Stolen From a Sleepover

WEBVTT

00:04.064 --> 00:07.451
[SPEAKER_00]: This episode of Check The Locks is brought to you by my friends at Audible.

00:08.012 --> 00:15.307
[SPEAKER_00]: Audible is your one-stop shop for audio entertainment, where you can always find the best of what you love or discover something new.

00:16.189 --> 00:20.518
[SPEAKER_00]: Audible offers an incredible selection of audio books across every genre.

00:20.538 --> 00:25.127
[SPEAKER_00]: From mysteries, thrillers, biographies, and of course, true crime.

00:25.107 --> 00:33.838
[SPEAKER_00]: And as an audible member, you can choose one title a month from their catalog to keep forever, including the latest best sellers and new releases.

00:34.699 --> 00:44.091
[SPEAKER_00]: Audible members also get access to thousands of podcasts from popular favorites, exclusive new series, and this very podcast check the locks that you're listening to now.

00:44.772 --> 00:49.798
[SPEAKER_00]: Plus, the audible app makes it easy to listen anytime, anywhere.

00:49.778 --> 00:55.390
[SPEAKER_00]: Best of all, check the locks listeners can try audible for free for 30 days, that's a whole month.

00:56.012 --> 01:03.889
[SPEAKER_00]: So head over to audibletrial.com forward slash check the locks or click the link in the show notes to start enjoying audible today.

01:10.737 --> 01:18.841
[SPEAKER_01]: Warning check the locks podcast is a true crime podcast and may contain graphic descriptions of violence, murder, sexual assault, and more.

01:19.302 --> 01:22.151
[SPEAKER_01]: Check the locks podcast is not appropriate for all listeners.

01:22.552 --> 01:24.578
[SPEAKER_01]: Listener discretion is strongly advised.

01:34.835 --> 01:40.023
[SPEAKER_00]: In 1993, a 12-year-old girl's abducted from a sleepover at her California home.

01:40.824 --> 01:44.649
[SPEAKER_00]: Her case makes national headlines with even celebrities offering rewards.

01:45.170 --> 01:49.136
[SPEAKER_00]: But sadly, it soon becomes every parent's worst nightmare.

01:49.156 --> 01:53.042
[SPEAKER_00]: Join me, John Conner, as I discuss the abduction of Polycloss.

01:53.422 --> 01:55.425
[SPEAKER_00]: This is Check The Locks Podcast.

02:07.488 --> 02:12.232
[SPEAKER_00]: Hello, and thank you for joining me as I dive into yet another truly terrifying true crime case.

02:12.573 --> 02:18.738
[SPEAKER_00]: Before we get into this week's episode, I just wanted to say I hope you all had a great week, a terrific Super Bowl weekend.

02:19.359 --> 02:20.259
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know about all y'all.

02:20.300 --> 02:22.261
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not a huge football fan.

02:22.301 --> 02:27.586
[SPEAKER_00]: I did have to Google who was playing in the Super Bowl this year, the day of the Super Bowl.

02:28.787 --> 02:31.169
[SPEAKER_00]: But I am all about the snacks.

02:31.189 --> 02:37.495
[SPEAKER_00]: So we were lucky enough to get together with some friends,

02:37.475 --> 02:41.161
[SPEAKER_00]: the fruit tray, the veggie tray, it was just a good time overall.

02:41.202 --> 02:43.345
[SPEAKER_00]: So lots of good snacks, lots of good friends.

02:43.986 --> 02:48.514
[SPEAKER_00]: It was kind of a slow game, but the seahawks pulled it out, so congratulations Seattle.

02:49.336 --> 02:57.270
[SPEAKER_00]: If you are a Patriots man, so sorry, you can take solace in the fact that, you know, they've won a bunch of super bowls before.

02:57.871 --> 03:00.816
[SPEAKER_00]: But I know it's never easy when your team loses.

03:00.796 --> 03:12.199
[SPEAKER_00]: I just hope you had a great time, hope you got to spend some time with family and friends and all politics and all that aside just had a good time enjoying the game and some camaraderie there.

03:12.319 --> 03:16.748
[SPEAKER_00]: So with that being said, we're going to go ahead and talk a little bit about this week's case.

