Despite the trauma of the attack and losing an incredible amount of blood, the doctors and nurses were able to save her life. The press conference panel continually emphasized the destruction that this case has left on the lives of those affected. They need renewed media attention. Apparently, although the authorities never followed up on this, there were a series of murders just like this across the country just off of I-70. He also inquired about searching various genealogical databases for a hit, but was advised at the time not to pursue that angle due to privacy issues. Let us have a look at this unforgettable case of the Bennet family murders. 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. Prosecutors said they will ask Gov. Murderer of Aurora's Bennett family sentenced to life in prison August 17, 2021 It took 37 years, but on Tuesday, the families of Bruce and Debra Bennett saw justice served. The news that the killer had been identified this year left Metz elated, he said. The case lacked any apparent motive. During the winter in Colorado its difficult to find a construction crew working well into the night. 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. It was a blitz attack for no reason, said Marvin Brandt, who investigated the case as a homicide detective between 1984 and when he retired from the Aurora Police Department in 2002. 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. He took her to the floor and sexually assaulted her. The crimes appeared to be sexually motivated, judging by the assaults that occurred on Debra and Melissa. On November 7, 2014, police announced they had arrested Charles "Chase" Merritt, Joseph . "A life sentence feels too light, but that is the most the justice system can offer. Ewings DNA profile was entered into CODIS (the FBIs database) in 2018 and his profile was matched to the DNA found at the crime scenes of both the Bennett family and Patricia Smith. You can also see what seems to be escalation and a frenzy of activity at certain points. Thankfully, this community, these families and everyone impacted by the horrific crimes now knows this defendant will never hurt anyone ever again.". Victim #7received a phone call, and she recognized the voice on the other end as the voice of the rapist. Bruce had mentioned wanting to run to the store before bed. 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.". 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. I should also note that the data becomes a bit skewed in that month because of the fact that the Snelling murder, being a homicide investigation, resulted in a much more thorough sweep of the area and more prowling incidents were recorded that wouldve otherwise been left unreported. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. As she got older, unresolved anger issues caused Vanessa to clash with her grandmother who had become her primary caretaker after the death of her parents. Channel 2 sports director Zach Klein is at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, where. Recently, the Sun-Gazette has reported that Joseph DeAngelo, the man arrested for the Visalia Ransacker / Golden State Killer crimes, has been added to the suspect list. There was evidence of a struggle in the bedroom. She too survived the attack, although she was first in a coma for some time. Did you know that one of the most popular places to rob are construction sites? No services are scheduled at this time. Bruce finally succumbed to his injuries and the family was left vulnerable. 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. Detective Steve Conner has investigated this case for many years, taking over from an investigator named Marv Brandt. On the night of January 16th, 1984 a gruesome discovery was made at a house on 16300 East Center Drive, Aurora. WordPress. A day or two after receiving the DNA results, Law Enforcement met with victims and their family members. Alex Ewing on trial for the murder of three members of the Bennett family (credit: Aurora Sentinel). Thought to be the work of a serial killer, the crimes have remained unsolved for thirty years. Lakewood Chief Dan McCasky was among those echoing those sentiments, and mentioned that the Smith family members will be releasing a statement later in the day. Designed by Dont you think the police could have gotten the guy long ago had they given you the evidence they had? Jun 2004 - 201612 years. He tossed it onto the seat of the car and began pulling her from the vehicle. This killer is indiscriminate in terms of who he kills, attacks or rapes. No other motive like robbery could be found as the only items missing were the knife used to cut Bruce and Debras purse, yet the contents of the purse were strewn in the front yard. He tore her clothes off, tossed them about the garage, and then he raped her on the concrete floor. Vanessa was saved, though she went on the live with permanent physiological affects from the assault. "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. While everyone is looking for a motive it was always looking right back at investigators. It was dusted for prints, but none were found. This mans only motive was to inflict as much pain as possible and kill his victims. 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 My best friend lived around the corner from the Bennetts, and that previous night (or night of) after dinner when she was cleaning the kitchen, she saw a man staring at her through the window. 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. I didnt just lose my parents and my sister, she said. But he isnt going to talk about this crime to just a friend or bar mate. The killer then ascended the staircase and entered the couples bedroom where attacked Bruces wife, 26 year old Debra, who he raped before bludgeoning to death. They were almost always in good shape/new condition, and lab analysis revealed almost nothing about them except the occasional hair. My heart hurts that this happened! File photo Editor's note: At an August 10 press conference, authorities revealed that Nevada inmate Alex Ewing has been named in an arrest warrant for the. Some of the ligatures matched across scenes. 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 case got a jolt in 2009 when a retired FBI photographer used graphic images from the crime scenes during a class lecture. In Aug 2018, Alexander Christopher Ewing was accused and charged in both cases. That is what drove him into such an uncontrollable frenzy so fast and that is precisely what stopped the attacks so fast. 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Although she had no memory of the attack, what happened that night in 1984. Like all of the EARONS victims, they were taken from this earth far too soon. The Murder of Jaye Potter Mintz Feb 23, 1987 Leland N.C. A Catastrophic Cyber Event in the Next 2-Years. 