Petit family murder case as it relates to Annie Le Murder?

Murder Victim Annie Le

Jennifer Hawke-Petit, her husband, William Petit, and their two teenage daughters, Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11, were sleeping in their Cheshire, Conn., home early in the morning of July 23, 2007, when two men crept into the house. Within two hours, Hawke-Petit and Hayley were raped and the home was set on fire.

By the time the alleged perpetrators were caught, Hawke-Petit had been strangled to death and the two daughters had died from smoke inhalation. Fifty-year-old Petit, though beaten with a baseball bat, managed to escape.

Almost three years later, the two men charged in the notorious triple homicide, Steven Hayes and Joshua Komisarjevsky, have yet to be tried. And Monday in New Haven Superior Court, Judge Jon Blue delayed jury selection for Hayes’s trial for at least another week. (Komisarjevsky will be tried after Hayes’ trial has concluded .)

Exactly two weeks after Raymond Clark III, the man charged in the slaying of Yale graduate student Annie Le GRD ’13, pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and felony murder, the Hayes trial suggests a lengthy judicial process lies ahead for Clark as well.

NOTORIETY

National news organizations have extensively covered both cases, making the selection of impartial jurors a challenge, three legal experts said. One of the public defenders representing Clark, Beth Merkin, said “it’s common sense that in a high profile case, you want to minimize any impact of media exposure on the jury pool.”

In cases as well-known as these, lawyers hope to fill juries with people who at least demonstrate an ability to be impartial despite prior exposure, said New Haven-based criminal defense attorney Paul Carty. Jurors need to be able to “empty the cup of all that they’ve read or heard and let it be filled with information from the trial,” he said.

Given widespread publicity about these cases, it will be a challenge to find jurors who will not feel pressured by how their friends, family or colleagues might react to a surprising verdict, said former federal prosecutor Jeffrey Meyer ’85 LAW ’89, now a law professor at Quinnipiac University.

The state prosecutor handling the case, Michael Dearington, and Hayes’ public defender, Thomas Ullmann, both declined to comment because the judge has ordered them not to discuss the case with the media. The order is intended to limit pre-trial publicity to ensure an unbiased jury, they said.

Meyer said high-profile cases draw attention to the jury selection strategies of the defense and prosecution. The prosecution in Hayes’s case wants jurors who believe in an “eye for an eye,” whereas the defense, he said, is looking for jurors who are open-minded and have a diversity of experience.

As in the Hayes case, the judge in the Clark case, Roland Fasano, has needed to strike a balance between releasing information to the public and not biasing the jury pool, Merkin said.

“But I can’t predict whether it’s even going to go to trial,” she added, because the police investigation is ongoing.

Steven Duke LAW ’61, an expert on criminal law and professor at Yale Law School, said he would not be surprised if the Clark case takes a year to come to trial.

But notoriety aside, Meyer said the most troubling parallel between the two cases is the lack of an established motive.

“Neither case involved infidelity or refusal to hand over money or any other typical motive,” Meyer said. “There are real question marks.”

The state prosecutor for the Clark case, John Waddock, declined to comment Monday.

LONG ROAD AHEAD

Jury selection for Hayes’ trial was halted last week after Hayes, of Winsted, Conn., was found unconscious in his cell at the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield, the maximum security facility where Clark is also being held. Hayes had overdosed on medication he had been pretending to take for several days. While his condition has since stabilized, Judge Blue postponed jury selection until at least Feb. 16.

Since jury selection began on Jan. 19, four jurors have been selected for the panel, which will include 12 regular jurors and up to eight alternates. The trial is scheduled to begin in September.

But selecting the rest of the jurors to try Hayes may take several more months, Meyer said.

Jury selection in Connecticut’s capital cases can proceed exceedingly slowly, he added, because state law allows lawyers to question each prospective juror one-on-one.

“We need to ask at what point justice delayed becomes justice denied,” he said.

Duke said individual questioning of jurors is an uncommon, but not unheard of practice outside Connecticut. Though jurors are usually questioned in groups to save time, jury selection for murder trials can take weeks or even months, he said.

Though progress on the case has been made, the long road to trial has taken a toll on those involved.

Petit, once a prominent endocrinologist, gave up his medical career after the attack to advocate for tougher sentencing laws for repeat violent offenders. Both Hayes and Komisarjevsky were on parole when they allegedly committed the crimes. At an October 2008 gathering in Woodbury, Conn., Petit said he felt abused by years of waiting for the trial to begin, the Hartford Courant reported.

“Somebody murders your family in 2007, and they tell you they’re going to go to trial in 2010 — what a great system we have,” he said.

Both Hayes and Komisarjevsky, whose trial will take place after Hayes’, could face the death penalty if convicted.

Danny Serna and Esther Zuckerman contributed reporting.

http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2010/02/09/cheshire-case-a-clue-for-clark/

Evidentiary hearing set for Hayes in triple homicide- The Register Citizen News - Northwest Connecticut's Daily Newspaper

Just when you think this dace could not become more of a farce...

Judicial Marshal Investigated Over Comment At Cheshire Murder Trial | Law Advice

Cheshire Slaying Trial Now Turns On Treatment Of Steven Hayes In Prison - Courant.com

Dr. William Petit Angry Over Trial Delay | NBC Connecticut

Keep up the good fight Bill Petit, you have perhaps unwittingly become the voice for all victims of violent crime and our perverse Ct Judicial system.

Cheshire slaying suspect in court Monday

Paperwork snafu delays trial for triple murder suspect-

Medical error may have played role in Cheshire suspect’s OD- The New Haven Register - Serving New Haven, Connecticut

This really looks like one or all of the following:
a) a stalling maneuver by Hayes
b) An attempt to appear more human to the potential jury pool ie "ee Ive got a conscience unlike that sociopath komisarjevsky who was the real ringleader, and I just got dragged alomg for what I thought was+9
When exactly did these drugs become a staple of Mr hayes daily life? Was he supposedly on these meds prior to coming in to prison OR as the case MORE likely was, di he successfully manipulate some hapless prison doctor/psychiatrist who perhaps young and thus too well meaning opted to be;ieve Mr Hayes's complaints were genuine-and having taken that hypocratc -to forget for a fre minutes the absolute heinous group of crimes that he was literally caught fleeing the scene of be were these drugs an opportunistic tool designed with multi-fold manipulations behind thier use?
For example Hayes defense could have been considering the option of setuing up an insanity defense from the get go-after hayes a long time loser with especially when the relativelyrare use of anti-pschotics-altho even these are becoming easierr to hrt aaaanywherdid these "meds" beginanti-psychotic and anti-anxiety ( Benzodiazepine group-think valium zanax clonipin ) all began after an evalution with prsison staff psychiatrist. Then there was the CLONIPIN AN ANXIETY DRUG OF THE BENZODIAZIPINE CLASS IE THINK ZANAX VALIUM but longer lasting in the system) he has been given this as well close to the time of his initial incarceration for these murders-

All this adds up to is he knew what it would take to kill himself-he is a drug user from way back. He likely knew that this little maneuver would both buy him time-easy time in the infirmary after the intiial hospital stomach pump and possibly garner public sympatathy from fol;ks who might percieve the attempt at suicide as a sign of remorse for the rapes murders and assualuts of the petit family members.

For a man that supposedly wanted to die hayes has refused to leave his cell even accompanied by mulitple guards and sharp shotters for fear of being attacked by other innmates-who historically dont like rapists and least of all children killers-Not to mention because of he and his co defendent being paroled early and abusing the privledge despicably ie slaughtering a family and a 11 year old child whom he tried to burn to death after raping strangling her mother within earshot of her adespite the fact that the doomed mrs petit had just returned from the bank with Mr Hayes having withdrawn 15000 dollars 5 thousand dollars more than they demanded in exchange for her familys life!

. All I can think about is that moment when they returned to the petits home where komisarjevsky admits he was sexually assaulting 11 yr old michalea and taking photos of her nude body as well as her in the bath where hed ordered her to scrub herself (ie dna of his) he turned on jen petit and began tying her down to a table to rape and choke her to death as she tried to scream for her life and her daughters lives tied to thier beds upstairs.
remember too those poor sweet girls heard thier mom being assaulted and murdered while they lay helpless tied up and about to be doused in gasoline that both men poured liberally upon thier bodies and beds and carpeting leading up from thier moms now lifeless body. I mention these details because this is what happened to these women the victims and it should never ever ever be forgotten. We owe them this, no matter how unpleasent nor disturbing-it is that very tendency of some people to distance themselves from the reality of what the victims were put through in thier last hours-or minutes or sometimes even days and weeeks as weve seen recently in the story of rescued twenty eight year old kidnapped at age eleven. The point is these details are the truth the truth is the center of everything. We must be thier voice, no matter how painful it is.

I also couldt help but recall that hayes attorneys had been madly trying to delay the jury selection process which was finally alated to begin in jan two and half years after the murders and rapes.Thankfully the most recent judge saw thru thie attorneys latests subterfuge stall tactics and said NO WE WILL PROCEED. Only a week or so into that very ardous process which conn is famous for retaining such an arcahaic and defendent oriented voire dire system, this meant that Steven hayes co defendent in these murders was about to begin the provess of facing his accountability and exact involvment in this grotesque crimes

Thus the "suicide" attempt would most importantly ultimately serve as a big delay in the long overdue inniated jury selection process for his trial-hayes is to be tried first, and his cohort komisarjevsky who many including myself consider the master mind will be thus tried when hayes's trial is finally adjudicated.

