At the conclusion of his comments, he introduced his former boss, Peter Weir. Report of July 5, 2022 officer-involved shooting in Report of July 21, 2022 officer-involved shooting in Jury returns guilty verdict in mass shooting at Aurora man sentenced to decades in prison for Man sentenced to two consecutive life sentences for Parolee and former Scout leader with history of Lone Tree bowling alley shooter sentenced to 23 Report of March 3, 2022 officer-involved shooting in Colorado District Attorneys Council honors trial team for Jury finds man guilty in former CU football Report of July 5, 2022 officer-involved shooting in Aurora, Report of July 21, 2022 officer-involved shooting in Englewood, Man sentenced to two consecutive life sentences for murdering couple who responded to advertisement for used car. These crimes in Colorado are this killers first stages at killing a human. The Colorado killings followed two other attacks near Denver that either involved or were suspected of involving a hammer. Amazingly, it was thought that spending so many hours naked on the garage floor in the freezing temperatures may have kept her from bleeding to death. July 23, 1993. There, lying on the floor next to the couch and just a few feet away from the front door, was the carefully posed body of their grandmother. On the 4th of January James and Kimberly Haubenschild were also attacked with a hammer at their home in Aurora, but both survived. The mandatory minimum sentence for each count is life with possibility of parole after 20 years, according to the prosecution. It was Monday evening, January 9th, 1984. It begins with a woman killed with a hammer in Lakewood and, a week later, a family killed the same way in Aurora. The police found footprints in the snow that led up to and away from other homes in the same area and on the same street, leading them to believe that the offender was simply looking for an easy opportunity to lash out. There are potentially other crimes that Ewing could be charged for, and Brauchler emphasized that he wont prosecute a crime that he cant ethically prove theres a high standard for evidence in these types of cases. Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Twelve Twenty-Six Seventy-Five by Tony Reid, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. He also discarded the knife hed used to kill Bruce. The house of Safdar Ali, who is allegedly a close aide of Atiq Ahmad, was demolished by the administration. The husband then got a lock for the gate and made sure their house was locked and secure. She was born August 12, 1946 in Mississippi. See them as the killer did, see the victims as the killer did at that moment. Over 200 Million Downloads! 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Theres no such thing as coincidence. Investigators did not forget about the hammer murders, however, nor did the town of Aurora; for years the authorities and true crime sleuths never gave up trying to identify the sick individual responsible for the murders and assaults that happened that year. File photo Editor's note: At an August 10 press conference, authorities revealed that Nevada inmate Alex Ewing has been named in an arrest warrant for the. Part of our book involves some very in-depth detective and forensic work. On the night of January 16th, 1984 a gruesome discovery was made at a house on 16300 East Center Drive, Aurora. While everyone is looking for a motive it was always looking right back at investigators. July 5, 1985 Survivor In Sierra Madre. Killing on this level requires some level of planning on the part of the perpetrator. The Bennetts didnt show up for work on Monday. Ewings DNA profile was entered into CODIS (the FBIs database) in 2018 and his profile was matched to the DNA found at the crime scenes of both the Bennett family and Patricia Smith. The severity of her injuries cant be understated. James and Kim divorced divorced in the fall of 1987. "A life sentence feels too light, but that is the most the justice system can offer. Bruce and Debra Bennett lived with their daughter Melissa and younger daughter, Vanessa. Her head was constantly swimming with thoughts of her parents. In just two days, Melissa would turn 8 years old. "I have seen all kinds of evil and wickedness nothing compares to the level of depravity that your actions show in this case," Vahle told Ewing. The jury found Ewing guilty on all counts. Thankfully, this community, these families and everyone impacted by the horrific crimes now knows this defendant will never hurt anyone ever again.". The family had been celebrating Melissas birthday that night. During sentencing Aug. 17, members of the Bennett and Large families submitted impact statements and came to the courtroom. They were Holly Chromey, 49, and her children, Katie Zapzalka, 18, and Jared Zapzalka, 16. 