The murder of Caylee Anthony is a terrible tragedy that has not fully played out yet. In the end, we will all see who is guilty but one thing is now certain: that child was innocent.
In studying the history of crime and these crimes in particular, perhaps we can come to understand the twisted psychology of child killers and prevent future crimes from taking place.
Polly Klaas
Polly Klaas was born on January 3, 1981. She was murdered by Richard Allen Davis in 1993, after he crashed her slumber party in the night.He tied her and her two friends up, putting hoods on their heads. Then he took Polly and disappeared.
In the time between Polly’s kidnapping and his capture Richard Allen Davis was stopped by police twice. The first time, he was trespassing not far from Polly’s house. Davis had a history of violence against women and true to the profile of many serial killers, he had a troubled childhood and history of violence against animals.
If Polly Klaas were alive today, she would be about 28 years old. She was a funny, bright girl who liked popcorn, practical jokes and Judy Blume novels. Her favorite book, however was Little Women. Today her father, Marc Klaas is an advocate for victim’s rights.
Jaclyn Dowaliby
Seven year old Jaclyn Dowaliby was taken from her Midlothian, Illinois home on September 10, 1988. She was found four days later about four miles from her home.It was determined that she was strangled. Although evidence was scarce, the police soon arrested Jaclyn’s parents Cynthia and David Dowaliby for her murder, placing Jaclyn’s little brother in a group home.
At the trial, one witness was produced who claimed he saw David Dowaliby near the place where the body was found. He said he recognized his “nose structure”. This was in an unlit parking lot from about 75 (69m) yards away. During the trial, graphic photos of Jaclyn’s body were shown.
The jury convicted Dowaliby, saying that a major factor in their decision was something they had seen in one of the photographs: a hole in the closet door of the Dowaliby’s home.
The hole was not mentioned by either the prosecution or the defense and was actually made before the Dowaliby’s moved in. Nevertheless, the jury said the hole in the picture was a fist mark- evidence that David Dowaliby had a bad temper. When asked, they said they wanted to convict Cynthia Dowaliby,too.
The appellate court later overturned David Dowaliby’s conviction and he was exonerated.
Jaclyn’s real killer was never found.
JonBenet Ramsey died on Christmas Eve 1996. She was a six year old beauty pageant contestant who lived in Boulder, Colorado with her brother, father and mother. On December 26, her mother , Patsy Ramsey, awoke to find her daughter missing. She also found a two and a half page note demanding $118,000 ransom.
The police asked John Ramsey and a family friend to search the house for anything unusual. They found JonBenet’s body in the wine cellar, covered in a blanket. The police did not seal the crime scene immediately once the kidnapping was reported. They also did not sufficiently gather evidence. Critics of the investigation said this was because they had already begun to suspect the Ramseys.
Patsy Ramsey died of cancer on June 24 2006. The Boulder District Attorney issued a formal apology to the Ramsey family on July 9, 2008, exonerating them from the murder. Two months later, John Mark Kerr was arrested for child pornography charges. He confessed to JonBenet’s murder, but authorities later determined he did not commit the crime.
In December of 2003, forensic scientists extracted a tiny bit of DNA from JonBenet’s undergarments. The DNA was of an unknown male. It has not yet found a match in the FBI database but it is checked on a weekly basis.
The murder, though still in the public awareness, remains unsolved.
In the end, one can only hope that forensic science and continued attention to the stories of Jaclyn Dowaliby and JonBenet Ramsey will uncover their killers. Polly Klaas’ life will continue to touch others’ as her father tirelessly advocates for other victims.
Sources:
Wikipedia: JonBenet Ramsey
Wikipedia: Patricia “Patsy “Ramsey
Wikipedia: David Dowaliby
David Dowaliby, Center on Wrongful Convictions, Northwestern Law
Denise Noe: The Killing of Polly Klaas: Trutv Crime Library
