Initially, recently paroled career criminal Richard Allen Davis denied killing "the f****** little broad." However, in subsequent interviews, he not only admitted that he murdered Polly, he led authorities to her body near Cloverdale, California. Thus began two and a half years of legal maneuvering designed to forestall the inevitable.

During the people’s opening statement, prosecutor Greg Jacobs painted a chilling portrait of humanity run amok. The unbelievable, but all to common, criminal history of Polly’s killer spans more than two decades and includes incidents of kidnapping, robbery, assaults with shotguns, handguns, knives and fireplace pokers. Always, the victims were women, alone and vulnerable. Often times they would escape, notify authorities and Davis would return to prison. Finally, he could take it no more. He had to find a victim that could not, would not, fight back. A small victim that he could control. Perhaps a little girl, under the veil of darkness, where he could hide in the shadows and deny his crimes.

Davis has been serving a life sentence on the installment plan. He spent eighteen out of the past twenty-one years behind bars. Every time he is released from prison, the seriousness and nature of his crimes escalate. He is the worst example of turnstile justice our system has to offer.

Therefore, it should not have come as a surprise, when, during his brief opening statement, Davis’ attorney made the startling admission that, "The evidence will be overwhelming that Richard Allen Davis did kill Polly Klaas. We will not dispute that." However, he stated that there was, "No evidence of attempted sexual contact." In other words, he killed her, but you cannot prove that he raped her, so please do not execute him.

Unfortunately, this unexpected admission changes nothing. The people must still prove special circumstances in order to qualify Davis for the death penalty. The overwhelming mountain of evidence against him will be methodically displayed, dissected, analyzed and explained to the jury picked to sit in judgment.

The locker containing the damning evidence is within reach of Polly’s grandfather, as he sits fifteen feet from the un-remorseful killer and a macabre form of justice is played out for all to witness.

We must still sit through several months of gruesome details. We must hear pitiful excuses and justifications. We must continue to waste time and money defending the indefensible. California taxpayers have already spent two million dollars and two and a half years considering the rights of a monster who did not consider the rights of his victim for ten seconds.