Its unfortunate le didnt get him back then. 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. Jun 2004 - 201612 years. The victims may not have ever known one another but the killer found them somehow, it was not random although it appears that way. Denver Post Archive Aurora Coroner's officers and police officers remove one of the three bodies from house at. <p>Bruce Bennett, 27, was fatally stabbed and bludgeoned. But new technology is getting detectives closer and closer to solving the brutal mystery. The crimes appeared to be sexually motivated, judging by the assaults that occurred on Debra and Melissa. After failing with the EAR, we needed a sidebar showing that the techniques actually work because they do! She was numb and cold, and somehow was able to get to her feet and go inside the house. 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. "The Crown prosecutor who is prosecuting my case in September seems like a dog with a . Look at the area, the artery that the crimes were committed along. Forensic evidence was hard to retrieve due to the decomposed state of the bodies, but its been reported that the two may have been stabbed to death. 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. 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. He also shattered the face of Bruce Bennetts 3-year-old daughter, Vanessa. 'I've Been Waiting For This': Grandmother Recalls Bennett Family Murder The case got very little press, and unfortunately, it was never solved. They both survived. August 17, 2021 / 3:31 PM It begins with a woman killed with a hammer in Lakewood and, a week later, a family killed the same way. This phone call occurred 25 years after the attack. James, a young man not even twenty-five years old yet, had married his wife Kim in August of 1982. 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. The family had been celebrating Melissas birthday that night. "A life sentence feels too light, but that is the most the justice system can offer. In 2018, a DNA match linked Alex Ewing to the Jan. 15, 1984, killings of Bruce and Debra Bennett, as well as their daughter Melissa. 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. This killeris more the type that would self medicate more than likely be a heavy drinker as opposed to taking medication. 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. Aurora police Chief Nick Metz said the case has haunted the families involved. 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. Her body was found in a basement . From 1987 to 1991, a serial offender known as Mr Cruel abducted children around Melbourne, Australia. Vanessa, after a wait of 3 decades received a call from the Aurora sheriffs department informing her that her parents killer had been identified as 57-year-old Alexander Christopher Ewing. Broderick was denied parole for a second time just this past January. District Attorney John Kellner filed the murder charges against Ewing when he headed up the Cold Case Unit in the office. He faced six counts of first-degree murder. Remember me? This call is important because not only did it occur during an EAR quiet period, but this attack is connected by DNA. The Bennetts didnt show up for work on Monday. This generated a buzz of discussion, with victims and family wondering why this information wasnt released sooner, and online sleuths pouring over leads such as previous offenders named Richard, different water company uniforms looked at, and even eyes turned toward folks who were associated with a Canadian town/military base called Petawawa in Ontario. Most importantly take the need to judge them and all of your own emotions and personal beliefs out of the picture. Dont you feel cheated a little? Please keep them and their families in your thoughts tonight. Donna underwent several operations. The Bennett family was your average middle class family living the American dream. Investigators believed the killers attacks escalated from just beating someone with a hammer to actually murdering them. Then in 2010, cold case investigators, who long theorized that the person who killed Patricia Smith in Lakewood was the same person who had committed the crimes in Aurora, compared the DNA from the Patricia Smith murder to the DNA found at the Bennett household. Bennett Motor Express - Lincoln Park, MI - Bennett Family of Companies Tabernacle. Bennett family murders Its quite possible that she wasnt even conscious for any of it. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. James and Kim divorced divorced in the fall of 1987. 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. Arapahoe County District Judge Darren Vahle spoke directly to Ewing before announcing the sentence. 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. On the 4th of January James and Kimberly Haubenschild were also attacked with a hammer at their home in Aurora, but both survived. Family medicine doctors are primary-care physicians trained. 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. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Copyright 2023 At the press conference, they informed the public that when authorities in Nevada went back and retroactively began swabbing and entering their inmates DNA into CODIS, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation got a hit and thats whats led to the development in this case. Its bloody, painful for the victim and brutal. 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. 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. The FAIR School, Minneapolis Public Schools and West Metro Education Program. 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. Before Donna Dixon was even found, another crime had taken place 26 miles to the west in the city of Lakewood. An autopsy found that Debra died from blunt force trauma. 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. She slumped over onto the passenger seat. 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. 'I apologized to my family:' Stetson Bennett addresses public 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. The 3-year-old sister, Vanessa, was the only survivor. 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. 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. It was Colorado Bureau of Investigation Director John Camper who got to break the news to Aurora PD that there had been a DNA match. Most importantly take the need to judge them and all of your own emotions and personal beliefs out of the picture. The jury agreed, and on Aug. 6, 2021, they found Ewing guilty of murder in the three deaths. 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. He stayed on the prosecution team with Storgaard and Senior Deputy District Attorney Megan Brewer. I dont believe this killers blood lust was sated after all these acts of violence leading up to these murders; unless he was somehow killed (or committed suicide) soon after, my guess is he ended up in jail for something unrelated or something that somehow wasnt linked, like a violent rape. There was blood all over the car. 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. Alex Ewing guilty in 1984 "Hammer Killer" murders of Aurora family Youve done this with other cases to. 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. The same night he escaped, he broke into yet another couples house and attacked the male of the home. Bruce and the intruder fought up and down the stairwell, and at some point Bruce was struck multiple times by a hammer. At the conclusion of his comments, he introduced his former boss, Peter Weir. 