Prior to kidnapping and murdering Polly Klaas, Richard Davis was revealed to be a multiple offender with a history of violent crimes behind him, including a previous kidnapping of a woman. The legal analyst Steven Clark has described Davis as a “career criminal” (per ABC 7 News), a fact that greatly increased the suffering of Polly Klaas’ loved ones; surely a known criminal ought to have already behind bars, instead of walking the streets with the opportunity to strike again? Following Davis’ arrest, a lengthy police investigation took place, and he was put on trial in 1996, during which he was found guilty of the murder of Klaas.

But Davis has managed to cause even more outrage in the courtroom by making obscene gestures to members of the press and, in a final statement, claiming that the victim had told him that she had been molested by her father, causing Marc Klaas to lunge and swear at the murderer before being removed from the room. Judge Thomas C. Hastings told Davis: “Mr. Davis, this is always a traumatic and emotional decision for a judge. You made it very easy today by your conduct,” per The New York Times.