lack of reaction to what should be, and indeed was, very upsetting details about an 11 year old girl's autopsy, notwithstanding the fact that at the very least had he not targeted she and her mother for a home invasion, she would be alive today.
Instead, Michaela's windpipe, filled with poisonous carbon dioxide soot, was being displayed on a projector screen in a New Haven Courthouse, on an early autumn day when Michaela Petit should be just beginning her ninth grade school year.
The Chief Medical examiner described in graphic detail the state of little Michaela Petit's body, inside and out, as a clearly emotionally distraught courtroom, filled to the brim with people, watched and listened. Some averted their eyes from the screen: Joshua Komisarjevsky, on trial for these murders, was not one of them.
He looked up at the screen often during that portion of the medical examiners testimony. He did not appear the least bit distraught, shameful or even slightly bothered by the testimony, For the most part he seemed to listen with interest to the scientific details, as if he were watching a documentary or a biology lesson, something that he had no emotional attachment to whatsoever.
While his lawyers can argue semantics all day:long -and they have " Well, yes he was there, but he didn't kill anyone, his accomplice did all of that, Steven Hayes brought the crimes to the level of murder"...' they cannot explain away what everyone else can plainly see; their client's obvious lack of emotion, never mind contrition or conscience. There was not a trace of sorrow, the natural human reaction to viewing and hearing details of such carnage to a child. Never mind that he was viewing the results of crimes that he indeed made happen.
What all of of this speaks loudly of, is anti-social personality disorder, this is a personality disorder , not a mental illness, its main features consist of a highly manipulative, deceptive, rationalizing nature, parasitical existences and a distinct lack of conscience, although usually savvy enough to feign conscience and empathy when they know that it's expected or if it will behoove them in any way - ie "I found the idea of killing three women unconscionable"
he stated to the Cheshire detective.
Komisarjevsky tried to appear helpful and as humane as possible, after his arrest, all of which one can hear in his tape recorded statements to the Cheshire detectives, which have now been released and are available on the web. I poured over those statements carefully and what I heard was a man whose lies have now so entangled him that neither he nor his lawyers have a hope of untangling the web that he has woven. Such is often the fate of pathological liars, especially one's that are so arrogant they believe that they can escape any accountability, simply by acting and looking the part of the "good bad guy" In other words shmoozing or duping people.
This is exactly the desired effect he had on Jennifer Petit, and likely what convinced her that the men would leave once they got the money, she even said this to the bank teller " I think they'll leave. It was Komisarjevsky who did all the talking, he admitted to brian macdonald the writer that he had several extende conversations with Mrs Petit and "liked her" notice the facile superficiality of a sociopaths emotions however; he liked her yet had no qualms i am sure in telling hayes to finish her" once they got back from the bank with the money.
" William Petit spoke of the masked man who had hit him with the bat, who did all the talking" (Komisarjevsky) He testified in both trials now about that voice using reassuring tones after he'd been beaten and tied up ( thus neutralized), telling him "we only want some money and then we'll leave, no one will get hurt"
Later in the home invasion Dr. Petit suddenly heard thumping and moaning sounds on the floor above him, Petit tried to yell up the basement steps where he lay helplessly bound hand and feet to a pole - hey! But now the same voice sounding "extremely sinister" yelled down to him
"don't worry, it'll all be over in a few minutes..." William Petit Jr stated that the evil sounding tone more than the words mustered a blast of Adrenalin, as he immediately knew these men were going to kill him and his family. He could not take on two men with a gun in his state, severe blood loss traumatic brain injury and his feet hopelessly bound, he somehow broke the zip ties binding his hands and hopped up the bilco stairs, literally rolling on the grass to his next door neighbors yelling to call 911.
This is a case where the narcissism, and manipulative nature of the sociopath has completely undone his credibility: Between Joshua komisarjevsky's taped statement to police, his interviews and letters with writer Brian Macdonald, and his so called journals/writings, (some of which were written as drafts and rewrites for inclusion in Macdonalds book, a self serving version of the Petit crimes written before either trial was even scheduled most of which was proven to be completely false based upon forensic evidence, witness testimony and his own taped statement to Police. Komisarjevsky naturally tried to rewrite reality and shift all the blame, especially for the capital crimes (punishable by death) upon his accomplice Steven Hayes.
After the Steven Hayes trial showed up most of Komisarjevsky's version of the Petit crimes to writer Brian Macdonald, as utterly and completely mendacious, Macdonald was quoted as saying that Joshua komisarjevsky was of the most manipulative people he'd ever met. I felt it was too little too late.
