Gov. Quinn Signs 'Andrea's Law,' Named After Batavia Woman, to Protect Residents

A bill named after a Batavia woman that's meant to protect others was signed into law Thursday.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed House Bill 263, also known as "Andrea's Law," which requires those convicted of first-degree murders to register in a state database for 10 years upon release from prison. The bill will help protect families from potentially dangerous offenders, according to a press release from Quinn's office.

The law goes into effect Jan. 1, 2012.

Andrea's Law is named after Andrea Will, a Batavia resident who was strangled to death in 1998 by her ex-boyfriend Justin Boulay, formerly of St. Charles. Will and Boulay were students at Eastern Illinois University at the time of the murder.

Will's mother, Patty Rosenberg, took to a Facebook page Thursday afternoon to thank all her supporters. The page, called "Voices for Andrea Faye Will," was originally created to provide a place for Will and her story to be heard.

"Without Johnna Kelly and Rep. (Dennis) Reboletti (R-Elmhurst), there would have been no beginning and without all of you, there would have been no end," Rosenberg said on the page. "We have been touched by an angel and I look forward to the day that we are together again. I love you, Andrea."

Rosenberg supported a law that would make it easier to find out if a convicted murderer was living nearby. She was shocked to learn that Boulay was going to be able to live freely in Hawaii after serving his prison sentence, without anyone knowing what he did to Will.

Boulay was released from prison in November 2010 after serving only 12 years of his 24-year sentence for murdering Will. To read more about this release, click .

When Rosenberg and supporters of Will helped spread the word of Boulay’s release, authorities added more restrictions onto his living conditions in Hawaii. To read more about those rules, click .

Boulay was convicted of murdering Will before truth-in-sentencing went active in Illinois. In March 1999, Boulay was convicted of first-degree murder. At the time of the sentence, Illinois law allowed one day cut from the sentence for every day of good behavior. Since then, Illinois adopted truth-in-sentencing laws that require those convicted of violent crimes to serve at least 85 percent of their sentences.

Boulay will be on parole for three years and must undergo anger management.

Sen. John Millner (R-Carol Stream) sponsored Andrea's Law in the Illinois Senate.

To read our last full story on this issue, click .

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