GUILTY CT - Jennifer Hawke-Petit, 48, & 2 daughters killed in home invasion, 23 July 2007

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heartfortruth

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101005/ap_on_re_us/us_home_invasion

(Please help with link.....I seem to have trouble doing it properly and please put in the right place ......trouble with that, too......TIA)

the terrible murder of this woman and her two daughters has haunted me since it happened.......

"NEW HAVEN, Conn. – A paroled burglar was convicted Tuesday of murdering a woman and her two daughters during a night of terror inside the family's home in a well-to-do Connecticut town.

Steven Hayes, 47, could be sentenced to death. His attorneys have admitted his involvement and will argue for a life sentence."
 
Please continue here.

Thread 1


Salem

Cher352 said:
Psychiatrist Says Hayes' Rage Turned To Strangulation, Rape

Steven Hayes said that while the 2007 Cheshire home invasion was still underway his accomplice, Joshua Komisarjevsky, reported that Dr. William Petit Jr. and his daughters had died and that Komisarjevsky would have to burn the house because his DNA was on the girls, an expert witness testified this morning.

<snip>

The scenario contradicted statements attributed to Hayes earlier in the trial.

<snip>

Final arguments in the penalty phase of his trial are scheduled for Monday, with the case going to the jury Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning.


http://www.courant.com/community/ch...es-penalty-day7-1029-20101028,0,6452696.story

Lots of differences in this story of what happened according to what Hayes told the psychiatrist.

Wonder why they allow this? Isn't this like Hayes testifying through someone else?
Click to expand...

jilly said:
Letter by Matthew Hayes, brother of Steve, submitted to prosecution.

I found this letter to be very sad and disturbing. My heart goes out to Matthew.

I think this will seal it for the DP.

http://nhregister.com/articles/2010/10/28/news/doc4cc9edf3e7c2d948445371.txt
Click to expand...
 
Hayes' brother that wrote the letters is in court today for closing arguments. Interesting.
 
Closing arguements, state first, v ery brief and to the point. Just reviews what happened. Takes jury through the terror the girls must have felt. Must have wondered "what happened to Dad?" Mrs Petit got the money trusting that it would save her and family. Then as she is raped and strangled she thought only of her family. "Thumps" that Dr. Petit heard were of wife being raped and strangled. State reminds jury that the testimony of Hayes to police clearly indicated that he knew the girls were alive when fire set.
 
Defense argument. Look at mitigating factors and facts, not emotion. Police never heard the girls scream. They died of smoke not being burned to death. State never rebutted the testimony of the psychiatrist. Dont consider previous burglaries by Hayes. Now a recess for break.
 
second half of defense closing. Cant ignore media bloodlust he says. This is probably improper. Jury is told to not consider media attention, but now defense referring to it. Would be a mistrial if state referred to media coverage. Now brings Hayes to stand in front of jury. Says he will never be in general population, no privacy ever. Prison is worse than death for Hayes (Obvioulsy not true or his attorney would not be allowed to ask for it, lol)
 
NotesFromHeL

Dearington: How does having sex with Mrs. Petit fit with this rage. The two scenarios don't add up. Another reason to doubt his story to Dr.


That is a huge pet peeve I have. He did not have sex with Mrs. Petit, he raped her. To say he had sex with her implies she agreed to it. She didn't. He raped her.
 
State rebuts, saying Dr. Goldsmith's report bases solely on what Hayes told him. Not believable. Shows testimony that shows hayes knew the girls were alive. Refers jurors to brothers letter. Brother received most of the abuse in the family and he isnt the one on trial. We all know people on drugs, but that doesnt lead to murder. This was Hayes choice. Ends by showing photos of girls, tells how old they would be now, what they would be doing. shows photo of smiling familly, holds up folder with crime scene photos "this is how they died." Finished. Jury will be charged after lunch break.
 
