On the night of Jan. 15, a stranger broke into their home and viciously assaulted and attacked the family. The police found her posed with her arms crossed over her chest, as if she was in a coffin. 'An unspeakable orgy of violence' Aurora hammer murderer gets 3 life The killer was practicing, he was unsure of himself and he was unsure of the weapon he would eventually use. 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. Required fields are marked *. Only the calls or phone events where the caller was believed to be the rapist are included. Whatever the case, this person was in and around this area for at least the first part of January and most likely stayed in the area during that time. The other kids at school would tease her, telling her the hammer man was going to come and finish her off. 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. As blood poured out of her body, he lifted her up from the bed, unknowingly leaving an imprint from his shirt on her blood-soaked pajamas. RELATED: Bennett family murders: Full coverage of suspect's trial. Ewing has been behind bars in Nevada since the summer of 1984 after he escaped there while being transported to Kingman, Arizona, from St. George, Utah, for a court appearance on attempted murder and burglary charges. I wouldtear everything down and start over with the evidence, the crime scene and so on. The bludgeoned bodies of husband and wife, Bruce and Debra Bennett, were discovered and it soon became evident that both were attacked with a knife and beaten to death. See them as the killer did, see the victims as the killer did at that moment. Additionally, an audio expert associated with an upcoming television show that were a part of was able to isolate the background sounds of the Gonna Kill You phone call, and there was a tiny bit of a surprise in there. Miraculously, both of them survived the assault, though James suffered from a fractured skull and his wife suffered a concussion. The victim was fifty-year-old Patricia Louise Smith. They lived on the other side of the Denver metro area, but their home and Smith's home were both near a main east-west road, Alameda Avenue, leading investigators to suspect the killer used that route. Most importantly take the need to judge them and all of your own emotions and personal beliefs out of the picture. District Attorney John Kellner filed the murder charges against Ewing when he headed up the Cold Case Unit in the office. As of December 2021, the Boulder Police Department has processed more than 1,500 pieces of evidence related to the murder of JonBenet Ramsey. 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. WordPress. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and the murder weapon? The husband then got a lock for the gate and made sure their house was locked and secure. The father, Xavier Dupont de Ligonnes, immediately became the prime suspect, as he abruptly disappeared after the . At approximately 2:00 AM on January 4th, 1984, an intruder came through an unlocked garage door. 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. I dont believe that. Order your tickets today to see Small Town Murder in Atlanta, GA. They lived on a peaceful cul-de-sac where most of the houses had recently been finished and were yet to be sold. DeAngelo was a police officer in nearby Exeter at the time, and has been confirmed by police to be tied to a string of over 100 burglaries, a murder, and an attempted murder that occurred in Visalia in 1974 and 1975. The killer pummeled and sexually assaulted his 26-year-old wife, Debra, and 7-year-old daughter, Melissa. The severity of her injuries cant be understated. Almost six days later, tragedy struck Aurora once again. Two young boys were asleep in other rooms in the house. Residents here have lived under a dark cloud since Monday, when police found three residents dead in their home. The blow was so severe that her jaw was shattered and her skull was fractured in several places. ~ Jan. 4, 1984, a man snuck into an Aurora home and used a hammer to beat James and Kimberly Haubenschild. If you were living in La Jolla in the early 80s, you knew the Brodericks. The perpetrator left with both weapons. One thing that hasnt been said would be that during the winter in Colorado construction slows and sometimes between Jan-March it slows to a crawl, a lot of guys get laid off or work inconsistently during the week. Evidence that an aristocrat has gone missing--and was possibly murdered--near Sandringham House sets Queen Elizabeth II on the path to discover unsavory family secrets and much more in this new installment of the series the New York Times Book Review calls "sheer entertainment." Queen Elizabeth II is looking forward to a traditional Christmas gathering with her family in . Debra was savagely beaten to death with a hammer. The colossal 1,772-acre South Carolina hunting farm where Maggie and Paul. The Murder of Jaye Potter Mintz Feb 23, 1987 Leland N.C. A Catastrophic