The perpetrator left with both weapons. 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. 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. The couples youngest daughter, 3 year old Vanessa, was also attacked by the hammer wielding assailant. The life sentences will be served consecutively. Theres no such thing as coincidence. The other kids at school would tease her, telling her the hammer man was going to come and finish her off. 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. In 2018, a DNA match linked Alex Ewing to the Jan. 15, 1984, killings of Bruce and Debra Bennett, as well as their daughter Melissa. 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. The Bennett family was attacked either the night of Jan. 15 or the morning of Jan. 16. She was murdered on Jan 10, 1984 by an, at that time, unknown person who raped and killed her inside her Lakewood home. The Colorado killings followed two other attacks near Denver that either involved or were suspected of involving a hammer.
Jury finds man guilty in 'hammer killer' murders of Aurora family A day or two after receiving the DNA results, Law Enforcement met with victims and their family members. The mandatory minimum sentence for each count is life with possibility of parole after 20 years, according to the prosecution. The case got very little press, and unfortunately, it was never solved. The house of Safdar Ali, who is allegedly a close aide of Atiq Ahmad, was demolished by the administration. A handful spoke in court, including the surviving daughter. The child died from her injuries. Donna pulled into the driveway, hit the remote to open the garage, and pulled her car in. He attacked the couple with a hammer, bludgeoning them with it and leaving them for dead. The jury found Ewing guilty on. 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. March 14, 2022 5:04pm Updated The Murdaugh family property where a mother and son were found dead lists for $3.9 million. There, lying on the floor next to the couch and just a few feet away from the front door, was the carefully posed body of their grandmother. Most importantly take the need to judge them and all of your own emotions and personal beliefs out of the picture. He went into the process of requesting extradition of the suspect, with the request soon going to the governors office and the process taking up to a couple of months. On night of January 16 th, 1984 a gruesome discovery was made at a house on 16300 East Center Drive, Aurora, Colorado. For the first time, Stetson Bennett is publicly addressing his January arrest for public intoxication in Texas. The other victim murdered in the terrifying crime spree. Investigators said he also sexually assaulted Melissa before she died from being beaten. Investigators had collected and stored the killer 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. Here are the days of the week the alleged killer struck each victim (s).
Unsolved: The Bennett family murders | 9news.com There are some instances where a strange phone call was received, but its not thought to be the offender. Obviously, this guy was looking for his next target. Investigators did not forget about the hammer murders, however, nor did the town of Aurora. This killeris more the type that would self medicate more than likely be a heavy drinker as opposed to taking medication. 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. His attacker slit his throat before eventually delivering a final fatal blow with a hammer. Weve published this page today to show you the details and origin of the ligatures used in the EAR/GSK attacks. The Bennett family was your average middle class family living the American dream.
Being able to track the victim down (the call occurred at her workplace) meant that most likely, he was a free man and had stopped killing of his own volition. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. The hammer stuck her in the jaw, shattering the bone which splintered in an explosion of small fragments that punctured her windpipe. Let us know all the details about yourself and send us a message. This horrific and cold case of Aurora, Colorado has kept everyone wondering about the culprit while this horrendous incident kept sending chills to the bones of people all around the world. The killer had doused the vehicle with fuel in an apparent attempt to incinerate the crime scene, but apparently failed to start a fire. The jury found Ewing guilty on all counts. 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. They need renewed media attention. Youre going to suck my cock again.. A murder probe has opened after four people were found dead at the address yesterday, with . De Ligonnes Family. At around 8:00 PM on January 10th, 1984, her boyfriend Ron Holm arrived home. Order your tickets today to see Small Town Murder in Atlanta, GA. She was also left with a shattered pelvis and fell into in a coma.
Inside the 1,700-acre Murdaugh family murder farm now on sale for $3.9M Bennett family murders Those were the sentencing rules in 1984, and since these crimes were committed at that time, Ewing is grandfathered into those standards.
Alex Christopher Ewing: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know For years the case was cold, until in 2018 a DNA profile from semen the killer left at the scene was matched to Ewing. There was no sign of forced entry. It was dusted for prints, but none were found.
Jury Finds Alex Ewing Guilty On All Counts In 1984 Murder Of Aurora Family Man accused of Killamarsh murders also charged with rape of girl Bennett Family Then, just as the community was reeling from this attack, 50-year-old Patricia Smith became a murder victim at her Lakewood, Colorado, home on January 10, 1984. 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. August 17, 2021 / 3:31 PM Ronald worked as a pilot.
Unsolved: The Bennett family murders | 12news.com 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. The killer was never brought to justice. 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. Family medicine doctors are primary-care physicians trained. All four family members were assaulted, only one survived. 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. During the winter in Colorado its difficult to find a construction crew working well into the night. How did you know? 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. All four of them were attacked inside the home that night, only Vanessa survived. January 27, 1984: Ewing attacks a man in Kingman, Arizona in his home; beats man's head with a hammer. They also looked across state lines looking for similar or like crimes and to date, they have not one suspect. Sadly technology was not as advanced in the mid-eighties as it is today, and the case went cold, remaining that way for over 30 years. Chris Harris has been a senior true crime reporter for PEOPLE since late 2015. Your email address will not be published. Vanessa was saved, though she went on the live with permanent physiological affects from the assault. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and the murder weapon?
