by In 2002, Arapahoe County filed a John Doe arrest warrant for the perpetrator of the Bennet murders based on the DNA profile. I wouldtear everything down and start over with the evidence, the crime scene and so on. Police felt that the killer brought his own weapon to the scene it didnt appear that any of the tools or hammers at the home had been rifled through. 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. The slain girl's younger sister, Vanessa Bennett, who was 3 at the time, survived the life-threatening injuries she sustained in the vicious beating. Your email address will not be published. The guy here fit the profile you provided over that of the fbi. The couples youngest daughter, 3 year old Vanessa, was also attacked by the hammer wielding assailant. The last family member left around 9:00 PM. These were quite commonplace, but as folks who havent read my book are learning, there were quite a few instances where he actually spoke with victims, potential victims, or even Law Enforcement. Alex Ewing on trial for the murder of three members of the Bennett family (credit: Aurora Sentinel). On the night of Jan. 15, a stranger broke into their home and viciously assaulted and attacked the family. Investigators have been quoted as saying this was a random crime, vicious and random. "The Crown prosecutor who is prosecuting my case in September seems like a dog with a . This article in the Denver post describes how after he murdered the Bennetts he went on to enter the house of a man in Kingman, Arizona and attempted to bludgeon the man to death with a 20lb rock. All three were beaten to death with a claw hammer. This is a very unique activity, and it helps tie the EARONS crimes together based on M.O. About a week later, a different hammer was used to kill the Bennetts and their 7-year-old daughter Melissa in Aurora. She was quickly and carefully taken to the hospital in an ambulance. 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. 2019 Sentinel Colorado. I write about old, unsolved cases from the pre-DNA era. "This case impacted not just the victims, but it also terrorized an entire community," Kellner said in a statement. 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. 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. Donna underwent several operations. 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. Both district attorneys addressed the possibility of capital punishment being on the table, discussing that 1984 laws do seem to allow the possibility, and that its the hardest decision that a DA has to make and it wont be one thats made lightly. 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. 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. You got the age closer than the fbi and police you described exactly what the guy was feeling when he was killing them. By far, easier prey lay in wait just north which would be Colfax Ave and at the time might not have hit the news like the murder of the Bennett family did had the crime occurred in a neighborhood more near Colfax. Obviously, this guy was looking for his next target. All rights reserved. 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. It was Monday evening, January 9th, 1984. 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. I believe he killed again no way he stopped. Recently, the Sun-Gazette has reported that Joseph DeAngelo, the man arrested for the Visalia Ransacker / Golden State Killer crimes, has been added to the suspect list. Vanessa Benn. 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. Fourth Crime Scene Many of his victims were sex workers and transients who had no connection to him. 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. The crimes appeared to be sexually motivated, judging by the assaults that occurred on Debra and Melissa. 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. According to some sources, they were able to match a shoe print from the Bennett household to a shoe print found in the garage at the Donna Dixon assault. Caller: Do you want fuck? 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. Her bra was wrapped around one of her wrists, and her clothing was found on the bank nearby. Vanessa Bennett sat under a picnic shelter on a muggy Arizona morning and talked for the first time about the physical and emotional toll she bears as the only surviving victim of one of. While closure and peace may be forever out of reach, the panelists hope for a sense of justice among those affected. 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. Its quite possible that she wasnt even conscious for any of it. ': 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. Peck Funeral Home assisted the family . The crime spree known as the Colorado Hammer murders seemed to begin in Aurora in the early morning hours of January 4th, 1984. We wanted to know if there was any way that we could determine whether the voices matched or not. 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). No services are scheduled at this time. She recently gave an interview, which you can view here (, Summary of Press Conference on 1984 Hammer Murders, you can review my extensive post from yesterday, Secret Origin of the Golden State Killer: Visalia Ransacker, High-resolution version of Mr Cruels mask, Tribute to Robert Offerman and Debra Manning, Ligatures Used by the East Area Rapist / Golden State Killer, he almost always forced his penis into his victims bound hands, Audio Comparison of EAR Calls The Results, Phone Calls where the East Area Rapist Spoke, https://www.coldcase-earons.com/phonecalls.php, Visalia Ransacker Incident Chart: Prowlings vs Ransackings over time. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. I was a drug addict for so many years. The father, Xavier Dupont de Ligonnes, immediately became the prime suspect, as he abruptly disappeared after the . Alexander was not identified as a suspect until a DNA hit in July 2018 linked him to semen left at the crime scene. Which is why a more beneficial profile from the onset is more important in fact, its critical. The Bennett Family Murders ~ Aurora, Colorado ~ January 16, 1984 The Bennett family was your average middle class family living the American dream. 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 jury found Ewing guilty on Aug. 6 of killing three members of the Bennett family with a hammer. Serve as lead administrator of a K-3, 9-12 urban site . Bruce's mother would discover the family the next day inside the home, after no one answered calls to their landline. District Attorney John Kellner filed the murder charges against Ewing when he headed up the Cold Case Unit in the office. I also believe this is the killers first stint at killing humans he most likely as with most serial killers did in fact kill animals earlier in life. Two young boys were asleep in other rooms in the house. The womens bodies were found inside Thomas vehicle. Add some text book, some psychological profiling and presto, they have a profile. There was evidence of a struggle in the bedroom. The family had been celebrating Melissas birthday that night. The Murder of Jaye Potter Mintz Feb 23, 1987 Leland N.C. A Catastrophic Cyber Event in the Next 2-Years. I dont I think they are just waiting on a dna match thats all they ever do. A murder probe has opened after four people were found dead at the address yesterday, with . Police later linked the murder of the Bennett family with another rape and murder that happened just less than a week before. "I lost the person who I was supposed to be. Why was she the lone survivor? The colossal 1,772-acre South Carolina hunting farm where Maggie and Paul. The investigators looked at everything from construction workers to drug addicts in the areas around the attacks because at the time a lot of construction was happening, they looked at the fact that the attacks happened around the holidays so maybe that was a trigger for this killer, even looked at the possibility that the killer was in some sort of drug fueled rage. How did you know? Vanessa, now 38 years old, received a call from the Aurora sheriffs department informing her that her parents killer had been identified as 57 year old Alexander Christopher Ewing. SOMERVILLE Sandra G. Bennett, 76, died March 2, 2023. The mandatory minimum sentence for each count is life with possibility of parole after 20 years, according to the prosecution. How to Become a Crime Scene Investigator in India? On the night of Jan. 15, 1984, the Bennett family left their garage door open. She left her hometown and moved to Arizona, at one point spending half a year homeless, living under a bridge. He usually held his victims captive for a period of time and then released them, but hes suspected of abducting and murdering13-year-oldKarmein Chan in 1991. The hammer stuck her in the jaw, shattering the bone which splintered in an explosion of small fragments that punctured her windpipe. This mans only motive was to inflict as much pain as possible and kill his victims. The force of the impact threw her head into the steering wheel. Thought to be the work of a serial killer, the crimes have remained unsolved for thirty years. There are a few very notable ones, particularly because they occurred during quiet periods where the offender wasnt attacking. Here are the days of the week the alleged killer struck each victim (s). In fact, there was a string of unsolved crimes in the area that took place just days apart from each other. He also inquired about searching various genealogical databases for a hit, but was advised at the time not to pursue that angle due to privacy issues. From 1987 to 1991, a serial offender known as Mr Cruel abducted children around Melbourne, Australia. The large hammer was recovered, still on the seat of the car where the attacker had left it. 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. Read more true crime, cold cases and unsolved mysteries from meHERE<<. March 14, 2022 5:04pm Updated The Murdaugh family property where a mother and son were found dead lists for $3.9 million. The story has a silver lining though on another case we explored with this team, theBrandon Lawsoncase, we were able to not only make a sketchy part of his 911 call understandable, but possibly a major break in the case by preparing for LE some scientific evidence that there was another person present when he disappeared. During the rape series, he primarily used shoelaces. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. The FAIR School, Minneapolis Public Schools and West Metro Education Program. Remember me? Dont profile by LOOKING AT the behavior in an attempt to findclues to his or her psychology in an effort toaid in capturing a criminal. Your email address will not be published. His attacker slit his throat before eventually delivering a final fatal blow with a hammer. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. / CBS Colorado. Dont you think the police could have gotten the guy long ago had they given you the evidence they had? A hammer. In 2011, Agnes Dupont de Ligonnes and her four children, ages 13 to 21, were shot and killed with a .22 rifle with a silencer on it while asleep in their beds in Western France, along with their two Labradors. 