Posted on 07/24/2007 12:56:31 PM PDT by ParaVet93
CHESHIRE, Conn. - Two parolees with long criminal records were arraigned Tuesday on charges alleging they broke into a doctor's home, forced a hostage to withdraw cash from a bank and set fire to the house several hours later, killing the doctor's wife and two daughters.
The suspects were caught Monday in the family's SUV as they fled the burning home, which they apparently had torched to cover their tracks, authorities said.
Dr. William Petit Jr., 50, a prominent endocrinologist, was the only survivor and was severely injured in the attack.
Joshua Komisarjevky, 26, of Cheshire, and Steven Hayes, 44, of Winsted, were charged with assault, sexual assault, kidnapping, burglary, robbery and arson. Bail was set at $15 million each, and state police have said that additional charges are likely.
A court bail commissioner said Hayes and Komisarjevky each have rap sheets with more than 20 prior burglaries, and both were out of prison on parole.
The two men did not enter pleas, and answered only "yes" when asked if they understood their rights. Both were represented by public defenders.
Bank employees had contacted police around 9:30 a.m Monday after one of the suspects accompanied a female hostage, who was not identified, to make a withdrawal. Police went to the home, where they found the victims and arrested the two men.
Petit's wife, Jennifer Hawke-Petit, 48, and daughters Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11, were dead in the home, a law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation said.
The attack rocked Cheshire, an upper-middle class community of 29,000 full of colonial-style homes just east of Waterbury and about 15 miles north of New Haven.
"In Cheshire we're not used to this type of event," town Police Chief Michael Cruess said. "It's a very unfortunate, tragic event that's probably going to reach right down to the core of the community."
Hayley Petit had received an early acceptance to Dartmouth, her father's alma mater. She was a fundraiser for multiple sclerosis and captain of the basketball and crew teams. She was also devoted to her school, so much so that even while she was recovering from a collapsed lung, she attended commencement.
"She was such a good, good person," said M. Burch Tracy Ford, head of school at Miss Porter's School in Farmington. "The younger kids just worshipped the ground she walked on."
Dr. Petit, 50, the president of the Hartford County Medical Association, is a noted specialist in diabetes and endocrinology and the medical director of the Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate at The Hospital of Central Connecticut in New Britain.
"It is a shocking day for everyone. It's just beyond anyone's understanding," said Larry Tanner, president and chief executive officer of the hospital.
Jennifer Hawke-Petit was a nurse and co-director of the health center at Cheshire Academy, a private boarding school.
"They're just a lovely family," said the Rev. Ronald A. Rising, a neighbor for more than a decade. "It's just awful to think it would happen to a family like that in this community. You don't think about those things happening."
This is just disgusting and unacceptable. Whoever let them out on parole should be charged with a crime. It's time to hold the justice system accountable for allowing these monsters back onto our streets even after 20 felony convictions.
Someone will find their mommas and find out they are good boys who just got led astray by others.
The Mayor of Waterbury just called a local radio talk show and and expressed his disgust with the state legislature in Hartford. He’s a Democrat!
Congressman Billybob
I have said that time and again. I guess Algore would say there in no controlling legal authority.
The justice system is made up of lawyers and the legislatures are mostly lawyers so I don't see much chance for anything to change.
What are the gun laws in Connecticut like?.........Sane or insane?.....
Sickening. Death penalty for the two bastards.
“Whoever let them out on parole should be charged with a crime.”
***
Actually, I’ll bet the blame lies in the local criminal justice system — perhaps in Texas for example, these two would not have been out on the street. In many other states, however, there is no way legally to hold them after they serve their sentences. And the sentences are way too lenient.
Execute these vermin criminals and throw the bum legislatures/judges/lawyers out on their tails.
Yeah, setting a place on fire after you’ve murdered somebody is so much more stealthy than simply closing the door and turning the lights off.
Could it be that so many criminals are criminals because they’re just stupid? Or is it the “broken” homes and no health care?
Must be Bush’s fault.
He's also up for reelection this year in the most conservative Democratic city in the state.
He's a panderer...big time.
So the Mayor of Waterbury has blood on his hands for being a member of the party that works to let these criminals loose.
50/50.
If you are clean and sane you can get a carry permit after taking a course. There is still an "assault weapons" law which is plain stupid. And there is some new law making the gun owner liable (even criminally) for not reporting a theft or, in some cases, being robbed of your guns to begin with.
There are better states and worse states when it comes to guns.
How is it possible that these two can even be considered for bail no matter how high? There are three dead women and the wounded doctor, these vermin were out on parole and the remote possibility of bail is still there?
And where are the homicide charges? They don’t seem to be mentioned at all.
This affluent town will get an eye popping lesson in how degenerate the legal system has become. Let’s see what they do with their outrage.
That would be insane.
Yeah...after HE begged and fought in court to be executed. The public defenders office tried to keep him alive against his will.
And then there is the case of Daniel Webb who murdered Diane Gellenbeck in 1989 and has been on death row since 1991. He sued the state because he couldn't use afro-american beauty products on death row.
These new guys will probably die of old age because as soon as the initial storm is over, the liberals will turn them into the victims.
Their lawyers (and the judges they control) will no doubt
get the murderers off yet again.
String up these two cold-blooded murderers. They don’t deserve to take another breath.
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