Second Crime Scene His attacker slit his throat before eventually delivering a final fatal blow with a hammer. The jury found Ewing guilty on. Wedged between the bed and the wall was three-year-old Vanessa, choking of fragments of her own jaw bone and barely clinging to life. He stayed on the prosecution team with Storgaard and Senior Deputy District Attorney Megan Brewer. This was the end of the first day of what would become a futile week-long dig for the body of Keith Bennett, who was 12 years old in 1964 when he was killed by the Moors murderers, Ian Brady and . The investigators and the CBI were safe to guess that it might have been a construction worker that had been working in the area. Shippers choose our flatbed, step deck, RGN or other specialized trailers to move freight that is too large to be As blood poured out of her body, he lifted her up from the bed, unknowingly leaving an imprint from his shirt on her blood-soaked pajamas. Ewing would not stop hitting her the entire time and eventually the woman realized that she would have to play dead in order to get him to stop. 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. It, and the floor around it, was soaked in blood. We wanted to know if there was any way that we could determine whether the voices matched or not. 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. Like all of the EARONS victims, they were taken from this earth far too soon. Bruce Bennett ~ 27 ~ Found Murdered January 16, 1984 Debra Bennett ~ 26 ~ Found Murdered, Sexually Assaulted January 16, 1984 Melissa Bennett ~7 ~ Found Murdered, Sexually Assaulted January 16, 1984 Her head was constantly swimming with thoughts of her parents. At approximately 2:00 AM on January 4th, 1984, an intruder came through an unlocked garage door. Your email address will not be published. The attacker retrieved a butcher knife from the kitchen and began stabbing Bruce in various places on his upper body, and once Bruce was incapacitated again the offender used the knife to slit his throat from ear to ear. But new technology is getting detectives closer and closer to solving the brutal mystery. On the night of Jan. 15, 1984, the Bennett family left their garage door open. Victims were shot to death on the shore of the James River, some distance from Knoblings pickup truck. All four family members were assaulted, only one survived. Police are still looking for information on the cases connected to Ewing and are asking the public for help. 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. He then found the couples oldest daughter, 7 year old Melissa, who tragically suffered the same terrible fate as her mother. Your email address will not be published. Killing on this level requires some level of planning on the part of the perpetrator. Other Information ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - It was 1984 when Connie Bennett found her family murdered in their Aurora home. The Bennett family was attacked either the night of Jan. 15 or the morning of Jan. 16. The FAIR School, Minneapolis Public Schools and West Metro Education Program. 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. It begins with a woman killed with a hammer in Lakewood and, a week later, a family killed the same way. The Murder of Jaye Potter Mintz Feb 23, 1987 Leland N.C. A Catastrophic Cyber Event in the Next 2-Years. 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. He was immediately alarmed at the scene in the garage her clothes, purse, and even some of the mail was by her car. Bruce Bennett tried to climb the staircase several times in an attempt to ward off the perpetrator and save his young family. They lived on a peaceful cul-de-sac where most of the houses had recently been finished and were yet to be sold. He took Debras purse and went out the front door, then dumped the contents out onto the snow. 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. Between 1986 and 1989 though, a crime spree took place that left three pairs of travelers missing and another pair of travelers gone without a trace. Another resident, Donna Dixon, was also struck with a hammer. Alexander Christopher Ewing is now the behind bars, serving 40 years for two counts of attempted murder in the state of Nevada. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and the murder weapon? Camper reviewed the timeline that led to the arrest, which included a DNA profile from the Bennett case generated in 2001 and uploaded to CODIS (the national FBI DNA database), a profile developed from the Smith case is 2010 that matched the Bennett profile, and the strides that Nevada has made in testing their current prison population, which directly led to Ewings DNA being uploaded into CODIS. 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. January 10th, 1984 started just like any other day, with Patricia dropping off her daughter and grandkids at work/school. 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. DENVER- The Bennett family murders is a case that goes back more than three decades. Yvonne Woods was on the stand for more than three hours . Most importantly take the need to judge them and all of your own emotions and personal beliefs out of the picture. 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. ~ Jan. 4, 1984, a man snuck into an Aurora home and used a hammer to beat James and Kimberly Haubenschild. On Jan. 4, 1984, a couple in Aurora woke up to see a man in their bedroom who hit each of them with a hammer before fleeing. The guy here fit the profile you provided over that of the fbi. District Attorney John Kellner filed the murder charges against Ewing when he headed up the Cold Case Unit in the office. Whatever the case, this person was in and around this area for at least the first part of January and most likely stayed in the area during that time. 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. Book Synopsis . Almost six days later, tragedy struck Aurora once again. Investigators had collected and stored the killers 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. Patricia missed her husband Oliver, who stayed behind in Nebraska, but she loved being with her daughter and two grandchildren in a bustling city. He reminded the public that John Doe warrants had been filed based on the DNA profile of the killer back in 2002, and mentioned that the John Doe charges have been updated to Alex Christopher Ewings name. The victim was fifty-year-old Patricia Louise Smith. His attacker slit his throat before eventually delivering a final fatal blow with a hammer. On the 4th of January James and Kimberly Haubenschild were also attacked with a hammer at their home in Aurora, but both survived. In fact, there was a string of unsolved crimes in the area that took place just days apart from each other. An autopsy found that Debra died from blunt force trauma. Detective Steve Conner has investigated this case for many years, taking over from an investigator named Marv Brandt. They ended up determining that Armour had been killed, and the Fresno Bee (along with the Fresno Guarantee Savings and Loan Association) set aside $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of her killer. 