03:16.808 --> 03:17.910
[SPEAKER_00]: I do have to let you know.

03:17.890 --> 03:23.757
[SPEAKER_00]: This is one that apparently at the time, it made national headlines and it was a huge story.

03:24.117 --> 03:28.082
[SPEAKER_00]: So I was really surprised that this is one that I was not familiar with.

03:28.462 --> 03:33.728
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm very interested to hear from the listeners, a locksmith, this is going to be the same experience for you.

03:34.249 --> 03:42.058
[SPEAKER_00]: If you were aware of this case, it actually impacted a pretty big law in California that I think we're all familiar with.

03:42.038 --> 03:50.328
[SPEAKER_00]: Um, so I'm very interested to hear your feedback on this case and, uh, you know, just want to hear what you think about it, or again, if this was something that you were familiar with.

03:50.428 --> 03:51.589
[SPEAKER_00]: So we'll go ahead.

03:51.609 --> 03:52.991
[SPEAKER_00]: We'll quit the Gabby Gabby.

03:53.031 --> 03:57.316
[SPEAKER_00]: We'll get into the stabby stabby and let's break down this week's case.

03:58.637 --> 04:03.283
[SPEAKER_00]: On October 1st, 1993, 12-year-old polycloss was excited.

04:04.064 --> 04:08.569
[SPEAKER_00]: That night, she would be hosting a sleepover with two girls from school at her home.

04:09.072 --> 04:13.238
[SPEAKER_00]: Polly was born on January 3, 1981 in Fairfax, California.

04:13.859 --> 04:20.849
[SPEAKER_00]: Her parents, Mark Klaus, and Eve Nicole would eventually divorce, and Polly would end up living with her mother and Petaloma.

04:21.911 --> 04:36.312
[SPEAKER_00]: That October night, the three girls were playing board games in Polly's room, while her mother Eve and Sister Annie slept in another room of the family's three bedroom home.

04:37.456 --> 04:47.730
[SPEAKER_00]: At around 1030 pm, an unknown man crept through a window, and once inside, he entered Poly's bedroom, holding a knife in one hand and a bag in the other.

04:48.772 --> 04:55.361
[SPEAKER_00]: The armed intruder told the three girls to lie in their stomachs, threatening to slip their throat if they didn't comply.

04:55.401 --> 04:58.726
[SPEAKER_00]: Terrified the children did as they were told.

04:59.707 --> 05:07.378
[SPEAKER_00]: The man then proceeded to tie the girl's hands behind their backs before gagging them, using

05:07.814 --> 05:15.747
[SPEAKER_00]: The assailant then grabbed Polly, telling her classmates that he was taking her to collect valuables around the home, saying that he would return her shortly.

05:16.588 --> 05:19.853
[SPEAKER_00]: But Polly Clause never came back.

05:19.873 --> 05:26.965
[SPEAKER_00]: After some time had passed, the two other girls were able to untie themselves, and they rushed into Eve's room to tell her what had happened.

05:27.766 --> 05:34.497
[SPEAKER_00]: Sadly, Polly was nowhere to be found.

05:35.371 --> 05:41.000
[SPEAKER_00]: even immediately called the police and reported the kidnapping, and a search for the missing girl was underway.

05:42.142 --> 05:54.281
[SPEAKER_00]: Now roughly two hours later, authorities would receive a phone call from Dana Jaffey, a woman who lived near Santa Rosa, California, only 17 miles from Petaluma, where the adoption had occurred.

05:55.382 --> 06:02.914
[SPEAKER_00]: Dana reported that a seemingly disheveled man had driven his white Ford Pinto into a ditch

06:03.552 --> 06:08.038
[SPEAKER_00]: Officers arrived at the scene, but they had not yet heard about police abduction.

06:08.778 --> 06:13.965
[SPEAKER_00]: The man was questioned, and the Pinto was searched, but when they found nothing, he was released.

06:14.926 --> 06:19.532
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, for whatever reason, the officers didn't look into the man on the side of the road.

06:20.513 --> 06:32.007
[SPEAKER_00]: If they had, they would have learned that his name was Richard Allen Davis, a career

06:33.083 --> 06:39.671
[SPEAKER_00]: Davis had a rough upbringing in Le Honda, California, a mountain town about 45 miles south of San Francisco.

