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Steve Hayes

Profile: Steve Hayes

Two Arrested In Alleged Home Invasion-Arson

POSTED: 1:48 pm EDT July 24, 2007
UPDATED: 10:55 am EDT August 1, 2007

A 26-year-old man and a 44-year-old man face a number of charges in the deaths of a prominent doctor's family.

On Monday, police arrested Joshua Komisarjevsky, 26, of Cheshire, and Steve Hayes, 44, of Winsted, in connection with the deaths of the wife and two daughters of Dr. William Petit Jr. On Tuesday the charges filed against Hayes were announced and then charges of capital felony murder were added on Thursday. The charges include:

  • One count:
    • First-degree aggravated sexual assault (of Hawke-Petit)
    • First-degree burglary
    • First-degree arson
    • First-degree conspiracy to commit arson
    • First-degree robbery
    • Risk of injury to a Minor
    • First-degree Aiding and Abetting Assault
    • First-degree larceny
  • Six counts: Capital Felony
    1. Murder of two or more persons (Hawke-Petit, Hayley, Michaela) at the same time and in the course of a single transaction
    2. Murder of a person under 16 (Michaela Petit)
    3. Murder of a kidnapped person (Hawke-Petit)
    4. Murder of a kidnapped person (Hayley)
    5. Murder of a kidnapped person (Michaela)
    6. Murder of a person during a first-degree sexual assault (Hawke-Petit)
  • Six counts: First-degree kidnapping
    1. Kidnapping of Michaela
    2. Kidnapping of Hayley
    3. Kidnapping of Hawke-Petit (with intention to compel third person to pay or deliver money or property as ransom)
    4. Kidnapping of Hawke-Petit (restrained the person and abducted with the intent to accomplish or advance the commission of a felony)
    5. Kidnapping of Hawke-Petit (restrained the person abducted with intent to terrorize her or a third person)
    6. Kidnapping of William Petit

    SOURCE: Court documents obtained from New Haven Superior Court

Hayes remains held on $15 million bond after facing a judge on Tuesday. The cases for Komisarjevsky and Hayes have been transferred to a New Haven court. Both are scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 7, at which time, they could possibly enter pleas.

Eyewitness News obtained Hayes' criminal record early Tuesday morning. According to that document, state authorities consider Hayes a minimum security offender and he has a minimal violence history.

Hayes' criminal record indicates he first entered the system on June 30, 1980.

According to his criminal record, Hayes was sentenced to five years in prison for third-degree burglary on Oct. 1, 2003.

He was then released to a halfway house on June 13, 2006. According to his criminal record, Hayes was re-incarcerated for a technical violation and drug use on Nov. 26, 2006. The Board of Pardons and Parole granted Hayes' parole by May 3.

Eyewitness News has learned that Komisarjevsky and Hayes recently lived in the same halfway house following their release from prison.

According to the criminal record, both Komisarjevsky and Hayes were deemed to be appropriate candidates for supervised parole in the community, based on their criminal histories, which involved a minimum level of violence.

Eyewitness News has learned that both men reported weekly with parole officers and fully complied with the requirements of their release.

Click here to e-mail news tips to Eyewitness News, or dial: 866-289-0333.
Refresh WFSB.com often and Channel 3 Eyewitness News for the latest news updates.

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