TRENTON, N.J. – The one-time high school chemistry teacher who raped and killed 7-year-old Joan D'Alessandro in 1973 has been denied parole.
Parole Board spokesman Joseph Shields said the action followed an interview with the 62-year-old convict Monday.
It's the third time East Jersey State Prison inmate Joseph McGowan has gone before the state Parole Board. His release was denied in 1993 and 1998.
The victim's mother, Rosemarie, lobbied successfully for state and federal versions of Joan's Law, which eliminate parole eligibility for anyone convicted of murdering a child while committing a sex crime. The laws are too late to affect her case.
A 2002 parole hearing found McGowan unwilling to take responsibility for murdering his neighbor as she delivered Girl Scout cookies.
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