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. Theyd moved there around Thanksgiving from another place a few miles away, and had so far enjoyed their quiet, developing neighborhood. Here are the Small Town Murder show particulars: Small Town Murder. "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. ~ Jan. 4, 1984, a man snuck into an Aurora home and used a hammer to beat James and Kimberly Haubenschild. Investigators have been quoted as saying this was a random crime, vicious and random. Her body was found in a basement . 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. It would be nearly twenty-four hours total before she was found. The Bennett Family Murders ~ Aurora, Colorado ~ January 16, 1984 The Bennett family was your average middle class family living the American dream. Before exiting the vehicle, she turned to grab her flight attendant uniform, which was hanging in the back. The Bennett family was attacked either the night of Jan. 15 or the morning of Jan. 16. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Twelve Twenty-Six Seventy-Five by Tony Reid, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Patricia had only been living in Lakewood for about three and a half months, having moved there from Nebraska with her daughter, who was recently divorced. 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. Yvonne Woods was on the stand for more than three hours . 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. The Bennett family murders is a case that goes back more than three decades. He usually held his victims captive for a period of time and then released them, but hes suspected of abducting and murdering13-year-oldKarmein Chan in 1991. Police examining the scene were able to reconstruct the basic chain of events. Why was she the lone survivor? She was also left with a shattered pelvis and fell into in a coma. Prosecutors alleged Ewing raped Melissa Bennett before killing her. The 2001 call didnt happen too long ago and makes it a little too close for comfort, though theres something positive to be said for the idea that the offender could still be alive and could still face justice for his crimes. Prosecutors said they will ask Gov. These crimes in Colorado are this killers first stages at killing a human. He usually tied them so tightly that circulation was restricted, used the same types of knots, and would often have the wife tie up the husband (and then retie the husband himself). Later autopsies revealed that the Bennetts had died due to blunt force trauma and that their attacker had likely used a hammer. Ramirez heads to Sierra Madre, CA, where he attacks Whitney Bennett, 16, with a tire iron as she sleeps. On the night of Jan. 15, a stranger broke into their home and viciously assaulted and attacked the family. 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. January 27, 1984: Ewing attacks a man in Kingman, Arizona in his home; beats man's head with a hammer. It took 37 years, but on Tuesday, the families of Bruce and Debra Bennett saw justice served. Let us have a look at this unforgettable case of the Bennet family murders. Coincidence is just an illusion that we all tell ourselves myself included, when we are unable to explain how something actually came to be. 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. Its bloody, painful for the victim and brutal. Dont profile by LOOKING AT the behavior in an attempt to findclues to his or her psychology in an effort toaid in capturing a criminal. He took her to the floor and sexually assaulted her. 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. Victim #24received a call from a voice that she identified as the EARs. The four of them lived together in a townhome off of West Bayaud Avenue. Jason Bennett described his heartbreak following the deaths of son John and daughter Lacey in Killamarsh. EAR brought his own ligatures to almost every attack he didnt rely exclusively on what was found at the scene. The first sign of trouble came in the afternoon, when Patricia failed to pick them up. Detective Steve Conner has investigated this case for many years, taking over from an investigator named Marv Brandt. 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. You called it in a recent case again how did you know? They both survived. Investigators were able to determine that the girl had died by drowning, but at first they couldnt agree on whether it had been accidental or whether there was foul play involved. Caller: Do you want fuck? Bruce Alan Bennett was twenty-seven years old. Her head was constantly swimming with thoughts of her parents. But thanks to modern technology and the incredible talent and dedication of several individuals, it seems this case has finally been solved. Part of our book involves some very in-depth detective and forensic work. She made her way to the bedroom and went to bed. 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. Dr. Bennett's office is located at UH Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH. She slumped over onto the passenger seat. The victims may not have ever known one another but the killer found them somehow, it was not random although it appears that way. 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. 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 finds his release from the level of pain he inflicts on the victim, the level of violence he is able to achieve. In 2002, Arapahoe County filed a John Doe arrest warrant for the perpetrator of the Bennet murders based on the DNA profile. Now we know that Patricia's murder is connected to the Bennett Family murders in Aurora, Colorado. Her clothes were tossed everywhere. They lived on the other side of the Denver metro area, but their home and Smiths home were both near a main east-west road, Alameda Avenue, leading investigators to suspect the killer used that route. The previous week, on the 10th of January, a woman 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 minutes drive from Bennets home in Aurora. A hammer was used to kill Patricia Louise Smith, 50, in Lakewood Jan. 10, 1984. Recently, he was exploring forensic genealogy techniques. The family had been celebrating Melissas birthday that night. Shippers choose our flatbed, step deck, RGN or other specialized trailers to move freight that is too large to be / CBS Colorado. A hammer lay next to her. More details will be forthcoming in the case as more is learned about the alleged killer and an affidavit is circulated containing the evidence used to charge him with these crimes. A murder inquiry has been launched, and one man - a 31-year-old from Killamarsh, who was known to the family - is in custody. There is no innocent explanation for how you explain all of the evidence.. The couples youngest daughter, 3-year-old Vanessa, was also attacked by the hammer-wielding assailant. He also shattered the face of Bruce Bennetts 3-year-old daughter, Vanessa. 