Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Bruce Bennett tried to climb the staircase several times in an attempt to ward off the perpetrator and save his young family. He reminded the public that John Doe warrants had been filed based on the DNA profile of the killer back in 2002, and mentioned that the John Doe charges have been updated to Alex Christopher Ewings name. He viciously struck the young child in the head with a hammer. 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. While meeting with the families in regards to this case reopened many old wounds and horrific memories, the Aurora Police Department, Lakewood Police Department, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the 18th Judicial District, and the 1st Judicial District is committed to seeing that justice is served in this case. Police later linked the murder of the Bennett family with another rape and murder that happened just less than a week before. Ax Handle Attacker Alex Ewing Named Suspect in Bennett Family Murders. Ewing would not stop hitting her the entire time and eventually the woman realized that she would have to play dead in order to get him to stop. She had no idea how she got there and she didnt feel any pain. 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. I believe he killed again no way he stopped. Bruce Alan Bennett was twenty-seven years old. Unfortunately, they verified one by one that each family member was deceased. It was taken in Arizona 11 days after the attack. Her clothes were tossed everywhere. James Haubenschild suffered a fractured skull, and his wife had a concussion. I also believe he continued to kill peeps because he is so violent he couldnt have just stopped. The previous week, on the 10th of January, a woman in her fifties named Patricia Smith had also been murdered in her own home in a townhouse in Green Mountain, Lakewood, which is just a 25 minutes drive from Bennets home in Aurora. 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 . 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. The investigators and the CBI were safe to guess that it might have been a construction worker that had been working in the area. Unsolved: The Bennett family murders | wfaa.com bennett family murders address - leopardi.store 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. The Aurora Hammer Slayer SOLVED! | The Theorem Factory Apparently when the killer lifted Melissa Bennett, an imprint from his shirt was made in the blood that had resulted from his assault on her. She was also raped. Killing on this level requires some level of planning on the part of the perpetrator. You got the age closer than the fbi and police you described exactly what the guy was feeling when he was killing them. Between 9 p.m. January 15, 1984 and 10 a.m. January 16, 1984, twenty-seven year old Bruce Bennett, his twenty-six year old wife, Debra and their seven year old daughter Melissa, were brutally murdered inside their home located in the 16300 Block of East Center Drive. James and Kim divorced divorced in the fall of 1987. Timeline Of The Night Stalker From Childhood To Crimes - Refinery29 The large hammer was recovered, still on the seat of the car where the attacker had left it. One of the signature trademarks of an EAR/GSK attack was the use of ligatures. The severity of her injuries cant be understated. They ended up determining that Armour had been killed, and the Fresno Bee (along with the Fresno Guarantee Savings and Loan Association) set aside $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of her killer. The jury found Ewing guilty on Aug. 6 of killing three members of the Bennett family with a hammer. Ewing was not identified as a suspect until a DNA hit in July 2018 linked him to semen left at the crime scene. 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. Ewing, who was convicted of the murders on Aug. 6, broke into the family's new home the night of the killings. ~Then on Jan. 10, 1984, someone used a hammer to strike 50-year-old Patricia Louise Smith several times in the head in her Lakewood home thus killing her sometime between 3pm and 5pm. He also isnt killing with this level of violence often enough to track. 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. Its nothing more or less than that. 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. That is what drove him into such an uncontrollable frenzy so fast and that is precisely what stopped the attacks so fast. I only do research and leave active investigation of these cases to professionals. After multiple surgeries,Vanessa was saved, though she went on the live with permanent physiological affects from the assault. Calls Toyota Celica was found at a river overlook several hours after he and Hailey went on their first date. The last family member left around 9:00 PM. Rather than wait until 2019 when the book will be published, we thought wed at least share the results with you. 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. alone. Victim Tearfully Tells Night Stalker Jurors of Attack in Bedroom Thankfully, this community, these families and everyone impacted by the horrific crimes now knows this defendant will never hurt anyone ever again., 2022 - DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE 18 JUDICIAL DISTRICT, Murderer of Auroras Bennett family sentenced to life in prison, Victim Impact Statement and Restitution Information, Bad Check Restitution Program DISCONTINUED, Senior Law & Safety Summit: May 21, 2022, Peace Officer Credibility Disclosure Notification. As of December 2021, the Boulder Police Department has processed more than 1,500 pieces of evidence related to the murder of JonBenet Ramsey. Bruce and the intruder fought up and down the stairwell, and at some point Bruce was struck multiple times by a hammer. This is a harsh, cold fact profilers must learn if they are to more accurately profile. The house was not ransacked, but the contents of her purse were strewn about. Required fields are marked *. Over 200 Million Downloads! 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. Peter Weir, District Attorney of the 1st Judicial District, oversees the area where the Smith murder occurred. 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). The jury agreed, and on Aug. 6, 2021, they found Ewing guilty of murder in the three deaths. Here are the Small Town Murder show particulars: Small Town Murder. 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. Thieves like to hit them for the tools the guys leave at the sites overnight. The jury found Ewing guilty on all counts. 