Add some text book, some psychological profiling and presto, they have a profile. In just two days, Melissa would turn 8 years old. Jason Bennett, who is understood to be the father of two of the. 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. Its our hope that something can come from this new push that will finally solve it. Famous Unsolved Murders of Families - Ranker For some reason the killer had to or wanted to be near this artery more so than the major arteries through and around Denver at that time. He attacked the couple with a hammer, bludgeoning them with it and leaving them for dead. Currently all 50 states have to collect DNA for certain types of Felony crimes and submit it to CODIS. That is very clear. 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. The Bennett family, consisting of Bruce (27), Debra (26), and their two young daughters, Melissa (7) and Vanessa (3), were all attacked inside their Aurora home by a serial killer named Alex. These crimes in Colorado are this killers first stages at killing a human. Alex Christopher Ewing: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know Bruce finally succumbed to his injuries and the family was left vulnerable. What happened to Vanessa Bennett's family? People - Sportskeeda The jury found Ewing guilty on Aug. 6 of killing three members of the Bennett family with a hammer. Unsolved: The Bennett family murders | wfaa.com 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. The scene in the home traumatized the daughter and grandchildren for life. This mans only motive was to inflict as much pain as possible and kill his victims. 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. Victim #24received a call from a voice that she identified as the EARs. He then found the couples oldest daughter, 7 year old Melissa, who tragically suffered the same terrible fate as her mother. In just two days,. Book Synopsis . January 10th, 1984 started just like any other day, with Patricia dropping off her daughter and grandkids at work/school. 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. It would be nearly twenty-four hours total before she was found. Bruce Bennett tried to climb the staircase several times in an attempt to ward off the perpetrator and save his young family. EAR brought his own ligatures to almost every attack he didnt rely exclusively on what was found at the scene. Jury finds man guilty in 'hammer killer' murders of Aurora family This phone call occurred 25 years after the attack. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Calls Toyota Celica was found at a river overlook several hours after he and Hailey went on their first date. All four of them were attacked inside the home that night, only Vanessa survived. Arapahoe County District Judge Darren Vahle spoke directly to Ewing before announcing the sentence. 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. In 2015, information leaked that there was important clue found at the Bennett scene. The child died from her injuries. He assured the public that theyll move with all appropriate speed.. Flatbed Trucking Company Bennett Motor Express is the premier open deck general freight carrier in the US. But new technology is getting detectives closer and closer to solving the brutal mystery. The four of them lived together in a townhome off of West Bayaud Avenue. James and Kim divorced divorced in the fall of 1987. There was no sign of forced entry into the home, some articles you come across say that the killer entered through an unlocked garage door. Juliana Kenney, 75, her husband Clayton Kenney, 83, and Mrs. Kenney's 44- year-old daughter, Adrienne Arnot, were beaten and stabbed to . She was also left with a shattered pelvis and fell into a coma. I didnt hear it mentioned in the press conference, but forensic genealogist incidentally identified the correct surname of the alleged killer: Ewing. This information was released in an episode of On the Case with Paula Zahn earlier this year. But what about his second? Dr. Bennett's office is located at UH Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH. Ron showed his commitment to Donna by marrying her in May 1984, just a few months after the ghastly attack and before she was even fully recovered. </p> A 3-year-old daughter, Vanessa, was injured and survived. Most likely it appears quite small in your browser window simply click on it to enlarge it. He also discarded the knife hed used to kill Bruce. Bruce Alan Bennett was twenty-seven years old. The jury found Ewing guilty on. She screamed because he would have had to go through an open gate into their yard. Twenty-eight-year-old Donna Dixon, fresh off a shift working as a flight attendant, had been out running some errands. 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. On Sunday, January 15th, 1984, several family members gathered at the Bennett home to have a birthday part for Melissa, who wouldve turned eight on Tuesday. He then found the couples oldest daughter, 7 year old Melissa, who tragically suffered the same terrible fate as her mother. Police later linked the murder of the Bennett family with another rape and murder that happened just less than a week before. Timeline Of The Night Stalker From Childhood To Crimes - Refinery29 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. You called it in a recent case again how did you know? He was known as the "Happy Face Killer" because he drew smiley faces on his many letters to the media and authorities. 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. 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! The bodies of John Paul Bennett, 13, Lacey Bennett, 11, their mother Terri Harris, 35, and Lacey's friend Connie Gent, 11, were discovered at the property near Sheffield, on Sunday morning.. This was the last time the Bennetts were seen alive. Fourth Crime Scene Law enforcement today is actually better than it was then. Colorado Cold Case Files - Case Detail: Bruce Bennett The same night he escaped, he broke into yet another couples house and attacked the male of the home. Logistics & Transportation Provider - Bennett Family of Companies If you were living in La Jolla in the early 80s, you knew the Brodericks. 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. ", She added: "I lost my sanity. March 14, 2022 5:04pm Updated The Murdaugh family property where a mother and son were found dead lists for $3.9 million. After multiple surgeries,Vanessa was saved, though she went on the live with permanent physiological affects from the assault. Amazingly, it was thought that spending so many hours naked on the garage floor in the freezing temperatures may have kept her from bleeding to death. On the 4th of January James and Kimberly Haubenschild were also attacked with a hammer at their home in Aurora, but both survived. The cases are commonly known as the 1984 Colorado Hammer Murders. Victims: Daniel Lauer (21) and Annamaria Phelps (18). The caller whispered harshly into the phone, saying You know who this is or Do you know who this is? The victim was on the line with him for about a minute. 