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. Not only was he hanging on the situation for any sign of improvement, but he was afraid that the killer would find out that she survived, might be able to identify him, and might come back to attack her again. The world turned a painful red and Donna began to lose consciousness. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Another resident, Donna Dixon, was also struck with a hammer. At some point, either when the intruder entered the couples bedroom or before, Bruce was alerted to the intruders presence and a tremendous struggle took place. The police after searching the home believe that the intruder brought his own weapon, a hammer or some other type of blunt object yet, he took a knife from the kitchen which is what he used to slash and cut Bruce with. Caller: Hi, its me again. The cases are commonly known as the 1984 Colorado Hammer Murders. There was blood all over the car. DNA evidence ties Ewing to the crime. 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. The 1982 call is important, because the offender hadnt killed for over a year, and it was thought that he mightve been incarcerated. The other kids at school would tease her, telling her the hammer man was going to come and finish her off. Did you know that one of the most popular places to rob are construction sites? Date: September 19th/22nd, 1987 The house was not ransacked, but the contents of her purse were strewn about. His wife, Debra, was sexually assaulted and bludgeoned. After investigating, the police found similarities between the attack at the Bennett home and nearby random attacks that happened days earlier along the Highline Canal and Alameda Avenue corridor. Your email address will not be published. Its our hope that something can come from this new push that will finally solve it. A 61-year-old man learned this week he'll die behind prison bars after being sentenced to three consecutive life sentences for the 1984 murders of a Colorado couple and their 7-year-old daughter, PEOPLE confirms. She too survived the attack, although she was first in a coma for some time. How did you know? A neatly-folded Winnie the Pooh comforter lay under her, a portion of it obscuring her head. It was believed that the main garage door was left open throughout the night and that the door leading from the garage to the house was possibly left unlocked. There wasnt anything notable stolen from the scene, and the attack had all the hallmarks of a random crime. On August 7th, 2018, it was announced that there were significant new developments in the Smith/Bennett case, and that a news conference would be held at 10:00 AM on Friday, August 10th with more information. WordPress. From 1987 to 1991, a serial offender known as Mr Cruel abducted children around Melbourne, Australia. The Colorado killings followed two other attacks near Denver that either involved or were suspected of involving a hammer. Bruce worked at the family-owned furniture store and was also taking classes to become an air traffic controller. When they did, they noticed that the garage door was still open. All four of them were attacked inside the home that night, only Vanessa survived. If you were living in La Jolla in the early 80s, you knew the Brodericks. Sometimes it works, sometimes its sort of right, sometimes not even close. 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. 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. Youve done this with other cases to. He faced six counts of first-degree murder. Again, info is given only about the phone calls where the offender spoke. The slain girl's younger sister, Vanessa Bennett, who was 3 at the time, survived the life-threatening injuries she sustained in the vicious beating. All rights reserved. Police later linked the murder of the Bennett family with another rape and murder that happened just less than a week before. Bruce and Debra Bennett lived with their daughter Melissa and younger daughter, Vanessa. 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. Nevada inmate accused of Colorado murders says he'll fight extradition. Only the calls or phone events where the caller was believed to be the rapist are included. I just read this article and Im completely blown away so much of what you speculated turned out to be spot on. On November 7, 2014, police announced they had arrested Charles "Chase" Merritt, Joseph . They are more likely to begin work before sunup rather than stay much after sundown. On the 4th of January James and Kimberly Haubenschild were also attacked with a hammer at their home in Aurora, but both survived. Bruce was 27 years old and Debra was 26 in 1984. 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. Three members of the Bennett family were brutally killed in their Aurora home. January 10th, 1984 started just like any other day, with Patricia dropping off her daughter and grandkids at work/school. Thieves like to hit them for the tools the guys leave at the sites overnight. Amazing!!!!!!!! Channel 2 sports director Zach Klein is at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, where. "The Crown prosecutor who is prosecuting my case in September seems like a dog with a . After a string of several burglaries and escalating events on this night, the offender crossed the line to murder and he never looked back. 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. It would also be a really good idea to look at troubled or violent teens in the area because I do not believe the killer was over the age of 25. Her parents, Bruce and Deborah Bennett, were also killed. 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. Special recognition was given to Detective Steve Conner from the Major Crimes Unit who, incidentally was at the scene of the Bennett crime as a young deputy, and who has worked the case for many, many years. You got the age closer than the fbi and police you described exactly what the guy was feeling when he was killing them. 26 miles away from the Smith murder, but very close to the other incidents, the Bennett family was still settling into their new home on East Center Drive in Aurora, Colorado. An award-winning journalist who has worked forRolling Stone and MTV News, Chris enjoys prog rock, cycling, Marvel movies, IPAs, and roller coasters. He then found the couples oldest daughter, 7 year old Melissa, who tragically suffered the same terrible fate as her mother. The Colonial Parkway is a scenic highway in Virginia that runs through historic areas like Yorktown, Williamsburg, and Jamestown. He noticed a gaping wound on the left side of her skull. The jury found Ewing guilty on all counts. How can you describe what he feels during the crime? 