Alexandra Zapp
Encyclopedia
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
rest stop in Bridgewater, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
on July 18, 2002. Section 121 of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act
Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act
The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act is a federal statute that was signed into law by U.S. President George W. Bush on July 27, 2006. The Walsh Act organizes sex offenders into three tiers and mandates that Tier 3 offenders update their whereabouts every three months with lifetime...
(P.L. 109-248) is named the “Megan Nicole Kanka and Alexandra Nicole Zapp Community Notification Program” after her and another victim. Massachusetts’ Sexually Dangerous Persons Law is informally called the “Ally Zapp” Law.
Early life
Born and raised in Southwest Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Zapp left Portland in 1988 to complete her high school education. She decided to return to the west coast to attend the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
for two years. She then accepted an editing position that took her to Boston, Massachusetts.
In Boston, Zapp volunteered for charitable organizations including The French Library, The Boston Ballet and Courageous Sailing Center where she donated her time teaching children to sail.
In November 2001, she decided to make a move to Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
to take a job with US Sailing
US Sailing
The United States Sailing Association, better known as US Sailing, is the governing body for the sport of sailing in the United States, particularly yacht, dinghy, windsurfing, and radio sailing racing...
. At the time of her death, she had plans to relocate to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
to realize a dream of sailing on an America's Cup
America's Cup
The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...
boat.
Murder
Ally Zapp was on her way home to Newport, Rhode IslandNewport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
from a charity event in Boston when she stopped at the rest area on Route 24 around midnight. Burger King employee and repeat sex offender
Sex offender
A sex offender is a person who has committed a sex crime. What constitutes a sex crime differs by culture and by legal jurisdiction. Most jurisdictions compile their laws into sections such as traffic, assault, sexual, etc. The majority of convicted sex offenders have convictions for crimes of a...
Paul Leahy, 40, watched and waited as Ally entered the women’s bathroom. According to police reports and a later confession by the killer, when Ally opened the door to leave the restroom, Paul Leahy stood in the doorway with a knife in his right hand and shoved Ally back inside the women’s room. Ally pleaded with Leahy, and then fought for her life as he repeatedly stabbed her. In the nearby men’s room, off-duty state police lieutenant Stephen O’Reilly heard Ally’s last muffled scream. As he approached the women’s room door, he saw red puddles. With his gun drawn, he stepped inside to find Paul Leahy standing next to the sink covered in blood.
Trial
Leahy was charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, and armed assault with intent to rob.Prosecutor Frank Middleton said the evidence was overwhelming, thanks mostly to the testimony of Lt. Stephen O'Reilly, the trooper who caught Leahy in the act of cleaning up after the alleged murder.
Also key to the prosecution's case was a statement Leahy made to police, in which he confessed that he intentionally stabbed the young woman. After initially conceding that he had only stabbed Zapp twice in the arm, he admitted to stabbing her in the chest when he was confronted with autopsy results.
Leahy's criminal history dates back to 1981, with a history of sexual offenses beginning in 1984. Some of his victims were as young as 13 years old. With a mountain of evidence facing his client, defense lawyer Frank Spillane did not make a case to get his client acquitted of all charges, but instead concentrated his efforts on proving Zapp's death was not an intentional act of murder.
Spillane argued that his client's actions were in response to the circumstances confronting him. He said that his client did not plan, plot or lie in wait for Alexandra Zapp.
When Leahy was waiting for Zapp to come out of the restroom, Spillane said, he was deciding whether or not to rob her. Spillane said his client did not intend to hurt Zapp, and that the battle in the bathroom erupted spontaneously. He alleged the defendant was simply reacting to a situation that had spiraled out of control.
On September 24, 2003 Paul Leahy was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole.
Legacy
After Ally Zapp’s murder, her mother and stepfather, Andrea Casanova and Steven Stiles, moved from Portland to Boston and founded The ALLY FoundationALLY Foundation
The ALLY Foundation is a 501, non-profit organization based in Boston, Massachusetts whose mission is to prevent opportunities for violent sex offenses, to educate the public and advocate necessary changes in culture, attitude and policy....
in November 2002. The ALLY Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization whose mission is to prevent opportunities for violent sex offenses, to educate the public and advocate for necessary changes in culture, attitude and policy. One of the most critical responsibilities of The ALLY Foundation is to work for more comprehensive and evidence-based policies to effectively manage sex offenders as they move through the criminal justice system and the community.
The ALLY Foundation is also known for their “for a Change” fund raising events such as the annual Sail for a Change Flip Flop Regatta held in Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor is a natural harbor and estuary of Massachusetts Bay, and is located adjacent to the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Port of Boston, a major shipping facility in the northeast.-History:...
, Run for a Change (held in conjunction with the Boston Marathon), Ride for a Change, Faces for a Change, and Newport for a Change.