'I apologized to my family:' Stetson Bennett addresses public Just your average everyday normal family. Let us know all the details about yourself and send us a message. All four of them were attacked inside the home that night, only Vanessa survived. Ewing is arrested and incarcerated. The cases are commonly known as the 1984 Colorado Hammer Murders. He is awaiting extradition to Colorado, police and prosecutors announced Friday. These crimes in Colorado are this killers first stages at killing a human. A Glance at The Bennet Family Murders - Forensic Yard A hammer. The Visalia Ransacker, a unique brand of offender who terrorized a very small area of California for a period of over two years, caught my attention a long time ago due to the cases possible association with the East Area Rapist. 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. Its believed that the EAR bought his shoelaces new from the store or from some other source. The money was never claimed. 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 In that homicide, DNA evidence was found matching Ewing. Bruce worked at the family-owned furniture store and was also taking classes to become an air traffic controller. Patricia missed her husband Oliver, who stayed behind in Nebraska, but she loved being with her daughter and two grandchildren in a bustling city. 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. The very famous, more than three decades old case of Bennet family murders has recently been in the news. Ronald worked as a pilot. He then tries to strangle her with a telephone . 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. 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. Even to this day, she has absolutely no recollection of the next several hours. You called it in a recent case again how did you know? Donna pulled into the driveway, hit the remote to open the garage, and pulled her car in. Alex Ewing Ordered To Serve 3 Life Sentences For 1984 Murder Of - MSN There was no way, given the samples that we have, to determine whether the voices match or not. Bruce and Debra were both probably dead by the time the killer entered Melissas bedroom. 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. The youngest girl, Vanessa, only three years old until March, was also struck violently in the face with the hammer. It was later determined to be the murder weapon. But he isnt going to talk about this crime to just a friend or bar mate. A 61-year-old man learned this week he'll die behind prison bars after being sentenced to three consecutive life sentences for the 1984 murders of a Colorado couple and their 7-year-old daughter, PEOPLE confirms. The crimes appeared to be sexually motivated, judging by the assaults that occurred on Debra and Melissa. Family medicine doctors are primary-care physicians trained. Figuring out anyone who was laid off or working less hours on a construction site back then, if the list doesnt exist right now may be difficult at best. Darkness had just fallen. He went into the process of requesting extradition of the suspect, with the request soon going to the governors office and the process taking up to a couple of months. 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. 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. Weve published this page today to show you the details and origin of the ligatures used in the EAR/GSK attacks. DENVER- The Bennett family murders is a case that goes back more than three decades. Before exiting the vehicle, she turned to grab her flight attendant uniform, which was hanging in the back. I write about old, unsolved cases from the pre-DNA era. Peck Funeral Home assisted the family . The truck was in a designated parking area with the radio and windshield wipers turned on. His attacker slit his throat before eventually delivering a final fatal blow with a hammer. Prosecutors alleged Ewing raped Melissa Bennett before killing her. Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich on what comes next | National Post Order your tickets today to see Small Town Murder in Atlanta, GA. 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. 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. Police are still looking for information on the cases connected to Ewing and are asking the public for help. Victims: Richard Keith Call (20) and Cassandra Lee Hailey (18) Youre going to suck my cock again.. Alexander was not identified as a suspect until a DNA hit in July 2018 linked him to semen left at the crime scene. Thank you listeners! Note: We cover the Armour case and the other Visalia Ransacker crimes in our new book, Secret Origin of the Golden State Killer: Visalia Ransacker. This killer did in fact re-offend, the issuehe was in the learning phase of actually killing humans during this time frame in Colorado. Thankfully, this community, these families and everyone impacted by the horrific crimes now knows this defendant will never hurt anyone ever again.". He assured the public that theyll move with all appropriate speed.. It was determined that she had been killed sometime between the hours of 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM. Bennett Family Murder Case Reaches "Critical Stage," Media Warned It seems that Debra was the next victim, and she may have even been approached and incapacitated in the middle of Bruces struggle with the killer. Bruce and Debra Bennett lived with their daughter Melissa and younger daughter, Vanessa. The case got a jolt in 2009 when a retired FBI photographer used graphic images from the crime scenes during a class lecture. Is it not true that you usually get police closer to a suspect faster than they ever could without using dna? 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. Investigators were able to piece together the details of the horrendous ordeal through study of the evidence and the crime scene. He then proceeded to charge John Doe with 18 counts, including three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of sexual assault, first-degree assault and two counts of sexual assault on a child and burglary. The blow shed felt was the attacker striking her head with a hammer. Those were the sentencing rules in 1984, and since these crimes were committed at that time, Ewing is grandfathered into those standards. They both survived. Bruce and Debra Bennett lived with their daughter Melissa and younger daughter, Vanessa. Add some text book, some psychological profiling and presto, they have a profile. bolond Fa molekula alex christopher ewing Pompeji Megfelels a lgszomj There was evidence of a struggle in the bedroom. It begins with a woman killed with a hammer in Lakewood and, a week later, a family killed the same way in Aurora. He likes that violent way of killing so going from a hammer to a gun would be a jump for this killer and simply would not be the first choice for him. In just two days,. 