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. Investigators had collected and stored the killers DNA from the crime scene back in 1984 and since they did not know the hammer killers identity at the time issued a warrant for the arrest of John Doe on three counts of murder, attempted murder, felony murder, two counts of sexual assault, and two counts of child sexual assault in the hope that technology in the future could aid in identifying the assailant. SOMERVILLE Sandra G. Bennett, 76, died March 2, 2023. I would not limit the list to any type of profession or lack of any type of profession until suspects can be eliminated. The couples youngest daughter, 3-year-old Vanessa, was also attacked by the hammer-wielding assailant. Sometime between 1990 and 1992 Theyd moved there around Thanksgiving from another place a few miles away, and had so far enjoyed their quiet, developing neighborhood. Youre going to suck my cock again.. Taking a good long hard look at the evidence again and compare it to someone who was in and/or around that artery in Denver at the time would help to narrow the suspect list or in this case open it up. . Residents here have lived under a dark cloud since Monday, when police found three residents dead in their home. 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. Patricia Smith had been laid straight, her arms crossed over her chest as if on display in a funeral home. In 2002, Arapahoe County filed a John Doe arrest warrant for the perpetrator of the Bennet murders based on the DNA profile. She was also raped. I agree with you. The jury agreed, and on Aug. 6, 2021, they found Ewing guilty of murder in the three deaths. An award-winning journalist who has worked forRolling Stone and MTV News, Chris enjoys prog rock, cycling, Marvel movies, IPAs, and roller coasters. They were living in Aurora and planned to make a life together there. Constance entered the home, encountered the grisly scene, and immediately dialed the authorities. 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. We wanted to know if there was any way that we could determine whether the voices matched or not. They lived on a peaceful cul-de-sac where most of the houses had recently been finished and were yet to be sold. On Jan. 4, 1984, a couple in Aurora woke up to see a man in their bedroom who hit each of them with a hammer before fleeing. I look in the mirror every day and look at myself and I hate who I am. I wouldtear everything down and start over with the evidence, the crime scene and so on. We offer a suite of trucking and specialized logistics services, from flatbed and step deck trucking, driveaway, manufactured housing transport and RV delivery to 3PL/4PL logistics, customs brokerage . 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For over thirty years, this killer has remained unidentified. There wasnt anything notable stolen from the scene, and the attack had all the hallmarks of a random crime. With time, multiple surgeries, and the support of her extended family, Vanessa began to recover from her physical injuries but living a normal life after losing both her parents to a murderer who had yet to be captured and convicted made childhood difficult. If the list does exist its worth a look at as well as look at reports of crimes at the local job sites involving missing tools. The Bennett family murders is a case that goes back more than three decades. He shouted her name, but she could only groan in response. I just read this article and Im completely blown away so much of what you speculated turned out to be spot on. Dixon survived. A life sentence feels too light, but that is the most the justice system can offer. At around 8:00 PM on January 10th, 1984, her boyfriend Ron Holm arrived home. They were Holly Chromey, 49, and her children, Katie Zapzalka, 18, and Jared Zapzalka, 16. On the night of November 15th, 1974, a fifteen-year-old Visalia-area girl named Jennifer Lynn Armour disappeared while on her way to a local football game. One lab felt that the letters were RICHAR. Another lab felt that it said PETAW C, with a space or fold between the W and the C and perhaps another fold in there as well. Bruce and the intruder fought up and down the stairwell, and at some point Bruce was struck multiple times by a hammer. March 14, 2022 5:04pm Updated The Murdaugh family property where a mother and son were found dead lists for $3.9 million. His attacker slit his throat before eventually delivering a final fatal blow with a hammer. Killing on this level requires some level of planning on the part of the perpetrator. There was no sign of Lauer or Phelps. The suspect list shrinks or worse, the profile was so off an accurate suspect list from the get go is of no help and never will be. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head- and the murder weapon? 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. Its nothing more or less than that. He then found the couples oldest daughter, 7 year old Melissa, who tragically suffered the same terrible fate as her mother. A hammer. The couple, especially Ron, wanted to show that their love was truly for better or for worse and that it would survive any challenge. 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. He is awaiting extradition to Colorado, police and prosecutors announced Friday. A hammer lay next to her. The family originated from Ancient Greece, then eventually settled in the town of Salem. It is deeper than that. Vanessa, now 38 years old, received a call from the Aurora sheriffs department informing her that her parents killer had been identified as 57 year old Alexander Christopher Ewing. Determine the level of organization/disorganization of each crime scene. There was blood all over the car. 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. This killer strikes with such violence that it is difficult to understand, see or know of a possible motive. On the night of Jan. 15, 1984, the Bennett family left their garage door open. Seemingly, nothing they did showed investigators any reason someone would want to kill them. They both survived. But new technology is getting detectives closer and closer to solving the brutal mystery. I only do research and leave active investigation of these cases to professionals. Only 3-year-old Vanessa, at. Victims: David Knobling (20) and Robin Edwards (14) There were very few leads to go on only a hazy physical description from Kim. He may have been in the system at some point but it is difficult to determinewhether it would have been on felony charges or misdemeanor because his crimes may have stopped altogether. The 1982 call is important, because the offender hadnt killed for over a year, and it was thought that he mightve been incarcerated. The husband ran outside but he was gone. There was no way, given the samples that we have, to determine whether the voices match or not. 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. Additionally, an audio expert associated with an upcoming television show that were a part of was able to isolate the background sounds of the Gonna Kill You phone call, and there was a tiny bit of a surprise in there. A 3-year-old daughter, Vanessa, was injured and survived. He attacked the couple with a hammer, bludgeoning them with it and leaving them for dead. The garage door was still open. Bruce Alan Bennett was twenty-seven years old. They also looked across state lines looking for similar or like crimes and to date, they have not one suspect. George Brauchler, District Attorney for the 18th Judicial District (which includes Aurora), emphasized that this individual is presumed innocent until proven otherwise in a court of law.