06:40.672 --> 06:47.640
[SPEAKER_00]: By the time he was 12 years old, he was stealing checks from mailboxes and he would eventually move on to burglary and grand theft.

06:48.762 --> 06:55.750
[SPEAKER_00]: In 1976, he escalated, abducting a young woman at knife point from an Oakland train station.

06:56.118 --> 07:05.632
[SPEAKER_00]: But then, in 1984, he would abduct another woman at gunpoint from her apartment building before forcing her to withdraw $6,000 from her bank account.

07:06.674 --> 07:12.262
[SPEAKER_00]: He would be arrested and charged with the abduction and a judge would sentence him to 16 years behind bars.

07:13.103 --> 07:15.147
[SPEAKER_00]: However, he would be perold early.

07:15.888 --> 07:19.493
[SPEAKER_00]: In fact, only months before the abduction of Polly Clause.

07:20.705 --> 07:27.411
[SPEAKER_00]: The search for the missing girl would continue gaining national attention, even catching the eye of actress when known a writer.

07:28.693 --> 07:39.283
[SPEAKER_00]: Riter had been raised in Petaluma and the story hit close to home, so the actress offered a $200,000 reward for anyone who could safely return Polly to her family.

07:40.444 --> 07:49.092
[SPEAKER_00]: As October passed in November came, thousands of volunteers searched for the child, but there

07:49.207 --> 07:54.554
[SPEAKER_00]: Just the girls I witnessed accounts and a partial palm print found in Polly's bedroom on a bunk bed.

07:55.736 --> 08:01.183
[SPEAKER_00]: But on November 27th, 1993, Dana Jaffee would call the police again.

08:01.223 --> 08:04.327
[SPEAKER_00]: This time, blowing the case wide open.

08:05.609 --> 08:11.216
[SPEAKER_00]: Jaffee had been out hiking on her property, and while walking through the woods, she made an odd discovery.

08:12.218 --> 08:18.606
[SPEAKER_00]: Children's eyes red knitted tights, a sweatshirt, and a knotted piece of white silky cloth.

08:19.193 --> 08:23.299
[SPEAKER_00]: She immediately thought back to the man in the ditch and decided to call the police.

08:24.281 --> 08:28.948
[SPEAKER_00]: This time, police decided to take a look at Richard Allen Davis's background.

08:29.689 --> 08:34.015
[SPEAKER_00]: And when they learned about his violent past, he quickly became the prime suspect.

08:34.836 --> 08:36.980
[SPEAKER_00]: Leading to his arrest only two days later.

08:37.901 --> 08:41.466
[SPEAKER_00]: But sadly, the family's worst fear would become a reality.

08:42.307 --> 08:47.395
[SPEAKER_00]: And Davis would share the chilling details of what had happened to Polycloss that October night.

08:48.320 --> 08:53.529
[SPEAKER_00]: According to Davis, after kidnapping the girl, he drove to an isolated area near a highway.

08:54.371 --> 09:00.421
[SPEAKER_00]: Then, he strangled Polly to death inside his car, before disposing of her body in a nearby field.

09:01.763 --> 09:05.790
[SPEAKER_00]: On December 5, Davis would lead investigators to Polly's remains.

09:06.612 --> 09:10.699
[SPEAKER_00]: She had been placed inside a shallow grave and covered with a piece of plywood.

09:11.354 --> 09:18.426
[SPEAKER_00]: Davis would also be a match for the partial palm print found in Pauli's room, as well as two strands of his hair that were found as well.

09:19.648 --> 09:32.991
[SPEAKER_00]: During his trial, Davis became the public face of evil, with his image being used by three Republican candidates in California's congressional races, hoping to brand their opponents as soft on crime.

09:33.545 --> 09:40.557
[SPEAKER_00]: When convicted in 1996, Davis would look at the camera in the courtroom before raising both middle fingers to the court.

09:41.519 --> 09:48.591
[SPEAKER_00]: And when he learned that he was being sentenced to death, Davis jumped on a table and accused police father Mark of molesting her.

