Steven Hayes Sentenced To Death For CT Triple Murder

Steven Hayes

Steven Hayes, the ex-con who was found guilty of killing a Connecticut mother and her two daughters (as well as beating her husband), was sentenced to death. The Courant reports, "The jury"—made up of seven women and five men—"sentenced Hayes to death on all six possible death-penalty counts: killing [Jennifer Hawke-Petit and Michaela and Hayley [Petit] in the course of a single action; killing a child under the age of 16; killing Hawke-Petit in the course of a kidnapping; killing Hayley in the course of a kidnapping; killing Michaela in the course of a kidnapping; and killing Hawke-Petit in the course of a sexual assault."

The 2007 crime was a home invasion plot hatched between two ex-cons (Hayes and Joshua Komisarjevsky, who faces trial next year) that escalated into sexual assaults against 11-year-old Michaela Petit and mother Jennifer Hawke-Petit and Hawke-Petit's death by strangulation and the deaths of daughters Michaela and Hayley, 17, when the pair set fire to the Petit home. Only Dr. William Petit survived, who, after being beaten and bound in the basement, managed to escape the house and go to a neighbor's for help.

Hayes' lawyer made a bid to save his client's life last week, telling the jurors, "This is a human being. You may not like him, you may hate him, you may despise what he did in this case, but he's not a rabid dog that needs to be put down."

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By Jen Chung in News on November 8, 2010 11:59 AM

Comments [rss]

Theze Not My Shorts

Good grief. This guy is not an animal. Even animals have codes of conduct. He's something less. Not sure what that is, but he needs to go.

Nicholas

Though I seem to be among people who support the death penalty, here's an eloquent defense of keeping Hayes alive:

http://themorningsidepost.com/2010/11/the-reverend%E2%80%99s-daughter/

She makes a valid point that despite the heinousness of his acts, his inexplicably hateful behavior, the state cannot forbid killing while killing as punishment.

Mordicai

How is he different from a "rabid dog that needs to be put down"? Seems the same from where I'm sitting. Unlike some other commenters, I don't think he should be tortured or part of some revenge fantasy. He is broken. He should be quickly, easily, & painlessly put down.

Cannibal

Do they care about painless when they put down rabid dogs? A rabid dog has no idea what he's doing....

matty

The story reminded me of "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote.

These guys are just, just evil.

I'm a Christian and believe in redemption and am against the death penalty, but this makes me rethink that...

Cannibal

Yes. You might want to rethink that.

theevilone

This is one of those times that I think the death penalty is the only answer. And it is still too good for this @sshole. His accomplice seems even worse.

Tricksta

I'm sure as hell not gonna argue against the death penalty in his (or the accomplice's) case, but seriously, after following this story for several months the only way to see real justice done is to invent a time machine and abort both their moms' miserable fetuses.

That poor family. RIP. I can't imagine how the Dad will ever find peace, but at least this is a bit of closure.

H.J. Simpson

There is a God. Hope by the time he is sentenced to death, they legalize cruel and unusual punishment for death sentences.

Peter

Some of the correctional officers who will participate in Hayes' execution may not have been born yet.

robingee

Horrible man. Never to be let out into society again, never to do this to anyone else again.

Bottomless Chips

I think the husband/father should get six bullets, and five minutes to shoot him however he wants, but the final one has to be in the head.

Five minutes of suffering isn't cruel punishment in my book. #eightamendment

nony2

best news. this man doesn't deserve to breath the same air we do.

BDS=(Boycott.Divest.Sanction)

Thank God.

whitecastlerock

Then take him behind the courthouse and blow his fucking brains out already

Rocknrope

Good. If anyone in the history of criminal activity deserves to be put to death, it's this souless monstrosity of a person. He doesn't even have the excuse of being mentally ill.

Eric

He also doesn't deserve a quick, painless death be lethal injection.

Petey

A little (but pleasantly) surprised on how pro death penalty everyone is on here.

That being taken into consideration, and the savageness of these crimes, I don't understand how it took so long for them to decide this, and why they even contemplating anything BUT death for this animal.