Cyber Event in the Next 2-Years. Try plastic surgery for autographs, No cow needed: Oat and soy can be called milk, FDA, Fowl-free: McDonalds debuts plant-based McNuggets, Study hints healthier school lunch can reduce obesity, New Mexico considers roasted chile as official state aroma, Cloud-like meringues offer simple path to French royalty, MLB sets up local media group, could broadcast 17 teams, including, Mercer has goal, 3 assists as Devils beat Avalanche 7-5, Flurry of NHL trades continue with Avs, Canes making moves, Avalanche take winning streak into home matchup against the Devils, Jokic has 100th triple-double; Nuggets down Rockets 133-112, BRANDON JOHANSSON: A labor of love and angst ends covering the best news town ever for the Sentinel, Black Vietnam vet at last getting his due: Medal of Honor, Alex Murdaugh gets life in prison in murder of wife, son. Blood near the front door sent him into a panic. Your email address will not be published. Thankfully, this community, these families and everyone impacted by the horrific crimes now knows this defendant will never hurt anyone ever again.". Being able to track the victim down (the call occurred at her workplace) meant that most likely, he was a free man and had stopped killing of his own volition. Caller: Do you want fuck? 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. ': Ohio Man Sentenced for Murdering Family of 8, Accused Stockton Serial Killer Charged with 4 More Murders, Bringing Total to 7, She Saw Her Family Murdered by a Hammer-Wielding Stranger When She Was 3. She had no idea how she got there and she didnt feel any pain. In addition to photos and a summary of information, the following points are worth going over: Its also worth noting that the EAR seemed to, at times, receive gratification from tying and retying his victims. Unsolved: The Bennett family murders | 9news.com The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head- and the murder weapon? Why did they have to get murdered? View the map. It took 37 years, but on Tuesday, the families of Bruce and Debra Bennett saw justice served. Alex Christopher Ewing Arapahoe County District Judge Darren Vahle sentenced Alex Christopher Ewing, 61, for killing the couple and their 7-year-old daughter in 1984. All four family members were assaulted, only one survived. But new technology is getting detectives closer and closer to solving the brutal mystery. 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. How do you feel knowing this case was solved? Jason Bennett described his heartbreak following the deaths of son John and daughter Lacey in Killamarsh. Juliana Kenney, 75, her husband Clayton Kenney, 83, and Mrs. Kenney's 44- year-old daughter, Adrienne Arnot, were beaten and stabbed to . Quite frankly if the suspect wasnt on the original list, spoken to or even noticed in this case it may come down to just DNA unless police have enough evidence and suspect info they can rework the case from scratch. He kept the hammer. The intruder, apparently thinking she was dead, began to make his escape. On the night of January 16th, 1984 a gruesome discovery was made at a house on 16300 East Center Drive, Aurora. This killer is indiscriminate in terms of who he kills, attacks or rapes. Wedged between the bed and the wall was three-year-old Vanessa, choking of fragments of her own jaw bone and barely clinging to life. Dr. Bennett's office is located at UH Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH. The Bennett family murders is a case that goes back more than three decades. Here are the days of the week the alleged killer struck each victim (s). Logistics & Transportation Provider - Bennett Family of Companies But thanks to modern technology and the incredible talent and dedication of several individuals, it seems this case has finally been solved. Murdaugh's double murder trial jury is sent out to find a verdict The Bennett family was attacked either the night of Jan. 15 or the morning of Jan. 16. You can also see what seems to be escalation and a frenzy of activity at certain points. Patricia had come home from work for lunch, stopping at Wendys on the way. Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich on what comes next | National Post The other victim murdered in the terrifying crime spree. Bruce Alan Bennett was twenty-seven years old. Unsolved: The Bennett family murders | king5.com Even If Alex Murdaugh Beats This Murder Rap, He Faces 700+ Years In Determine the level of organization/disorganization of each crime scene. The suspect list shrinks or worse, the profile was so off an accurate suspect list from the get go is of no help and never will be. When they arrived home, they found it very odd that Patricias car was still there and that the television appeared to be on in the upstairs bedroom. Investigators believed the killers attacks escalated from just beating someone with a hammer to actually murdering them. Serve as lead administrator of a K-3, 9-12 urban