Illinois registry of convicted murderers tops 500

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- An Illinois state registry for first-degree murder convicts has topped 500 people.

The (Bloomington) Pantagraph reports convicts who have completed their sentences and been released are on the registry, which was created by a new law that went into effect in January.

The database is similar to the sex offender registry. It includes names, addresses, employment places, schools attended and photos for offenders for up to 10 years after their release from prison.

The legislation was called "Andrea's Law" after Andrea Will, an Eastern Illinois University student killed in 1998 by her former boyfriend, who was released from prison in 2010.

Her mother, Patricia Rosenberg, said the website would allow people to know whether a convicted murderer is living nearby.