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Jesse Timmendequas (born April 15, 1961) was, on May 30, 1997, convicted of murdering his neighbor, seven-year-old Megan Kanka, in 1994. The murder led the Legislature of the U.S. state of New Jersey to pass "Megan's Law", which requires notification when a previously convicted sex offender moves into a neighborhood.
In 1979, Timmendequas had pleaded guilty to the attempted aggravated sexual assault of a 5-year-old girl in Piscataway, New Jersey. He was given a suspended sentence, but, failing to go to counseling, he spent nine months at the Middlesex Adult Correctional Center. In 1981, he pleaded guilty in regards to the sexual assault of a seven-year-old girl and was imprisoned, at Avenel, for six years.
Conviction
Evidence including blood stains, hair, and fiber samples, found outside Timmendequas' home, as well as a bite mark matching Kanka's teeth, on Timmendequas' hand, led to Timmendequas being found guilty of kidnapping, four counts of aggravated sexual assault, and two counts of felony murder. Prosecutors argued that Timmendequas lured the girl into his house, across the street from hers, offering to show her a puppy. After raping her, he slammed her head onto a dresser, put a plastic bag over her head, and strangled her with a belt. He raped her post-mortem after putting her in his car after he drove off. He then stuck her body into a toy box and left it in a nearby county park. A day later, he had led police to the body in the park.
Congressman Dick Zimmer stated, "I believe he is exactly the kind of predator that the legislature had in mind when it enacted the death penalty."
The court sentenced Timmendequas to death. He remains on death row, waiting for the sentence to be carried out.
Defense
Timmendequas' defense maintained he was coerced, by police, into confessing. The defense further argued that Timmendequas' roommates, also convicted sex offenders, were involved in the slaying. The three men had met at Avenel.
References
1961 births | Living people | American murderers | Murderers of children | Convicted child sex offenders | Prisoners sentenced to death | Rapists
"Jesse Timmendequas"