1984 Aurora hammer killer evolved into predator, FBI profiler says They lived on the other side of the Denver metro area, but their home and Smith's home were both near a main east-west road, Alameda Avenue, leading investigators to suspect the killer used that route. Twenty-eight-year-old Donna Dixon, fresh off a shift working as a flight attendant, had been out running some errands. He also isnt killing with this level of violence often enough to track. Often times a profilerwill come up with a profile that fits into a box, the box was made from materials that were provided by profiles obtained from past criminals who committed similar crimes, which is a really great place to start. But what about his second? I agree with you. She too worked at the family-owned furniture store, and was happily helping raise the couples two children, Melissa (seven-years old, about to turn eight) and Vanessa (three years old), with the man that she loved. For over thirty years, this killer has remained unidentified.
Boyfriend charged with murder of mum and three children found dead at Advancements in DNA evidence led investigators to a match with Ewing and samples collected from the crime scene as well as one of the victims 34 years later. 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. Bruce finally succumbed to his injuries and the family was left vulnerable. They are asking tipsters who know anything about the Aurora case to call 303-739-6400 and the Lakewood case to call 303-763-6800. A hammer lay next to her. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Copyright 2023 It could be the store they all shopped in, the road that they all traveled daily to and from work, school, library they attended etc. Its quite possible that she wasnt even conscious for any of it. Bruce's mother would discover the family the next day inside the home, after no one answered calls to their landline. One of those techniques was an innovative imaging tool by Parabon Nanolabs which provides an approximation of what they offender mightve looked like at both the time of the crimes and in the current day. Victims: David Knobling (20) and Robin Edwards (14)
Murdaugh's double murder trial jury is sent out to find a verdict Arapahoe County District Judge Darren Vahle spoke directly to Ewing before announcing the sentence. The previous week, on the 10th of January,awoman 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 minute drive from the Bennetts home in Aurora. These crimes, which took place in January 1984, were part of a series of assaults that tore through the Denver area and have remained unsolved for thirty-four years. Dont profile by. Hecontinued to attack the child causing severe injuries, but the 3 years old held on to her life and was alive the next morning when she was discovered by her grandmother. 28-year-old Bruce Bennett had jumped into action when the attacker entered the family home and a struggle broke out between the two as Bennett attempted to protect his family. The Bennett family.
Defendants jailed in Bristol for offences against children 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 . He thought about murder for a long time, he daydreamed about it and more than likely attempted several times prior to these specific attacks to commit murder but for whatever reason didnt go through with it or was unable to because his victim fought him off, fear of being seen or heard etc. Most importantly take the need to judge them and all of your own emotions and personal beliefs out of the picture. These crimes in Colorado are this killers first stages at killing a human. A neatly-folded Winnie the Pooh comforter lay under her, a portion of it obscuring her head. & John Hickenlooper to request Ewings extradition today but the process could take weeks or months depending on a host of legal factors. He was currently working at a family-owned furniture store, but was taking classes at the local college and would soon be working as an air traffic controller.
3 Shocking Murders That Rocked La Jolla - LaJolla.com Evidence of wounds caused by a blade revealed that Bruce attempted to defend himself as the intruder swiped and slashed at him with a knife. 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. The bludgeoned bodies of husband and wife, Bruce and Debra Bennett, were discovered and it soon became evident that they had both attacked with a knife and beaten to death. They remain married to this day.
Unsolved: The Bennett family murders | wfaa.com His sentence runs through 2037 but he would be eligible for parole in 2021. Damien Bendall, 31, is now alleged to have raped and murdered Lacey Bennett . 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Over 200 Million Downloads! 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. She said in an interview that she has big plans for the future, and reminds us that "its never too late to achieve big things. Ewing was convicted of killing 27-year-old Bruce and 26 year-old Debra Bennett, as well as their 7-year-old daughter Melissa, in Aurora.
What happened to Vanessa Bennett's family? People - Sportskeeda A brief question and answer session involved the police asking any residents or witnesses to come forward with anything they might know in relation to these crimes so that the prosecution can continue to build its case.
Bennett Family Murder Case Reaches "Critical Stage," Media Warned Evidence of wounds caused by a blade revealed that Bruce attempted to defend himself as the intruder swiped and slashed at him with a knife. 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 very same day, a man using a hammer attacked flight attendant Donna Dixon in the garage of her Aurora home, leaving her in a coma. Blood near the front door sent him into a panic. Become a Patreon Supporter for bonus content! As one of the investigations were doing for the book,we hired an audio expert to do some work on the three recordings attributed to EAR: The dumb fuckers call, the Is Ray there? call, and the Gonna Kill You call. He used two methods, and announced a few weeks ago that hed struck out with his first attempt. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. They pledged to continue to support the families via their victim services organizations.
