The killer then ascended the staircase and entered the couples bedroom where attacked Bruces wife, 26 year old Debra, who he raped before bludgeoning to death. Its quite possible that he changed his method of killing in an effort to keep police from tying him to these murders on the off chance he was caught for lets say rape. 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. It was taken in Arizona 11 days after the attack. Sole survivor of 1984 Aurora hammer attack testifies on opening day of murder trial 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. 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. AURORA | Police and prosecutors say they have solved the brutal 1984 hammer slayings of the Bennett family in Aurora, one of the citys most-shocking and tough-to-crack cold cases. Never profile someone using the box as your guide. At approximately 2:00 AM on January 4th, 1984, an intruder came through an unlocked garage door. 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. Its also interesting to note that the first incidence of violence, the Snelling murder, didnt stop him, but he did seem to be gradually slowing down after what appears on the surface to be the 1975 peak. The fact that the murders took place between Highline Canal and the Alameda Corridor is curious, in fact, I am drawn to this fact about the case more so than any other fact. The guy here fit the profile you provided over that of the fbi. Police later linked the murder of the Bennett family with another rape and murder that happened just less than a week before. 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. Investigators were able to piece together the details of the horrendous ordeal through study of the evidence and the crime scene. "The Crown prosecutor who is prosecuting my case in September seems like a dog with a . 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. He assured the public that theyll move with all appropriate speed.. There is no innocent explanation for how you explain all of the evidence.. Thankfully, this community, these families and everyone impacted by the horrific crimes now knows this defendant will never hurt anyone ever again., 2022 - DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE 18 JUDICIAL DISTRICT, Murderer of Auroras Bennett family sentenced to life in prison, Victim Impact Statement and Restitution Information, Bad Check Restitution Program DISCONTINUED, Senior Law & Safety Summit: May 21, 2022, Peace Officer Credibility Disclosure Notification. In fact, there was a string of unsolved crimes in the area that took place just days apart from each other. Ewing, who was convicted of the murders on Aug. 6, broke into the family's new home the night of the killings. Is it not true that you usually get police closer to a suspect faster than they ever could without using dna? After multiple surgeries,Vanessa was saved, though she went on the live with permanent physiological affects from the assault. I dont I think they are just waiting on a dna match thats all they ever do. Her parents, Bruce and Deborah Bennett, were also killed. Ron kept vigil and kept guard in her hospital room day and night. The Ramsey family, who originally bought the . Dr. Bennett's office is located at UH Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH. Hed been in the Navy, where he worked on high-tech sonar equipment at Pearl Harbor. 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. 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. 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. WordPress. There was no sign of Lauer or Phelps. He tore her clothes off, tossed them about the garage, and then he raped her on the concrete floor. The very famous, more than three decades old case of Bennet family murders has recently been in the news. They were living in Aurora and planned to make a life together there. The four of them lived together in a townhome off of West Bayaud Avenue. He said the detectives who have worked it over the years, in particular Detective Steve Conner, the departments cold case investigator, never quit on. ~Then on Jan. 10, 1984, someone used a hammer to strike 50-year-old Patricia Louise Smith several times in the head in her Lakewood home thus killing her sometime between 3pm and 5pm. You can also see what seems to be escalation and a frenzy of activity at certain points. Full cooperation from Nevada Law Enforcement led to a confirmation of the DNA match. 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. As she turned to leave the car, she felt a tremendous blow on the left side of her head. 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. 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. Both survived. After failing with the EAR, we needed a sidebar showing that the techniques actually work because they do! The Bennett Family Murders ~ Aurora, Colorado ~ January 16, 1984 The Bennett family was your average middle class family living the American dream. Its probably nothing that will move the case forward, but that show is coming out pretty soon so youll be able to find out what that is in just a couple months! A hammer. The case lacked any apparent motive. We didnt just look for all three to match, but also looked for a Ray to Gonna Kill You match, a Ray to Dumb Fuckers match, etc. He also shattered the face of Bruce Bennetts 3-year-old daughter, Vanessa. The bodies of John Paul Bennett, 13, Lacey Bennett, 11, their mother Terri Harris, 35, and Lacey's friend Connie Gent, 11, were discovered at the property near Sheffield, on Sunday morning.. Her clothes were tossed everywhere. 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. 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. We offer a suite of trucking and specialized logistics services, from flatbed and step deck trucking, driveaway, manufactured housing transport and RV delivery to 3PL/4PL logistics, customs brokerage . A coworker informed Bruces mother, Constance, about their absence. </p> Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Bruce and Debra were brutally attacked and killed inside their home, Melissa was killed and also raped. Here are the days of the week the alleged killer struck each victim (s). The same night he escaped, he broke into yet another couples house and attacked the male of the home. In the papers, the most attention is paid to the last state witness, the DNA analyst at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. does anyone think they are actually looking though? They pledged to continue to support the families via their victim services organizations. She too survived the attack, although she was first in a coma for some time. Lauers Chevy Nova was later discovered heading AWAY from the beach. 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. He'd been in the Navy, where he worked on high-tech sonar equipment at Pearl Harbor. Caller: Hi, its me again. Vanessa Benn. He also discarded the knife hed used to kill Bruce. Two different crime labs analyzed the fuzzy imprint, and they came up with different results. No services are scheduled at this time. A hammer lay next to her. The crime scene is the Bennett Family home where 3 out of 4 family members were murdered in January 1984. Ewings DNA profile was entered into CODIS (the FBI's database) this year (2018 as I write this) and the following morning his profile was matched to the DNA found at the crime scenes of both the Bennett family and Patricia Smith. It was later determined to be the murder weapon. Theres no such thing as coincidence. According to property records, the couple stayed in the same house after the attack. 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. Rather than wait until 2019 when the book will be published, we thought wed at least share the results with you. The Bennett family was attacked either the night of Jan. 15 or the morning of Jan. 16. Its quite possible that she wasnt even conscious for any of it. That is what drove him into such an uncontrollable frenzy so fast and that is precisely what stopped the attacks so fast. The killer was practicing, he was unsure of himself and he was unsure of the weapon he would eventually use. This call is important because not only did it occur during an EAR quiet period, but this attack is connected by DNA. The other kids at school would tease her, telling her the hammer man was going to come and finish her off. This murder, which has sat on the cold case shelves for far too long, is in desperate need of this new media attention and the new investigative resources. There are a few very notable ones, particularly because they occurred during quiet periods where the offender wasnt attacking. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Copyright 2023 The cases are commonly known as the 1984 Colorado Hammer Murders. On the night of Jan. 15, a stranger broke into their home and viciously assaulted and attacked the family. 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. 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. 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, Vanessa Bennett ~ 3 ~ Found Alive,Jaw Crushed, Severly Beaten About the Face. She was born August 12, 1946 in Mississippi. Nevada inmate accused of Colorado murders says he'll fight extradition. Patricia missed her husband Oliver, who stayed behind in Nebraska, but she loved being with her daughter and two grandchildren in a bustling city. There was no sign of the couple and theyve never been found. 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 only do research and leave active investigation of these cases to professionals. Are you suggesting that initially investigators missed certain details based off the profile of the dude? 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.