This guy hayes will do anything it takes to stall his trial from becoming underway-a process that in Ct begins with an already famously arduous voire dire potential jury process, by which both sides. the defense and the prosecutors, get to question propspective jurors ad nauseum often willy nilly with the defense almost always employing an expensive jury selection expert company who do nothing but study how to choose just the right kind of ignorant or pliable folks as jurors for thier clients trial.

This process is rare in most states not voire dire itself but the ultra liberal time consuming and seeningly without common sense nor requirement for either side to cite thier endless supply of strikes- a legal term that basically means we doont like this giu or gal for a juror and we dont have to give any reason at all. Again Connecticut is reknown for straying off the common sense beaten path and allowed its liberal legislators who have little to nothing to do with the actual say to day machinations of choosing juries for multiple rape murders kidnappings home inasions arson torture and dhild rape as are the basic tenets in this particular case. A case that I might add has has far reaching effects on not only a formerly trusting safe community but also on a larger scale an entire state that has been post traunatized by the heniousness of the crimes and then again cruelly by a recently illegally begotten cheap paperback novel written laregely from the perpective of one of the co defendets caught fleeing the burning murder scene.

In this illegally obtained and written book such details wer profferred by one of the killers who almost gleefully describes his sexual assault on a tied up 11 year old terrified michaela Petit whose mom was at the bank with mr hayes the other defendent murderer promising her that no harm woulkd come to her children as long as he got the 10000.000 hed asked for while komisarjevsky waited at home aspparently breakibng his part of his promise to Mrs Petit by raping her 11 yr old a d then forcing her to shower to get rid of any bits of semen he might have left on her. As a woman a fomer surivor of viorlent crime I couldnt help obsessing over that little girls fear and pain and terror as well as her older sister hayley who we have no proof was not also sexually assaulted at some point in the evening morning or even when hayes returned from the bank with Mrs Petit and the promised money in tow-again I cannot help but imagine what jen petit felt and thought as her captor whom she gave evrthung and more to protect the lives of her daughters and Mr Hayes and perhaps mr komsarjevsky also turned upon her immedietally tying her arms legs and noose abiout the neck as he raped a d strangled her while her husband unconscious and nearly dead from blood loss was awakened by the screams and begging by his wife on the living room floor above him in the basement where the intruders had left him beaten bloodly lilely dead tied to a pole with zipties hands and feet.

These were the details we already knew from some of the warrents published by the bristol press shortly after the crime. I like many many others soent a lot og time and angst wondering what else we didnt knoe=w and how these victims lived out the last few hours of thier lives.
The murders were no sudden panic happenchance as Mr Komsarjevsky originally tried to bamboozle the police with in his version of his confession" as later in the very book he dictated thru lettere and personal eetings with the author brian macdonald, who made his way thru subterfuge into the correctional center visiting list for lomisarjevsky by posing as an attorney sertainly not offerring the infomrmation that he was indeed a writer as the conn dept of corrections were well aware that there was a court ordered gag order on anyone related to the case including defebdebts lawyers prosecutors police judges and even victims adn thier family members. Oops another so called slip up. But the worst was yet to come when not only was this book given a good deal of pre trial publicity in the courant and the authors website itself but indeed hyped to the point of tittilating the public and misleading them once into claims of 'shocking never before seen photos-lies- and a comparison of the book-written for the most part with little to no research just letters from this kid whod snuffed out a family raping a child and leaving her tied to her bed to burn to death in what was a pre meditated plan to burn the victims and all the dna evidence of the rapes and thier prescence in the house. Ludicrous really considering komisarjevaky had the arrogence to use his cellphone to call his own job to call in sick using his own infant daughter being sick" as the excuse. He also forced Jen petit to call her husbands medical office saying he was sick and wouldnt bwe in. None of this behavioer lends itself to a panic stricken mode and a spur of the moment descsion to burn up the whole house with all the girls and thier mom and dr petit in it by dousing the tied up women two still very much aliove- Mrs Petit dead strangled and raped left thrown with her clothing ripped where she lay after being violently raped by hayes and possibly komisarjevsky-we dont know yet until all dna is presented and testimoney-but either way these are men who planned to torch this home and the children and thier mother and father with it. They procured the gasoliine at 6 am recipts and cameras show as does komisarjevskys redacted confessuin initially made to cheshire police right after he was caught fleeing the burning home with hayes in one of the petit family cars no less. Fopr men who supposedly were going to such lengths to hide thier part in these crimes they ceretainly sere putting themselves all over the crime via stealing the petit car and jewelry as well as stealing many personal items of the kids including cell phomes-which can be traced easily enough and of course the ever famous by now hat of hayley petit that hayes presumably ran out of the burning petit jouse wearing atop his head.

In the recent paperback book by brian mcdonald co authored by komsarejevaky he actually admitted to planning to kill hayes his partner in these crimes as soon as they got away from the petit house he cites his reasoning supposedly for hayes leaving his fingerprints in the hiouse after removing his gloves for a short time while rifling thru the drawers looking for sellable ite,s. Again I do not believe this was the reasom for the planned offing of hayes at ll jk tried to make it sound almost gallant as if to say because of his screw ups we had to ascalate the crimes. which i aslo more mendacity-sociopaths are reknown for lying and manipulation and it is quite clear that JK is in fact a classic textbook sociopath and it was hje who made these murders happen.


As I have \mentioned in the past posts both hayes and komsarjevskys snake oil salesma. attorneys have both behaved in despicable fashion assailing the surviving victim Bill Petit aloud in court thomas culligan even went so far as to slaim that the fact that the court was even sonsidering the petit families request for 2 simultaneous trial for hayes and komisarjevsky ridiculous on its face and was only being considered becasue rill petit was once a doctor and therefore somewhat affluent he went on to tell the judge and the televised courtroom that it made him sick: bc if this victim were black or poor this request qoulve never even been considered. In the end DrPetit and his attorny prosecutor decided to withdraw the request which theyd nade in genuine hopes of sparing the extended hawke petit family from having to hear details re rapes and horrible details re crimes agasint an 11 yr old an d a 48 yr old mom with ME no less, from being repeated twice abd enotionally regugitated. Seemed valid and sensitive to anyone with moral decency which both sets of defense attorenys paid for by our state dollars ironically clearly sorely lack. making the entire legal proffession in Connecticut more of a a farce than it already was-which is really saying something. As the jury selection eventually resumes-and it will-I will be covering the ins and outs and the hidden nuances that the average onlooker isnt privy to. I will stae the truth-plain ans simple-something this entire circus has been lacking from the onset.

One thing is for certain, despite boith defendents attempts at dragging out the judicial and administrative process imvolved with finding and presenting thier actual culpasbility in the kidnappings rapes and torture murders of three members of the Petit family, with a fourth kidnapping and attempted murder on the lone survivor Bill Petit father of the two little girls and husband of Jen Hawke Petit

Cheshire library power grab hits snag- The New Haven Register - Serving New Haven, Connecticut

Jury Selection In Cheshire Case Off Till Next Week - Courant.com

Jury Selection Halted in Triple Murder Case in Cheshire - NYTimes.com

No Kidding.

Petit family murder suspect attempts suicide in prison cell

Petit Murder Suspect's in Medically Induced Coma

The word has been released that "attempted suicide" is in fact the medical emergency that caused the hospitalization of Steven Hayes, co- defendent in the Petit family assaults, murders, arson and a litany of other crimes, including the murders of two children.


Hayes apparently had been stockpiling his daily anti-anxiety, anti-depressant and anti-siezure drugs, whilst pretending to swallow them, and at some oppoortune date when he felt he had enough pills, he chose to make a dramatic scene and take them all at once - clearly not enough.


Interestingly, hayes the first of the two murderer's scheduled to be tried, pulled this stunt, wouldn't you know it, just as as his jury selection was under-way,( and the reality of the trial and the impending exposure of his part in the brutal murders of a mother and her two children, came to pass. His lawyers had already tried to delay the jury selection, and thus his trial, .based upon the nonsensical logic that a recently released trashy book, essentially co- written and spoon fed by his co defendant Joshua komisarjevsky to some fool writer looking to make a quick buck, , was prejudicial towards Hayes, in essence attempting to lay the bulk of the capital crimes at Hayes feet.

At any rate, if he was truly planning on ending his life, why not do one right thing, as a parting gesture to this world; confess his complete role in the crimes and share the details these crimes,  making it easier to convict his fellow defendant, and undoubtedly, the mastermind -Joshua Komisarjevsky'. 

You'll recall that Komisarjevsky had no problem whatsoever doing his best to foist all responsibility for the murders and rapes on Hayes, within both his statement to police and within material dictated to the author of the illegally procured "novel " a book supposedly about the 2007 crimes, largely based upon the dictation of sociopath Joshua komisarjevsky" via his letters" and interviews with writer Brian Mcdonald.