28-year-old Bruce Bennett had jumped into action when the attacker entered the family home and a struggle broke out between the two as Bennett attempted to protect his family. His use of ligatures were fairly distinct and helped tie a lot of the crimes together. The Military also submits DNA for specific types of crimes committed by its members. He was brought to Colorado to face trial for the deaths of the Bennett family. For years the case was cold, until in 2018 a DNA profile from semen the killer left at the scene was matched to Ewing. He faced six . You see it in the last known crime that the killer committed. It was later determined to be the murder weapon. It was a match, proving that the same unknown offender had killed all four victims. View the map. Even after he was struck and injured severely, Bruce continued to struggle valiantly with his attacker, and it seems he climbed the stairs after him even after the intruder thought that he was unconscious or dead. Theyd moved there around Thanksgiving from another place a few miles away, and had so far enjoyed their quiet, developing neighborhood. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head- and the murder weapon? The couple, especially Ron, wanted to show that their love was truly for better or for worse and that it would survive any challenge. It was determined that she had been killed sometime between the hours of 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM. This guy is not going to be easy to find because he can easily change his MO and would change it if need be. A life sentence feels too light, but that is the most the justice system can offer. The Bennett family was attacked either the night of Jan. 15 or the morning of Jan. 16. Just your average everyday normal family. It took 37 years, but on Tuesday, the families of Bruce and Debra Bennett saw justice served. His wife, Debra, was sexually assaulted and bludgeoned. The truck was in a designated parking area with the radio and windshield wipers turned on. This case impacted not just the victims, but it also terrorized an entire community, he said. Like all of the EARONS victims, they were taken from this earth far too soon. I hurt myself. Its my hope that this can help folks gain a better understanding of how prolific this offender was, and that insights can be gained as to perhaps why he was active at the times that he was, and why he mightve laid low during some of the quieter times. Your email address will not be published. Its bloody, painful for the victim and brutal. As a workaround, a well-known forensic genealogist named Colleen Fitzpatrick analyzed the case, and her research came up with the possible surname of Ewing. This finding was announced an the television show, On the Case With Paula Zahn, in February 2018. The force of the impact threw her head into the steering wheel. Why did they have to get murdered? Evidence of wounds caused by a blade revealed that Bruce attempted to defend himself as the intruder swiped and slashed at him with a knife. On August 7th, 2018, it was announced that there were significant new developments in the Smith/Bennett case, and that a news conference would be held at 10:00 AM on Friday, August 10th with more information. I was a drug addict for so many years. This was the last time the Bennetts were seen alive. He also appealed to other district attorneys and lawmakers who might be watching (singling out Montana briefly) to change their DNA collection laws and practices and to begin participating in CODIS. This killer strikes with such violence that it is difficult to understand, see or know of a possible motive. Thank you listeners! For an overview of the case, you can review my extensive post from yesterday which covered many of the details. If you are just simply looking at it, you miss the most critical and important clues. Vanessa was saved, though she went on the live with permanent physiological affects from the assault. </p> Matthew Nicholas, of no fixed address, was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Friday, January 20, after being found guilty of 10 counts of sexual assault of a child under 13. Only 3-year-old Vanessa, at. The killer also may have completely changed his MO from victim type to weapon used, to less grisly murdering, became better at leaving no DNA behind Because he committed the murders in Colorado during his learning phase if you will it is difficult to determine what he went on to be if anything. I wouldtear everything down and start over with the evidence, the crime scene and so on. There are a few very notable ones, particularly because they occurred during quiet periods where the offender wasnt attacking. On Sunday, January 15th, 1984, several family members gathered at the Bennett home to have a birthday part for Melissa, who wouldve turned eight on Tuesday. I agree with you. One of the most terrifying aspects of the case is the sketch of his mask, made with the assistance of survivors who caught a glimpse of him. As one of the investigations were doing for the book,we hired an audio expert to do some work on the three recordings attributed to EAR: The dumb fuckers call, the Is Ray there? call, and the Gonna Kill You call. It is deeper than that. This is a harsh, cold fact profilers must learn if they are to more accurately profile. Medical professionals werent sure if the hammer attack would leaveVanessa with permanent brain damage or not, but the girls family held on to the hope that she would make a full recovery. 