Horrifying Murders Hit Close To Home

CHESHIRE — Community members across the state are still looking for answers in the wake of Monday’s triple homicide in Cheshire, in which a prominent doctor’s wife and two daughters perished at the hands of two career criminals, including Steven Hayes of Winsted.

Hayes, 44, of 5-H Horn Ave., and accomplice Joshua Komisarjevsky, 26, of 840 North Brooksvale Road, Cheshire, were arrested Monday and charged with a litany of crimes including assault, arson, kidnapping, burglary and risk of injury. State police confirmed Wednesday that victim Jennifer Hawke-Petit, 48, was strangled to death at her 300 Sorghum Mill Drive home, while daughters Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11, died of smoke inhalation from a fire set at the residence. Husband and father Dr. William Petit Jr. was reportedly severely beaten and bound in the basement of the home but managed to escape the fire as Hayes and Komisarjevsky were apprehended by police.

In a statement released Wednesday, Cheshire Police Chief Michael Cruess said a number of news reports about the triple homicide have been incorrect, but did not point out specific errors. “Many news items have appeared in print and in the news media regarding this case,� he said. “Not all of the information has been correct and I ask everyone to take this into consideration when reading or viewing these items.�

Cruess addressed the fact that both Hayes and Komisarjevsky have not yet been charged with murder in connection with Monday’s incident. “With this case, much of the information passed along by the Cheshire Police Department and the Connecticut  State Police must be tempered due to the severity and sensitive nature of this case  Unfortunately, with the investigation still actively ongoing, we are unable to provide some of the information, which the community is seeking, so that we do not jeopardize the investigation. Additional charges are expected to be filed against each suspect upon completion of the investigation. I again will state that the two suspects in custody are the only suspects in the incident and that they are currently incarcerated with the Department of Corrections.â€�

State police reported Wednesday that they are still investigating the case, in which they believe Hayes and Komisarjevsky staked out the vehicle of Jennifer Hawke-Petit Sunday as she and Michaela Petit drove home from a supermarket. The men allegedly entered the Petit family home through an unlocked door at approximately 3 a.m. and savagely beat Dr. Petit, bound him and left him in the basement.

On Monday morning, one of the suspects reportedly forced Jennifer Hawke-Petit to drive to the Bank of America at the Maple Croft Plaza on Route 10 in Cheshire and withdraw $15,000 in cash. Petit apparently managed to alert a bank teller that something was wrong and the teller called 911 to report the suspicious incident. Police were dispatched to the plaza and to the Petit home, where they observed fire coming from the home.

The first responding Cheshire police officer observed the two male suspects enter a vehicle parked in the victims’ driveway. The officer tried to stop the suspects, who rammed a cruiser on the way out of the driveway. The suspects entered Sorghum Mill Road and were intercepted by a roadblock. The suspects rammed into two cruisers, disabling their vehicle. The suspects were taken into custody at gunpoint.

At about the same time, police saw Dr. Petit exiting the burning house with severe head injuries. He was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury, where he remained hospitalized this week.

Cruess said an investigation into the murders is continuing this week. “As time goes on, more information will become available to the  public,â€� he said.

State police said Hayes and Komisarjevski are career criminals, with Hayes having a string of more than two dozen arrests and convictions dating back to 1982, including numerous burglaries, larcenies, forgeries, and weapons and drug possession. Komisarjevski has a string of 10 arrests and convictions for burglary and larceny dating back to 2002.

Both Hayes and Komisarjevsky have been held on $15 million bonds pending appearances in New Haven Superior Court Aug. 7.