Megan Kanka
Megan Kanka was a seven-year-old girl from New Jersey who was sexually assaulted and murdered by convicted sex offender Jesse Timmendequas in 1994. Her case eventually gave rise to "Megan's Law", a series of laws which compel the registration of known sex offenders on the state and local level.
Fast Facts:
- Born: December 7, 1986
- Hometown: Hamilton Township, New Jersey
- Died: July 29, 1994
- Her death inspired Megan's Law
- Killer: Jesse Timmendequas
Brief Biography
Megan Kanka grew up in Hamilton Township, New Jersey, and lived across the street from Jesse Timmendequas, a convicted sex offender. Timmendequas lured Megan into his home with the promise of seeing a puppy and then sexually assaulted her, strangled her, and dumped her body in Mercer County Park. After a manhunt, Timmendequas was arrested, tried, convicted, and sentenced to death for Kanka's murder.
The Birth of Megan's Law
Megan's parents, Richard and Maureen Kanka, created a petition to mandate the registration of sex offenders. The petition garnered 400,000 signatures and within 89 days of the petition's creation, New Jersey passed the first Megan's Law. In 1996, President Clinton signed a federal law which mandated that states develop a registry of known sex offenders.
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