The Kidnapping and Murder of Jessica Lunsford

Nine-year-old Jessica Lunsford was abducted from her bedroom in Homosassa, Florida, on February 24, 2005. Her neighbor, convicted sex offender John Couey, kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and buried her alive in plastic bags in his yard. Her body was found 25 days later. Couey was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death, but died of natural causes in 2009. The case led to the passage of "Jessica's Law" across multiple states, imposing strict sentencing minimums for child sex offenders.