Dr. William Petit was the sole survivor of a gruesome crime in 2007 where his wife Jennifer and two daughters were beaten, tormented and killed in their Connecticut home. Steven Hayes was convicted of 16 charges including the sexual assault and murder of Petit's family. Another suspect, Joshua Komisarjevsky, faces trial next year and also could receive the death penalty if convicted. Petit expressed relief about the guilty verdict but said it would not bring his family back.

1. Legal Daily News Feature
Justice for a Connecticut Family
In July 2007, Dr. William Petit became the sole survivor of a devastating and gruesome crime committed against his family. His wife
Jennifer and the couple’s two daughters, Hayley, who was 17 and Michaela, who was 11, were all beaten and tormented, as was Dr.
Petit.
10/07/10 Steven Hayes, now 45, first began running into legal problems
in 1980. Many arrests followed, although Connecticut
This nightmare will never be over officials considered him a ‘’minimum security offender’’ with
for him as he must now pick up a ‘’minimal violence history’’. In October, 2003, Hayes was
the pieces while knowing what sentenced again to five years in prison for a third degree
happened in his home that day. He was afforded some degree burglary charge. In June, 2006, less than three years later,
of relief this week as one of the accused stood trial. The he was released to a halfway house, only to be rearrested
defendant in the first trial was found guilty of 16 charges, for drug use in November 2006. He was granted parole and
including the sexual assault of Mrs. Hawke-Petit, the doctor’s released just six months later. It was at the halfway house
wife and the mother of the two young girls who also lost their where Hayes and Komisarjevsky, now 26, met. Six months
lives. He was, however, acquitted of arson, the only charge he after being released on parole, the two men were arrested for
was not convicted of. Steven Hayes is now facing the death this brutal crime.
penalty, as Connecticut makes it legal to do so.
The charges Hayes was convicted of this week, many of which
Another accused, Joshua Komisarjevsky, faces a trial early qualified for the death penalty, include first degree aggravated
next year and he too faces the death penalty. Hayes has sexual assault, first degree arson, murder of a kidnapped
stated Komisarjevsky was the aggressor and the one who person (3 charges), murder of a person under 16 and murder
found Mrs. Hawke-Petit and her two daughters in a local of a person during a first degree sexual assault.
grocery store. They then followed the family home and
returned later that same day to commit the crimes that could For now, Petit is content with the verdict. He knows sentencing
now land them both on death row. They forced Mrs. Hawke- for Hayes and Komisarjevsky’s trial is approaching. Many
Petit to go to the bank and withdraw $15,000 early on during legal analysts say the death penalty is most likely the course
the ordeal. She managed to get a message to the bank teller, of punishment for both men, providing Komisarjevsky is
who then called 911. After they returned to the home, both convicted, of course. Petit refused requests for interviews, but
men raped and then strangled Hawke-Petit before placing the did state that he was pleased with the guilty verdict, but that
girls in their respective bedrooms, tying them up, covering it ‘’won’t bring my family back’’.
their heads with pillow cases and then setting the house on
fire. The two girls died of smoke inhalation.
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