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 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 . All four family members were assaulted, only one survived. They were Holly Chromey, 49, and her children, Katie Zapzalka, 18, and Jared Zapzalka, 16. He shouted her name, but she could only groan in response. Her clothes were tossed everywhere. Patricia had come home from work for lunch, stopping at Wendys on the way. No immediate leads could be generated in the case. Order your tickets today to see Small Town Murder in Atlanta, GA. Or any of the other angles he was pursuing? This call is important because not only did it occur during an EAR quiet period, but this attack is connected by DNA. They immediately knew something was wrong. Some of the ligatures matched across scenes. 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. for sure the les should listen to what you say and take another look this is a refreshing take on profiles. He knew he was going to kill the family, Father, Mother and Children, so he clearly wasnt afraid to go after a man and thought he would be able to easily kill a man. An award-winning journalist who has worked forRolling Stone and MTV News, Chris enjoys prog rock, cycling, Marvel movies, IPAs, and roller coasters. He was arrested for the crime but went on to escape from prison transport during a gas station break. You see it in the last known crime that the killer committed. Debra Marie Bennett, twenty-six years old, had married Bruce before his Navy deployment in 1976. Reporters and detectives subsequently learned that very little of the evidence from the scenes had been combed through using modern forensic technology, including DNA testing. Blood was all over the garage floor. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. When he arrived in Aurora almost four years ago Metz said he spoke to detectives about the citys cold cases and this one, which he said shocked the conscience of the community, stuck with him. AURORA | Police and prosecutors say they have solved the brutal 1984 hammer slayings of the Bennett family in Aurora, one of the citys most-shocking and tough-to-crack cold cases. Only 3-year-old Vanessa, at. The news that the killer had been identified this year left Metz elated, he said. Her purse was found nearby some money had been stolen from it. 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. 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. 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. I would re-profile the killer, re-examine the details of each victims daily life, re-examine the suspect pool, re-examine the crime scenes without any emotion whatsoever. 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. 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 Family Murders: the prosecution rests - Defrosting Cold Cases He'd been in the Navy, where he worked on high-tech sonar equipment at Pearl Harbor. A man accused of murdering a mother and three children has also been charged with raping one of the victims, who was 11. 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. Never profile someone using the box as your guide. DNA at both the Bennett crime Scene and the Smith crime scene were matched to the same killer in 2010. Her parents, Bruce and Deborah Bennett, were also killed. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and the murder weapon? The Bennett Family Murders | Audio Length: 52:47 The police after searching the home believe that the intruder brought his own weapon, a hammer or some other type of blunt object yet, he took a knife from the kitchen which is what he used to slash and cut Bruce with. Investigators were able to piece together the details of the horrendous ordeal through study of the evidence and the crime scene. 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. Patricia Smith had been laid straight, her arms crossed over her chest as if on display in a funeral home. The killer pummeled and sexually assaulted his 26-year-old wife, Debra, and 7-year-old daughter, Melissa. The couples youngest daughter, 3-year-old Vanessa, was also attacked by the hammer-wielding assailant. Investigators did not forget about the hammer murders, however, nor did the town of Aurora. 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. The crime spree known as the Colorado Hammer murders seemed to begin in Aurora in the early morning hours of January 4th, 1984. How did you know? Obviously, this guy was looking for his next target. Recently, he was exploring forensic genealogy techniques. ~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. Investigators believed the killers attacks escalated from just beating someone with a hammer to actually murdering them. 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. 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. & He was brought to Colorado to face trial for the deaths of the Bennett family. Not only was she left with physical injuries and scars as a reminder of the attack, but she was also left with ADHD, PTSD, and bipolar disorder. 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. I dont I think they are just waiting on a dna match thats all they ever do. In the papers, the most attention is paid to the last state witness, the DNA analyst at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. And I hate what I had to go through and still go through. 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. SOMERVILLE Sandra G. Bennett, 76, died March 2, 2023. Her nude body was found over a week later in the Friant-Kern Canal near Woodlake an area located northeast of Visalia and a fair distance away from where shed disappeared. The family had been celebrating Melissas birthday that night. 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. The force of the impact threw her head into the steering wheel. "A life sentence feels too light, but that is the most the justice system can offer. They do value daylight hours and work them whenever they can during the winter months. 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. Investigators have been quoted as saying this was a random crime, vicious and random. 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. The FAIR School, Minneapolis Public Schools and West Metro Education Program. Vanessa Benn. Murderer of Aurora's Bennett family sentenced to life in prison Thought to be the work of a serial killer, the crimes have remained unsolved for thirty years. Prosecutors said they will ask Gov. He noticed a gaping wound on the left side of her skull. Nevada inmate accused of Colorado murders says he'll fight extradition. 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. It begins with a woman killed with a hammer in Lakewood and, a week later, a family killed the same way. 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. At around 8:00 PM on January 10th, 1984, her boyfriend Ron Holm arrived home. At the conclusion of his comments, he introduced his former boss, Peter Weir. Why was she the lone survivor? 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 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). A photo of the Bennett family. There was no sign of Lauer or Phelps. Before exiting the vehicle, she turned to grab her flight attendant uniform, which was hanging in the back. 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. A neatly-folded Winnie the Pooh comforter lay under her, a portion of it obscuring her head. Bruce had mentioned wanting to run to the store before bed. They were almost always in good shape/new condition, and lab analysis revealed almost nothing about them except the occasional hair. Caller: Do you want fuck? 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. She too survived the attack, although she was first in a coma for some time. Caller: Hi, its me again.