Thursday, July 26, 2007

Prosecutor to Seek Death Penalty in Deadly Connecticut Home Invasion


MERIDEN, Conn. — New Haven State's Attorney Michael Dearington said Thursday that he will seek the death penalty against two convicted burglars accused of killing the wife and two daughters of a prominent Connecticut physician in a home invasion and arson this week.

Joshua Komisarjevsky, 26, and Steven Hayes, 44, were charged Thursday with six counts each of capital felony, which could bring the death penalty.

Komisarjevsky and Hayes, convicted burglars with lengthy criminal records, were out on parole when the attack occurred. They had been roommates for a time at a drug treatment center and halfway house in Hartford last year.

Murder committed in the course of committing first-degree sexual assault, murder of a kidnapped person, murder of two or more people at the same time, and murder of someone under age 16 are capitol felonies punishable by either the death penalty or life in prison in Connecticut.

Komisarjevsky, of Cheshire, and Hayes, of Winsted, had already been charged with assault, sexual assault, kidnapping, burglary, robbery, arson, larceny and risk of injury to children. They were each being held on $15 million bond.

Petit's wife, Jennifer Hawke-Petit, 48, was strangled and their daughters — 17-year-old Hayley and 11-year-old Michaela — died of smoke inhalation, according to the state medical examiner.

The suspects were apprehended after they crashed their getaway vehicle — the Petit's car — into three police cruisers."

Pictured: Mrs. Petit and daughter Hayley. The women were sexually assaulted then killed, because they were easy prey. Criminals don't go after the difficult one's. Do your family a favor and make it hard for someone to kill them.

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