Lisa Ann French | |
|---|---|
 French in 1972 | |
| Born | June 2, 1964 Oshkosh, Wisconsin U.S. |
| Died | October 31, 1973 (aged 9) Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Asphyxiation and/or shock |
| Body discovered | Taycheedah, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Burial place | Estabrooks Cemetery |
| Education | Chegwin Elementary School |
Lisa Ann French (June 2, 1964 – October 31, 1973) was a 9-year-old girl from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, who was sexually assaulted and murdered by her neighbor, Gerald Miles Turner Jr. (later nicknamed "The Halloween Killer"[1]), on Halloween night 1973, while she was trick-or-treating alone.
French was out Trick-or-Treating alone near her home on her way to a neighborhood Halloween party.[2] Turner lured her into his home before sexually assaulting and killing her, then concealing her corpse in a garbage bag and later discarding her body in a farm field in the town of Taycheedah, Wisconsin.[3] Turner confessed to the murder nine months later, and was originally sentenced to 38 years and 6 months for his crimes. He was mandatorily released on parole in 1992 and 1998, but sent back to prison in 2003 for 15 years and 6 months for violating his parole.[2] The murder sent shockwaves through the local community of Fond du Lac and the state of Wisconsin, causing more stringent daylight trick-or-treating hours in Wisconsin communities and inspiring the creation of Wisconsin Chapter 980, enacted in 1994 and nicknamed "Turner's Law," which allows criminals who have been released from their prison sentences to be detained in mental health facilities if they are deemed sexually violent persons and dangerous to the public.[4][5][6][7]
- ^ Kriel, Lomi (October 23, 2008). "Texas agents arrest sex offenders in Halloween sweep". Chron. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- ^ a b Roznik, Sharon. "Lisa Ann French's family fights release of Wisconsin's infamous 'Halloween Killer'". The Reporter. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- ^ "Photos: Four decades later, effects of Lisa Ann French's murder remain". www.fdlreporter.com. Archived from the original on September 26, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ "How the 1973 murder of a 9-year-old girl changed trick-or-treat in Wisconsin". WISN. October 25, 2019. Archived from the original on May 9, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- ^ "Trick-or-treating hours changed after 1973 crime". TMJ4. October 31, 2018. Archived from the original on August 3, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- ^ Martens, Bill (February 8, 2018). "Amid Turner Case, Analyzing Wisconsin's Sexually Violent Persons Law". Wisconsin Public Radio. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ "WI Predator-Law Poster Boy Gets Released | Prison Legal News". Prison Legal News. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2021.