Unfortunately his book, published as a paperback novel, was still out there, oft times written in a first person narrative (komisarjevsky's perspective) but not explaining in in the preface that this rendition was not fact, as such it could be picked up by anyone unfamiliar with the crimes, the case, and they would assume this " version" to be the truth.
This is the danger of writing true crime books before the dust has even settled and the collective community is still in a state of deep grief ad trauma - not to mention neither defendant had even been scheduled for trial at that juncture, and a court imposed gag order was in place when the interviews and letters took place, rendering the discussions with Komisarjevsky illegal as he was a defendant in the case.
The gag applied to all attorneys, the Police departments involved, the two defendants, as well as the prosecutor. At the time the Petit and extended family believed themselves bound by the gag order as well and they refrained from discussing any details of the crimes regardless. Joshua Komisrajevsky as usual, felt himself immune from such trifling rules of the court.
It would appear that komisarjevsky's lead attorney shares that same attitude that the rules of the court ( as well professional and personal ethics) do not apply to him; Jeremiah Donovan himself was hauled before Judge Fasano last year for a hearing to determine possible contempt of court charges against him for purposely violating the gag order himself;
In the midst of the Steven Hayes trial on a day when the medical examiner announced that semen was found in little Michaela body indicating she had been sodomized. Everyone was sick over it,
most knew that Michaela had been the sexually assaulted in some way but this was the worst possible scenario imaginable. Donovan's client made two conflicting statements regarding his sexual assault upon Michaela being relegated "only" to masturbating on her (writer Brian Macdonald) and alternately, performing oral sex on her while she was tied to her bed( Cheshire Police) then masturbating on her stomach.
In one version, he stated she had a pillowcase on her head and the other he claimed she looked away towards a wall as he masturbated. Within that forensic testimony was proof that not only had komisrajevsky lied as we already knew, but he had done the most unthinkable upon an 11 year old girl.
Donovan leapt into damage control mode having the audacity to gather the huge media presence around him, which was in new haven for the Hayes trial, all in order to make a statement about the days testimony.which was damning to His client. He claimed that he really wanted to address the Petit family and related to the cameras that this was the only way he could, this as they'd pursued a restrainer order against him thus he wanted to give them solace and tell them that the testimony from the medical examiner that day re his clients semen was wrong and when pressed as to how could it be by a reporter, he nervously alluded to his client only ejaculating on Michalea Petit, but he did not sodomize her, why- because joshua komisarjevsky told him so.
It was a ridiculous "stunt" , ironically the very term that Donovan recently flung at the beleaguered grief torn Petit family because they chose to leave the court just prior to the autopsy testimony regarding Michaela. Last year no one was thus warned and the medical examiner launched into an overly detailed account of how he entered the body of this 11 year old girl and Dr Petit looked as if his heart was breaking. Everyone in attendence felt it unnecessarily descriptive.
After that the family was warned of any upsetting graphic testimony or evidence and some members would leave just prior to it. Just two days ago within this second trial attorney Duncan called for a mistrial for the 2nd or 3rd time, this time citing the Petits decision to leave before hearing the graphic details about Michaela's heat damaged skin, and soot covered trachea, the bindings on her hands and the cut clothing upon her body that had been bleached among other painful testimony with accompanying photos upon a projector screen.
As far as I am concerned this particular attorney should have action taken against him by the bar. I don't know why Judge Blue is allowing a good deal of theabuse of the Petit family by this Attorney either.
The attorneys for Komisarjevsky have unsuccessfully tried to have Blue removed from the case
in both pre-trial motions and within one mistrial motion within the first week of the trial.
One of the three toothless mistrial bids that was denied was one descsion that the judge made in ending the days trial session, after particularly graphic upsetting testimony concerning the deaths of the girls; a juror had begun crying rather loudly and was noticeably quite shaken.
Judge Blue wisely chose to end the days proceedings citing that one of the jurors was having a hard time." and this might be a good time to close out the day due to this and the overall drain.
This was prejudicial to his client" according to Attorney Jeremiah Donovan, as were the tiny dove
pins that the Petit family wear on their lapels each day,symbolizing the Petit Family foundation and the spirit of Jennifer Hayley and Michaela, ( each of whom were particularly kind,giving sorts involved with charity work) Yes Mr Donovan, clearly prejudicial.
