Cheshire home invasion murders
Also known as: Petit family murders
- Active
- 2007–2007
- Region
- Cheshire, Connecticut, USA
- State
- CT
- Kind
- Single
- Status
- Convicted
- Victims
- 3
On July 23, 2007, Steven Hayes and Joshua Komisarjevsky broke into the Petit family's home in Cheshire, Connecticut, overnight. They beat Dr. William Petit and tied up his family, forced Jennifer Hawke-Petit to withdraw money from a bank that morning, then killed her and set the house on fire; her daughters Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11, died in the fire. William Petit escaped. The men were caught fleeing in the family's car. Both were convicted and sentenced to death, and after Connecticut ended capital punishment both were resentenced in 2016 to six consecutive life terms.
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Victims
We remember the people whose lives were taken.
- Jennifer Hawke-Petit, 48 · July 23, 2007
A nurse and co-director of the health center at Cheshire Academy.
- Hayley Petit, 17 · July 23, 2007
Had just graduated from Miss Porter's School.
- Michaela Petit, 11 · July 23, 2007
A student at Chase Collegiate School.
Timeline of locations
- July 23, 2007Petit home, Cheshire (Crime scene, approximate area)
Komisarjevsky had followed Jennifer and Michaela home from a supermarket. Overnight he and Hayes broke in, beat William Petit and tied up the family. After the bank visit they killed Jennifer, set the house on fire, and fled; Hayley and Michaela died in the fire.
- July 23, 2007Bank in Cheshire (Other, approximate area)
In the morning Hayes drove Jennifer Hawke-Petit to a Cheshire bank, where she withdrew $15,000.
- July 23, 2007Arrest near the Petit home (Arrest, approximate area)
Police spotted the men fleeing in the family's car, pursued them, and arrested them about a block away after they crashed into police cruisers.
- September 13, 2010Superior Court, New Haven (Court / trial, approximate area)
Both men were tried separately in New Haven (2010 and 2011), convicted and sentenced to death by Judge Jon C. Blue. They were resentenced there in 2016 to six consecutive life terms.
Watch, listen, read
Watch
- The Cheshire Murders (2013, David Heilbroner (HBO))
Read
- The Rising: Murder, Heartbreak, and the Power of Human Resilience in an American Town (Ryan D'Agostino)
Sources
- Condemned Connecticut home invasion killer Joshua Komisarjevsky resentenced (AP via CBS News, July 2016)
- Death row inmate convicted of Conn. slayings resentenced to life (AP via CBS News, June 2016)
- Court rejects appeal of killer of 3 in home invasion (AP via The Columbian, April 2021)
- Cheshire home invasion killers transferred to prison in Pennsylvania (NBC Connecticut, 2016)
- Cheshire home invasion murders (Wikipedia)
Each location also lists its own sources in the data file.