Cats doused with gasoline, set on fire
Petaluma, CA (US)

Incident Date: Friday, Oct 1, 1993
County: Sonoma

Disposition: Not Charged

Person of Interest: Richard Allen Davis

In October 1993, Richard Allen Davis, 38, abducted Polly Klaas (age 12) at knifepoint, from her home in Petaluma, California during a slumber party.

As a child he set cats on fire and threw knives at dogs.

He was never convicted of animal crimes. He was convicted and sentenced to death for killing Polly Klaas.

Davis was paroled from a prior kidnapping conviction only three months before kidnapping and murdering Polly Klaas. His other convictions included second degree burglary, robbery and assault. He was finally sentenced to death on 9/26/96.

References

• Polly Klaas Foundation
• CNN
• Time Magazine
• People Magazine
• Associated Press
• Court TV
• The National Rifle Association
• The Washington Times
• Los Angeles Times
• The Discovery Channel - The FBI Files
• Crime Library

« CA State Animal Cruelty Map
« More cases in Sonoma County, CA

Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.