Polly was kidnapped and murdered on October 1, 1993. After 30-years of advocacy, the KlaasKids held our last Board of Directors meeting on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, the same day that Gov. Newsom signed SB 285 into law. The law, which goes into effect on Jan 1, 2025, says that an individual who has been convicted of a sexually violent offense and sentenced to death or a life term without the possibility of parole, is not eligible for recall and resentencing.

The law was written and enacted in response to my outrage over Polly’s killer, a previously diagnosed sexually sadistic psychopath, being granted resentencing consideration. After all, a jury found him guilty of multiple heinous crimes against Polly and sentenced him to death in 1996. Yet, despite numerous failed appeals he was granted a hearing for parole reconsideration in April 2024.

In May 2024, Judge Benjamin Williams ruled that the killer was ineligible for sentence reconsideration after finding that his argument amounted to an unauthorized challenge to the death sentence, which can only be done through a writ of habeas corpus. The defense persisted with new arguments and now Judge Williams must make another ruling on Jan 17, 2025.

This time, the law will hold the killer ineligible for sentence reconsideration, effectively ending the effort by Polly’s killer to be resentenced for crimes he committed against Polly.

Do not take injustice for granted. If you stand up and fight for what you believe in you too can make a difference!

Marc Klaas, October 4, 2024

KlaasKids Workbooks:

Search and Rescue Community Resource Manual:

If you know someone who is desperately looking for a missing child, this workbook will be of invaluable help. It will guide you through the process of establishing a community response.

Neighborhood Watch: 

A comprehensive neighborhood watch program is one of the most effective weapons in our crime fighting arsenal.

Fight Back: Safeguard Your Community

The KlaasKids Foundation  taken many of the best ideas presented to us in numerous community forums, meetings, and one-on-one encounters and categorized them for your benefit. Some require partnerships; a roll up the sleeve approach and sometimes the benefits will not be instantly apparent: others are easily implemented, but just as critical. All are viable and proactive.

1996 Trial in Pictures