Polly Hannah Klaas

Polly Hannah Klaas (January 3, 1981 - October-November 1993) was a kidnap and murder victim whose case gained national attention in the United States. At the age of twelve, she was kidnapped at knifepoint from her mother's home in Petaluma, California on October 1, 1993. She was later strangled. Richard Allen Davis was convicted of the crimes in 1996 and sentenced to death. Image File history File links Polly2. ... Image File history File links Polly2. ... January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Petaluma is a city with a well preserved historic city center [1] in Sonoma County, California, in the United States. ... October 1 is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Richard Allen Davis at San Quentin State Prison Richard Allen Davis, born June 2, 1954, is a convicted murderer whose criminal record resulted in Californias Three strikes law for repeat offenders. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

Because she loved music and performing in plays, the Polly Hannah Klaas Performing Arts Center was created in her honor in Petaluma.

Background

Polly had invited two of her friends over for a sleepover. Around 10:30 p.m. Klaas opened her bedroom door to fetch sleeping bags, when she saw a man with a knife. He tied the girls up, told Klaas' friends to count to one thousand, and then kidnapped her. Over the next two months, about 4,000 people helped search for her. Television shows such as 20/20 and America's Most Wanted covered the kidnapping. This article is about the television show. ... AMW redirects here; for other uses of that term, see AMW (disambiguation). ...

In the course of the search, police officers encountered Davis in a nearby rural area, where his Ford Pinto was stuck in the mud. At the time, missing person's bulletins were broadcast on only one police channel, to which the officers were not tuned; this practice was changed after the case, so such bulletins were broadcast on all police channels. It was later discovered that Klaas was buried alive at this time, and the meeting with the police may have prompted Davis to kill her. The Ford Pinto was an American subcompact car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company, first introduced in 1971, and built through the 1980 model year. ...

On November 30, police arrested Davis, as his palm print had been found in Klaas' bedroom. Four days later, he led police to Polly's dead body, with her miniskirt pulled up and her legs spread apart. Davis said that he strangled her from behind with a piece of cloth. Although there was no way to check exactly how she died, as the body had decayed for two months, the statement was consistent with the evidence. November 30 is the 334th day (335th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 31 days remaining. ...

Winona Ryder

Winona Ryder, who had been raised in Petaluma, offered a $200,000 reward for Polly's safe return during the search. After Klaas' death, Ryder starred in a film version of Little Women and dedicated it to Klaas' memory, the Louisa May Alcott novel having been Polly's favorite book. The producers at first wanted to remove the dedication. Ryder then said she would not do any publicity for the film if it was removed, so it remained in the film. Winona Ryder (born Winona Laura Horowitz on October 29, 1971) is an Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe Award winning American actress. ... Little Women is the 1994 film version of the classic Louisa May Alcott novel, Little Women adapted by Robin Swicord and directed by Gillian Armstrong. ... Little Women is a novel by Louisa May Alcott published on September 30, 1868, concerning the lives and loves of four sisters growing up during the American Civil War. ... Louisa May Alcott (November 29, 1832 – March 6, 1888) was an American novelist. ...

In December 2002 Polly's name was brought up during Ryder's sentencing for shoplifting when defense attorney Mark Geragos brought up all the work Ryder did when Polly was kidnapped. The DA of the case accused Ryder and Geragos of bringing up the "body of a dead child." Ryder was visibly upset by the charge. Mark Geragos Mark John Geragos (born October 5, 1957)[1] is an American criminal defense attorney best known for defending pop-star Michael Jackson, actress Winona Ryder, Gary Condit, and Susan McDougal, who was involved in the Whitewater scandal. ...

Marc Klaas

Her father Marc Klaas is now a child advocate and has made himself available to parents of kidnapped children. He has also made appearances on Larry King Live. He also makes appearances on the CNN Headline News show, Nancy Grace. The Polly Klaas Foundation is a nonprofit organization devoted to preventing crimes against children, assisting in the recovery of missing children, and lobbying for legislative assistance. ... Larry King Live is a nightly CNN interview program hosted by broadcaster and writer Larry King. ... CNN Headline News is a spin-off network from the original Cable News Network (CNN) television news network in the United States and Canada. ... Nancy Grace Nancy Grace (born October 23, 1958 in Macon, Georgia) is an American talk show host and former prosecutor. ...

See also

• Polly Klaas Foundation

The Polly Klaas Foundation is a nonprofit organization devoted to preventing crimes against children, assisting in the recovery of missing children, and lobbying for legislative assistance. ...

External links

• Crime Library Article on Polly Klaas