Petition's goal is to keep Nancy Shoemaker's kidnapper Donald Wacker, in prison

BY SUZANNE PEREZ TOBIAS
The Wichita Eagle

via kansas.com

October 7, 2009

Friends and family members of Nancy Shoemaker, a 9-year-old Wichita girl who was murdered in 1990, are circulating petitions in hopes of keeping one of her kidnappers in prison.

Donald Wacker, who was convicted of aiding the kidnapping and murder, is scheduled to go before the Kansas Parole Board on Monday. He is serving a sentence of 16 years to life.

Sherri Donovan, a friend of the Shoemakers, is leading the petition effort. She said her group so far has collected between 10,000 and 15,000 signatures — about half what they collected in 2004, the last time Wacker went before the parole board.

"We want to... really push for more signatures to send a message to the parole board," Donovan said. "There's no way this man should be released from prison."

Copies of the petitions are at Davis-Moore auto dealerships in Wichita and at the Presto Phillips 66 station at 2356 S. Seneca. It also is available on the Parents of Murdered Children Web site, www.pomc.com. Select "petitions" in the top navigation bar.