The parents of slain California teenager Amber Dubois asked mourners to turn their anguish into action by pushing for tougher penalties and stricter laws to protect children from predators, reports the San Diego Union-Tribune. Police in Escondido, Ca., said the investigation into Amber's death remains focused on convicted sex offender John Albert Gardner III. The girl’s remains were found Saturday in a wooded hillside after a 13-month search. Gardner, who was charged last week with raping and murdering teenager Chelsea King.
Investigators have questioned whether Gardner played a role in Amber's disappearance after he was arrested Feb. 28 in the Chelsea King case. Escondido police said Gardner, who got a 6-year prison term in 2000 for molesting and falsely imprisoning a 13-year-old girl, remains “a focus” of their investigation. Amber, a 14-year-old high school freshman, disappeared Feb. 13, 2009, as she walked toward the campus an hour before class.