Fergie's Tech Blog

Online Sex Offender Registry Or Target List?

David A. Fahrenthold writes in The Washington Post:

The man who shot William Elliott and Joseph Gray did so without a word, leaving their homes in northern Maine as much a stranger as when he arrived.

So far, police have come up with only one connection between the apparent gunman, Stephen A. Marshall -- who committed suicide after the attacks -- and the two victims: Both were among 34 former sex offenders that Marshall had looked up using Maine's online sex offender registry.

The killings have alarmed some defense attorneys and advocates for sexual offenders, who say this crime is among the darkest examples of the harassment and threats that have followed the rapid rise in registries that publicly identify offenders.

posted by Fergie @ 4/20/2006 07:14:00 AM