According to MyCentralJersey, Jesse Timmendequas went to trial for Megan Kanka’s murder and assault in May 1997. The Los Angeles Times writes that the prosecution argued Timmendequas had always intended to murder Kanka. Meanwhile, the defense reiterated that Timmendequas had only killed her out of fear that he would get caught for assaulting her. Per AP News, his defense also attempted to paint Timmendequas as a victim. His brother, Paul, admitted that both he and Timmendequas had been physically and sexually abused by their father, James Edward Howard. Howard told AP News that this was a lie and that he hoped his son received the death penalty.
Within a few weeks, MyCentralJersey reports that Timmendequas was convicted of his crimes against Kanka. By June of that year, Timmendequas was sentenced to death. One juror, John Gorton, stated, “I’m a Christian, and for me it was hard to justify this verdict.” He added, “A lot of us were looking for something that would let us not give this sentence, but we didn’t find it.” MegansLawInfo states that Timmendequas was on death row until 2007. That year, New Jersey abolished the death penalty. Nevertheless, Timmendequas will remain in prison for life without the possibility of parole. In 2015, Timmendequas attempted and failed to overturn his conviction (via NJ.com).
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If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN’s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