McDonald, a writer of less than mediocre talent, and even less scruples, apparently snuck into Komisarjevskys prison, posing as an visiting attorney. He knew, as did komisarjevsky, that they were prohibited by a court ordered Gag on the case, to discuss any details about the crimes.
 This Gag order had been put in place shortly after the begginnings of the criminal case by Judge Damiani and it applied to not only defendents, but their lawyers, including the prosecution. This is why there were very few details about the crimes in the mainstream media in the years following, the hartford courant actually brought the issue to court contesting the gag as an encroachment of free information act

 A clutch of detailed letters were exchanged between murderer and writer and several more face to face meetings transpired before the Connecticut dept of Corrections figured out that McDonald was indeed a writer-only after a bunch of money was found to appear in komisarjevskys prsison account fund after the meetings-something also illegl in Ct and most states since the dahmer case)

and was only then was he finally stricken from komisarjevskys visiting list with purportedly no explanation by the DOC to either writer macdonaldorjoshua komaarhekyman. I like many others, smelled a rat within the Connecticut Dept of Corrections. It is no secret in those inner chasms that only certain people trvaerse, that the Conn DOC is long notorious for their susceptibility to bribes- money sex etc from both inmates and even visitors; And this I do not state with un substantiated cynicism, it is spoken with absolute assurance having been made privy to a multitude of specific examples by many many former and current inmates housed within various Connecticut prisons, I'm sorry to say.

Only time will tell if this was a genuine desperate suicide attempt by a man who is inching closer and closer to FINALLY being held accountable by a jury of his peers for a Vicious rape and strangulation of a 48 yr old beloved member of the community and his part in the muliple murdersof her two young girls, one of whom was sexually assaulted and the other who was reportedly at least beaten supposedly whilst trying to escape- This coming from komisarjevszky must be taken with a grain of salt as he is clearly a sociopaath and will do or say anything to escape blameorconsequences for his own actions/
The other option here is that this so called suicide attempt by HYES is in fact subterfuge and/or another form of procrastination that he and his attorneys were seeking when his lawyers were recently turned down in their bid for a jury selection delay last month ( based upon the release of komisarjevskys book
Mr Hayes hadbut one or two jurors approved within connecticuts excrutiatung
slow iberalrimes themselvesand the publicddidmglwhereupon our state has needed a mjor overgaul by legisdlatorsgoverbirs victims advocates et al because of the fact that it has becimne so used abused andmisused by the defene teamuntil it has actually hijacked the very judicxil process by putting as much time between the crimes and rhe communities collective memory of them.

Of courseHayes co defeiar jevsky really thru a boomerranfginmto that plan with the releaseo OFHISNE;U RKehich he illegally co=wrote ignoring a gag orderthat even the victims were held to chompig at thebi themselvesImsuireto tell the worldthe awful things done to thier belovedfsmily me,bers despitemcooperating ib every way that with thr criminaks demancdd.

Connecticut Law Tribune: Cheshire Case Illustrates Jury Picking Problems

For once Norm Pattis makes sense regarding our states unusually ludicrous and costly voire dire process which beyond costing our state many dollars when it is used costs many more lives because it is more often not used due to the money ie time involved. This means that trials have become a thing of the past in the state of Connecticut, leaving most cases to be dealt with via the 'PLEA DEAL" which is only a deal for the violent criminal.


This new found concurrence with Mr Pattis is a bit of a surprise as my past experiences with him seem to be of a editorialist who oft times shows himself as a predictable tow the latest liberal line kind of guy-(and remember, before making assumptions, I too am a registered democrat ) No my issues with Norm Pattis go beyond merely politics" for the kind of issues that I endeavour to explore, expose and hopefully even on the rare occasion- change are of the moral ilk; life and death, human suffering, justice. I have found his past Op-Ed pieces re these noble issues altho well written to be lacking one key element --true human compassion-not the standard obligatory nod to the latest victim of the latest heinous crime that has made its way into the political or legislative forum. It isn't his acerbic style his cynicism or wryness that I object to-how could I...in all fairness I don those very same...shall we say, weapons on a regular basis myself. No its something else; and that something is at the core of much of what is wrong with often otherwise well meaning liberal politicians legislators writers and "pundits". Its the actual desire and then ability to imagine the horror and pain of their fellow human beings once fallen to victim of violent crime. No one wants to go THERE.

First juror picked in Petit murder case- The New Haven Register - Serving New Haven, Connecticut

Justice moves excruciatingly slow in this trial but it it moving towards a finite and just end just the same, I FEEL IT.

Richard Meehan Jr.: Jury selection in capital case an arduous, tricky process - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

Richard Meehan,a well known and level headed attorney with an above average helping of moral integrity (for a lawyer in the first place THAT IS) weighs in on the Petit trial jury selection for defendenet steven hayes.

Judge denies request for jurors to preview Petit photos- The New Haven Register - Serving New Haven, Connecticut

Very interesting kick off for this upcoming trial I would say...

State's tech upgrade for criminal justice: Where's the money? - NewsTimes

Very essential article-pls read.

-L

Cheshire Slayings: 18 Potential Jurors Excused On Day 1 - Courant.com

Cheshire Slayings: 18 Potential Jurors Excused On Day 1 - Courant.com

Gambling With Our Lives – the Cheshire Massacre | NowPublic News Coverage

Jury Selection Slow in Cheshire Triple Murder Case - NYTimes.com

Sight of suspect sickens Petit supporters The Republican-American

Petit Plans To Be Face Of Victims At Murder Trial

Taken from a piece in the Courant, good stuff

Cheshire's Lights of Hope

Bridgeport has fewest killings in decades

Opponents of Petit book follow new strategy

Good thinking!

Lights Of Hope Branching Out To Help Multiple Causes

It's that time of year again and volunteers are still needed!
www.cheshireslightsofhope.com/

My Sister's Place

A great find in Ansonia - do visit- its worth the trip!

Crime Survivors | A Resource for Crime Victims and their Families

Its not too late to make your tax deductible donation to this great organization.
Please visit this site and GET INVOLVED - even if it's buying one emergency bag for a child or adult in crisis;
Every gesture of giving from the heart makes a difference...
Thanks.

-L

Stories Of The Year, No. 2: Violence in The Valley

Police Capture "Big-Nosed Robber"

This story is amazing.

An In-State Treatment Facility For Registered Sex Offenders Still Just A Pipe Dream - Courant.com

This article about a chronic sex offender that was recently released from prison is a perfect example of why a strict persistent offender law is desperately needed in this state.

While some members of The Connecticut judiciary committee would have us believe that Connecticut has a persistent offender law, from a practical standpoint it is not being utilized and therefore it is not legitimate.
The offender cited within this article, despite having shown himself to be a dangerous sexual predator, was given chance upon chance upon chance by Connecticuts court system -- Not only did "RE-OFFEND" as it appears on paper, but as is the inherent danger of such ill conceived "chances" he went on to assault a multitude of new victims after each and every release- And these are the ones we know about thus far: Experience has shown law enforcement that for each rape or murder a predator is caught committing, there are usually several others that he/she has not been caught for and may VERY WELL never be.

Some Connecticut legislators believe that a re-entry program for sex offenders is the answer, the missing link if you will,to our ever- burgeoning "recidivism problem"---- I cant help but wonder if either they or thier loved ones were to be the next victim of just such a chronic offender, if they'd still feel that a program of this sort was the answer or enforcement of the maximum sentence allowed by law for this or any violent crime?

I don't know if the attitude that permeates our legislative body can be explained simply by the old liberal knee jerk response to most social ails, including crime, whereby they would seem to believe is a direct result of the age old disparity of income and education between the haves and the have nots

This upper middle class guilt syndrome seems even more accentuated when it comes to issues like crime and punishment... or "rehabilataion" as they would have it
It seems that the whole issue of crime would seem to pluck at some innate guilt strings that the "privileged" or educated, assume (The best part of all of this is that I am in fact a registered democrat, but insofar as the issue of crime I part ways drastically with my left compatriots. Of course the basic premise behind this often includes the naive notion that all evil acts can be explained by poverty, abusive childhoods, neglect, uncaring society, racism, etc etc etc.
Unfortunately reality is simply not nearly so facile; There are are a fair percentage of sociopaths that find themselves incarcerated in our Connecticut jails and prisons and no matter what is done to "help "them, they are going to hurt others again and again given the chance.
And with each crime that they commit, any last vestiges of conscience that they might have once possessed-are quickly abandoned. And it is often the weakest of our citizens that suffer again and again at their hands Children, women, the elderly.

It is long overdue for the state and its people to collectively address the life and death issue of crime and justice. And like any other restructuring project we must start with basic awareness and education; Many people feel that they don't know enough about the issue to affect a change; They simply don't know where to begin and though they might have the best of intentions as well the desire to see productive change in our judicial system, they haven't a clue how to go about it-and thus regrettably, they do nothing.
But they don't feel good about it.

The good news is that its never too late to learn about the machinations of our state legislature-How laws are created and put into effect is something that a lot of otherwise intelligent people are surprisingly ignorant about. unfortunately with the amount of corruption in our states political history it is easy to understand why so many people become complacent about all matters politica; especially on the state level-
With a small investment of time and energy one can easily learn all there is to know about state government and the judiciary. Once we understand how the process is supposed to work then we can explore how it really works and therein usually lies most of our State's problems. In theory our justice system works well, but watch the daily dockets of our cities busiest courts and youll see another story;

The Next step might be organizing like minded neighbors friends family usimg the collective will of the people as a vehicle for change. Like minded needn't equate with sharing the same political views; The issue of crime and public safety should transcend political parties; We all want our families and loved ones to be safe- This is a universal desire and indeed a right, and to that end we must direct our efforts.

