Inmate Who Killed Girl Scout Joan D'Alessandro in 1973 Denied Parole
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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.
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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.