site . & 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. He either got turned on by the prospect of killing or used the rapes as a way to cover up the true motive which was to murder. Her bra was wrapped around one of her wrists, and her clothing was found on the bank nearby. Family photo Police say DNA evidence links Alex Ewing to the 1984 murders of three members of Bruce and Debra Bennett and their 7-year-old daughter Melissa, left. This phone call occurred 25 years after the attack. Sometimes to get a more clear picture of the criminal, one must see him or her as a human being, see him or her as they truly are, feel what they feel, know what they know, feel the wants, needs and desires of that person. It was later determined to be the murder weapon. Dotted with impressive bridges and blanketed by thick trees, it usually provides year-round beauty and convenience for travelers. A hammer lay next to her. The case got very little press, and unfortunately, it was never solved. 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. There is no punishment that is too harsh for you and I will do everything in my power to make sure you never draw a free breath ever again.. Aurora police Chief Nick Metz said the case has haunted the families involved. ~The very same day, a man using a hammer attacked flight attendant Donna Dixon in the garage of her Aurora home, leaving her in a coma. Perhaps, though put in tp the system (and hopefully still there, maybe for good), his DNA was never taken to match the DNA from the crime scenes. There was blood all over the car. A day or two after receiving the DNA results, Law Enforcement met with victims and their family members. He finds his release from the level of pain he inflicts on the victim, the level of violence he is able to achieve. Hed been in the Navy, where he worked on high-tech sonar equipment at Pearl Harbor. This mans only motive was to inflict as much pain as possible and kill his victims. January 16, 1984: Bennett family is attacked in their Aurora, Colorado home with 3 out of the 4 family members murdered by an intruder wielding a hammer. This killeris more the type that would self medicate more than likely be a heavy drinker as opposed to taking medication. bennett family murders address - vivaseuamor.fun He tore her clothes off, tossed them about the garage, and then he raped her on the concrete floor. Man accused of Killamarsh murders also charged with rape of girl 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. July 23, 1993. Camper explained that the CBI does a nightly check of all of their profiles against the CODIS system, and at that point, in early July, there was a match. 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. Unsolved: The Bennett family murders | 12news.com Two different crime labs analyzed the fuzzy imprint, and they came up with different results. They remain married to this day. Between 1986 and 1989 though, a crime spree took place that left three pairs of travelers missing and another pair of travelers gone without a trace. Alexander Christopher Ewing is already behind bars, serving 40 years for two counts of attempted murder in the state of Nevada. She recently gave an interview, which you can view here (link).. The family originated from Ancient Greece, then eventually settled in the town of Salem. Jun 2004 - 201612 years. What happened to Vanessa Bennett's family? People - Sportskeeda The childs skull was caved in on the right side of her forehead and a metal plate was inserted to reshape the skull. JonBenet Ramsey (Homicide) | City of Boulder Investigators were able to piece together the details of the horrendous ordeal through study of the evidence and the crime scene. The 1982 call is important, because the offender hadnt killed for over a year, and it was thought that he mightve been incarcerated. We didnt just look for all three to match, but also looked for a Ray to Gonna Kill You match, a Ray to Dumb Fuckers match, etc. Debra Marie Bennett, twenty-six years old, had married Bruce before his Navy deployment in 1976. The child died from her injuries. The Deadly Night of Incident For Bennet Family On the night of January 16 th, 1984 a gruesome discovery was made at a house on 16300 East Center Drive, Aurora. Later autopsies would reveal that the Bennetts had died due to blunt force trauma and that their attacker had likely used a hammer. Alexander Ewings list of seemingly endless violent crimes are described throughout the many articles published about him since he has been identified as the man behind the murder of the Bennett family. These crimes, which took place in January 1984, were part of a series of assaults that tore through the Denver area and have remained unsolved for thirty-four years. 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. 