Our state legislators are voted in; ASSEMBLYMEN Selectman and Senators, If you don't like the way that your town or city's Representative has voted on bills concerning crime, do not vote for that person in the next election-simple- right?

All sessions ( meetings ) of the Connecticut General Assembly both regular and special sessions-are currently televised on Connecticut's own cable channel - As such, its now possible to keep track of our town and city reps and senators in real time.

Watch the next legislative session, find out what your assemblyman's history has been regarding his/her votes on all bills pertaining to crime, The voting records for all members of the house and the senate can be found online at the State of Connecticut General Assembly website, usually posted within 48 hrs of a given vote. While this is useful information, it doesnt substitute for watching the sessions as they unfold on tv, as well as the subsequent votes; You'll get a much better picture of which legislators are influential which ones dont know what they're doing and who stands where and why. Once you understand the process of lawmaking, you will undoubtedly want to be more involved; Historically organized Citizen action groups have been largely responsible for the advent of a great deal of important new crime legislation such as Megans law, Jessisca's law, and the original california based Three strikes law-several of these laws began as grassroots efforts by family and friends of murdered children. The key is to learn from the past; We dont have to wait until a brutal crime occurs to take action;
the proposed three strikes legislation in Connecticut was a classic example of this. Unfortunately the bill was voted down by Connecticuts largely democratic house of represntatives last year, however several republican legislators have vowed to pick up the baton and reintroduce it in this years session. The more public involvemnt with such bills the more likely they are to become laws.

Do not accept mere lip service from your towns reps re thier stance on crime; many of our current legislators HAVE claimed to be "tough on crime" when they were running for office or re-election, when in reality time after time they voted against bills that would keep violent offenders in prison for longer amounts of time, or they squash these bills before the bill can even make it to the floor for a vote.

Last year in the wake of the Petit FAMILY murders in Cheshire,our Ct Judiciary committee saw fit to pass a bill to abolish the Death Penalty. Despite a public poll that showed a clear pro death penalty choice by Connecticuts residents, The bill managed to narrowly pass muster in both the house and the Senate. If not for Governor Rell's courageous veto of that bill, the death penalty would no longer be viable in the state of Connecticut; In its place, life in prison with no parole would become Connecticut's idea of capital punishment. Most Ct citizens dont realize just how close we came to a criminal/judicial crisis via this proposed Bill.

The reasoning given for the abolishment bill was money. The whole country was in economic crisis as was the state and our judiciary committe thoughtfully came up with the ingenious idea that The state could save lots of money by abolishing the death penalty because built into the states death penalty is an unwieldy automatic appeals process which is extremely time consumptive and costly to the state. (Never mind fixing the problem, lets just eradicate the entire issue. )

There are virtually no limits as to the amount of appeals a death row inmate can file with the courts, thereby creating a virtual endless supply of administrative delays to any actual execution, which by the way, have been so scarce in Connecticut that the last man put to death had to literally sue the state to do so. But thats another story for another day....

Woman, 20, killed in Greenwich murder

This is so utterly horrible and senseless -It breaks my heart and makes my blood boil simultaneously
Why is it that in half of these domestic violence "murder/ suicides" , where a male is invariably the perpetrator, the suicide is unsuccessful but the murder is not? These cowards always manage to successfully murder ( murder being the ultimate control of a person via taking their life) the object of their hate/lust or obsession, and yet they botch the part where they " kill themselves" afterwards?

Cheshire Home Invasion, Triple-Slaying Horrified State -- Courant.com

5 suspects arrested in Darien home invasion - The Connecticut Post Online

Four out of five of these guys are considered minors-unbelievable.

How Do You Fight Evil? - Ethics & Religion

Lawmakers to hold special session in Hartford

Lets all pay careful attention to whether this upcoming special session effects funding for victim services as well as prison sentences in this state.
There was recently some clandestine legislation snuck through the house (piggy backed onto another bill ) which somehow flew completely below the local press radar-- and http://blog.ctnews.com/politicalcapitol/2009/12/11/dr-william-petit-jr-on-the-return-of-re-entry-furloughs-for-prisoners/ The legislation allows for early release "furlough "programs for selected Connecticut inmates- including inmates convicted of so called "lesser" violent crimes; crimes. like assault in the third degree, which on its face may appear to be low level, but when one considers that this charge is only what the person in question wound up convicted of. not not what he/ she was actually charged with and more importantly, committed, then releasing such inmates early becomes a slippery slope indeed. Someone in the general public is now in danger of becoming the "next victim" of this prematurely sprung criminal. Never mind the message that it sends to those who would prey upon others-- Isn't this exactly what happened with the men that committed the Petit family murders in Cheshire? The only difference is semantics - in 2007, the year those terrible crimes happened, the program in question was called "early release program"; it was designed to reduce prison overcrowding and you got it- save money for the state.
The program was halted soon after the Petit murders which brought attention to the dangers inherent with such practices.
Now the state is calling it "early release "furlough": which is in fact a misnomer, as furlough implies a return to the institution at some point in time and as you will note with this program there is no return just a one way ticket out.

After being told that he was being given early release parole in the spring of 2007, Steven hayes, co defendant in the Petit murders, was reportedly incredulous and admitted to friends that he "couldn't believe they were letting him out... but he sure as hell wasn't about to argue with them- ha ha ha. "

Ha ha indeed. As we all know, Hayes, a chronic felon of epic proportions, was given his early release, and he was not shoved out of the prison doors into the "real world" left "hanging" as many members of the Ct legislature would have us believe is the norm and indeed at the root of the states high recidivism rates with newly released prisoners. To which I say- nonsense.

Mr Hayes was helped by the state in obtaining decent paying full time work- incidently fulltime work was a requirement of his parole.

The state further ensured that he had somewhere to live when he left prison, and somewhere that was safe-In his case his mother reportedly gave him yet another chance to start his life again crime free. He was loaned a truck by family members to use for transportation to work and recreation- the latter as it fell within the parameters of his parole agreement which typically requires some kind of curfew and disallows parolees from paling around with other known felons, particularly newly paroled ones when the potential for newly formed criminal alliances is at its greatest. He had counseling available to him in order to help him with the re-adjustment of life from prison to the "normal" lawful workaday world.

But despite all of these tools, assists and opportunities, Steven Hayes chose not to play by the rules like the rest of us and work hard at a job, eventually making more money as experience and time at the job accrued. He chose not to take advantage of the many many fresh starts he was given despite a terrible track record both in and out of prison. Mr Hayes did not want to work for his money-he desired the quick easy money that he could get by robbing others.
And thanks to the states decision to send mr hayes and thousands of other imates to halfway houses after less than a third of already cut short sentences, he now made a new friend with a similar criminal mindset. That friend... johua komisarjevsky.
The two meshed perfectly and no one either in the halfway house or on the outside either family ir friends, discouraged the ill fated union despite the obvious potential for trouble.

Komisarjevsky happen to live in an affluent town among trusting folks that often left their doors unlocked, despite having so much to lose afact that he was quick to share with hayes, a reputed thief of admittedly smaller proportions; supposedly most of hayes smash and grab larcenies were committed to support a crack cocaine habit.
Komisarjevsky was a different species well known by local police since the age of 14, he'd spent his relatively young life setting abandoned buildings on fire and stalking young girls. As he grew older he graduated to perfecting "skills" like advanced breaking and entering a favorite of his was committing break ins while the homeowners were home sleeping in thier beds. He bragged to friends and police that if no-one was home during the robberies it was too boring. This was a missed red flag of grave consequence. There would be many others over the next 14 years or so.

No sooner was komisarjevsky's ankle tracking bracelet removed, then The pair began robbing the nice homes that peppered the well kept streets surrounding komisarjevskys modest childhood home where he still lived with his now elderly parents and his 3 year old daughter borne to an underage girl of 15 (Another red flag missed)

The two men robbed from others who had worked hard for those lovely homes, people who had put the endless hours days and years into a life that perhaps just now was finally beginning to yield the fruits of that sacrifice and labor.
Hayes and komisarjevsky could care less about other peoples hard work- they only saw that others had what they desired and indeed what they believed they deserved. They werent suckers like these people- they didn't have to earn these things- they could simply take them. No matter who paid for it.

And On july 23 2007 At approx 3 am the two broke into The home of Dr William Petit and his wife and 2 daughters, komisarjevsky had spotted Jennifer Petit and her 11 year old daughter Michaela while they were shopping at an area stop and shop earlier that same evening. With a sick plan already hatching in his mind he furtively followed the unsuspecting pair back to thier home.

After sharing his plan with hayes the men purchased an airgun at walmart cutting off its orange tip in order to make it appear more deadly. They brought rope and zipties in order to restrain Mrs Petit and the girls who they planned on sexually assaulting.