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Victims: Richard Keith Call (20) and Cassandra Lee Hailey (18) Nothing else appeared to be missing. This killeris more the type that would self medicate more than likely be a heavy drinker as opposed to taking medication. Other Information document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The garage door was still open. Read more true crime, cold cases and unsolved mysteries from meHERE<<. Only the calls or phone events where the caller was believed to be the rapist are included. If it were me, I would explore other possibilities in terms of profiling my suspect here, explore past just some guy who was currently working construction in the area or druggies who killed in a drug fueled rage. Murderer of Aurora's Bennett family sentenced to life in prison August 17, 2021 It took 37 years, but on Tuesday, the families of Bruce and Debra Bennett saw justice served. Patricia still wore her sweater and boots, but her jeans were pulled down. Taking a good long hard look at the evidence again and compare it to someone who was in and/or around that artery in Denver at the time would help to narrow the suspect list or in this case open it up. Ewings DNA profile was entered into CODIS (the FBI's database) this year (2018 as I write this) and the following morning his profile was matched to the DNA found at the crime scenes of both the Bennett family and Patricia Smith. It begins with a woman killed with a hammer in Lakewood and, a week later, a family killed the same way. When a telephone call came for Steve Bennett on the afternoon of July 4, 1985, his daughter, Whitney, opened her bedroom window to summon her father, who was outside watering the front yard. Your email address will not be published. A typical way one would see this is that he likes control, that is wrong. But he isnt going to talk about this crime to just a friend or bar mate. For the first time, Stetson Bennett is publicly addressing his January arrest for public intoxication in Texas. The Bennett family was attacked either the night of Jan. 15 or the morning of Jan. 16. DNA at both the Bennett crime Scene and the Smith crime scene were matched to the same killer in 2010. The killer pummeled and sexually assaulted his 26-year-old wife, Debra, and 7-year-old daughter, Melissa. When she first woke up, she had the mentality of a two-year old. She had to relearn how to talk and couldnt speak a full sentence for almost six months. According to property records, the couple stayed in the same house after the attack. Alexander Christopher Ewing is now the behind bars, serving 40 years for two counts of attempted murder in the state of Nevada. Lightening the speech with a quasi-political jab at Al Gores inventing the internet, he went on to describe cooperation from Clark County Nevada and Mojave County Arizona, which were other jurisdictions whod had Ewing pass through their systems. 21-year-old Polish national, Julia Faustyna, claims to be Madeleine McCann- the story so far, CCTV Footage from New Jersey Gas Station Shows Woman Escaping Alleged Captor, Two men arrested in connection with the 1975 murder of Indiana teenager Laurel Jean Mitchell. Constance Bennett, the mother of murder victim Bruce Bennett, is questioned defense attorney Katherine Powers Spengler during Alex Ewing's murder trial, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in an Arapahoe County Court in Centennial, Colo. Ewing is accused of killing Bruce and Debra Bennett and their 7-year-old daughter Melissa in Aurora in January 1984. She said in an interview that she has big plans for the future, and reminds us that "its never too late to achieve big things. Bizberg Themes, Forensic Science and Cyber Forensics Quiz (Free). Bruce Bennett tried to climb the staircase several times in an attempt to ward off the perpetrator and save his young family. The Bennett family. Amazing!!!!!!!! Connie's son Bruce, his wife Debra and 7-year-old Melissa were found dead.. Weve published this page today to show you the details and origin of the ligatures used in the EAR/GSK attacks. CENTENNIAL, Colo. (CBS4) - A judge sentenced Alex Ewing to three life sentences on Tuesday after he was found guilty in the 1984 murders of three people in Aurora. Debra was savagely beaten to death with a hammer. Blood was all over the garage floor. does anyone think they are actually looking though? Before he was sentenced, Ewing declined the chance to speak to the victim's family members, who were present in the courtroom including Vanessa Bennett, who is now 41. It would be nearly twenty-four hours total before she was found. He thought about murder for a long time, he daydreamed about it and more than likely attempted several times prior to these specific attacks to commit murder but for whatever reason didnt go through with it or was unable to because his victim fought him off, fear of being seen or heard etc. Investigators said he also sexually assaulted Melissa before she died from being beaten. There were reportedly signs of a struggle in the first case, and there may be workable DNA evidence from up to three of the scenes. But thanks to modern technology and the incredible talent and dedication of several individuals, it seems this case has finally been solved. Toward the end of that series and during the murders, he began experimenting with different types of bindings plastic ties, twine, drapery cord, etc. Jason Bennett described his heartbreak following the deaths of son John and daughter Lacey in Killamarsh. 