Victim's Mother Campaigns For Murder Registry Law
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS/WBBM) -- Some convicted murderers in Illinois could have to register like sex offenders, if a state proposal becomes law.
As WBBM Newsradio 780's Nancy Harty reports, the bill was first introduced in January by state Rep. Dennis Reboletti (R-Elmhurst.)
LISTEN: Newsradio 780's Nancy Harty reports
Podcast
It would require those who were convicted of first-degree murder in Illinois before June 1998, and convicted murderers who move to Illinois after leaving prison, to report their whereabouts to state officials for 10 years after release.
It was prompted by the release Nov. 16 of Justin Boulay, 33, who had served half of a 24-year sentence for the February 1998 murder of his ex-girlfriend, 18-year-old Andrea Will.
The reason he was released early was a provision in Illinois law before 1998, in which prisoners got one day off their sentence for every day they served in prison, CBS 2 Legal Analyst Irv Miller explained at the time.
Now, Will's mother, Patricia Rosenberg, says the proposed registry law would finally serve justice for her daughter.
"The fact that they will be accountable for their crimes 10 years beyond their release date from prison, to me, will help ensure that they've truly acclimated themselves into society," she said.
Rosenberg, of Batavia, testified before a legislative panel in Springfield Thursday.