09:49.513 --> 09:54.642
[SPEAKER_00]: Mark Claws would lunge at his daughter's killer only to be restrained by police officers.

09:55.212 --> 10:03.721
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, Davis would eventually try to apply for resentencing, but the request would be denied in 2024, leaving him on death row as of today.

10:04.823 --> 10:06.264
[SPEAKER_00]: But that wasn't the end of the story.

10:07.305 --> 10:10.329
[SPEAKER_00]: After her death, foundations were created in Polly's honor.

10:11.170 --> 10:21.321
[SPEAKER_00]: In 1993, the Polly class foundation was created to raise awareness about missing children, and to date, they've helped more than 10,000 families find their missing kids.

10:21.487 --> 10:34.599
[SPEAKER_00]: In 1994, Pauli's father Mark founded the Clause Kids Foundation, which promotes prevention programs for at-risk youth, stronger sentencing for violent criminals, and governmental accountability and responsibility.

10:35.720 --> 10:44.567
[SPEAKER_00]: Now Pauli's murder also prompted California's three strikes in your outlaw in 1994, and this was the law that I was talking about at the top of the show.

10:45.188 --> 10:50.953
[SPEAKER_00]: Now this particular law calls for increased prison sentences for repeat offenders like

10:51.305 --> 11:00.843
[SPEAKER_00]: But over the years, the laws become the target of a lot of scrutiny, with many believing that at unfairly targets communities of color and people convicted of nonviolent crimes.

11:01.945 --> 11:08.858
[SPEAKER_00]: In fact, two of the most vocal opponents of the law are polyclosses sisters, Annie and Jess Nichol.

11:08.956 --> 11:18.312
[SPEAKER_00]: In 2021, they launched a podcast called The New Legacy, which focuses on finding alternatives to mass incarceration and tough on crime initiatives.

11:18.993 --> 11:25.885
[SPEAKER_00]: Believing that intervention, community resources, and a focus on mental health do far more to prevent crime.

11:26.489 --> 11:30.096
[SPEAKER_00]: Mark Klaus on the other hand remains a strong supporter of the death penalty.

11:30.677 --> 11:36.668
[SPEAKER_00]: Saying in an interview, the last thing Polly saw before she died was Richard Allen Davis's eyes.

11:37.349 --> 11:41.477
[SPEAKER_00]: The last thing Richard Allen Davis will see is my eyes, I hope.

11:55.295 --> 12:00.039
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's this week's case, and before we wrap up, I just wanted to share some final thoughts with you.

12:00.420 --> 12:14.393
[SPEAKER_00]: So if you've listened to the show for any amount of time, you probably know what I'm gonna say here, but this tragic case manages to take two of the things that I am most afraid of, and put them together in a way that made it very hard to get through the research.

12:14.413 --> 12:22.821
[SPEAKER_00]: And those two things, number one, home invasion, which I know I've talked about, at Nazium, like your home is the place where you're supposed to feel safe.

12:22.801 --> 12:24.223
[SPEAKER_00]: It's supposed to be your sanctuary.

12:24.243 --> 12:27.347
[SPEAKER_00]: It's supposed to be the place that you can come and put your head down and not worry.

12:27.947 --> 12:32.693
[SPEAKER_00]: And I know that I talked about this in last week's episode and I'm not trying to make it a theme or anything like that.

12:32.753 --> 12:36.718
[SPEAKER_00]: But it just happened to be part of this week's case as well.

12:37.279 --> 12:39.722
[SPEAKER_00]: And then the others, anything happening to my child.

12:40.122 --> 12:42.565
[SPEAKER_00]: Those are my two big fears.

12:42.606 --> 12:48.673
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, and I'm my list of the things I'm afraid of or the things that make me check my locks.

12:48.653 --> 12:50.156
[SPEAKER_00]: those are definitely the top two.

12:50.958 --> 12:57.874
[SPEAKER_00]: And this case somehow puts both of those together in a way that just kind of made me a little sick to my stomach going through it.

12:57.954 --> 13:07.776
[SPEAKER_00]: Number one, to think that someone like Davis could sneak into somebody's home and take somebody's child and commit such a

13:07.756 --> 13:14.526
[SPEAKER_00]: And the fact that, you know, he had been caught years before and should have been in prison, like this shouldn't have happened.

