Missouri lawmaker proposes bill that would track convicted murders

COLUMBIA, Mo (KMIZ)

A state representative has proposed a bill that would create a registry for violent offenders, similar to the sex offender registry.

State Representative Lane Roberts (R-Joplin) says House Bill 1705 would give the public knowledge of some convicted killers.

Roberts wants those in the prison system who are out on parole for second-degree murder to be tracked by state troopers.

"Create a registry of violent offenders, it's entitled violent offenders but the registry is exclusively for people who have been convicted or on parole for first or second-degree murder," Roberts says.

In the state of Missouri, very few are granted parole for first-degree murder.

Roberts says, "Frequently somebody who is on parole for second-degree murder is on second-degree murder because they plea bargain from first degree, the underlying conduct is first-degree."

Roberts says the bill would rename the state's current sex offender registry to "sex offender and violent offender registry."

"Accessed exactly how someone would access the sex offender registry the limitations on the amount of information would be the same as it would be for the sex offender registry," said Roberts.

The proposed bill comes after a Missouri woman was killed by a parolee convicted of murder.

Roberts said, "There was no easy way for any of the folks that employed him to know that in fact this person was a parolee for homicide."

Roberts says the bill would cost over $600,000 and would be run by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

"That would be the technology piece there would have to be some computer work some computer programming systemically they would have to make some changes in the existing system but again the purpose of that is to make sure the data stays distinct because it would be on an existing registry we don't want to mix that data," says Roberts.

House bill 1705 says no current parolees would be added to the registry if the bill is passed.

"It starts from day one, it doesn't preclude them from going back if they chose to incrementally add some people who are currently out on parole," Roberts said.

The registry wouldn't follow convicts forever. Those who finish the parole requirements would come off the registry.