Steven Hayes Trial Verdict: "There is Some Relief, But My Family is Still Gone," Says Dr. William Petit
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (CBS/WSFB/AP) After two days of deliberations, jurors have reached a verdict in the trial of Connecticut home invasion suspect Steven Hayes, convicting him of 16 out of the 17 charges brought against him.
Hayes, along with suspect Joshua Komisarjevsky, has been accused of breaking into the Petit's home and killing Jennifer Hawke-Petit, 17-year-old Hayley and 11-year-old Michaela.
Dr. William Petit was beaten with a baseball bat in the attack and bound in the home's basement, but was able to escape before the house became engulfed in flames.
The jury of five men and seven women received the case on Monday, and reached a unanimous verdict at about 12:35 p.m. on Tuesday.
Responding to the verdict, Dr. Petit said that though feels some relief, his family is still gone and the verdict won't bring them back.
"First of all, the Petit, Hawke families would like to thank the many people from the state of Connecticut and the U.S.A. that have kept our faith up," Dr. Petit said, according to CBS affiliate WFSB. "We did our best to keep our faith in God that justice would be served. There is some relief, but my family is still gone, it doesn't bring them back. It doesn't bring back the home that we had but certainly a guilty verdict is a much better sense of relief."
The case now moves to the penalty phase, in which the same jury that convicted Hayes will determine if he receives the death penalty. The judge said he wants to begin the penalty phase on Oct. 18.
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF THE PETIT FAMILY ON CRIMESIDER
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