By 10 am Jennifer hawke Petit and her two daughters Hayley and Michaela would be murdered. At least two of them would be sexually assaulted and one of them beaten. Dr Petit the lone survivor would be near death from blood loss inflicted by repeated blows of a basball bat-and a town and a state would be mired in shock and grief . The anger would follow.

In the state of Connecticut approxamtely 97% of our criminal cases are disposed of with plea deals This means that there is no trial for these cases. There is instead a deal made between the lawyer for the defendant and the prosecutor assigned to that case; the majority of these deals made in the back rooms and hallways of the courthouse. Many prosecutors are inundated with full daily dockets and to save time and money theyll usually hammer out a deal after a series of monthly hearings, that are really little more than perfuctury protocol.

These plea deals result in lowered charges for the defendant in exchange for a guilty plea to usually substantially lowered charges; This means that charges that are quite serious like violent felonies such as assault in the second degree, winding up through a deal as assault in the third degree or even less ( assault 3 is only a misdemeanor). Or, sexual assault in the third degree involving a child could easily wind up as risk of injury to a minor. And This is assuming the police did thier work well and wrote up a good warrant did not violate any of the defendents rights and that case is relatively strong-- If not the charge (S) may be dismissed outright for " lack of evidence." or any number of other reasons.

Another daily standard practice in our Connecticut courts is the dropping of charges entirely within cases that have multiple charges- ie A defendant might have committed 4 serious charges, yet via the plea deal hell walk away with a conviction" for maybe two of those charges, and remember those charges will usually be lowered charges, at that.

This is all done in the name of judicial compromise mostly for expedience sake. And this doesn't happen in one hearing mind you, the average time frame for the ultimate resolution of a criminal case here in Connecticut is 6 -9 months. The norm is a hearing on the case transpires approx once a month, and it is "continued" until the next court date. This is a means of clearing the docket for the day and in effect procrastinating for the prosecutor and bulking up the defendants bill for the attorneys- lawyers are paid by time and court appearances are billed higher thus each time a hearing is "continued "he/she must show up with his client in front of the judge and the prosecutor, who has usually been talking with the lawyer behind closed doors or on the phone re the case and the general facts involved, announces to the judge that the defense is asking for a continuance while they sort out the facts of the case.

Pretty much Without fail the judge usually gives the prosecutor whatever they re asking for insofar as time and the same with any deal that the prosecutor eventually presents to the judge. Once in a while youll get a tough judge who will override prosecutors, and refuse plea deals that seem too liberal, espcieally for violent crime such as domestic violence and crimes against children.

While this might be acceptable for motor vehicle charges and non- violent drug charges and the like, it is another story altogether when extended to those who commit violent felony's., remember it takes alot to be charged with a violent felony in the first place-For example In the instance of assault two one must severely injure another human being in order for police to charge someone with this crime.

This charge would not result from your typical bar fight nor even your "average" domestic violence incident where someone has struck another person with a fist-these acts would in all liklihood result in an assault 3 charge. which is a misdemeanor- And then accordingly plead down from there to either nothing in a "Nollie," or Accelerated rehabilitation-a ct program for first time offenders which erases the criminal record after a year of compliance. The worst case scenario would be that this offender might receive a lesser charge in a plea deal something like reckless endangerment, that is if they have been convicted in the past of another violent crime.

One can easily see that our states court system already affords too many chances to someone who has committed violent crime, the last thing we need was new legislation that in effect gives some of these criminals a get out of jail early card.

Lets Keep a sharp eye on the states legislators within this upcoming session, and every session for that matter. All sessions are now televised on the local Connecticut cable channel. Watch listen and most importantly-vote accordingly when these people come up for reelection. We must be vigilant in letting our lawmakers know that it is no longer acceptable to treat any violent crime cavalierly. Our lives may someday depend on it.

Delay rejected in Petit Trial

Good news! Last month Steven Hayes's attorneys' asked for a 6 month delay for his trial and today in a hearing in New Haven, the judge said NO.

Thank heavens the good guys finally caught a break, the way this case has proceeded thus far I half expected these guys to get their damn delay; Youll have to Excuse the cynicism but it really seems like the deck has been stacked in favor of the criminals lately but thankfully todays judge had integrity and intelligence and he denied this latest ploy by the defense.

The request was purportedly based upon a book that was recently released about the crimes- the writer apparently met with one of the defendants in the case and indeed based much of the book upon That mans VERSION of the crimes a version which largely implicated the other man insofar as all of the most serious murder charges...naturally.

btw It has been 2 and half years since these murders happened and neither defendant has even begun jury selection-- We've been reading for months that jury selection for Steven Hayes, would begin in janurary 2010. A request by the prosecutor for simultaneous trials for both men was dropped when it became clear that it would a) likely be denied from the already vociferous defense objections, and
B) If it wasnt denied joint trials could be used later as a reason for a possible mistrial by either defense.
So despite the fact that it would have saved the Petit and Hawke families from having to go through the pain and trauma of rape and murder trial twice...they decided to drop the notion of simultaeneous trials in leui of a gurantee that a guilty verdict will mean a death sentence.

It was bandied about that since one of the defendents decided to meet with a writer for the purposes of writing a book about the crimes while there was still a gag order on the case, then he should be forced to go to trial first
-for the record joshua komisarjevsky the man who basically co authored this disgusting book was scheduled to go to trial after steven hayes, but since he changed the climate surrounding the crimes ie the press media and public interpretation---then its ownly right that he should have to live with the negative effects - discernabile or not.


I agreed with this myself but it would appear that Komisrjevsky once again gotten away with breaking the rules. I suppose if he cannot respect the sanctity of human life we shouldnt expect him to abide by the tenets of the court--it just seems as if there should be a greater penalty for purposely manipulating the jury pool in defiance of a court ordered gag, other than a toothless charge of obstruction of justice" which is what has been proposed for komisrajevsky by mr hayes's attorneys.
After all when your facing multiple capital murder charges are you really going to lose sleep over an obstruction of justice charge-probably not.

Early release: Dangerous money-saver? - The Connecticut Post Online

Bad news for Public safety in Connecticut- once again.

State opposes delaying jury selection in Cheshire slayings (with documents)- The New Haven Register - Serving New Haven, Connecticut

This backwards reasoning on behalf of Joshua Komisarjevsky's lawyers, that Steven Hayes's suicide watch for the past 2 years in prison only "proves " his guilt in the murders of the Petit women, is truly astounding. Moreover, the leap that they make that hayes's guilt somehow equates with thier client's innocence, is even more insulting to our collective intelligence.
Its quite clear to me that this "book" that komisarjevsky spoon-fed writer Brian mcdonald, was created with the express purpose of re-vamping public opinion re komisarjevsky and the events that transpired on the night that Jennifer hawke Petit and her two daughters were murdered.
Despite a gag order imposed somewhat belatedly on the case, many facts including copies of redacted warrents were made public, and these facts were damning indeed for both defendents.

The book in the middle of the night which was in effect co-authored by komisarjevsky, was made in hopes of bamboozling the public and thus the potential jury pool -into believing that co-defendant Steven Hayes was responsible for all of the "really bad crimes" committed that fateful night.
The crimes that are in contention are the capital murder charges- these are the only ones punishable by death.

And thrown in the book for good measure is a generous helping of tragic childhood background replete with purported sexual molestation of komisarjevsky at the age of 14, which we have absolutely no way of verifying especially when one considers the chronic manipultive nature of this guy.
Either way the intention of the book is clear; humanize and very nearly excuse the behavior of this man who admittedly raped an 11 year old girl and at the very least largely contributed to the deaths of three human beings.

But What really irks me is the depths to which these lawyers sink in their rabid attempts to save their client from accountability for his own actions. This is not the first time I've heard or read about komisarjevsky and hayes's lawyers verbally assailing the sole survivor of their clients criminal rampage.

But somewhere in the middle of all of this they tryed the soft peddle approach, wooing Dr Petit and other members of the Petit/Hawke families via a thinly veiled letter from a "restorative justice firm" working on behalf of Komisarjevsky and co, which was in effect lawyers on the states public defender payroll posing as well meaning "intermediaries" between the defendent and surviving victim.
The letter offered to answer "any questions about the crimes" that Dr Petit and family might have and to clear up any misunderstandings" There was a name and a phone number of a third party contact proffered.

Dr Petit, an intelligent man, saw through the subterfuge and proceeded to refer the letter to the office of victims advocate as well as pursuing a protective order againt the entire komisarjevsky defense camp in order to block any more attempts at contacting him or his family.

Almost immediately following this, the komisarjevsky lawyers dropped thier schmoozing and did an about face, lashing out at Dr Petit in the press, accusing him of spear-heading a " public campaign to have their client put to death."
This of course only showed up the disingenuousness of thier recent conciliatory posturing.
Oh yeah, and they didn't like that Dr Petit called their client, a man who admitted to beating Petit in the head with a bat"like he was chopping wood" ...an "animal" . within a letter he wrote to the court.

Interestingly, this is not the first time that komisarjevsky has become indignant over someone calling him an animal in a public forum; Last time, it was the prosecutor assigned to the 12 felony charges that he was convicted of several years prior to the Petit family crimes. He was on parole for those crimes when he decided to break into the Petit's home with a plan of sexually assaulting 11 year old michaela Petit whom he had stalked together with her mom at a neighborhood stop and shop.

