Sarah (“Sally”) Des Prez was a 19-year-old Vanderbilt freshman when she was found suffocated in her off-campus apartment in February 1975. Nearly 34 years later, a jury has found Jerome Barrett guilty of first-degree murder in her death. A repeat sex criminal, Barrett has spent most of the intervening years in prison for other crimes. He is also set to be tried in July for the murder of 9-year-old Nashville girl Marcia Trimble, a crime that took place the same month as Des Prez’ slaying. DNA evidence has played a crucial role in both cases.