Suspect awaits arraignment in '79 Etan Patz case

Etan Patz  was one of the first missing children whose photo and details of disappearance were put on milk cartons and distributed throughout the country and the area where he was last seen alive.  Soon thereafter this became a major successful tool used by police and FBI to gain widespread attention to the plight of thousands of missing children every year in this country.


As a child I remember looking at those children's faces as I ate my breakfast or Dinner, and wondering what happened to them, where are they? And praying that they would be found alive unharmed.

Thoughts of victims of crimes and injustice have pervaded my mind and soul as far back as I can remember, long, long before I became a victim of violent crime myself.


Fortunately and only by chance, I survived the violent crimes against me, but had the situation varied just slightly in one direction or the other, I would not be here today to write these articles. Survivor ship eventually replaced victim hood as I crosses a long painful and often anger filled chasm. Many are not able to advance and are pulled down by the mire of the experience of having been so grievously harmed intentionally by another human being. As well the court and judicial processes that follow crimes such as mine and many others are as or more wounding than the very brutal crimes themselves. The victim looks to the court as society at the time when the crimes against us are to be "righted" and the violent criminals punished.



As is often the case, the actual resolution of violent crime does not include a proportional sentence and in many cases assailants rapists kidnappers leave courthouses via the help of bail bondsman , apathetic prosecutors and a system so prostituted and broken that the victim is always always the one to suffer as a result of these immense failures that stem from an apathy that I personally view as more evil than the crimes themselves.


As Voltaire said so wisely: " Evil exists when Good men do nothing. "



This maddening reality can be viewed every single day in Courthouses across this country, our supposed sacred institutions in charge of administrating justice to violent offenders. However, Connecticut is decidedly one of the worst States at procuring sentences that reflect the severity of the crimes -  this not only results in those victims being re victimized and invalidated by a complacent apathetic and irresponsible system....but a whole new generation of victims  will fall at the hands of the under sentenced offender who is being given the proverbial slap on the wrist.

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As well the revolving door for brutality and crime  sends a message to all predators:, and that message is " it is no big deal to assault rape brutalize kidnap stalk or even murder your fellow man. (or as is most often the case statistically woman or child. 

Surviving my crime and the bloody aftermath of its so called "adjudication" in Bridgeport GA2 court, this slowly began to fuel a commitment to do my part to insure that justice is had for every single victim within my sphere.  Although all human life is equal and precious, like many others have a particular disdain and loathing for those criminals who prey upon children,


There is something so particularly evil about harming a child. It reaches deep into our most basic sense of pain and outrage as witnesses to  fellow human beings easily committing  heinous harm against a child.


I thank God for the dedicated police and detectives who continue to work on cold cases such as this, so many years after other's may have given up. More and more we are seeing these cases solved and the perpetrators of murder rape and abductions caught, tried and sentenced, as we, the ever vigilant, perpetually engaged members of society who care so deeply, ever - watchful, our hearts torn but strong steady and intent upon  seeing through that small piece  of justice finally meted out against those who prey upon our brothers and sisters, all children of God..






Suspect awaits arraignment in '79 Etan Patz case

Farmington Teen's Performance Group To Host Petit Family Fundraiser

An "Arts From The Hearts" Concert fundraiser benefiting the Petit Family Foundation will be held on June 19th at the Farmington Community/Senior Center.

This is actually the second such concert benefit of it's kind honoring the Foundation and the charitable lives of Jennifer, Hayley and Michaela Petit, all of whom were murdered in a tragic home invasion in Cheshire in July 2007.

The two men responsible have finally both been tried and sentenced and they will remain in prison for the rest of their lives. In the meantime both the Petit and hawke extended families are focusing their attention and efforts to the wealth of Good works done by the Petit family foundation created in the wake of the crimes by William Petit Jr wife of Jennifer and father to Hayley and Michaela.


 Dr Petit managed to survive the crimes after suffering serious head injuries. Once a lead endocrinologist in Plainville he now spends his time organizing and running the Family Foundation which has helped serve victims of violent crime including partner violence, as well as people suffering from chronic illness such as Multiple sclerosis which Jennifer Petit was diagnosed with 10 years before her death. 

The Foundation also provides scholarship funds to deserving youngsters in need with a focus on women in the sciences, though not exclusively so..  In the four years since its inception, the Petit Foundation has hosted well over a dozen major events raising an inordinate amount of money that has helped hundreds of persons in need.  Their events have included an annual 5K run that has over 3000 participants from all over the State and beyond, two annual "Rides For Justice",  a motorcycle cross Rally and Fair as well as a Golf  Tournament which has also become an annual event.

The foundation is also involved with less ostentatious projects that cumulatively have raised substantial sums for many worthy charities and causes. Included in the plethora of beneficiaries and sister charities are" Jane Doe no more" a sexual assault support group founded in Connecticut, and the Susan B Anthony Project, which benefits victims of partner and domestic violence. Within this realm of the Foundation  work was a large contribution subsidizing a new much needed Domestic Violence Shelter In New Britian Connecticut!

Visiting the Petit non profits website one can Donate directly or volunteer time and talents. There is a full listing of all of the Petit Family Foundations  endeavours, as well as recipients and awards that the organization has garnered throughout its 5 year history.

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The slow death of the Death Penalty in Connecticut - Nullification or '"Progress"

It is extremely interesting to me that whenever we hear a discussion or debate concerning the death penalty, one of the most common phrases  coming from the lips of death penalty abolitionists is revolves around "the
 value of human life."

Ironically, this reference is never made about the victims of capital murders, bur rather it is consistently made on behalf of the lives of the convicted murderers and rapists that took other peoples lives.

Those men and women either facing a death sentence for committing a series of capital crimes or...inmates languishing on death row as their state paid attorneys obligatorily push appeal after appeal through their respective court systems fighting tooth and nail for the lives of men whop have been convicted of capital murders rapes child abductions torture and more.

In our Connecticut legislature and judiciary committee we hear a great deal about the rights and plights of convicted  murderers and/or rapists who have taken the lives of typically more than one victim in the most violent of ways (certainly in our state of Connecticut nearly every man on death row 14 now was convicted of murdering and or raping at least two or more people, with the exception of one man who murdered a police officer in cold blood)

We  hear over and over again from abolitionists that the death penalty is nothing more than revenge, and revenge of course is  uncivilized and wrong.

Justice is not revenge.

Putting Joshua komisarjevsky and Steven Hayes to a quiet death via lethal injection is most definitely not revenge. Connecticut's death penalty is one in  name only, but in theory it includes the use of a sedative kindly given to the convicted child rapist and murderers, which simply puts them to sleep upon a padded gurney, minutes before a medication is administered that stops their heart.

Bear in mind as well that these two men if they ever were actually given their death sentences, would live for many many years in prison long before those  "sentences" would actually be imposed. Ten to twenty five years to be exact is our countries average -thats 20 years of  breathing eating reading writing drawing and visits with family members as well as phone calls. All things that their victims can no longer enjoy, nor can the victim;s families visit thier loved ones, even through a glass partition

I would wager a guess that Dr William Petit and his family would give anything to simply see his wife and children even one more time albeit with a piece of glass between them for an eternity if that was all he could have.. He and his family do not receive that privilege  It was ripped from them by two men who wanted to rape predate torture control and ultimately murder thier victims to destroy evidence and as a sadistic climax
to their evening of terrorizing an innocent family.