In the sentencing transcript for that case, which was conspicuously absent from his criminal file, along with most of his pertinent criminal records when the state decided to parole him, one can read verbatim Mr komisarjevsky bitterly complaining to the court that the prosecutor referred to him as" a wild animal within one of his addresses to the court concerning the seriousness of the crimes.

If you read the rest of the transcript, which is available online, you will see that the presiding judge in that case also called komisarjevsky" a cold calculating predator who is a decided threat to the people of Connecticut"

This was clearly a savvy judge who recognized the signs of a dangerous offender whose crimes were escalating. He had intended Komisarjevsky be behind bars for 9 years minimum with 6 years of special parole. Instead, komisarjevsky was in a halfway house within 2 and a half years and paroled after 3. He was in solitary confinement at his own request during most of that stint due to "issues with other inmates'

Fast forward 4 robberies, a sexual assault of a minor, severe battery and three capital murders later and Komisarjevsky is still indignant over being called "an animal"- This time his hackles are up against the man whose family komisarjevsky stalked and hand picked for an evening of rape and robbery( in the MacDonald book as in his confession to police, he readily admits to this .

What is striking here is the audacity of this guy- He is not content to merely sit quietly and await his trial with even fiegned remorse or humility- but rather HE breaks a court ordered gag on the case, writing and meeting multiple times with a true crime writer for the purposes of publishing a book outlining the crimes and convienently placing all culpability for the murders on his co-defendent- steven hayes.

He knows that the book will be published quickly and this fits his motivation perfect;ly; his own trial is scheduled after hayes and this leaves plenty of time for his "version" of the crimes to take ahold and voila- they are transformed into" fact." Even the newspapers and online magazines seemed happy to oblige him, using komisarjevskys claims in the book and laundering them as verifiable fact. Titles like "2nd killer laughed maniaclly as he ran out of the burning Petit home." Not " first killer trying predicably to place blame for murders on his accomplice...."
Not surprisingly all of the " confessions" that komisarjevsky made in the book were connected to facts that were already well established by very prejudicial evidence against him ie nude pictures of michaela petit on his cell phone, phone records from his cell phone placing him at the Petit home and calls to his house and his job on the morning of the murders- clothing with gasoline and dna found on his person as he was caught fleeing the burning crime scene in the Petit family car. And testimoney of police at the scene one of whom witnessed BOTH MEN LAUGHING AS THEY RAN OUT OF THE BURNING HOME.
And in typical fashion he prattled to police detectives prior to lawyering up, a habit he had of almost bragging about his criminal exploits to astounded law enforcement.

Now Anyone who has watched Dr Petit' conducting himself within the pubic forum knows that he and the rest of his family have shown remarkable restraint when speaking of the two men responsible for the murders of their loved ones.
The fact that Hayes was put on suicide watch shortly after his arrest and continues to be on it for over two years, is not only not indicative of his guilt for the murders. as komisarjevsky and lawyers would have us believe, but rather shows me that Hayes, unlike his criminal counterpart, possesses at least some modicum of a human conscience. I absolutely believe that joshua komisarjevsky has none.

Ive concluded from the start that despite his older age, Hayes was the proverbial follower in these crimes, komisarjevsky the instigator -the crimes were his brainchild. He is a sociopath of the textbook variety-remember the hallmarks of anti-social personality disorder are manipulation, deception and a complete lack of conscience. This isn't to say that Socios cant feign these qualities when neccesary; theyll muster up whatever they surmise is neccesary in order to get out of the various scrapes that they get into with authorities and institutions in their lives- be it school, police depts, courts- crocodile tears notwithstanding.

By all accounts komisjevsky is intelligent and articulate and his boyish appearance that belies the criminal mindset beneath. I am guessing that his looks, his youth and his family's respectable middle class roots all combined to help him in escape appropriate consequences all of his life, whenever he was caught disregarding the rules, or the rights of others (another hallmark of the sociopath persona and teens with conduct disorder)

He set an abandoned gas station on fire at 15. He stalked a young girl who he knew from school repeatedly peering in her windows at night. He broke into neighbors homes over and over again. He was found to have stolen personal items from the women who lived in the homes that he broke into. Pictures lingerie clothing-This is a classic sign of the early stage sex offender. Once thought to be fairly innocuous, peeping toms and panty thieves have been exposed as serious pre-cursors to full blown sexual assault and murder.

Many would have served a full ten years for the sheer quantity and seriousness of the last string of house robberies that he committed in 2002. In almost every case the robberys took place at night when his victims were home, setting the stage for possible violent confrontation. Those home owners were violated, they were victims. Komisarjevsky bragged on more than one occasion that this was the only way "he got off" -breaking into empty houses was too boring he claimed. All of these facts, many of which hed shared with local police upon his arrest, should have been red flags for the Ct judicial system, especially the parole board.

to be continued ...

Attorneys: gag order doesn't apply to Cheshire murder defendant The Republican-American

Boy, these lawyers have no shame whatsoever.

Prosecutors Criticize Defense Request For Delay In Petit Slaying Case -- Courant.com

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Community of Hope

Every day I wonder what the holidays would mean if I were not surrounded by the people I love and trust most in this world: my family. This noisy, funny, feisty clan shows their love for me repeatedly with acts of generosity and acceptance, large and small, which tells me they will always be there for me, no matter what. They are my safe harbor, my community of hope.

For those of us who do not share the safe harbor of family, who fear the stress and heartbreak that holidays inevitably bring to some, you are not alone. There are communities of hope for you, and people who can help. One call to the Hotline will help you find compassion, courage, and a commitment to help. These are the beginnings of hope and a new life.

To others far more fortunate, you are in a position to help someone else, and I ask that you join the National Domestic Violence Hotline in creating communities of hope for everyone who makes that difficult call for help over the holidays. We make ourselves and everyone stronger through our compassion, courage and commitment. To give the gift of hope is to give the gift of life. Please give generously.

By Sheryl Cates
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Call The Hotline: 1−800−799−SAFE(7233)
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Rell Asks Correction Officials To Recommend A Prison To Close -- Courant.com

Richard Meehan: Cheshire slayings book pushes First Amendment limits - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

Very good, thoughtful op-ed piece regarding the controversy surrounding the new book written about The Petit family murders.

Vote for The Petit Family Foundation

Murder in America : The New Yorker

A very good essay that centers around the Petit family murders and thier implication in the bigger picture of our countries violent nature.

Rihanna: 'No Soul' in Chris Brown's Eyes

Despite the fact that this case involved partner violence and all of its trappings I've stayed away from this story for some time because so much publicity was being given to the case and almost all of it the wrong kind-You know,the kind that would seem to delight in the ugliness of the rich and celebrity falling down on their faces, if you will.



But the other day I caught some of the Rhianna interview with Dianne sawyer and I was soon Struck with respect and admiration for this young woman, who despite a very public experience with severe interpersonal violence, managed to defy the worlds expectations, my own included, and extricate herself from her clearly dangerous relationship with Chris Brown and learn some important things about herself through this ordeal.



For a time just following the assault there was evidence that Rhianna had returned to the relationship- at one point being very vocal about her lack of desire or the need for that matter for the protective order against Chris Brown, which the presiding judge wisely ordered despite her complaints for a minimum of one year.
In fact It seemed almost a foregone conclusion at that point that Rhianna had fallen victim to one version or another of the classic " battered woman syndrome", a variation of the Stockholm syndrome ,whereupon victims of abuse are trapped in a cycle of violence and conciliatory gestures aka the honeymoon period following the episodes of abuse. Bear in mind that this is a very pared down and simplistic definition of these relationships, there are many dynamics at play and very often a victim of ongoing abuse has to be deprogrammed in order to truly break away long enough to pull back and view her own predicament realistically. I think that Rhianna, by the grace of god, was the recipient of some serious intervention and thankfully had the strength to listen, and ultimately listened to her own inner voice, which the longer she was away from the abusive relationship, the louder it became.



So today whilst mulling over the aforementioned interview and what I wanted to write about it on this very forum, the abovetitled caption on a webpage grabbed my attention; I was immedietly compelled to read more about this statement re Browns "soulless eyes."
I instinctively knew exactly what that meant.


 I too have seen those "soulless" eyes.

In fact, I tried to describe this very phenomenon to the local area detective who was assigned to my criminal case many years ago; I believe I likened my assailants eyes during and after the attack to a souless animal .human.



As a survivor nyself there were a good many things that I related to with Rhianna but one of the most emotional for me was something that she said about thinking that the assault upon her seemed to " go on and on and on " and she just kept "wondering "when is it going to stop?"


When I read those words, that exact emotional remembrance flooded back, it seemed the crimes had just happened,, rather than the eight years which have passed since then.



To be Continued as  I have a feeling Ms Rhianna is srill stuck in the cycle.

An Obama Relative in China Relates His Own Journey from abuse

Rell's Veto Is A Cruel Blow To Abuse Victims -- Courant.com

Bad news all around here.

Petit Calls On AG To Investigate State Department Of Correction -- Courant.com

Blumenthal: Investigation under way for book on Cheshire murders- The Register Citizen News - Northwest Connecticut's Daily Newspaper

Hallelujah for the good guys for once.