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But new technology is getting detectives closer and closer to solving the brutal mystery. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Ewing, then 23, was arrested again two days later about 15 miles (24 kilometers) away by park rangers at Lake Mead. This call is important because not only did it occur during an EAR quiet period, but this attack is connected by DNA. The press conference began with Aurora Chief Nicholas Metz, who recognized the hard work and dedication of many investigators who worked this case over the years. Those were the sentencing rules in 1984, and since these crimes were committed at that time, Ewing is grandfathered into those standards. Youve done this with other cases to. 26 miles away from the Smith murder, but very close to the other incidents, the Bennett family was still settling into their new home on East Center Drive in Aurora, Colorado. They remain married to this day. In just two days,. The world turned a painful red and Donna began to lose consciousness. Im going to come over and fuck you again. She was last seen at about 8:30 PM while on her way to meet friends. / CBS Colorado. The money was never claimed. Only the youngest daughter survived, with life-threatening injuries. Constance, her grandmother, immediately set up a vigil (which she kept up for days) as the paramedics, nurses and doctors worked feverishly to save the girls life. Again, info is given only about the phone calls where the offender spoke. Seemingly, nothing they did showed investigators any reason someone would want to kill them. Not only was he hanging on the situation for any sign of improvement, but he was afraid that the killer would find out that she survived, might be able to identify him, and might come back to attack her again. ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - It was 1984 when Connie Bennett found her family murdered in their Aurora home. For a twelve-day period in January 1984, the cities of Aurora and Lakewood Colorado were preyed upon by one of the most terrifying breeds of killers a man who would attack strangers, rape the women and children, and bludgeon them to death. Sometime between 9:00 PM on the 15th and 10:00 AM on the 16th (most likely between midnight and six), an intruder entered the Bennett home. alone. The jury found Ewing guilty on. The 1982 call is important, because the offender hadnt killed for over a year, and it was thought that he mightve been incarcerated. Ewing, who was convicted of the murders on Aug. 6, broke into the family's new home the night of the killings. On Friday, August 10th, 2018 at 10:00 AM Mountain Time, a press conference was held to announce that two different jurisdictions in Colorado were filing charges against a man named Alex Christopher Ewing for the Patricia Smith and Bennett family homicides. For years the authorities and true crime sleuths never gave up trying to identify the sick individual responsible for the murders and assaults that happened that year. All four family members were assaulted, only one survived. Its also safe to assume that up until the Bennett murders his weapon of choice was a blunt object, after those murders he quite possibly changed the weapon of choice if he had that overwhelming urge to kill again. They were almost always in good shape/new condition, and lab analysis revealed almost nothing about them except the occasional hair. The attacker retrieved a butcher knife from the kitchen and began stabbing Bruce in various places on his upper body, and once Bruce was incapacitated again the offender used the knife to slit his throat from ear to ear. Victim #24received a call from a voice that she identified as the EARs. Kevin Vaughan on Twitter: "NEW TONIGHT: #9WantsToKnow has obtained this mugshot of Alex Christopher Ewing, the suspect in two 1984 hammer murders. He took her to the floor and sexually assaulted her. The jury agreed, and on Aug. 6, 2021, they found Ewing guilty of murder in the three deaths. She was also left with a shattered pelvis and fell into a coma. There are some instances where a strange phone call was received, but its not thought to be the offender. They are more likely to begin work before sunup rather than stay much after sundown. Were happy to at least have a little bit of science behind us on this and it was worth exploring, even though the result was inconclusive. Bruce Bennett tried to climb the staircase several times in an attempt to ward off the perpetrator and save his young family. He usually tied them so tightly that circulation was restricted, used the same types of knots, and would often have the wife tie up the husband (and then retie the husband himself). Ewing was convicted of killing 27-year-old Bruce and 26 year-old