Fond du Lac's 'Halloween Killer' case stalls in court

FOND DU LAC — The future of a Wisconsin convict known as the "Halloween Killer" is stalled as a state appeals court decides where to hold court proceedings to determine whether he'll be released or committed to a mental health facility.

The Post Crescent reports that Gerald Turner's mandatory release date on Feb. 1 this year prompted the Wisconsin Department of Justice to file a petition to commit the 69-year-old to a mental health facility. The state is arguing that Turner is a sexually violent person and suffers from mental disorders.

Turner was convicted for the Oct. 31, 1973 rape and murder of Lisa Ann French, a 9-year-old who went trick-or-treating that evening in Turner's Fond du Lac neighborhood. The girl's body was found in a garbage bag along a road outside the city.