Nancy has her smile back - Overcoming Battered Lives

This is a really good program for victims of abuse who have damage to their teeth as a result of partner violence-" http://www.aacd.com/index.php?module=cms&page=34
Its a group of dentists oral surgeons and endodontists who all work pro-bono on victims of abuse whose dental health has been greatly impaired by that abuse.

Considering that many battered women are struck in the face/head and neck regions,( studies suggest 78 percent or so) this is very common area to sustain often permanent damage.
The broken and missing teeth that can result from physical abuse only serves to carry that abuse forward into all areas of that victims life-starting with her already flagging self esteem.
For women to make the already daunting step from victim to survivor, once they are extricated from their abuser, requires rebuilding that terribly damaged self esteem - This is made especially difficult when glaring evidence of the former abuse is staring her in the face each time she looks in the mirror, or sees someone react to her smile, which may be unsightly due to the seleleque of assaults upon her..

The bottom line is that victims of abuse need all the help they can get in order to begin the process of rebuilding their lives. Please support this program in your area-visit the site, donate what you can and if times are too tough financially, see if you can donate your time or services to this or any other program that supports victims of partner violence.
You will help make a positive difference in someones future and there is nothing more rewarding.

Overcoming Battered Lives

A story about a woman who survived an assault by a man that she'd dated years prior. She became paralyzed by the attack and is now in need of van that accomodates an electric wheelchair.

Man Charged With Tracking Ex With Cellphone -- Courant.com

There always plenty of domestic violence cases but it seems that this month, which happens to be domestic violence awareness month-has seen more than its usual share.

Check out the Courant blog via the above link for many good articles, stories and referrals regarding partner/ dating violence. Above all, talk about it- this needn't be a dirty shameful secret; this is what has helped DV to prosper all of these years, keeping it in the dark exactly where abusers prefer to keep it.

Study: Most States Fail To Protect The Legal Rights Of Abused Children

Looks like Connecticut did very well insofar as protecting at risk children - have a read.

WTIC News/Talk 1080 - Cheshire Residents Debate Blocking Petit Book from Library

And the good fight continues...
Please sign the linked petition to boycott this "book" that was written in direct violation of a gag order. www.petitiononline.com/cfg415/ See previous posts beginning in September archives for the complete story surrounding the book. Help us take a stand.

Book's release causes uproar at library | WTNH.com Connecticut

SafeLibraries: But... Monkey in Cheshire, CT; Selection Policy Needs Amendment; Library Director Ramona Harten Says Her Own Authority Trumps All

Happy 20th Birthday Hayley Petit

Today is Hayley Petit's birthday. Hayley would be celebrating her twentieth birthday today with friends and family had she not been murdered by two men who made a life-long pattern of taking from others that which did not belong to them.
On this occasion they stole life - three beautiful lives. And although the Petit family victims were all attractive, I am speaking here of something far more enduring and important, their inner lives, a beauty of spirit.

Two and a half years have passed since Hayley, her mom Jennifer and her sister Michaela, were murdered in what has been labeled as a "home invasion", a misnomer as far as I am concerned. The two men caught fleeing the murder scene in the Petit family car, sit in prison awaiting a trial which has yet to be scheduled.

When lone survivor and grieving husband and father Bill Petit, vocalized his dismay over the plodding pace of the Connecticut judicial system, he was admonished by the presiding Judge at the time, " honorable" Judge Damiani, and rather rudely assured that two plus years was well within the normal parameters for a capital murder case in this state, thank you very much.

In fact, the judge expounded, he was personally offended by the mere proposition that the Judicial process was taking far too long. It was an "insult to him and his court"

When I heard Damiani's words, I was livid - for Dr Petit, his families and for all victims of violent crime in the state of Connecticut. This state needs an overhaul in how it views and subsequently handles its violent crime and criminals. And Judge Damiani's words perfectly illustrate a huge part of the problem and that is: desensitization that has led to a perversion of the very notion and definition of justice.

In an overzealous effort to protect the accused criminals rights, our courts have shown a directly proportional increasing lack of rights begginning with sensitivity and respect towards the victims of these brutal and violent crimes.

As the lone survivor of his family's massacre, Bill Petit is a double victim.
People tend to forget that this man was repeatedly beaten on the head with a baseball bat, suffering traumatic brain injury, life threatening blood loss enduring vertigo headaches and what surely must be severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder- all due to the commission of these crimes.

He survived only because in an adrenalin surge, he somehow managed to break free of the rope tying his hands to a pole in his cellar and hop up the cellar's bilco stairs (with his feet still bound) then half crawling, rolling to a neighbors arriving just before his house burst into a gas fueled flames, with his children tied to their beds inside.

He suffered and lived through this by sheer will and happenstance, and he is further victimized by the same mechanism by which any and all family members of violent crime victims are; they become victims themselves via the sheer knowledge of the details and the violence that befell their loved ones,. Family members are traumatized.

And as details about the crimes emerge friends and family are re-traumatized, which is why many family members of homicide victims feel the need to know everything that they can about their loved ones murders before the trial. This, so that they feel "prepared" emotionally prior to any court proceedings where details are likely to be discussed ad nauseum.

What is ironic here is that it is the victims after all for whom the state is presumably working it is for them that justice is pursued. Are they not the very embodiment of the crimes, the charges that the state is pursuing against the accused? I'm afraid that this notion has become moot as our courts have slowly but surely turned into little more than administrative processing pits.

We owe it to Hayley Jennifer Michaela and every victim of violent crime in this state to see that this changes.

'You must be the change that you wish to see in this world"
Eleven year old Michaela Petit's favorite quote on her Facebook page

Lawyers File Subpoena On Jailhouse Meetings -- Courant.com

ING Hartford Marathon Today- PFF Ninth Place!

Connecticut Law Tribune: True Crime Book Could Be Exhibit A

Norm Pattis weighs in...

EDITORIAL: No honor among thieves, or killers- The New Haven Register - Serving New Haven, Connecticut

Well said.

Vigil puts light on domestic violence- The New Haven Register - Serving New Haven, Connecticut

Boycott Book co-written by murderer of Petit Family Mom and two daughters

I've written a few posts recently concerning a book that was just released in Major book stores and Amazon, that is about the tragic Petit family murders which happened 2 years ago here in Cheshire Connecticut.
The book is in a word - evil - and I'm not one to bandy that word about this is true evil folks.
Look, its bad enough that money is made from the sensationalizing of horrible details of sexual assaults and murders, particularly when it involves children -But I grudgingly suppose that is part of the price that we collectively pay for freedom of speech and this includes the written word - here in our country again I stress grudgingly. However this book transcends mere bad taste, ugliness and moral turpitude all of which it does entail.... Moreover, neither of the two men accused of murderering Mrs Petit and her two young daughters have been tried yet! In fact jury selection has not even begun for the first scheduled trial of Steven Hayes, a fact not overlooked by those of us who see all of the possible manipulative reasoning for the existance of this book as well the timing of the book. ie it is released well before the
And then theres that pesky issue of the Court imposed Gag order that was carefully and clearly written with much consideration and aforethought by the presiding Judge at the time Judge d prohibiting all parties related to the crimes, including the defendents" as well the Petit and Hawke families, from speaking about the crimes themselves or legal details concerning the case. All of the above treatise were violated by co defendent and apparently co-author-joshua komsiatrjevsky, albeit said co-author of a poorly written terribly edited, opportunistic crap-posing as a "book"

Although technically written by Brian Mcdonald large segments are based on face to face prison meetings and correspondence with one of the two men that murdered Jennifer, Hayley and Michaela Petit. In fact large segments of the book are from komisrajevskys narraitive including the opening "scene"

I need to start with this very clear disclaimer; I have not purchased this book, nor will I, nor have I read it in full, as well I implore all conscientious and morally sound folks, do not buy this book under any circumstances. It has been made from the suffering and the crys of its victims, victims that include an eleven year old child Michaela Rose Petit.

I have read enough of the book via the many excerpts that are being posted within newspaper articles, Blogs, internet media outlets and the author's website which I admittedly visitied in hopes of gleaning some insight into the person who could write such a book at such a terribly raw and still very painful time-for both the surviving Crime victim Bill Petit, his families and the community and state at large.
Having written about the Petit family crimes from the terrible day that they happened , I felt that I needed to have at least a general idea of what was being said in this book by the co- murderer and indeed mastermind by his own admission- joshua komsiarjevsky. This, in order to get a handle on how this
could affect the potential jury pool and ultimately the trial itself.

I am asking the public and not limted to the state of Connectricut- to stand up and boycott this book, in much the same way that the Orentahal J Simpson book was boycotted. 9 I refuse to refer to him by those by now infamous intials that were once an endearing nicvkname when the man was known only a good athelete and later, a bad actor. I believe to continue reffering to this womanbatterer and murderer by this nickname is an insult to Nicole Brown Simposn Ronald Goldman and all of their bereaved loved ones

In any event in the Simpson book case, the people rose up and in effect said 'NO! NO WAY is this GUY GOING TO PEDDLE A BOOK DESIGNED TO TIttalate THE READER stopping one step short of admission---ABOUT TWO BRUTAL SADISTIC MURDERS THAT THE ENTIRE COUNTRY KNOWS HE COMMITTED AND SUBSEQUENTLY GOT AWAY WITH. The mere premise of that book was despicable and the american public and even the media-largely as a result of the outcry..

