The Killing of Polly Klaas

Karr's Obsession Upsets Klaas and Petaluma

The residents of Petaluma were none too happy to hear about John Mark Karr's obsession with Polly Klaas. The brazen abduction and brutal murder of the popular 12-year-old deeply shocked the community. The last thing the citizens wanted was a potential connection to the infamous JonBenet Ramsey case.

Marc Klaas

For Polly's father, Marc Klaas, it was beyond disturbing. "This is getting creepier by the minute," Klaas told the Washington Post from Southern California, where he was campaigning for Jessica's Law, an initiative that would force many sex offenders to wear satellite-tracked monitoring devices for life and restrict where they could live.

After Polly's death, Klaas became an advocate for child safety, forming the foundation KlaasKids.

Logo: KlaasKids Foundation

"I had gotten myself at a place in my life where I remember the good things," he said. "This is just dragging up the really hideous stuff all over again in about the most disturbing way you could even imagine."