Lisa French’s 1973 Trick-or-Treating Homicide Nonetheless Haunts Halloween

Dressed within the costume of a hobo, Lisa French, 9, set off from her Wisconsin house on the night of Oct. 31, 1973, to go trick-or-treating alone. She by no means returned.

When information of her disappearance unfold, the working-class group of Fond du Lac instantly rallied. Greater than 5,000 group members joined regulation enforcement, together with Nationwide Guard helicopters, within the seek for the fourth-grade scholar, Treasure Coast Newspapers reported.

Tragically, two days later, a farmer discovered the woman’s nude physique inside a plastic rubbish bag within the city of Taycheedah, Treasure Coast Newspapers reported. She died from asphyxia and had been sexually assaulted, per the outlet.

On the time of her loss of life, her mom, Maryann Gehring, described the woman as “a sort individual” who helped others.

“When she was 9 years previous she got here house from faculty sooner or later and she or he stated there’s a little bit woman at school who doesn’t have good garments, and she or he was questioning if she might undergo among the garments she didn’t put on and she or he ought to take them to highschool together with her, and she or he did,” Gehring informed WBAY . “She took an enormous bag of garments to highschool for this little woman.”

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It took 9 months earlier than police lastly arrested her killer, 25-year-old Gerald Turner, who allegedly confessed to the rape and killing, in keeping with WISN.

Turner, a machinist, lived simply three doorways down from Lisa’s household, in keeping with Treasure Coast Newspapers.

Throughout his trial, a psychologist at Taycheedah Correctional Establishment testified that Turner, who was dubbed the Halloween Killer, had “a chilly disregard for individuals, primarily females,” per Treasure Coast Newspapers. “He doesn’t have conscience management to inhibit his impulses for pleasure and to adapt to society’s legal guidelines.”

Turner stated throughout trial that he didn’t kill Lisa. He acknowledged that he’d beforehand signed a confession admitting to the killing, however claimed he solely did so as a result of he “received sick and bored with being harassed by police calling on me,” Treasure Coast Newspapers reported.

Turner was convicted of second-degree homicide and rape and sentenced to 38 years in jail on Feb. 4, 1975.

Throughout sentencing, Circuit Court docket Choose Milton Meister stated Turner “impressed me as exhibiting no regret … no feeling of repentance,” per Treasure Coast Newspapers.

“It was horrible what he did to that little woman,” former Fond du Lac police Detective Melvin Heller informed WISN in 2019. “It is not the identical right here in Fond du Lac. Everyone that lives right here all the time is aware of about Lisa French.”

Turner was launched from jail in 1992 after serving 17 years, however went again in the identical yr due to a launch date technicality, in keeping with Fox 11.

He received out six years later however returned to jail in 2003 on a parole violation after authorities discovered pornographic pictures on his pc, per Fox 11.

In 2018, the state filed a swimsuit to have Turner thought of a sexually violent offender beneath the violent intercourse offender regulation and to maintain him in custody indefinitely, Fox 11 reported.

A listening to to find out whether or not he ought to keep in custody is scheduled for July 2025, per Fox 11.

Turner, who’s now 75, is presently being held in a supervised residing facility in Mauston, in keeping with the Wisconsin Intercourse Offender Registry.  

His protection lawyer and the lawyer basic’s workplace couldn’t be reached for remark.

In case you or somebody you understand has been sexually assaulted, please contact the Nationwide Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.