There was such a strong response from the public, that the publisher did the wise thing (and whether it was merely covering their butts or a sudden attack of conscience ahem) they stopped publication and distribution of millions of hard cover Books, many already bound Packed up and poised to shp out to Bookstores accorss the world. As well A WELL KNOWN TV station cancelled a highly touted interview with the killer/ "writer" , well hyped and shamelessly promoted at that Juncture.

Of course these companies never should have contracted the project in the first place but at least they responded to the public outrage. Remember, companies are comprised of human beings-they are not entities without human characteristics, despite what corporate america is often depicted as.

I remember feeling proud the day that I heard this book was not going to be sold, albeit a bit surprised- surprised that decency and integrity actually won out over greed and public titillation.

While the situation surrounding the Simpson book is similar to the recently released Cheshire book, there are some key differences which make the latter even worse; In the case of the OJ book-the case was long resolved by the time the book came out., although the criminal resolution was a veritable travesty and the not guilty verdict disturbed many many people. We all knew that this man killed his ex wife and essentially got away with it. He is a sociopath and as such, he played the oh so carefully selected jury, he used them and got what he wanted from them; near absolution for the murder of two human beings, one of them the mother of his children.

In the simpson case the not guilty verdict compounded amd excacerbated the public's irel It was bad enough that he got away with murder but now he was rubbing our collective faces in it, including the victims families- not to mention the killer stood poised to make a lot of money by titillating the masses with a half assed confession or murder. The Bottomline- the American public had its Limits after all and we collectively said so via the successful boycotting of the book- the publisher and any related media outlets. .

In the case of the book about the Petit murders, the most essential fact is that the case hasn't gone to trial yet and the book is violating a court ordered gag on the case. It has been over two years since these murders occurred and with two co-defendants to try, neither has a set trial date nor even a tentative date for jury selection to begin. Unfortunately this is typical of the state of Connecticut's tortoise- paced judicial system.
Almost immediately after the arraignment for these two "defendents", the presiding judge put the gag order on the Petit case. Warrants were heavily redacted before being released to the press via the freedom of information act.
A Confession from one of the killers (THE very same who co authored the book in question) were completely whited out and all parties involved with the case including the sole survivor, Dr Bill Petit, were ordered not to talk about the details of the case with anyone. Everyone complied, as difficult as it was at times, partcularly for the survivor and the families, who I am certain wanted to shout from the rooftops 'look what these bastards did to my loved ones!'
But they didn't. Ironically, this gag order and the many steps taken to redact information from the media, were done largely to protect the rights of the defendants in the case, who by the way have plead NOT Guilty. Novody wanted a reason for a mistrial or a to provide

Two years with scattered hearings of little consequence pass by and out of seemingly no where we are told that a book is coming out about the crimes and it is written from the standpoint of one of the killers! Not just one of the killers mind you, but the same killer presumed to be the instigator-of the crimes, the leader if you will: Twenty eight year old Joshua komisarjevsky of Cheshire, broke the gag order and Apparently penned voluminous letters to and met with-brian macdonald, a writer, on multiple occasions, for the specific purpose of recounting his version of the crimes against the Petit family for a new book --- Until Connecticut Dept of Corrections "caught him" and reportedly removed the writers name from komisarjevskys visiting list.

At the same time we are told that all of komisarjevskys visitors were stricken from the list with the exception of his layers presumably as punishment- This included the inmates family, which the Mcdonald, the writer in question states he"' guesses was " partly his fault" Why this matters at all is this: at that EXACT juncture, komisarjvskys lawyers JEREMIAH Donovan knew, They knew that their client met with a writer and that he'd been caught basically relaying details of the crimes-or at least a version that he and likely they, wanted to stand as unrefuted fact-
which now thanks to everyone involved with this book, it will to thousands of unsuspecting readers. The book reads as if the crimes happened this way and even goes as far as narrating from both murderers minds and not surprisingly Komisarjevsky tells the tale in such a way that he did not kill anyone- his accomplice was the killer even when evidence points to the contrary.

We are not told at the outset of the book look this is what one of the defendants said and one must take it with a grain of salt, because he is after all waiting to go to trial for these very crimes, and indeed has been a notorious liar and manipulator, not to mention his lawyers have been fighting tooth and nail to get him a life sentence, instead of the death penalty, which he clearly is afraid of.

This means that his lawyers will have to prove that he wasn't guilty of capital murder "only" felony murder -And wouldn't you know it, that's exactly how HIS VERSION OF THE CRIMES pan out He "didn't kill anyone" or so he contends.

Here's the thing decency aside, from a legal criminal standpoint This book should have been allowed to be written not certainly published. The writer shrugs and says hey I didn't know when it would be published, I just wrote it and the publisher chooses when to publish. I did my job." he met with the guy surreptitiously- he were aware that there was a gag order on the case. He recently stated that there is so much publicity about the case that the book wouldn't matter and That" the story needs to be told." It needs to be told"
He adds that he is doing a public service in effect by telling a cautionary tale insofar as the importance of crime and security in our homes, and what not to do because after all look who could be out there. Or words to that effect.

The book is beyond offensive, Komisarjevsky shares details that he almost seems to have to catch himself lest he gets giddy about them. He starts out with the motive of re-working the events of the crimes to reflect less involvement ( and thus culpability )with the actual murders, shifting all capital crime upon his co accomplice Steven Hayes. Even the details that he does share about his involvement, which at first might seem foolish for him to admit to- are subterfuge. They are facts that the police already know about, and some have been culled from his lengthy confession to police after he was caught fleeing the Petit home in the Petit family car.
He cites details about the victims and their reactions to the crimes which are heartbreaking. He has in effect re- traumatized all of us who have simply heard about those details via the news stations and the many online articles. No doubt the family has caught wind of some of these details. No one had to read the book- as the media grabbed the story and ran with the most coarse and cruel bits of information gleaned from the book. Many online newspapers used them as titles to their pieces hoping to draw in as many potential readers with overt sensational that bordered on Giddiness. And they all did exactly what komisarjevsky planned; they did a huge service to him and his case as they helped propel his version of these crimes through the world wide web and as they traveled they were magically transformed into "facts" .

Today I read that the author Brian Mcdonald is trying to encourage parallels between himself and Truman Capote IE In Cold Blood. Suffice to say this is ludicrous; Mcdonalds writing is awful It's sophomoric and pedestrian at best. I don't need to read more than a handful of excerpts in order to know this man cannot write. This is undoubtedly why chooses sensationalistic voyeuristic subject matter for his books, he can rely on the draw of true life sexual crime to sell his book- his writing is certainly not going to.

At the moment this book is being sold at AMAZON, BORDERS and BARNES AND NOBEL, among others. The very first thing that we can do as compassionate and responsible human beings is to not buy the book as well tell our Friends and loved ones to refrain from doing so. Anyone who buys the book is lining the pockets of some very bad people, they are also helping a killer to perhaps avoid accountability for his part in three murders. no to mention giving him a voice and much desired attention. One of the hallmark of sociopathic personna is that they crave attention and need to stand out somehow. They also lack conscience, but they are usually cunning enough to .feign one if it will serve them.

Any buyers of the book would also be perpetuating a terrible pain to the families of the victims involved and Dr Petit himself, the sole survivor of this mans carnage. There is karmic turnabout for this kind of thing.

We can take this one step further amd assist in boycotting the book; let your voice be heard to the distributors and publishers. Unfortunately the book which is in paperback, has already gone to print and sold many copies. The goal now is to stop any more books from being published and sold.

The publishing contact information can be found below as well as the Appropriate contact information for Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Please take the time to write and/or call these distributors as well as the publisher themselves. Tell them how you feel about a man who murdered three people whos not been tried yet, being allowed to violate a gag order, write a book that brags of horrendous details of rapes assaults and murders. And now sits on thier shelves or
published by their publishing house or
sold in their stores.
Ask them how they might feel if this were their family, their children This question is pivotal and needs to be answered.

Information
'In the Middle of The night"
Brian Mcdonald
Jeff@amazon.com
cust.service03@amazon.com
... Read More
Amazon.com DIRECT Telephone
#1-800-201-7575

or write:
Amazon.com Headquarters
1200 12th Ave Ste 1200
Seattle, WA 98144
Phone : 206-266-1000
Fax : 206-622-2405
Telephone number for the Media department is 206-266-7180
open Monday

Macmillan (PUBLISHER)
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
646-307-5151
Note; ***The St. Martin Division published the book ****
St. Martin's Press; Publicity Department
175 5th Avenue NY, NY 10010
Fax: 212-674-6132


BARNES AND NOBLE
Ellen Fitzsimons Administrative Assistant Small Press Dept.
212-633-3399
CALL THEIR OFFICES 508-853-9661 ASK FOR BEV WILSON OR ELESA HUMPHREY
ALSO CALL 800-962-6177 ASK FOR JOANN CLARK & REFFERENCE CASE # 129340
617-901-3157 DISTRICT MGR. LYNN NYBO

WRITE TO: BARNES & NOBLE
PO BOX 111 LYNEHURST NJ 07071 ALSO REFERENCR CASE # 129340

Phone calls and letters are very helpful
Thank you.