Kansas father: Legal system failed slain family members

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“There wasn’t anything in the nature of this case that said the public was in immediate danger of a horrible crime like this,” Yoder said. “You can’t go back and look at what ifs.”

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Runyon’s father, Edward Runyon, says the system failed the victims because it kept Hawkins’ status from public disclosure and didn’t hold him fully accountable for failing to register his address.

“I feel like the public should have known he was out and about,” Runyon said. “Somebody has got to be held accountable for where these people are at all times.”

Court records show Hawkins was found guilty of aggravated indecent liberties with a 5-year-old girl when he was 12 and was sentenced to one year of probation in 2011. He was listed only on the part of the sex offender registry seen by law enforcement because judges have discretion on whether juvenile offenders are placed on the public list.

Republican Rep. John Whitmer of Wichita agreed with Runyon that the system failed the two victims in the recent case. Whitmer said he’ll push for legislation to address Runyon’s concerns, including a proposal to increase the penalty for failure to register.

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Information from: The Wichita (Kan.) Eagle, http://www.kansas.com

The Associated Press