13:14.546 --> 13:25.343
[SPEAKER_00]: He should have been behind bars, but because of our system, he was released and was able to now have not only victimized poly, but victimized her family as well.

13:25.762 --> 13:27.004
[SPEAKER_00]: So there's that level of it.

13:27.104 --> 13:39.344
[SPEAKER_00]: And then again, not to get overly personal or anything, that but my daughter is at the age now where she is starting to have sleepovers with friends, people that we trust, having sleepovers with cousins, right?

13:39.424 --> 13:48.739
[SPEAKER_00]: And there's this terrifying idea that my kids are in their room and they're camping out, they're having a sleepover and I'm just a couple feet away in the bedroom, right?

13:48.759 --> 13:50.342
[SPEAKER_00]: Or maybe I'm watching TV in the living room.

13:50.382 --> 13:52.866
[SPEAKER_00]: And I know they're there, I know that they're safe.

13:52.846 --> 14:01.341
[SPEAKER_00]: and to think that someone could just come into your home and snatch away the most important thing in the world to you is just absolutely terrifying.

14:01.542 --> 14:04.086
[SPEAKER_00]: So I had a really hard time going through this one.

14:04.106 --> 14:11.580
[SPEAKER_00]: I think the other thing too, as far as the three strikes law, it's really hard because I get it on both sides.

14:12.134 --> 14:17.142
[SPEAKER_00]: I understand Mark Klaus, me like this man took my daughter's life, he took her from me.

14:17.182 --> 14:20.147
[SPEAKER_00]: And now I want to do the same to him, right?

14:20.167 --> 14:25.436
[SPEAKER_00]: I understand the idea of retribution and revenge and the high for the for the eye.

14:26.057 --> 14:34.311
[SPEAKER_00]: But I also understand Jess and Annie and I understand that, you know, as adults, they look at this law now and say,

14:34.291 --> 14:48.913
[SPEAKER_00]: yeah, like it has been used to target certain groups of people and there are now, you know, tons of nonviolent offenders who are in prison, you know, maybe it was for something petty, you know what I mean?

14:49.193 --> 14:52.078
[SPEAKER_00]: You jumped a turn sail or you have something of that nature, right?

14:52.118 --> 14:57.666
[SPEAKER_00]: And now you've been in trouble three times for these nonviolent things and you're now in prison.

14:58.253 --> 15:23.839
[SPEAKER_00]: For life, you know, so I get it on both sides and I understand that I think what it really comes down to is that at the end of the day when you experience some kind of tragic loss like this or or some horrific event different people are going to cope with things in different ways and different people are going to see different solutions and you know I like I said I can understand mark being like that's my daughter.

15:24.072 --> 15:25.797
[SPEAKER_00]: you owe me your life for what you did.

15:25.857 --> 15:31.634
[SPEAKER_00]: And I also understand Annie and Jess saying, listen, the system was broken.

15:31.674 --> 15:32.817
[SPEAKER_00]: He shouldn't have been out.

15:33.459 --> 15:35.666
[SPEAKER_00]: How could we have prevented this from happening?

15:35.726 --> 15:37.812
[SPEAKER_00]: What resources are out there?

15:38.197 --> 15:53.881
[SPEAKER_00]: In the show notes, there's a link to an article where Annie talks about going to the White House and speaking to Bill Clinton and having a stuffed dolphin under her arm and being prompted to ask these questions that kind of fit into the political narrative.

15:53.921 --> 15:55.022
[SPEAKER_00]: And she's a child.

15:55.203 --> 15:57.626
[SPEAKER_00]: She is, you know, she is Polyzyonger sister.

15:57.987 --> 15:59.489
[SPEAKER_00]: So she's younger than 12 years old.

16:00.431 --> 16:00.711
[SPEAKER_00]: And

16:02.125 --> 16:11.659
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, seeing as a child, her family's story being used for these political reasons now is an adult, you're able to look back and be like, wow, you know, that's a little ski-ve.

16:11.999 --> 16:16.946
[SPEAKER_00]: And did this really accomplish what I would hope to have accomplished as an adult.

