Megan’s Law was enacted on May 17th, 1996. Megans Law mandates that a county be notified of child offenders residing there and residents have access to that information.
On Friday July 29, 1994, 7-year old Megan Nicole Kanka disappeared. With the promise of a puppy, her neighbor lured her into his home where he raped, strangled and suffocated her. Her body was stuffed into a plastic toy chest and dumped in a nearby park . Megan had been killed by a two-time convicted child offender who lived across the street from the Kanka home and was sharing his house with two other convicted sex offenders he met in prison.
This brutal attack is what prompted the first local state legislation and what is attributed for the federal involvement in creating the law now referred to as Megan’s Law. This legislation was a landmark event and was a great move forward toward securing the protection of our children.