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. It seemed that robbery was not the primary motive only the personal jewelry that Patricia was wearing was missing from the scene. The perpetrator left with both weapons. January 10th, 1984 started just like any other day, with Patricia dropping off her daughter and grandkids at work/school. Bruce had been attacked with a knife and hit in the head several times with a hammer or blunt object. Here are the days of the week the alleged killer struck each victim (s). Bennett Family Murders: the prosecution rests - Defrosting Cold Cases The crime scene is the Bennett Family home where 3 out of 4 family members were murdered in January 1984. 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. She too worked at the family-owned furniture store, and was happily helping raise the couples two children, Melissa (seven-years old, about to turn eight) and Vanessa (three years old), with the man that she loved. Toward the end of that series and during the murders, he began experimenting with different types of bindings plastic ties, twine, drapery cord, etc. The hammer stuck her in the jaw, shattering the bone which splintered in an explosion of small fragments that punctured her windpipe. KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) _ Two men were arrested Friday in the killing of an elderly man and his wife, a crime whose brutality traumatized this small town and went unsolved for more than a year. The killer then ascended the staircase and entered the couples bedroom where he attacked Bruces 26 years old wife, Debra, simultaneously he raped and killed her. Peck Funeral Home assisted the family . Never profile someone using the box as your guide. The house was not ransacked, but the contents of her purse were strewn about. The other victim murdered in the terrifying crime spree. If you were living in La Jolla in the early 80s, you knew the Brodericks. A coworker informed Bruces mother, Constance, about their absence. bennett family murders address - vivaseuamor.fun This horrific and cold case of Aurora, Colorado has kept everyone wondering about the culprit while this horrendous incident kept sending chills to the bones of people all around the world. Kevin Vaughan on Twitter: "NEW TONIGHT: #9WantsToKnow has obtained this mugshot of Alex Christopher Ewing, the suspect in two 1984 hammer murders. Victim #14received a phone call from a man who whispered Remember when we played? She positively identified the man as the voice of the East Area Rapist. Laid out in this manner, not only can you see the ratio of prowlings to ransackings, but you can get a feel for any patterns that mightve occurred, and you can clearly see when he was most active and when he was dormant. Bennett family murders: Verdict reached in hammer murder trial | 9news.com Ramirez heads to Sierra Madre, CA, where he attacks Whitney Bennett, 16, with a tire iron as she sleeps. Debra Marie Bennett, twenty-six years old, had married Bruce before his Navy deployment in 1976. I'm a very strong person, though, but when it comes to my family that was the most important thing to me in the whole world.". "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. I agree with you. The hammer struck her in the jaw, shattering the bone which splintered in an explosion of small fragments that punctured her windpipe. ': 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. I just read this article and Im completely blown away so much of what you speculated turned out to be spot on. Patricia still wore her sweater and boots, but her jeans were pulled down. 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. He was immediately alarmed at the scene in the garage her clothes, purse, and even some of the mail was by her car. Three members of the Bennett family were brutally killed in their Aurora home. Patricia had come home from work for lunch, stopping at Wendys on the way. The other kids at school would tease her, telling her the hammer man was going to come and finish her off. 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. The Vampire Diaries Wiki Explore Main Page Discuss He finds his release from the level of pain he inflicts on the victim, the level of violence he is able to achieve. Donna was rushed to the hospital while police worked the scene. The victim was fifty-year-old Patricia Louise Smith. Alexander Christopher Ewing, who is serving a prison sentence in Nevada for beating a couple there with an axe handle, has been charged with killing Bruce and Debra Bennett and their 7-year-old daughter, as well as trying to kill their 3-year-old daughter, as well as a charge for sexual assault. Just your average everyday normal family. Logistics & Transportation Provider - Bennett Family of Companies Survivor of 1984 Bennett Family hammer murders shares story Detective Steve Conner has investigated this case for many years, taking over from an investigator named Marv Brandt. The rapes were opportunities and only that. EAR brought his own ligatures to almost every attack he didnt rely exclusively on what was found at the scene. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head- and the murder weapon? The news that the killer had been identified this year left Metz elated, he said. 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. Her head was constantly swimming with thoughts of her parents. Theyd been strangled, their throats had been slashed, and rope marks were found on their necks and wrists. 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. Since they could find no signs of forced entry, police felt that the killer entered through the unlocked door and attacked her. Alex Ewing on trial for the murder of three members of the Bennett family (credit: Aurora Sentinel). He also isnt killing with this level of violence often enough to track. 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. A murder probe has opened after four people were found dead at the address yesterday, with . 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. Jury finds man guilty in 'hammer killer' murders of Aurora family Ewing, 57, has also been charged with murder for the slaying of a Lakewood grandmother a few weeks prior to the Bennett killings, a crime police linked to the Bennett murders in 2010 through DNA. Onsale to General Public. His attacker slit his throat before eventually delivering a final fatal blow with a hammer. 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. On the night of Jan. 15, a stranger broke into their home and viciously assaulted and attacked the family. At least, until they came to Vanessas bed. Immediately she went over the home to investigate. They were Holly Chromey, 49, and her children, Katie Zapzalka, 18, and Jared Zapzalka, 16. Vanessa was saved, though she went on the live with permanent physiological affects from the assault. These crimes in Colorado are this killers first stages at killing a human. Even If Alex Murdaugh Beats This Murder Rap, He Faces 700+ Years In That, and the knots he used, provide a link among several scenes. After a string of several burglaries and escalating events on this night, the offender crossed the line to murder and he never looked back. Not one part of this familys life would indicate such a violent predator was going to kill them. Second Crime Scene Dont you think the police could have gotten the guy long ago had they given you the evidence they had? Unfortunately, they verified one by one that each family member was deceased. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Who Were Alex Ewing's Victims? Where is He Now? - The Cinemaholic Atlanta, GA. Fri, Sep 8, 2023 08:00 PM. Ax Handle Attacker Alex Ewing Named Suspect in Bennett Family Murders. WordPress. Part of our book involves some very in-depth detective and forensic work. Bruce and Debra Bennett lived with their daughter Melissa and younger daughter, Vanessa.