MCDRAW said:
NotesFromHeL

Dearington: How does having sex with Mrs. Petit fit with this rage. The two scenarios don't add up. Another reason to doubt his story to Dr.


That is a huge pet peeve I have. He did not have sex with Mrs. Petit, he raped her. To say he had sex with her implies she agreed to it. She didn't. He raped her.
Click to expand...

I kind of agree. Especially since the jury has alreayd convicted him of rape, it seem in appropriate to say "he had sex with her."
 
This guy rapes and strangles a woman, murders her children and darn near murders their father, and yet the MEDIA are the ones with the bloodlust??

How the jury kept from flipping this guy the bird is a testament to their self-restraint.
 
Charge of the jury is complete. Jury has been dismissed and will commence deliberations tomorrow morning, though I didnt catch a time. I would honestly expect a decision tomorrow. I can't imagine the jury would want to drag this out that long and it seems to me that there couldnt' be much to decide. The aggravating factors are clearly there and supported by plenty of facts. So the question is really whether the jury believes that Hayes childhood and drug abuse gets him out of this and/or whether the jury believes that Life without parole is a "worse" punishment for him. Always the risk that there is one person on the jury that just can't give death, but that i think would be apparant quickly and allow for a decision for life. So I will predict a verdict by 3 pm
 
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/05/nyregion/05cheshire.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

"Mr. Hayes, 47, a parolee with a long criminal record, was convicted by the same jury on Oct. 5 of entering the home of the Petit family in July 2007 with another longtime criminal in a seven-hour crime that included sexual assaults and ended with a fire started by the intruders, who had tied the girls to their beds." ( bolding by me)

Seven hours, let us not forget ..that the Petit family suffered for seven long hours....
 
Sure would be interesting to know what is being discussed in the jury room.
 
Native New Yorker, one of the really sad things about that 7 hours is that the Petits probably thought that they could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Figured once these guys had the money they would be gone. Then, for Mrs Petit, after those horrible 7 hours just when she thought salvation was at hand, in the blink of an eye Hayes had his hand on her throat and she knew it was not to be.
 
I sure dont understand the time management in this case. The days off in the trial, gap between guilt and penalty phase, taking yesterday afternoon off, then the jury doesnt start until 10 am this morning and now is on a 2 hour lunch break. Why didnt the start at 8 or 9, and have lunch brought in to them? They only deliberated 2 hours, and now have 2 hour break. They probably just got settled in, elected the new foreman, organized the forms and it was time for lunch. I would think this jury is probably eager to get this done and get back to their own families and lives.
 
PrairieWind said:
I sure dont understand the time management in this case. The days off in the trial, gap between guilt and penalty phase, taking yesterday afternoon off, then the jury doesnt start until 10 am this morning and now is on a 2 hour lunch break. Why didnt the start at 8 or 9, and have lunch brought in to them? They only deliberated 2 hours, and now have 2 hour break. They probably just got settled in, elected the new foreman, organized the forms and it was time for lunch. I would think this jury is probably eager to get this done and get back to their own families and lives.
Click to expand...

The schedule is not based on the availability of the jury but on the presiding Judge. A Judge has more than one case to manage and run. So the Judge has to make sure he/she is available to take care of any issues should the jury have any questions or need read backs.
 
JSR said:
The schedule is not based on the availability of the jury but on the presiding Judge. A Judge has more than one case to manage and run. So the Judge has to make sure he/she is available to take care of any issues should the jury have any questions or need read backs.
Click to expand...

Sure I understand that, works the same way in my state. But with a jury in a high profile case waiting around, other issues are usually shuffled off to other judges to be handled. With the alternates already used up, if this case hangs around any longer its going to be a mistrial. The chief judge in that district should be assigning Blue's other responsibilities to other judges.
 
Guess I was wrong in my prediction of a verdict today. Jury indicating that they will need to continue tomorrow. Apparently having trouble getting unanimous decision on whether a mitigating factor exists. That doesn't sound good for a death verdict in my opinion.
 
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