Only Dr. William Petit (left in the orange shirt) survived.
Introduction
I often discuss this case with my students to help them understand the sort of evil that they may face in a home defense scenario.
This happened on July 23rd, 2007 in the quiet suburb of Cheshire. Connecticut. Hayley Petit, Michaela Petit, and Jennifer Hawke-Petit were raped and murdered and William Petit was the only one who lived.
Summary
Please watch the above video from Mojopin12 on Youtube. It provides an excellent summary of what happened.
Here is a transcript of the confession from Joshua Komisarjevsky.
Here is the audio of the confession.
One of the more disturbing things about the audio confession, is how nonchalant Joshua Komisarjevsky is about what he has done to this family.
Perpetrators
Cheshire, Connecticut, home invasion murders (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Cheshire, Connecticut, home invasion murders (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The two monsters (Steven Hayes and Joshua Komisarjevsky) had extensive criminal histories dating back to when they were teenagers.
If you read Stanton Samenow‘s Inside the Criminal Mind, you will notice that these two share a lot of traits with other criminals in the prison system and on the outside in that their crimes will escalate over time.
People such as this take no responsibility for their actions.
Even while on death row, the Steven Hayes and Joshua Komisarjevsky have demonstrated no remorse for their crimes.
Observations
- Hayes and Komisarjevsky show that bad guys come in all shapes, sizes, backgrounds and COLORS.
- Bad guys travel in packs and escalate crimes while in a pack.
- This is part of why capacity in a firearm magazine is important.
- Dr. William Petit was asleep on the outside porch when the home invaders struck.
- There was a baseball bat left in the front yard that the Hayes and Komisarjevsky used on Dr. William Petit.
- Steven Hayes was armed with a pellet gun.
- It is important to understand the visual profile of a pellet gun or BB gun from the perspective of having one pointed at you.
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BB gun used in the crime. Notice the cap on the bottom of the grip of the gun, that gives it away as a BB gun.
- Robberies carried out with BB guns happen more often than we think
- Jennifer Hawke-Petit and Michaela Petit were scouted out by Joshua Komisarjevsky while in a grocery store and were followed home.
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Jennifer Hawke-Petit and Michaela Petit at the grocery store where Joshua Komisarjevsky spotted them
- When you are out shopping, be mindful of anyone looking at you with a hard stare
- Be mindful of anyone whose movements are starting to mirror yours.
- If you think someone is following you while you are driving, then do not take a direct route back to your house.
- Make a U-Turn as well as turns that you would not normally make while traveling home.
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- Do not underestimate the savagery of an assailant.
- Do not put yourself at the mercy of people who have none.
Sources
- http://insidedateline.nbcnews.com/_news/2010/10/07/5251978-oct-8-the-mystery-of-horseshoe-drive-and-revisiting-the-family-on-sorghum-mill-drive
- http://www.oprah.com/showinfo/Dr-William-Petit-on-the-Unspeakable-Tragedy-in-Connecticut
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheshire,_Connecticut,_home_invasion_murders
- http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Dr-Petit-Shares–102864974.html
- http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/mass/cheshire-murders/1.html
- http://www.wtnh.com/dpps/news/national/northeast/ap-killer-of-3-says-he-considers-requesting-death-nt12-tvw_4176303#.UYSXPKr6U6I
- http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/crime/evidence-photos-from-cheshire-home-invasion#.UYSXlar6U6I
- http://www.wtnh.com/generic/news/crime/cheshire-home-invasion
- http://abcnews.go.com/US/petit-trial-coroner-describes-teen-daughters-death/story?id=14607151#.UYSe6Kr6U6I
- The Hartford Courant’s Articles on the Home Invasion
- An Interview with the Prosecutor
Related articles
- Dr. William Petit “In Cold Blood” Story Has New, Happier Chapter (lawandmore.typepad.com)
- Man gets life for fatal Ocala home invasion (TBO.com)
- Man gets life for fatal home invasion (local10.com)
- Suspect arrested in IE home invasion, murder of elderly woman (abclocal.go.com)
- Sherri Shepherd Wants A Gun After Home Invasion Scare (blackamericaweb.com)
- Despite legislative “future” repeal, Connecticut death penalty to face trial (sentencing.typepad.com)
- Reward offered in Athens home invasion and attempted abduction (onlineathens.com)
- The Other Kind of Criminals (normaltalkingperson.wordpress.com)
- Woman injured in violent home invasion (bigpondnews.com)
- 2 Suspects Held In Violent Bedford, NH, Home Invasion (boston.cbslocal.com)
RealDefense 
If ever two “people ” are deserving of the ultimate penalty it is these two.
Dr Petit has to live with the knowledge he failed as a man. He failed to protect his castle and his women.
That may sound harsh,but it is true.
Typical North East Liberal mindset.
That does not excuse the acts of the two vile murderer/child rapists.
If things were as they should be,both would have been hung one month after the fair trial.
Once they tie you up it does not matter.
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I read about this incident almost two years ago. While I have had a gun for self-defense for almost as long as I have been a husband and father, this story convinced me I needed to take it to a higher level. I have invested in more and better equipment, more range time, professional training classes, obtained my CHL and spent time planning for possible scenarios.
It should be required reading for every man. If it does not affect him and change his thinking (assuming he wasn’t already on board) he is not a man I would want one of my daughters to marry.
-Cranky
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Amen to that!
You’d be amazed at how much preparation you can get done just by mapping out the locations that you frequent each day.
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Howdy! Do you know if thuey make aany plugns tto safegfuard aggainst hackers?
I’m kinda paranoid about losing everything I’ve worked hard
on. Any recommendations?
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