As she turned to leave the car, she felt a tremendous blow on the left side of her head. 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. 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. Bruce and Debra Bennett lived with their daughter Melissa and younger daughter, Vanessa. I dont I think they are just waiting on a dna match thats all they ever do. 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. Date: April 9th/10th, 1988 Bruce Bennett tried to climb the staircase several times in an attempt to ward off the perpetrator and save his young family. HE had to get knife in addition to the hammer just to ward off Bruce who was trying to protect his family. The case got a jolt in 2009 when a retired FBI photographer used graphic images from the crime scenes during a class lecture. Late on Jan. 9 or early on Jan 10, a flight attendant was beaten, possibly with a hammer, and sexually assaulted after she pulled into the garage of her home in Aurora. You got the age closer than the fbi and police you described exactly what the guy was feeling when he was killing them. Constance Bennett, the mother of murder victim Bruce Bennett, is questioned defense attorney Katherine Powers Spengler during Alex Ewing's murder trial, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in an Arapahoe County Court in Centennial, Colo. Ewing is accused of killing Bruce and Debra Bennett and their 7-year-old daughter Melissa in Aurora in January 1984. I believe he killed again no way he stopped. Second Crime Scene But new technology is getting detectives closer and closer to solving the brutal mystery. Alexander Christopher Ewing is already behind bars, serving 40 years for two counts of attempted murder in the state of Nevada. Both district attorneys addressed the possibility of capital punishment being on the table, discussing that 1984 laws do seem to allow the possibility, and that its the hardest decision that a DA has to make and it wont be one thats made lightly. The killer murdered two parents - Bruce and Debra Bennett - and their 7-year-old, Melissa, and left their other child severely injured. Her parents, Bruce and Deborah Bennett, were also killed. In Aug 2018, Alexander Christopher Ewing was accused and charged in both cases. Alexander was not identified as a suspect until a DNA hit in July 2018 linked him to semen left at the crime scene. Dont you feel cheated a little? Ron kept vigil and kept guard in her hospital room day and night. Thought to be the work of a serial killer, the crimes have remained unsolved for thirty years. Both survived. The womens bodies were found inside Thomas vehicle. Date: September 19th/22nd, 1987 document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and the murder weapon? The life sentences will be served consecutively. But what about his second? Her purse was found nearby some money had been stolen from it. Forensic evidence was hard to retrieve due to the decomposed state of the bodies, but its been reported that the two may have been stabbed to death. Tamara Lich's trial on multiple charges related to the Freedom Convoy protests is set to start in the fall. This was the last time the Bennetts were seen alive. She too survived the attack, although she was first in a coma for some time. Expand the list of suspects because on this case it was always bigger than investigators thought it was and the killer was always the least obvious or least likely to stand out. Designed by Her clothes were tossed everywhere. The family overall lead a very quiet and peaceful life. Tarot Spread To Ask A Question; Peut On Boucher La Vue D'un Voisin; Thirty Eight Snub Meaning 21-year-old Polish national, Julia Faustyna, claims to be Madeleine McCann- the story so far, CCTV Footage from New Jersey Gas Station Shows Woman Escaping Alleged Captor, Two men arrested in connection with the 1975 murder of Indiana teenager Laurel Jean Mitchell. 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. Weve published this page today to show you the details and origin of the ligatures used in the EAR/GSK attacks. "I lost the person who I was supposed to be. 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. The perpetrator left with both weapons. Only the calls or phone events where the caller was believed to be the rapist are included. 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. 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. It was Colorado Bureau of Investigation Director John Camper who got to break the news to Aurora PD that there had been a DNA match. Which is why a more beneficial profile from the onset is more important in fact, its critical. For over thirty years, this killer has remained unidentified. Twenty-eight-year-old Donna Dixon, fresh off a shift working as a flight attendant, had been out running some errands. Forensics determined that the hammers used in each of the attacks were different, and that there didnt appear to be anything terribly useful in the way of fingerprints or other evidence. ~ Jan. 4, 1984, a man snuck into an Aurora home and used a hammer to beat James and Kimberly Haubenschild. As an adult, she developed a drug habit and became an addict. Blood near the front door sent him into a panic. He either got turned on by the prospect of killing or used the rapes as a way to cover up the true motive which was to murder. Bruce finally succumbed to his injuries and the family was left vulnerable. The sprawling Colorado home where 6-year-old beauty pageant contestant JonBenet Ramsey was murdered in 1996 is listed for sale for a cool $7 million. I lost the person who I was supposed to be.. 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. Required fields are marked *. Donna was rushed to the hospital while police worked the scene. The family was discovered by Constance Bennett who has since raised little Vanessa. Two young boys were asleep in other rooms in the house. He kept the hammer. 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. Victims were shot to death on the shore of the James River, some distance from Knoblings pickup truck. 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. 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. 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. bennett family murders addressithaca high school lacrosse roster. Its nothing more or less than that. He finds his release from the level of pain he inflicts on the victim, the level of violence he is able to achieve. The hammer stuck her in the jaw, shattering the bone which splintered in an explosion of small fragments that punctured her windpipe. 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. So I guess Ill be the first to post. The jury found Ewing guilty on. At around 8:00 PM on January 10th, 1984, her boyfriend Ron Holm arrived home. The killer pummeled and sexually assaulted his 26-year-old wife, Debra, and 7-year-old daughter, Melissa. The court heard how . 