16:17.587 --> 16:23.435
[SPEAKER_00]: So like I said, I get it on both sides and I don't think there is one right or wrong answer.

16:23.696 --> 16:29.584
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I think, again, when you lose someone, you have to deal with it in any way that you can.

16:29.564 --> 16:31.368
[SPEAKER_00]: That being said, and I apologize for rambling.

16:31.388 --> 16:38.662
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm just trying to process my thoughts on it because it is, you know, it's a short case, but there's a lot to it and a lot of heart breaking details.

16:39.183 --> 16:45.235
[SPEAKER_00]: For me, if I was going to put this on the deadbolt test, which you know, I'm going to, this is going to come 10 out of 10 for sure.

16:45.315 --> 16:46.277
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, this is right there.

16:46.317 --> 16:47.018
[SPEAKER_00]: It's how the list.

16:47.880 --> 16:50.826
[SPEAKER_00]: This is one of the worst things I can imagine happening.

16:50.946 --> 16:51.387
[SPEAKER_00]: So.

16:51.367 --> 16:59.957
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to put this at a 10, but as always, I want to hear from you, the listeners, the locksmiths, where does the abduction and murder a polycloss fall on your devil test?

16:59.977 --> 17:04.803
[SPEAKER_00]: You can let me know, reach out on Instagram, a check-allox pod, you can find me on Twitter, check the locks.

17:05.143 --> 17:10.930
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you're not in our Facebook group with a heck of you doing come hang out with us, we would love the opportunity to spend some time with you, get to know ya.

17:11.310 --> 17:16.176
[SPEAKER_00]: It really is a wonderful community, and if you would like to be part of it, we would absolutely love to have you.

17:16.831 --> 17:22.557
[SPEAKER_00]: And as always, if you like what we do here at Check The Locks and want to find an answer to support the show, you can do so by becoming a patron.

17:22.917 --> 17:24.579
[SPEAKER_00]: Head over to patreon.com for us.

17:24.619 --> 17:25.980
[SPEAKER_00]: Check The Locks, you can sign up today.

17:26.020 --> 17:33.908
[SPEAKER_00]: We got a lot of great tiers, get stickers, coffee mugs, stuff like that, but you also get the episodes early and you get them at three.

17:34.289 --> 17:37.312
[SPEAKER_00]: So if you love Check The Locks, but you hate those commercials, you hate waiting.

17:37.672 --> 17:39.073
[SPEAKER_00]: Patreon is the way to go.

17:39.133 --> 17:41.155
[SPEAKER_00]: So again, you want to help us keep the lights on.

17:41.175 --> 17:42.837
[SPEAKER_00]: That's patreon.com for us.

17:42.877 --> 17:44.779
[SPEAKER_00]: Check The Locks to get signed up today.

17:44.759 --> 17:55.649
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you can't find antially support the show, I definitely understand, just listen and hang it out with me sharing what this show is with your friends, your family, the people who are important to you, it helps just as much if not more.

17:56.129 --> 17:58.151
[SPEAKER_00]: This is a small independent podcast.

17:58.191 --> 18:01.293
[SPEAKER_00]: So anytime you tell somebody to listen, they check it out.

18:01.334 --> 18:02.515
[SPEAKER_00]: You send a link, something like that.

18:02.655 --> 18:04.576
[SPEAKER_00]: It really helps with that grassroots growth.

18:05.017 --> 18:08.160
[SPEAKER_00]: And really all I'm looking to do is bring more members into our community.

18:08.240 --> 18:14.445
[SPEAKER_00]: So just know that if you were sharing this in any way, it helps so much and I appreciate you more than I could ever tell you.

18:14.611 --> 18:21.504
[SPEAKER_00]: That's all that I have for you for this week's case, but please make sure that you're subscribed to check the locks on your favorite podcast app so that you never miss an episode.

18:22.005 --> 18:25.150
[SPEAKER_00]: I will see you again next week with another truly terrifying true crime case.

18:25.431 --> 18:27.815
[SPEAKER_00]: But until then, remember, monsters are real.

18:28.376 --> 18:32.885
[SPEAKER_00]: So stay safe, stay ready, and don't forget to check the locks.

18:32.905 --> 18:33.666
[SPEAKER_00]: See you next week.