Woman slain at Route 24 rest stop - Murderer one of 17,000 unregistered Massachusetts Sex offenders

Boston Globe ^ | July 19, 2002 | Francie Latour and Emily Ramshaw

[Cincinatus' Wife]

BRIDGEWATER - On the other side of the bathroom door, she would find cars, lights, people, the highway - safety, if Alexandra Zapp could dodge the man blocking the way out with his body, and a knife.

The man had seen her pull in to the rest stop off Route 24, prosecutors said, wearing flip-flops and clutching her wallet and keys as she headed for the ladies' room in the early morning hours yesterday. He had pulled the knife and he had waited for her. Zapp opened the door to her attacker, and what police say happened next surprised no one who knew the fiery athlete: She began to struggle.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

As a convicted rapist, Leahy would be a candidate for the state's sex offender registry. But because of legal challenges, the registry board was blocked from processing cases until last year. As a result, only 1,000 of 18,000 offenders have been registered.

He should have been in prison, not out on the street.

[Jaidyn]

You never give a sex offender a second chance because everyone of them are repeat offenders. Limit their sex crimes as prison inmates and let those guys duke it out.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I'd like to confront one of those filing legal challenges against registering sex offenders.

[Jaidyn]

My small town has had its share of perverts. One recently got caught and hung himself while in jail awaiting sentencing. A local teenager has been missing for over a year and we had hoped he would give us insight on her whereabouts whether dead or alive. Another convicted child molester who is out gets his share of taunts from citizens. I doubt he will do anything around here but there are many nearby towns. One guy is serving life for murdering his girlfriend's 18 month old baby. She was found with cigarette burn scars on her body. A six week old baby was found in the lap of his grandfather (I won't go into this one) and was tried in a large city and never even made headlines. There are many more cases so actually it is a common occurance and not just parents have to act to save the children, but everyone needs to have a third eye out for them. These people need to be reported and they need to be locked away the first time. No passes, no anything but bars for life!

[backhoe]

He should have been in prison, not out on the street.

Cincy, in my opinion he should have been dead.

I'm one of those who has reservations about the death penalty- but I also had a girlfriend long ago who had been raped and nearly murdered. These creatures are almost always serial offenders who "just got unlucky enough to get caught" after attacking many women. And nobody on Earth knows how to "rehabilitate" them, either.

[CWRWinger]

Criminals rule, in part because the Second Amendment rights have been oppressed. If Zapp had been armed, I have no doubt Leahy would have been another passing "bringing a knife to a gunfight" joke.

As for the policeman, O'Riley, why did he let Leahy out of that restroom alive? Leahy had a knife, there was a dead body on the floor, this LEO did not exercise good judgement in dealing with the perp. He should have blown him away.

[johnny7]

This murder seems to be one of the best kept secrets up here.

This happened days ago but has gotten little media exposure.

Just a blip on the screen.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Cincy, in my opinion he should have been dead.

Maybe he will be, and soon.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

If Zapp had been armed,...........He should have blown him away.

Too much LIBERAL inbreeding in Mass.

[Dec31,1999]

It began with motor vehicle violations, but the crimes quickly turned violent, and then sexual, after Leahy was convicted in 1984 of entering the home of a 13-year-old Brockton girl, forcing her into a bathroom at knifepoint, and assaulting her.

He should have been given life in prison, with hard labor at this point. Bread, water, no medical care, no tv, no books and no hope for parole. It would haved saved Zapp's life and the anguish his other victims are still going through.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

It made front page of the Boston Globe today.

[harpseal]

Criminals rule, in part because the Second Amendment rights have been oppressed. If Zapp had been armed, I have no doubt Leahy would have been another passing "bringing a knife to a gunfight" joke.

The late Mrs. Harpseal and Ioften stopped at this rest area when traveling through Massachusettes. Several years ago despite the prohibition on carrying firearms in Massachusettes when Mrs. Harpseal had been required to travel alone during the wee hours of the morning she had stopped at this same rest area When a male entered the ladies room we presume to prey upon her he did have a knife he found himslef staring down the barrel of a .357 magnum (4 inch barrel) He made some noises about he got in the wrong restroom and left. Due to the nature of the MA gun laws Maryann did not contact the PD.

As for the policeman, O'Riley, why did he let Leahy out of that restroom alive? Leahy had a knife, there was a dead body on the floor, this LEO did not exercise good judgement in dealing with the perp. He should have blown him away.

Once more we are dealing with MA where hadc the policeman shot he would have been crucified by the court system there

[dokmad]

"He should have been in prison, not out on the street."

Exactly! But try telling that to the liberal judges who believe these SEXUAL PREDATORS can be rehabilitated. This is just another example of how a known predator, (2 priors, one involving a minor) is coddled by a system that does NOT have the victims of crime truely at heart. Considering this is Massachusetts we're talking about here i'm guessing there are a lot more KNOWN, convicted sexual predators wandering about. And this is a state that does'nt want it's citizens to have the right to bear arms!! Go figure....

[metesky]

Front page of Friday's Boston Herald, with at least four stories inside.

[Dec31,1999]

Cincy, in my opinion he should have been dead.

I feel the same way, but the death penalty must be reserverd for murder cases in order to provide for a deterrent. If a criminal has a choice of disposing of the victim or not, and he's going to get the death penalty either way, it is an incentive to kill the witness.

[JZoback]

But because of legal challenges

How do these bastards sleep at night is beyond my understanding

[Cincinatus' Wife]

He should never have been let out to "offend" again.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Heck, some are in the Senate.

[HiTech RedNeck]

The challenges were brought by an ex offenders' lobbying group. Most of whom will NEVER be convicted of any other sex crime, let alone anything this heinous.

[Dec31,1999]

It used to be that when criminals committed their crimes, they would be careful not to kill, because they knew they would get the death penalty. No more, thanks to the Liberals. Now we have killers running amok throughout our society. And during the commission of a crime, they have no final disincentive to kill. Nowhere is safe. Children get snapped up, raped and killed routinely.

I'm beginning to think it might be a good idea to leave. Not for myself, but for my wife and children, who deserve better. America and western culture seems to be getting sicker and sicker.