BINGHAMTON, NY (WIVT/WBGH) – Former Broome County Legislator Dave Lindsey has died.

Lindsey is best remembered as the father of Cheri Ann Lindsey, whose death at the age of 12 at the hands of a child molester, spurred Lindsey and his wife Jean to be active in the community in memory of their daughter.

A park near their home on the Northside of Binghamton was renamed for Cheri and the Lindseys started an annual raffle in her honor which provided winter coats, scholarships, and Christmas presents for needy children.

As a Binghamton police officer, Lindsey found out that the state parole board had decided to release a convicted child killer, Arthur Shawcross, into our community.

Lindsey tipped off the local media and the resulting uproar drove Shawcross ultimately to Rochester where he would go on to murder a dozen women over a 2 year span.

During 2 stints on the Broome County Legislature, he was a champion of the centralized booking and arraignment court located at the Broome County Jail.

More recently, Lindsey successfully lobbied the county to purchase and demolish the abandoned home where Cheri had been murdered.

The plot was converted into a memorial garden for all children who have been victims of crime.

Calling hours will be held from 1 to 3 and 5 to 7 tomorrow at the McCormack Funeral Home on Main Street in Binghamton.

The funeral service will also be held at McCormack’s Saturday morning at 9:30.