The Dane County Sheriff’s Office joins with the Town of Madison Police, Monona Police, Middleton Police and the Wisconsin Department of Corrections to inform citizens of the greater Madison area of the impending release of Gerald M. Turner, Jr., age 68, from the Racine Correctional Institution in Sturtevant.
Turner, known to many as the “Halloween killer,” was convicted in 1975 for the murder and sexual assault of 9-year-old Lisa Ann French in Fond du Lac. His conviction later led to the creation of Wisconsin’s sexual predator law. Turner was paroled in 1998 to a halfway house in Milwaukee and then in Madison, but was subsequently revoked in 2002 and returned to prison for violating the rules of his supervision, which included possessing pornography.
Turner’s mandatory release will occur on Feb. 1, 2018 and he has expressed interest in moving to the Madison area, according to a press release from the Dane County Sheriff's Office.
Although it is not known with certainty that he will come to Madison, local law enforcement felt it was crucial to inform the public of his plans. Turner has not identified a permanent residence and has stated he will initially rely on local hotels for housing.
On Friday, Jan. 26, Wisconsin Attorney General Brad D. Schimel announced that he filed a petition to commit Turner to a civil commitment under Chapter 980. He will be held in custody until a probable cause hearing can occur before the Fond Du Lac County Circuit Court.
If released, Turner will be required by state law to register as a sex offender and will be monitored with a GPS ankle bracelet for the remainder of his life but will not be on community supervision as he has completed his sentence. As a lifetime registered sex offender, Turner is required to update his information, including his address, with the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry within 10 days of any changes and provide updates to the registry every 3 months.
It is not the intention of law enforcement to create fear or incite vigilantism related to Turner’s possible presence in the area, but instead to establish transparency and provide as much information as possible to the public.
For more go to WKOW: http://www.wkow.com/story/37374590/2018/01/29/dane-county-law-enforcement-prepares-for-release-of-halloween-killer