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. Dr. Bennett's office is located at UH Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH. No services are scheduled at this time. On the night of Jan. 15, 1984, the Bennett family left their garage door open. In addition to photos and a summary of information, the following points are worth going over: Its also worth noting that the EAR seemed to, at times, receive gratification from tying and retying his victims. During the rape series, he primarily used shoelaces. This killer is indiscriminate in terms of who he kills, attacks or rapes. 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. 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 survived. The results (if any) of the tests run on the current evidence is currently unknown. She was numb and cold, and somehow was able to get to her feet and go inside the house. At the press conference, they informed the public that when authorities in Nevada went back and retroactively began swabbing and entering their inmates DNA into CODIS, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation got a hit and thats whats led to the development in this case. James, who posts online from time to time, discusses how vividly the case still haunts him even to this day. Victims: Richard Keith Call (20) and Cassandra Lee Hailey (18) On night of January 16th, 1984 a gruesome discovery was made at a house on 16300 East Center Drive, Aurora, Colorado. During sentencing Aug. 17, members of the Bennett and Large families submitted impact statements and came to the courtroom. Even after he was struck and injured severely, Bruce continued to struggle valiantly with his attacker, and it seems he climbed the stairs after him even after the intruder thought that he was unconscious or dead. The garage door was still open. Many of his victims were sex workers and transients who had no connection to him. 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. This call is important because not only did it occur during an EAR quiet period, but this attack is connected by DNA. Vanessa was saved, though she went on the live with permanent physiological affects from the assault. DENVER- The Bennett family murders is a case that goes back more than three decades. We often times want answers that fit into a box and I am sorry to say in this case we will not get them. 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. The Investigation kept ongoing. The couple's 3-year-old daughter Vanessa was also beaten but survived with permanent injuries. By far, easier prey lay in wait just north which would be Colfax Ave and at the time might not have hit the news like the murder of the Bennett family did had the crime occurred in a neighborhood more near Colfax. Sometimes it works, sometimes its sort of right, sometimes not even close. ~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. alone. Hed been in the Navy, where he worked on high-tech sonar equipment at Pearl Harbor. Thieves like to hit them for the tools the guys leave at the sites overnight. There are some instances where a strange phone call was received, but its not thought to be the offender. In the papers, the most attention is paid to the last state witness, the DNA analyst at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. In that homicide, DNA evidence was found matching Ewing. His attacker slit his throat before eventually delivering a final fatal blow with a hammer. It is deeper than that. Vanessa Bennett was shocked to receive the phone call identifying the man who murdered her entire family and attempted to murder her in 1984and admits it hasnt quite sunk in. The guy here fit the profile you provided over that of the fbi. Rather than wait until 2019 when the book will be published, we thought wed at least share the results with you. On November 7, 2014, police announced they had arrested Charles "Chase" Merritt, Joseph . The crimes appeared to be sexually motivated, judging by the assaults that occurred on Debra and Melissa. 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. They were almost always in good shape/new condition, and lab analysis revealed almost nothing about them except the occasional hair. Almost six days later, tragedy struck Aurora once again. Bruce and Debra Bennett lived with their daughter Melissa and younger daughter, Vanessa. The Bennett family was attacked either the night of Jan. 15 or the morning of Jan. 16. The Bennett Family Murders ~ Aurora, Colorado ~ January 16, 1984 The Bennett family was your average middle class family living the American dream. JonBenet was 6 years old when she was reported missing on Dec. 26, 1996, after her family reported finding a ransom note inside their home in the 700 block of 15th Street. Toward the end of that series and during the murders, he began experimenting with different types of bindings plastic ties, twine, drapery cord, etc. The following tests were performed on the EAR calls: Long story short inconclusive. Atlanta, GA. Fri, Sep 8, 2023 08:00 PM. 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 tore her clothes off, tossed them about the garage, and then he raped her on the concrete floor. Immediately she went over the home to investigate. 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. Alexander Christopher Ewing is now the behind bars, serving 40 years for two counts of attempted murder in the state of Nevada. She screamed because he would have had to go through an open gate into their yard. . Required fields are marked *. While everyone is looking for a motive it was always looking right back at investigators. Because of these phone calls, we can start to determine whether the offender was incarcerated or not at certain times (most likely he wasnt), and even where he lived due to the locations of the victims during the time period that he called them. A hammer was used to kill Patricia Louise Smith, 50, in Lakewood Jan. 10, 1984. He was known as the "Happy Face Killer" because he drew smiley faces on his many letters to the media and authorities. They also looked across state lines looking for similar or like crimes and to date, they have not one suspect. The house was not ransacked, but the contents of her purse were strewn about. Her nude body was found over a week later in the Friant-Kern Canal near Woodlake an area located northeast of Visalia and a fair distance away from where shed disappeared. Flatbed Trucking Company Bennett Motor Express is the premier open deck general freight carrier in the US. "The Crown prosecutor who is prosecuting my case in September seems like a dog with a . She was naked, curled up in a fetal position and groaning. The killer was practicing, he was unsure of himself and he was unsure of the weapon he would eventually use. 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. Full cooperation from Nevada Law Enforcement led to a confirmation of the DNA match.