Home / Crime and Justice / Polly Klaas' Abduction: A Chilling 32-Year-Old Cold Case That Shaped California
Polly Klaas' Abduction: A Chilling 32-Year-Old Cold Case That Shaped California
26 Oct
Summary
- Polly Klaas, 12, abducted from her home in 1993
- Her murder led to California's "three strikes" law
- Actress Winona Ryder offered $200,000 reward for Polly's safe return
The abduction and murder of Polly Klaas, a 12-year-old girl from Petaluma, California, continues to resonate in the American psyche over three decades later. On October 1, 1993, Klaas was kidnapped from her home during a slumber party with two friends, while her mother and half-sister slept nearby.
The case sparked a nationwide search, with thousands of volunteers joining law enforcement in the effort to find Klaas. Actress Winona Ryder, who had been raised in Petaluma, became a vocal advocate, offering a $200,000 reward for Polly's safe return. Tragically, Klaas was found dead 65 days later, strangled by her abductor, ex-convict Richard Allen Davis.
Klaas' murder had a lasting impact, leading to the adoption of California's "three strikes" law, which imposed harsher sentences for repeat offenders like Davis. While California's governor placed a moratorium on executions in 2019, a judge rejected Davis' resentencing bid in 2024, keeping him on death row.
