocked Nashville and brought the community to a standstill as police, neighbors and family members combed the area in search of the girl. Her family held out hope she would be returned to them alive. Police released a sketch of a "bushy haired "We have a lot of unanswered questions," he said. "There's a lot we can't talk about." Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Kristin Helm said some of the victims found, in the Lincoln County homes were related and that the killings happened Friday night or early Saturday.

Huntsville Police Sgt. Mickey Allen told TV station WAFF that his department has a person in custody who confessed to several homicides in Tennessee and the one in Huntsville. Based on the suspect's information, police found a body at signals in June. Those include areas with hilly terrain a'nd that are far from signal antennas, such as Dover in Stewart County and Hohenwald in Lewis lice arrived, she said Freeman had threatened her following an argument. Investigators with the Youth and Family and Internal Affairs Divisions are working the case.

Freeman will be on paid leave pending the investigation. FREE WEIGHT LOSS WELLNESS SEMINAR ASSOCIATED PRESS FAYETTEVILLE -Five people were found slain in two homes in southern Tennessee some of whom were related, and a sixth person at a Huntsville, business, said authorities, who have a suspect in custody. Lincoln County, i Sheriff Murray Blackwelder, said a news conference that his department is investigating three crime scenes, though he did not elaborate. He did not release the victims' names, or that of the suspect and would not confirm the causes of death. He did not release a motive.

July 30th 1 7:00 PM BEING HELD THE RUTHERFORD COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (Next to Ruby Tuesday on Memorial Blvd.) Lose 15-20 lbs a month safely and learn hi rtrvfrf I fffi ife' Some without TV signal Doctor Recommended, Clinically Proven Amazing Weight Loss Program Eat six times per day No Program Fees No Measuring No Meetings No Kidding! "NO DRUGS OR STIMULANTS!" Donna Sadler lost 15 lbs in 1 month! Samantha Albright lost 14 lbs in 1 month! Enrin Upchurch lost 1 1 tts 1 months! 'Martina Fye lost 14 lbs in 3 weeks! 'Katie Williams lost 14 His in 1 month! NASHVILLE (AP) -Some rural areas in Tennessee are still without access to local television stations after the FCC airwaves changed from analog to digital Take Shape For Life, SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER: Dr. Chad Upchurch from DicksonJN Presented by: LONGIE CHIROPRACTIC Call 61 5-867-0282, 24 Hours a day to reserve your seat or email your reservation for this exciting FREE seminar! LONGIECHIROeBELLSOUTH.NET Chattanooga officer relieved of duty how to keep it off I LmmI ill Laul I I I Mil I CHATTANOOGA (AP) Chattanooga Police Officer Kenneth Freeman has been relieved of duty following allegations of domestic assault. According to a news release from the Chattanooga Police Department, Freeman's girlfriend called police at 1 a.m. Saturday. When po mm L.

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