Debra Bennett, as well as their 7-year-old daughter Melissa, in Aurora. Two young boys were asleep in other rooms in the house. Denver Post Archive Aurora Coroner's officers and police officers remove one of the three bodies from house at. How did you know? The family had been celebrating Melissas birthday that night. Dont you feel cheated a little? A hammer was used to kill Patricia Louise Smith, 50, in Lakewood Jan. 10, 1984. She made her way to the bedroom and went to bed. On November 7, 2014, police announced they had arrested Charles "Chase" Merritt, Joseph . Are you suggesting that initially investigators missed certain details based off the profile of the dude? Many of his victims were sex workers and transients who had no connection to him. Here are the days of the week the alleged killer struck each victim (s). Debra Marie Bennett, twenty-six years old, had married Bruce before his Navy deployment in 1976. A brief question and answer session involved the police asking any residents or witnesses to come forward with anything they might know in relation to these crimes so that the prosecution can continue to build its case. On the night of November 15th, 1974, a fifteen-year-old Visalia-area girl named Jennifer Lynn Armour disappeared while on her way to a local football game. We move long-haul and short-haul loads to anywhere in the lower 48 states for commercial and government entities. A murder inquiry has been launched, and one man - a 31-year-old from Killamarsh, who was known to the family - is in custody. Forensics determined that the hammers used in each of the attacks were different, and that there didnt appear to be anything terribly useful in the way of fingerprints or other evidence. KUSA reports that Vanessa recounted for the courtroom how the critical head injuries she survived left her with a lifetime of problems, including depression, anxiety, anger and struggles with heroin abuse. January 27, 1984: Ewing attacks a man in Kingman, Arizona in his home; beats man's head with a hammer. District Attorney John Kellner said the murders had shocked the community, adding that he was glad to see justice for the victims after 37 long years. The killer had doused the vehicle with fuel in an apparent attempt to incinerate the crime scene, but apparently failed to start a fire. Dr. Robert Offerman and Dr. Debra Manning were young and had bright futures. The bludgeoned bodies of husband and wife, Bruce and Debra Bennett, were discovered and it soon became evident that they had both attacked with a knife and beaten to death. Autor do artigo Por ; Data do artigo estranged from family and happy; benson funeral home worthington, mn obituaries em bennett family murders address em bennett family murders address Bruce's mother would discover the family the next day inside the home, after no one answered calls to their landline. The highest maximum penalty for the financial crimes is for money laundering in an amount exceeding $100,000 - which carries a potential 20-year sentence - on that front, Alex Murdaugh has . He attacked the couple with a hammer, bludgeoning them with it and leaving them for dead. Yvonne Missy Woods, a DNA analyst at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), was the last of 25 prosecution witnesses called to the stand in Ewings trial on multiple counts of first-degree murder in the hammer killings of Bruce and Debra Bennett and their daughter, Melissa. After failing with the EAR, we needed a sidebar showing that the techniques actually work because they do! Police examining the scene were able to reconstruct the basic chain of events. He was currently working at a family-owned furniture store, but was taking classes at the local college and would soon be working as an air traffic controller. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. She was numb and cold, and somehow was able to get to her feet and go inside the house. This phone call came just two days after the breaking news that the East Area Rapist crimes had been tied by DNA to the murders in Southern California. Apparently, although the authorities never followed up on this, there were a series of murders just like this across the country just off of I-70. They saw her parents killer as a boogeyman who would attack and them and kill them if they went anywhere near little Vanessas home for parties or play dates. The Associated Press contributed to this report. They do value daylight hours and work them whenever they can during the winter months. Vanessa Bennett was shocked to receive the phone call identifying the man who murdered her entire family and attempted to murder her in 1984and admits it hasnt quite sunk in. Lauers Chevy Nova was later discovered heading AWAY from the beach. Tarot Spread To Ask A Question; Peut On Boucher La Vue D'un Voisin; Thirty Eight Snub Meaning Bruce was 27 years old and Debra was 26 in 1984. Ewing massacred a family but left a key to his identity, Chief Deputy District Attorney Garrik Storgaard told the jury. In fact, there was a string of unsolved crimes in the area that took place just days apart from each other.

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