Cleveland 19 viewers instrumental in passage of ’Alianna Alert’ law, named after slain Cleveland teen

CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - Legislation signed by former Gov. John Kasich and named after Alianna DeFreeze will be implemented at Ohio schools beginning Friday, April 5.

The “Alianna Alert” law will require schools to notify parents within two hours of the start of school if their child is not present.

The law was introduced as a result of the 14-year-old’s disappearance in January 2017.

“Alianna Alert” was originally included in Senate Bill 82, but was merged into House legislation to ensure that it became a law.

State Sen. Sandra Williams sponsored the original legislation and said Cleveland 19 viewers were instrumental in getting it passed.

“If it wasn’t for Channel 19 and your stance and Channel 19 putting light on ‘Alianna Alert,’ I believe the bill would have died in committee," said Sen. Williams. “The Channel 19 viewers are amazing. Channel 19 viewers picked up the telephone, they called every office in the legislature," she said.

DeFreeze was abducted by registered sex offender Christopher Whitaker while on her way to school.

Whitaker raped and tortured the teen girl in an abandoned home on Fuller Avenue before killing her.

Cleveland police officers found her body three days later.

A judge sentenced Whitaker to death after a jury convicted him of all the charges in 2018.

The DeFreeze family says they were never notified by the school district after their daughter failed to report to class.

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