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. The father, Xavier Dupont de Ligonnes, immediately became the prime suspect, as he abruptly disappeared after the . Alexander Ewings list of seemingly endless violent crimes are described throughout the many articles published about him since he has been identified as the man behind the murder of the Bennett family. For years the case was cold, until in 2018 a DNA profile from semen the killer left at the scene was matched to Ewing. The force of the impact threw her head into the steering wheel. 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 murders is a case that goes back more than three decades. The Bennett Family Murders ~ Aurora, Colorado ~ January 16, 1984 The Bennett family was your average middle class family living the American dream. "I lost the person who I was supposed to be. As she got older, unresolved anger issues caused Vanessa to clash with her grandmother who had become her primary caretaker after the death of her parents. Your email address will not be published. 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. Dr. Bennett's office is located at UH Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH. 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. Unfortunately, they verified one by one that each family member was deceased. 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. The youngest girl, Vanessa, only three years old until March, was also struck violently in the face with the hammer. The case got very little press, and unfortunately, it was never solved. 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. Man Gets Life in Prison for 2016 Killing of Google Employee Vanessa Marcotte, Lone Survivor of 1984 Colorado Hammer Killer Attack Misses the Family He Stole: 'Inside I Cry Every Day', Man Sentenced for 1982 Ax Murder of His Wife After the Case Went Unsolved for Nearly 40 Years, Colo. Woman Applied for Restraining Order Against Ex Days Before He Allegedly Killed Her Family Members, JonBent Ramsey's Father Is Optimistic DNA Advances Will Catch Daughter's Killer, Slams Boulder Police, Man Who Shot Lady Gaga's Dog Walker During Dognapping Sentenced to 21 Years: 'I Do Forgive You', N.C. Man Killed Girlfriend's Daughter, 3, with Chloroform in Attempt to Get Her to Sleep. July 5, 1985 Survivor In Sierra Madre. Before Donna Dixon was even found, another crime had taken place 26 miles to the west in the city of Lakewood. 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. When a telephone call came for Steve Bennett on the afternoon of July 4, 1985, his daughter, Whitney, opened her bedroom window to summon her father, who was outside watering the front yard. 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.. He could have found other ways to feed the need. Upon the capture of a suspect in the Golden State Killer case, Conner again turned to genealogical databases. The money was never claimed. Theyd been strangled, their throats had been slashed, and rope marks were found on their necks and wrists. There was no sign of Lauer or Phelps. It was a case that they were not giving up on and were continuing to move forward on, he said. Victim #7received a phone call, and she recognized the voice on the other end as the voice of the rapist. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Copyright 2023 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. October 21st, 1982 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. Nevada inmate accused of Colorado murders says he'll fight extradition. Note: We cover the Armour case and the other Visalia Ransacker crimes in our new book, Secret Origin of the Golden State Killer: Visalia Ransacker. I also believe he continued to kill peeps because he is so violent he couldnt have just stopped. During sentencing Aug. 17, members of the Bennett and Large families submitted impact statements and came to the courtroom. July 23, 1993. This article in the Denver post describes how after he murdered the Bennetts he went on to enter the house of a man in Kingman, Arizona and attempted to bludgeon the man to death with a 20lb rock. She was also left with a shattered pelvis and fell into a coma. Investigators said he also sexually assaulted Melissa before she died from being beaten. A hammer. Donna pulled into the driveway, hit the remote to open the garage, and pulled her car in. Remember me? The same night he escaped, he broke into yet another couples house and attacked the male of the home. 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. 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. The hammer struck her in the jaw, shattering the bone which splintered in an explosion of small fragments that punctured her windpipe. Third Crime Scene The four of them lived together in a townhome off of West Bayaud Avenue. They are more likely to begin work before sunup rather than stay much after sundown. The house was not ransacked, but the contents of her purse were strewn about. They also looked across state lines looking for similar or like crimes and to date, they have not one suspect. 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. Headquartered in McDonough, Georgia, Bennett Family of Companies provides innovative logistics and transportation for companies across America. 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. Dont forget to follow Generation Why on FB [X] , Instagram [X] and Twitter [X]. 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. He took her to the floor and sexually assaulted her. He viciously struck the young child in the head with a hammer. This killer strikes with such violence that it is difficult to understand, see or know of a possible motive. Her bra was wrapped around one of her wrists, and her clothing was found on the bank nearby. 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. Donna underwent several operations. A murder inquiry has been launched, and one man - a 31-year-old from Killamarsh, who was known to the family - is in custody. They pledged to continue to support the families via their victim services organizations. In that homicide, DNA evidence was found matching Ewing. 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 following tests were performed on the EAR calls: Long story short inconclusive. Obviously, this guy was looking for his next target. 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. They were almost always in good shape/new condition, and lab analysis revealed almost nothing about them except the occasional hair. He was brought to Colorado to face trial for the deaths of the Bennett family. Thought to be the work of a serial killer, the crimes have remained unsolved for thirty years. If you are just simply looking at it, you miss the most critical and important clues. She screamed because he would have had to go through an open gate into their yard. 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. On night of January 16 th, 1984 a gruesome discovery was made at a house on 16300 East Center Drive, Aurora, Colorado. is franco coming back to general hospital, decatur, illinois noise ordinance, abandoned glass mansion,

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