STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. — Her friend thought it was odd. Jennifer Clemmings hadn’t been heard from in several days.
It was January 27, 2003.
The friend went to check on Clemmings, a successful Mary Kay representative.
The friend went by Clemmings' home on Martin Road in Stone Mountain and let herself in with a key Clemmings had given her. She was met by a horrific scene.
The friend found Clemmings' body in her bedroom. She’d been stabbed approximately 20 times.
Police say there were no signs of forced entry or robbery. There was some forensic evidence left behind which, in 2003, wasn’t as valuable as it is now. But perhaps the biggest clue as to the identity of her killer, came from Clemmings herself. Even as she was fighting for her life, Clemmings had the foresight to call a friend surreptitiously and leave a voice mail message capturing the final moments of her life. It also captured the killer’s voice.
“Before she was killed she attempted to call a friend of hers,” said Lt. Rod Bryant with the DeKalb County Police. “The friend didn’t answer and went directly to the friend’s voice mail and about 30 seconds of her conversing with the killer was recorded on that voice mail.”
The voice mail message captured Clemmings trying to reason for her life with the killer.
EXCERPT FROM VOICE MAIL MESSAGE
Killer: Don’t play.
Clemmings: I’m not playing. I done told you. I done told you
Killer: Just sit on the floor. I’m not gonna hurt you.
Clemmings: OK. OK.
From everything investigators saw, Clemmings’ murder was personal.
“I think she knows the person. I think she invited him in,” said Lt. Bryant.
Police point to a portion of the voice mail message where Clemmings and the killer argue about money.
EXCERPT FROM VOICE MAIL MESSAGE
Clemmings: Do you want your money?
Killer: Just sit on the floor. I won’t hurt you.
Clemmings: Do you want your….
Killer: Do I have to say this again?
Jennifer: No, you don’t have to say this again.
Police looked at all of Clemmings' personal or business associates but nothing led them to an arrest.
“She was single. She didn’t date too many men,” said Lt. Bryant, who worked the original case and is now looking into it as a cold case. “She was committed to her business.
”They say the voice mail message makes it seem she knew her attacker.
“I hear a very aggressive person,” explained Lt. Bryant. “He’s upset with her. He’s upset with her for a reason. I heard the fear in her voice. She knew that this was not going to go well for her.”
Police believe Clemmings' killer told someone about the murder. They need someone to come through with new information and they can then rely on the forensic evidence to find the person responsible.
“We did receive multiple evidence from the location and hopefully it’ll lead us to a suspect in the future,” said Lt. Bryant. “It’s going to be a piece of forensic evidence (that solves this case).”
If you have information about the murder of Jennifer Clemmings, submit a tip online or call CrimeStoppers at 404-577-TIPS.
For more cold cases, visit http://www.11alive.com/coldcases. Join our Facebook group and join our discussions about cold cases, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/gonecold/.