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. 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. Lauer and Phelps disappeared on Labor Day weekend while on their way to Virginia Beach. 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. It seemed that robbery was not the primary motive only the personal jewelry that Patricia was wearing was missing from the scene. The killer then ascended the staircase and entered the couples bedroom where attacked Bruces wife, 26 year old Debra, who he raped before bludgeoning to death. But some states were slow to add DNA to CODIS and the Damn ACLU had to butt its nose into it and doesnt like how some states collect DNA beyond certain felony charges or convictions. The killer was never brought to justice. His sentence runs through 2037 but he would be eligible for parole in 2021. Bennett Family Murders: the prosecution rests - Defrosting Cold Cases Investigators were able to determine that the girl had died by drowning, but at first they couldnt agree on whether it had been accidental or whether there was foul play involved. In 2002, Arapahoe County filed a John Doe arrest warrant for the perpetrator of the Bennet murders based on the DNA profile. / CBS Colorado. Safdar Ali was allegedly involved in selling weapons to gang members of Atiq Ahmed. Atlanta, GA. Fri, Sep 8, 2023 08:00 PM. Its our hope that something can come from this new push that will finally solve it. Residents here have lived under a dark cloud since Monday, when police found three residents dead in their home. Date: September 19th/22nd, 1987 I agree with you. As she turned to leave the car, she felt a tremendous blow on the left side of her head. Alex Christopher Ewing: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know "This case impacted not just the victims, but it also terrorized an entire community," Kellner said in a statement. Nevada inmate charged in 1984 hammer killing of Lakewood grandmother. Murdaugh's double murder trial jury is sent out to find a verdict There wasnt anything notable stolen from the scene, and the attack had all the hallmarks of a random crime. 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. The Bennett Family Murders ~ Aurora, Colorado - thecrimeshop Sometime between 1990 and 1992 Before Donna Dixon was even found, another crime had taken place 26 miles to the west in the city of Lakewood. From 1987 to 1991, a serial offender known as Mr Cruel abducted children around Melbourne, Australia. Now we know that Patricia's murder is connected to the Bennett Family murders in Aurora, Colorado. Again, info is given only about the phone calls where the offender spoke. They remain married to this day. For the first time, Stetson Bennett is publicly addressing his January arrest for public intoxication in Texas. Channel 2 sports director Zach Klein is at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, where. Special recognition was given to Detective Steve Conner from the Major Crimes Unit who, incidentally was at the scene of the Bennett crime as a young deputy, and who has worked the case for many, many years. Its quite possible that he changed his method of killing in an effort to keep police from tying him to these murders on the off chance he was caught for lets say rape. It was a case that they were not giving up on and were continuing to move forward on, he said. He could have found other ways to feed the need. Although she had no memory of the attack, what happened that night in 1984 would negatively impact the rest of her life. 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! </p> The force of the impact threw her head into the steering wheel. Hed been in the Navy, where he worked on high-tech sonar equipment at Pearl Harbor. 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. DNA at both the Bennett crime Scene and the Smith crime scene were matched to the same killer in 2010. 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. Camper reviewed the timeline that led to the arrest, which included a DNA profile from the Bennett case generated in 2001 and uploaded to CODIS (the national FBI DNA database), a profile developed from the Smith case is 2010 that matched the Bennett profile, and the strides that Nevada has made in testing their current prison population, which directly led to Ewings DNA being uploaded into CODIS. I didnt just lose my parents and my sister, she said. Amazing!!!!!!!! Doubts engulf dig to find body of Moors murder victim Keith Bennett Shed left the garage door open and most likely left the door unlocked as she went upstairs, removed her wig, and turned the television on. At the conclusion of his comments, he introduced his former boss, Peter Weir. Bruce Alan Bennett was twenty-seven years old. 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. The sprawling Colorado home where 6-year-old beauty pageant contestant JonBenet Ramsey was murdered in 1996 is listed for sale for a cool $7 million. I dont I think they are just waiting on a dna match thats all they ever do. At around 8:00 PM on January 10th, 1984, her boyfriend Ron Holm arrived home. All rights reserved. Investigators had collected and stored the killer DNA from the crime scene back in 1984 and since they did not know the hammer killers identity at the time issued a warrant for the arrest of John Doe on three counts of murder, attempted murder, felony murder, two counts of sexual assault, and two counts of child sexual assault in the hope that technology in the future could aid in identifying the assailant. Sadly technology was not as advanced in the mid-eighties as it is today, and the case went cold, remaining that way for over 30 years. A 3-year-old daughter, Vanessa, was injured and survived. The Bennett family murders is a case that goes back more than three decades. Often times a profilerwill come up with a profile that fits into a box, the box was made from materials that were provided by profiles obtained from past criminals who committed similar crimes, which is a really great place to start. Denver Post Archive Aurora Coroner's officers and police officers remove one of the three bodies from house at. Prosecutors brought their case against Alex Christopher Ewing to a close using a detailed walkthrough of genetic evidence to show that his DNA was found inside the home where three members of an Aurora family were murdered in January 1984. Date: September 5th, 1989 He faced six counts of first-degree murder. He also shattered the face of Bruce Bennetts 3-year-old daughter, Vanessa. 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. 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.