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. ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - It was 1984 when Connie Bennett found her family murdered in their Aurora home. Its quite possible that she wasnt even conscious for any of it. 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. The money was never claimed. 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. We move long-haul and short-haul loads to anywhere in the lower 48 states for commercial and government entities. Camper explained that the CBI does a nightly check of all of their profiles against the CODIS system, and at that point, in early July, there was a match. Listen and Subscribe to The Generation Why Podcast! The crimes appeared to be sexually motivated, judging by the assaults that occurred on Debra and Melissa. He viciously struck the young child in the head with a hammer. Quite frankly if the suspect wasnt on the original list, spoken to or even noticed in this case it may come down to just DNA unless police have enough evidence and suspect info they can rework the case from scratch. He faced six . The Murder of Jaye Potter Mintz Feb 23, 1987 Leland N.C. A Catastrophic Cyber Event in the Next 2-Years. The scene in the home traumatized the daughter and grandchildren for life. Patricia had come home from work for lunch, stopping at Wendys on the way. During sentencing Aug. 17, members of the Bennett and Large families submitted impact statements and came to the courtroom. Its also safe to assume that up until the Bennett murders his weapon of choice was a blunt object, after those murders he quite possibly changed the weapon of choice if he had that overwhelming urge to kill again. She was naked, curled up in a fetal position and groaning. On the night of Jan. 15, 1984, the Bennett family left their garage door open. 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. 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. 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. The killer murdered two parents - Bruce and Debra Bennett - and their 7-year-old, Melissa, and left their other child severely injured. While closure and peace may be forever out of reach, the panelists hope for a sense of justice among those affected. 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. Third Crime Scene He utilized the bindings in another distinct way he almost always forced his penis into his victims bound hands. The other victim murdered in the terrifying crime spree. Residents here have lived under a dark cloud since Monday, when police found three residents dead in their home. Or any of the other angles he was pursuing? The perpetrator left with both weapons. 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. Ewing has been behind bars in Nevada since the summer of 1984 after he escaped there while being transported to Kingman, Arizona, from St. George, Utah, for a court appearance on attempted murder and burglary charges. Dont profile by. Profiling like that is a great place to start, yet it can also mean that its a great place to leave a crime long enough that it goes cold. Dotted with impressive bridges and blanketed by thick trees, it usually provides year-round beauty and convenience for travelers. Donna pulled into the driveway, hit the remote to open the garage, and pulled her car in. Damien Bendall, 31, is now alleged to have raped and murdered Lacey Bennett . Tabernacle. My heart hurts that this happened! There are potentially other crimes that Ewing could be charged for, and Brauchler emphasized that he wont prosecute a crime that he cant ethically prove theres a high standard for evidence in these types of cases. Are you suggesting that initially investigators missed certain details based off the profile of the dude? That is what drove him into such an uncontrollable frenzy so fast and that is precisely what stopped the attacks so fast. This is a very unique activity, and it helps tie the EARONS crimes together based on M.O. For over thirty years, this killer has remained unidentified. Her purse was found nearby some money had been stolen from it. He is more introverted when he is sober and an extrovert when he isnt. The Bennett family. Minneapolis and Crystal, MN. The police found her posed with her arms crossed over her chest as if she was in a coffin. 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. James, who posts online from time to time, discusses how vividly the case still haunts him even to this day. Their disappearance was widely reported by the national news media. He tore her clothes off, tossed them about the garage, and then he raped her on the concrete floor. Figuring out anyone who was laid off or working less hours on a construction site back then, if the list doesnt exist right now may be difficult at best. 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. Dr. Robert Offerman and Dr. Debra Manning were young and had bright futures. Bruce and Debra Bennett lived with their daughter Melissa and younger daughter, Vanessa. 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. I write about old, unsolved cases from the pre-DNA era. The blow shed felt was the attacker striking her head with a hammer. August 17, 2021 / 3:31 PM Bizberg Themes, Forensic Science and Cyber Forensics Quiz (Free). Designed by Victims: Richard Keith Call (20) and Cassandra Lee Hailey (18) 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. Sometimes to get a more clear picture of the criminal, one must see him or her as a human being, see him or her as they truly are, feel what they feel, know what they know, feel the wants, needs and desires of that person. The killer was practicing, he was unsure of himself and he was unsure of the weapon he would eventually use. This killer strikes with such violence that it is difficult to understand, see or know of a possible motive. He is awaiting extradition to Colorado, police and prosecutors announced Friday. He attacked the couple with a hammer, bludgeoning them with it and leaving them for dead.

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