JonBenet Ramsey (Homicide) | City of Boulder 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. Its our hope that something can come from this new push that will finally solve it. Victim #24received a call from a voice that she identified as the EARs. An award-winning journalist who has worked forRolling Stone and MTV News, Chris enjoys prog rock, cycling, Marvel movies, IPAs, and roller coasters. Patricia still wore her sweater and boots, but her jeans were pulled down. ~ Jan. 4, 1984, a man snuck into an Aurora home and used a hammer to beat James and Kimberly Haubenschild. Amazing!!!!!!!! Investigators did not forget about the hammer murders, however, nor did the town of Aurora; 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. Im your biggest fan. From 1987 to 1991, a serial offender known as Mr Cruel abducted children around Melbourne, Australia. Donna underwent several operations. If he had not done that, they may have been the unfortunately victims. James and Kim divorced divorced in the fall of 1987. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. You see it in the last known crime that the killer committed. It begins with a woman killed with a hammer in Lakewood and, a week later, a family killed the same way. Sole survivor of 1984 Aurora hammer attack testifies on opening day of murder trial 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 family originated from Ancient Greece, then eventually settled in the town of Salem. While meeting with the families in regards to this case reopened many old wounds and horrific memories, the Aurora Police Department, Lakewood Police Department, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the 18th Judicial District, and the 1st Judicial District is committed to seeing that justice is served in this case. Police said in a Friday morning press conference that they linked Ewing to the crimes this year shortly after Nevada authorities uploaded his DNA to a national database. 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. They were Holly Chromey, 49, and her children, Katie Zapzalka, 18, and Jared Zapzalka, 16.
Timeline Of The Night Stalker From Childhood To Crimes - Refinery29 Were happy to at least have a little bit of science behind us on this and it was worth exploring, even though the result was inconclusive. Its nothing more or less than that. I also believe he continued to kill peeps because he is so violent he couldnt have just stopped. That is what drove him into such an uncontrollable frenzy so fast and that is precisely what stopped the attacks so fast. Never profile someone using the box as your guide. She too survived the attack, although she was first in a coma for some time. This killer did in fact re-offend, the issuehe was in the learning phase of actually killing humans during this time frame in Colorado. Family photo Police say DNA evidence links Alex Ewing to the 1984 murders of three members of Bruce and Debra Bennett and their 7-year-old daughter Melissa, left. 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. When he did use something at the scene (electrical cord, towel, husbands shoelaces, necktie) it was only to supplement the ligatures that he had brought himself. After multiple surgeries,Vanessa was saved, though she went on the live with permanent physiological affects from the assault.
Unsolved: The Bennett family murders | king5.com The last family member left around 9:00 PM. The Bennett family murders is a case that goes back more than three decades. Furthermore, the loving grandmother had been sexually assaulted. Apparently when the killer lifted Melissa Bennett, an imprint from his shirt was made in the blood that had resulted from his assault on her. 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. Peck Funeral Home assisted the family . 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. About a week later, a different hammer was used to kill the Bennetts and their 7-year-old daughter Melissa in Aurora. Bruce and Debra Bennett lived with their daughter Melissa and younger daughter, Vanessa. 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. 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. He is awaiting extradition to Colorado, police and prosecutors announced Friday. This killer is indiscriminate in terms of who he kills, attacks or rapes. Why was she the lone survivor? CENTENNIAL, Colo. (CBS4) - A judge sentenced Alex Ewing to three life sentences on Tuesday after he was found guilty in the 1984 murders of three people in Aurora. Required fields are marked *. He assured the public that theyll move with all appropriate speed.. July 5, 1985 Survivor In Sierra Madre. Prosecutors brought their case against Alex Christopher Ewing to a close using a detailed walkthrough of genetic evidence to show that his DNA was found inside the home where three members of an Aurora family were murdered in January 1984. Channel 2 sports director Zach Klein is at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, where. An autopsy found that Debra died from blunt force trauma. 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. Dont you think the police could have gotten the guy long ago had they given you the evidence they had? Alexander was not identified as a suspect until a DNA hit in July 2018 linked him to semen left at the crime scene. Victim #42received a call that she identified as the EAR. In fact, there was a string of unsolved crimes in the area that took place just days apart from each other. alone. The killer also may have completely changed his MO from victim type to weapon used, to less grisly murdering, became better at leaving no DNA behind Because he committed the murders in Colorado during his learning phase if you will it is difficult to determine what he went on to be if anything.
MPR: Two men charged in Long Prairie, Minneapolis murders Even though Vanessas jaw was crushed, sending jagged bones into her windpipe, she survived after her grandmother, Constance Bennett, checked on the family later that morning when they didnt show up to work at a family-owned furniture store. It took 37 years, but on Tuesday, the families of Bruce and Debra Bennett saw justice served. RELATED: Bennett family murders: Full coverage of suspect's trial. He tossed it onto the seat of the car and began pulling her from the vehicle. We often times want answers that fit into a box and I am sorry to say in this case we will not get them. Ewing, 57, has also been charged with murder for the slaying of a Lakewood grandmother a few weeks prior to the Bennett killings, a crime police linked to the Bennett murders in 2010 through DNA.