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. Sometimes to get a more clear picture of the criminal, one must see him or her as a human being, see him or her as they truly are, feel what they feel, know what they know, feel the wants, needs and desires of that person. Jason Bennett, who is understood to be the father of two of the. One of the interesting parts of the East Area Rapists MO was that he seemingly made many, many hang-up phone calls to victims, usually in the weeks before an attack, but sometimes afterward as well. The crime scene is the Bennett Family home where 3 out of 4 family members were murdered in January 1984. In 2002, Arapahoe County filed a John Doe arrest warrant for the perpetrator of the Bennet murders based on the DNA profile. I write about old, unsolved cases from the pre-DNA era. Darkness had just fallen. Learn how your comment data is processed. After investigating, the police found similarities between the attack at the Bennett home and nearby random attacks that happened days earlier along the Highline Canal and Alameda Avenue corridor. In 2015, information leaked that there was important clue found at the Bennett scene. For over thirty years, this killer has remained unidentified. That is what drove him into such an uncontrollable frenzy so fast and that is precisely what stopped the attacks so fast. A hammer. Timeline Of The Night Stalker From Childhood To Crimes - Refinery29 Victims were shot to death on the shore of the James River, some distance from Knoblings pickup truck. The backyard of the home was the only one in the area without a fence, and it backed up to a dark and lonely portion of Alameda Avenue. This case impacted not just the victims, but it also terrorized an entire community, he said. Ax Handle Attacker Alex Ewing Named Suspect in Bennett Family Murders. Your email address will not be published. Theyd moved there around Thanksgiving from another place a few miles away, and had so far enjoyed their quiet, developing neighborhood. But what about his second? Look at the area, the artery that the crimes were committed along. James, a young man not even twenty-five years old yet, had married his wife Kim in August of 1982. They do value daylight hours and work them whenever they can during the winter months. Killing on this level requires some level of planning on the part of the perpetrator. This is a harsh, cold fact profilers must learn if they are to more accurately profile. There was no sign of the couple and theyve never been found. Detective Steve Conner has investigated this case for many years, taking over from an investigator named Marv Brandt. About six weeks later, hunters came upon their bodies in a remote location in the woods near a logging road. Famous Unsolved Murders of Families - Ranker The 3-year-old sister, Vanessa, was the only survivor. Small Town Murder at Tabernacle in Atlanta Sep 8th, 2023 - presale code Those were the sentencing rules in 1984, and since these crimes were committed at that time, Ewing is grandfathered into those standards. 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. The jury agreed, and on Aug. 6, 2021, they found Ewing guilty of murder in the three deaths. Even though Vanessas jaw was crushed, sending jagged bones into her windpipe, she survived after her grandmother, Constance Bennett, checked on the family later that morning when they didnt show up to work at a family-owned furniture store. Onsale to General Public. Murdaugh, 54, is accused of shooting his wife Maggie, 52, and youngest son, Paul, 22, at the kennels of their 1,800-acre hunting estate in Moselle, South Carolina on the night of June 7, 2021. Second Crime Scene If the list does exist its worth a look at as well as look at reports of crimes at the local job sites involving missing tools. Victim Tearfully Tells Night Stalker Jurors of Attack in Bedroom Its probably nothing that will move the case forward, but that show is coming out pretty soon so youll be able to find out what that is in just a couple months! After a string of several burglaries and escalating events on this night, the offender crossed the line to murder and he never looked back. April 6th, 2001 Perhaps one of the most famous murders in La Jolla history, the story of Daniel and Linda Broderick's death in 1989 shocked the seaside community and reverberated throughout San Diego. It begins with a woman killed with a hammer in Lakewood and, a week later, a family killed the same way. Patricia Smith had been laid straight, her arms crossed over her chest as if on display in a funeral home. Flatbed Trucking Company Bennett Motor Express is the premier open deck general freight carrier in the US. Hecontinued to attack the child causing severe injuries, but the 3 year old held on to life and was alive the next morning when she was discovered by her grandmother. All rights reserved. Smith was attacked in the condo she shared with her daughter and grandchildren and the hammer was left behind. 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. Fourth Crime Scene Investigators said he also sexually assaulted Melissa before she died from being beaten.