Petaluma is a quiet California city where life moves slowly and the community is close-knit and warm. Polly Klaas was a unique figure in this environment, distinguished by her talent and charisma. From an early age, she took part in school performances and music competitions, gaining recognition and admiration among the residents. Polly had everything to fulfill her “American dream”.
On the evening of October 1, 1993, Polly invited two friends over for the night. The girls spent time playing, watching TV and eating sweets, enjoying carefree moments. There were still mother and older daughter at home.
A kidnapping that shocks to this day
At around 10:30 p.m., a man armed with a knife broke into Polly’s room. He bound and gagged her friends, putting pillowcases over their heads. “You have to count to a thousand” – he said, threatening them with harm if they did not obey. During this time, he kidnapped Polly and fled the scene. Neither the mother nor the older sister heard anything that was happening due to the size of the house and the speed of the whole thing.
After the kidnapping, an intensive search operation began. However, despite all efforts, Polly could not be found. The girl’s story became famous around the world, and thousands of volunteers and hundreds of policemen were involved in the search for her. Even famous actress Winona Ryder, who grew up in Petaluma, offered $200,000 to find the girl.
Tragic ending
Unfortunately, 12-year-old Polly did not return home. She was brutally murdered by Richard Davis, a criminal known to the police. Davis pleaded guilty only on December 4, 1993 and indicated the place where he hid Polly’s body.
The same night Polly stayed, in another town not far from the crime scene, a woman noticed a parked truck that aroused her suspicions. The police have been informed. At the scene, officers found Richard Davis drinking alcohol. Due to lack of evidence of driving under the influence of alcohol, Davis was merely cautionedand its details were written down. The policemen who carried out the intervention had no information about the kidnapping yet, because the entire incident took place 30 minutes before the girl was reported missing.
A breakthrough in the investigation
On November 28, the owner of the house where Davis was parked found a pair of torn girl’s leggings near the property. She immediately notified the police what turned out to be crucial to the investigation.
On June 18, 1996, Richard Davis was convicted for first degree, robbery, burglary, kidnapping and lewd acts on a child. He received the death penalty. During the sentencing, Davis shocked the audience by laughing and showing his middle fingers with both hands.
Despite Davis being sentenced to death, he still lives on death row in San Quentin. In 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order suspending the executions of 737 inmates, including Davis.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
