Related To Story EYEWITNESS NEWS COVERAGE TIMELINE IN CHESHIRE TRIPLE-HOMICIDE July 23, 2007: · Police: Assailants enter home at 3 a.m. · Police: Mother taken to bank at 9:30 a.m. · Bank calls police to report suspicious activity · Officers respond, discover fire at house · Two men arrested near scene · Dr. William Petit Jr. found outside, hospitalized · Police confirm three deaths at noon July 24, 2007: · Suspects arraigned in court · All three deaths ruled homicide July 26, 2007: · Suspects charged with murder · Prosecutor to seek death penalty July 27, 2007: · Dr. Petit released from hospital · Family holds private funeral July 28, 2007: · Public service held at CCSU July 30, 2007: July 21, 2009: PAROLEES CHARGED IN HOMICIDES
CHESHIRE, CONNECTICUT SOURCE: Cheshire Town Hall | ||||||
Criminal Psychologist Discusses Cheshire Homicides
Doctor's Wife, Daughters Killed In Home Invasion, Arson
POSTED: 6:28 pm EDT July 25,
2007
UPDATED: 6:32 pm EDT July 25,
2007
CHESHIRE, Conn. -- In the wake of a deadly home invasion that left a mother and two daughters dead, residents across the state and country are asking why anyone would commit such deadly crimes.Joshua Komisarjevsky, 26, of Cheshire and Steven Hayes, 44, of Winsted are charged with breaking into the Cheshire home of prominent doctor William Petit Jr. and holding his family hostage for hours before setting the home on fire and trying to flee.The medical examiner ruled that Jennifer Hawke-Petit, 48, died of asphyxiation due to strangulation, and the couple's two daughters -- Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11 -- died due to smoke inhalation. All three deaths were ruled homicides.While very few questions had definitive answers in the days following the crime, a criminal psychologist discussed the case with Eyewitness News.Both Komisarjevsky and Hayes have long criminal records that include larceny, burglary and drug charges, and were out on parole at the time of the Cheshire homicides.The pair was arraigned Tuesday in Meriden Superior Court and charged with aggravated sexual assault, assault, arson, robbery, kidnapping, risk of injury to children and larceny. State police said more charges are pending.Dr. James Monahan, a professor of criminal justice, told Eyewitness News that he believes that drugs such as cocaine or meth could have played a role in the crimes."Those kind of drugs are associated with superhuman, ultra-violent actions," he said.Monahan said that the age difference between the two men is also significant."An older con taking the young one under his wing and teaching him the ropes," he said.Monahan said that much like the case of the Washington D.C. snipers, Komisarjevsky and Hayes made a deadly pair and neither had a violent history."They didn't have much of a criminal history at all (the snipers), but they paired up and became super-violent … in a way that if you separated them, you wouldn't have seen," he said.Police have not yet said why they suspect that Komisarjevsky and Hayes may have targeted the Petits.Monahan said that because Komisarjevsky lived near the Petits Sorghum Mill Drive home, he may have targeted one of the Petits' daughters."Some sort of interest -- physically, jealousy for affluence status," Monahan said.Monahan said that even if the Petits were random targets, he doesn't believe that the home invaders had a plan."Something frightened them -- kind of panic to trash and burn, covering up their tracks or evidence," he said.
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Previous Stories:
- July 25, 2007: Cheshire Deaths Ruled Homicides
- July 24, 2007: Neighbors, Schools Mourn Petit Family
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