Donovan's most recent harassment of this family,who are suffering each day of this trial
in obvious traumatizing and grief, were Fridays coarse and inappropriately bitter obections to the
family's choice to leave the courtroom to escape graphic testimony; he labeled their departure as a stunt and added that they they better not pull again!"
To this Joanna Chapman,the girls aunt and William Petit's younger sister, made an official response via the media later that same day, she stated that she had had to identify the bodies of her sister in law and her two nieces who died from the gasoline fueled fire,strategically poured to insure their death and the destruction of DNA evidence left from the sexual assaults.
She angrily shared that after having to endure that terrible task the last thing she ever wanted to see were details of her 11 year old nieces autopsy - And she made it very clear that the characterization of the decision to leave the courtroom "en masse" as Donovan bitterly depicted as a stunt" was a grave insult, as well it was to all of us with a sense of decency.
I personally think that this man this lawyer is as evil as his client. Either he has personalized this
case this trial to such a level that he is projecting motivations onto the Petit family, ie
calling them the Petit Posse for example, utterly ridiculous and a characterization as far from the truth as could be. Or even more likely, this attack mode upon the surviving victim and the victims
family is a deliberate act a shtick, mostly designed to make a name for himself somehow through this high profile case.
Perhaps he envisions himself with book deals and on talk shows, based solely upon his combative tactics with the victim and the family? Bcause god knows this man's skills as an attorney are non-existant. He and his team of minions, are now wearing cashmere topcoats donning fresh new
haircuts (like their primped up client) this, in stark contrast to Donovan' former standard public defender just rolled out of bed in my suit look. I daresay there might even be some botox involved here.
My point being that ego is definitely rearing its ugly head within this defense team ; Donovan makes Thomas Ullmann look like a lawyer reeking with decency (something lawyers don't want said about them, as they equate this with bad lawyering, and therein lies the problem you should be able to mainatain integrity professionally and personally and still be a good lawyer)
Ironically, Donovan started all of this trying to look the part of the sensitive, empathetic attorney, certainly compared to Ullmanns curmudgeonly pugnacious tact, fists seemed to always in the air. Even right up to the point where he was breaking the gag order and calling that mini press conference during the Hayes trial donovan was still trying to act the part of the concerned lawyer who was looking out for the family of the victim-when making his announcement re his clients semen and how he didn't want the petit family mistakenly believing their client sodomized an eleven year old. It was all a big mistake, never mind that forensic evidence testimony you heard today; josh told me he dint do that"!
The Petit family responded angrily upon hearing Donovan's breaking news conference on the courthouse steps of the Hayes trial-a trial that wasnt his and indeed the two men had adverserisla defenses, yet he was permitted to attend every day of something that to me seemed like an extremely unfair advantage for the lawyer for the other defendant - this seems as if it is not ethical, its cheating.
Donovan took notes constantly and clearly he is using the mentality that Ullman was uncharacteristically non aggressive and hayes was sentenced to death (which is what he wanted) this mostly because his client (hayes) wanted to plead guilty unlike the complete sociopath komisarjevsky, hayes was literally shriveling up in prison both from the treatment he claims to have received by the guards such as messing with his food etc, and perhaps a small modicum of remorse, we can never be sure. Either way he was a completely different breed then this Komisrajevskywho was the instigator the leader the brains and the more evil influence.
There had been talk of a charge of contempt of court for Komisrajevsky for basically dictating a version of the crimes to a writer for profit (money appeared mysteriously in his prison account shortly after the meetings), some how no one thought this would faze a man facing a slew of capital crime charges and a possible death sentence.
To my knowledge the contempt charge was never brought against komisarjevsky, despite an outpouring of anger and angst from the communities surrounding Cheshire and indeed all over the State and beyond. Many many people have been deeply affected by these crimes because of the heinous brutality, the randomness of a mom and her daughters shopping at a store and being targeted because of their appearance, the fact that the police were notified in time to have saved the family if they had been trained in a first response capacity, which they were not and as such relied on standard " hostage" protocol which means calling in swat team setting up a perimeter etc. Unfortunately this choice, or rather this one size fits all protocol may have been the difference in saving at least the two girls lives, if not Jennifer Petit as well. But in hindsight this is just another if only and what if, both of which we all have been drowning in since learning the details of these crimes.
2 comments:
Appreciate your post. This case is one that has always stuck with since I was young and I am constantly wondering about the what ifs within this case. At the end of the day it just clear the murhpy's law was in full effect at the Petit's, and it is just not fair that these evil men got to choose their fate.
What a rambling mess.
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