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. Debra was savagely beaten to death with a hammer. A hammer was used to kill Patricia Louise Smith, 50, in Lakewood Jan. 10, 1984. First published on August 17, 2021 / 3:31 PM. The couples youngest daughter, 3-year-old Vanessa, was also attacked by the hammer-wielding assailant. The hammer struck her in the jaw, shattering the bone which splintered in an explosion of small fragments that punctured her windpipe. Did you know that one of the most popular places to rob are construction sites? It was later determined to be the murder weapon. The Bennett family murders is a case that goes back more than three decades. James and Kim divorced divorced in the fall of 1987. Caller: Hi, its me again. That is what drove him into such an uncontrollable frenzy so fast and that is precisely what stopped the attacks so fast. On the other side of the coin, while all of these calls are believed to be genuine, theres a chance that some of them might be coincidence or pranks. If you were living in La Jolla in the early 80s, you knew the Brodericks. Jun 2004 - 201612 years. He tore her clothes off, tossed them about the garage, and then he raped her on the concrete floor. He may have been in the system at some point but it is difficult to determinewhether it would have been on felony charges or misdemeanor because his crimes may have stopped altogether. What are Dr. Bennett's areas of care? Atlanta, GA. Fri, Sep 8, 2023 08:00 PM. Some of the ligatures matched across scenes. 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. Its bloody, painful for the victim and brutal. Investigators noted there was evidence of a struggle at the house. We offer a suite of trucking and specialized logistics services, from flatbed and step deck trucking, driveaway, manufactured housing transport and RV delivery to 3PL/4PL logistics, customs brokerage . Seemingly, nothing they did showed investigators any reason someone would want to kill them. The case lacked any apparent motive. 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. There was the sound of children and maybe a woman in the background, which couldve potentially come from a television or some other source. He was among many who worked the case tirelessly for many years and is directly responsible for using some of the innovative DNA technologies, such as the Parabon Nanolabs imaging that came out a few years ago. You can also see what seems to be escalation and a frenzy of activity at certain points. The 2001 call didnt happen too long ago and makes it a little too close for comfort, though theres something positive to be said for the idea that the offender could still be alive and could still face justice for his crimes. August 17, 2021 / 3:31 PM 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. Her head was constantly swimming with thoughts of her parents. They were Holly Chromey, 49, and her children, Katie Zapzalka, 18, and Jared Zapzalka, 16. Required fields are marked *. Bruce and Debra Bennett lived with their daughter Melissa and younger daughter, Vanessa. The killer murdered two parents - Bruce and Debra Bennett - and their 7-year-old, Melissa, and left their other child severely injured. She too survived the attack, although she was first in a coma for some time. Upon the capture of a suspect in the Golden State Killer case, Conner again turned to genealogical databases. Her parents, Bruce and Deborah Bennett, were also killed. On Jan. 4, 1984, a couple in Aurora woke up to see a man in their bedroom who hit each of them with a hammer before fleeing. They also looked across state lines looking for similar or like crimes and to date, they have not one suspect. 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. 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. They had recently purchased a new home in Aurora for their young family, consisting of Melissa and a younger sister who was 3 years old. Theyd moved there around Thanksgiving from another place a few miles away, and had so far enjoyed their quiet, developing neighborhood. 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. Before exiting the vehicle, she turned to grab her flight attendant uniform, which was hanging in the back. 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 . document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Copyright 2023 With time, multiple surgeries and the support her extended family, Vanessa began to recover from her physical injuries, but living a normal life after losing both her parents to a murderer who had yet to be captured and convicted made childhood difficult. Chris Harris has been a senior true crime reporter for PEOPLE since late 2015. Read on to learn about the devastation and challenges faced in this crime series, the investigative leads that were undertaken, and the tremendous news that closure is within reach. Murders at this level are not just random. This was the end of the first day of what would become a futile week-long dig for the body of Keith Bennett, who was 12 years old in 1964 when he was killed by the Moors murderers, Ian Brady and . He went on to continually beat the mans wife as she attempted to shield her husband from the blows of an ax handle while simultaneously on the phone to 911. The investigators and the CBI were safe to guess that it might have been a construction worker that had been working in the area. Bruce had been attacked with a knife and hit in the head several times with a hammer or blunt object. 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. Nevada court records show a jury found Ewing, under the name Alex C. Ewing, was guilty of escaping from the custody of two Arizona sheriffs deputies at a gas station in Henderson, Nevada, southeast of Las Vegas on Aug. 9, 1984, and entering an unlocked home and severely beating a woman and her husband with an ax handle in their bedroom. Bruce Bennett ~ 27 ~ Found Murdered January 16, 1984 Debra Bennett ~ 26 ~ Found Murdered, Sexually Assaulted January 16, 1984 Melissa Bennett ~7 ~ Found Murdered, Sexually Assaulted January 16, 1984 Blood near the front door sent him into a panic. What we do know is that he likes the level of violence a blunt object signifies. July 23, 1993. Two different crime labs analyzed the fuzzy imprint, and they came up with different results.
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