The blow shed felt was the attacker striking her head with a hammer. The father, Xavier Dupont de Ligonnes, immediately became the prime suspect, as he abruptly disappeared after the . Autor do artigo Por ; Data do artigo estranged from family and happy; benson funeral home worthington, mn obituaries em bennett family murders address em bennett family murders address The couple's 3-year-old daughter Vanessa was also beaten but survived with permanent injuries. 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. She was also raped. Add some text book, some psychological profiling and presto, they have a profile. Patricia still wore her sweater and boots, but her jeans were pulled down. 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. The case lacked any apparent motive. For over thirty years, this killer has remained unidentified. Peck Funeral Home assisted the family . He tore her clothes off, tossed them about the garage, and then he raped her on the concrete floor. Ewing, 23 at the time, killed the 27-year-old husband and his 26-year-old wife, as well as their daughter, inside their Aurora home. August 17, 2021 / 3:31 PM ", She added: "I lost my sanity. This case impacted not just the victims, but it also terrorized an entire community, he said. Her bra was wrapped around one of her wrists, and her clothing was found on the bank nearby. Bruce had been attacked with a knife and hit in the head several times with a hammer or blunt object. 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. 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. Date: April 9th/10th, 1988 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. While closure and peace may be forever out of reach, the panelists hope for a sense of justice among those affected. The killer pummeled and sexually assaulted his 26-year-old wife, Debra, and 7-year-old daughter, Melissa. 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. A typical way one would see this is that he likes control, that is wrong. But what about his second? Ewing massacred a family but left a key to his identity, Chief Deputy District Attorney Garrik Storgaard told the jury. 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. Advancements in DNA evidence led investigators to a match with Ewing and samples collected from the crime scene as well as one of the victims 34 years later. I write about old, unsolved cases from the pre-DNA era. The garage door was still open. Patricia had come home from work for lunch, stopping at Wendys on the way. Other Information Ewing is arrested and incarcerated. Why did they have to get murdered? Investigators noted there was evidence of a struggle at the house. As she turned to leave the car, she felt a tremendous blow on the left side of her head. 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. 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 strikes with such violence that it is difficult to understand, see or know of a possible motive. Keep in mind that the offenders last known murder was in 1986, which makes the last few particularly creepy. Caller: Do you want fuck? Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? The crime scene is the Bennett Family home where 3 out of 4 family members were murdered in January 1984. 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. He was known as the "Happy Face Killer" because he drew smiley faces on his many letters to the media and authorities. The killer had doused the vehicle with fuel in an apparent attempt to incinerate the crime scene, but apparently failed to start a fire. A murder probe has opened after four people were found dead at the address yesterday, with . Evidence of wounds caused by a blade revealed that Bruce attempted to defend himself as the intruder swiped and slashed at him with a knife. Investigators believed the killers attacks escalated from just beating someone with a hammer to actually murdering them. Here we have a chart that I created showing the types of incidents (mere prowling, a burglary/ransacking, and the two violent confrontations) attributed to the Visalia Ransacker throughout his known criminal career (1973-1976). Your email address will not be published. He fed the need. Date: September 5th, 1989 The 1982 call is important, because the offender hadnt killed for over a year, and it was thought that he mightve been incarcerated. Look at the area, the artery that the crimes were committed along. He also shattered the face of Bruce Bennetts 3-year-old daughter, Vanessa. Part of our book involves some very in-depth detective and forensic work. Bizberg Themes, Forensic Science and Cyber Forensics Quiz (Free). 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. Nevada inmate accused of Colorado murders says he'll fight extradition. He tossed it onto the seat of the car and began pulling her from the vehicle. It, and the floor around it, was soaked in blood. 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. 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.". 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. Juliana Kenney, 75, her husband Clayton Kenney, 83, and Mrs. Kenney's 44- year-old daughter, Adrienne Arnot, were beaten and stabbed to . Im going to come over and fuck you again. It begins with a woman killed with a hammer in Lakewood and, a week later, a family killed the same way in Aurora. James and Kim divorced divorced in the fall of 1987. 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. The jury agreed, and on Aug. 6, 2021, they found Ewing guilty of murder in the three deaths. 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. Profiling like that is a great place to start, yet it can also mean that its a great place to leave a crime long enough that it goes cold. Investigators did not forget about the hammer murders, however, nor did the town of Aurora; for years the authorities and true crime sleuths never gave up trying to identify the sick individual responsible for the murders and assaults that happened that year. The last family member left around 9:00 PM. Jun 2004 - 201612 years. There were very few leads to go on only a hazy physical description from Kim. He didnt hate his victims and quite frankly he didnt know any of them personally, he just wanted to kill. It was later determined to be the murder weapon. There were reportedly no signs of robbery or sexual assault both women were clothed and their purses were still with them. He was arrested for the crime but went on to escape from prison transport during a gas station break. The crime spree known as the Colorado Hammer murders seemed to begin in Aurora in the early morning hours of January 4th, 1984. Coincidence is just an illusion that we all tell ourselves myself included, when we are unable to explain how something actually came to be. A life sentence feels too light, but that is the most the justice system can offer. At least, until they came to Vanessas bed. The perpetrator left with both weapons. 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. 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. . ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - It was 1984 when Connie Bennett found her family murdered in their Aurora home. I was a drug addict for so many years. The jury found Ewing guilty on Aug. 6 of killing three members of the Bennett family with a hammer. He assured the public that theyll move with all appropriate speed.. They lived on the other side of the Denver metro area, but their home and Smiths home were both near a main east-west road, Alameda Avenue, leading investigators to suspect the killer used that route. This is a harsh, cold fact profilers must learn if they are to more accurately profile. Damien Bendall, 31, is now alleged to have raped and murdered Lacey Bennett . The police found footprints in the snow that led up to and away from other homes in the same area and on the same street, leading them to believe that the offender was simply looking for an easy opportunity to lash out. I didnt just lose my parents and my sister, she said. DNA at both the Bennett crime Scene and the Smith crime scene were matched to the same killer in 2010.