Jury Finds Komisarjevsky Guilty Of Murdering Cheshire Mom, Daughters
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (CBSNewYork) -- Jurors reached 17 guilty verdicts on Thursday in the trial of Joshua Komisarjevsky, who was accused of killing a woman and her two daughters in a brutal Cheshire, Conn., home invasion.
WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau On The Case
Podcast
Komisarjevsky was found guilty of all counts against him, including aiding the murder of Jennifer Hawke-Petit and guilty of murdering Hayley and Michaela Petit.
Other counts that he was found guilty of include first-degree sexual assault and first-degree arson.
He was also found guilty of a number of capital felonies, which include:
- Intentionally caused the deaths of two or more people.
- Intentionally caused the death of a person under the age of 16.
- Intentionally caused the death of Jennifer Hawke-Petit in the course of a kidnapping.
- Intentionally caused the death of Hayley Petit in the course of a kidnapping.
- Intentionally caused the death of Michaela Petit in the course of a kidnapping.
- Intentionally caused the death of Michaela Petit in the course of first-degree sexual assault.
Furthermore, Komisarjevsky was found guilty of first-degree kidnapping of William Petit, Hawke-Petit, Hayley Petit and Michaela Petit. He was also found guilty second-degree burglary and second-degree assault.
Speaking after the guilty verdicts were announced, Dr. William Petit, Hawke-Petit's husband, said the trial brought "everything back," adding that "it's not clear to me that time heals all wounds."
Petit also thanked the jury on behalf of himself and his family in addition to thanking people across the United States and world, who had written to him in support.
William Petit also said the verdict brought some "relief" because "everyone felt for justice to be served, the defendant needed to be convicted on all 17 counts."
He also reflected on the heinous violence committed against his family.
"There's just a huge plague of violence against women in this country and all across the world. I thought a thousand times what would have been different if I had two sons as opposed to two daughters," he said.
Komisarjevsky has admitted invading the Petit home, assaulting William Petit with a baseball bat, tying up his family and even molesting his 11-year-old daughter. It was a horror that ended with three deaths in the burning home as Hayes and Komisarjevsky tried to escape.
Komisarjevsky could join his co-defendant on Connecticut's death row, in which Hawke-Petit was strangled and her daughters were tied up and left to die in a house fire, CBS 2's Lou Young reported.
The same jury would decide whether he should receive a death sentence if he is convicted of any capital felony charges.
Komisarjevsky has blamed co-defendant Steven Hayes for killing the family, but prosecutors say it took both men to carry out the crime and they portrayed Komisarjevsky as the leader. Hayes was convicted last year.
