10-02-2010, 05:52 AM
summing up from WFSB in Hartford:
"What was a vibrant house of people at 9 o'clock became a house of terror and horror"
NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Closing arguments in the trial of Cheshire home invasion suspect Steven Hayes were made on Friday, with the jury set to begin deliberations on Monday.
State's Attorney Michael Dearington began Friday by thanking jurors for their service, and said the case is one of the hardest any juror in the state has ever heard.
Prosecutors then began closing statements by describing a sequence of events beginning on July 23, 2007. Prosecutors described the Petit family having a family dinner, which 11-year-old Michaela made, on the night before the crime while the two suspects, Hayes and Joshua Komisarjevsky, plotted to break into the family's home.
Prosecutors said Hayes told Komisarjevsky he needed money, and that Komisarjevsky asked him how desperate he was. According to prosecutors, Hayes said he would do anything for money, and the pair then planned to break into the Cheshire home and tie up the family and leave with their money.
While the Petits finished their meal, prosecutors said Komisarjevsky and Hayes texted one another about their plan. After eating, Jennifer-Hawke-Petit watched television with Michaela and 17-year-old Hayley while Dr. William Petit read the newspaper on the sun porch.
According to the timeline laid out by prosecutors, Hayes and Komisarjevsky then met and had a beer at a Waterbury bar. The pair drove around until 2 a.m., when they parked in a residential neighborhood and made masks while sitting in their car.
Prosecutors said Hayes and Komisarjevsky walked through the Cheshire neighborhood and decided to break into the Petits' home when they saw Petit sleeping on the couch on the sun porch. Komisarjevsky went into the home through the basement and assaulted Petit with a bat. Prosecutors said Komisarjevsky hit Petit with the bat four or five times and Petit woke up in a daze and feeling pain. Petit felt something warm running down his face and saw two men, who put something over his head before tying up his hands and feet.
One man said, "We want the money and if you cooperate, everything will be alright," prosecutors said. Petit heard the men walking around the home's first floor, and said they asked him where the safe was located. Petit said he told the men there was no safe. The men then went upstairs, first into the home's master bedroom, where Jennifer and Michaela were sleeping, prosecutors said. The men woke the mother and daughter, and tied each of them to their respective beds. Prosecutors said two people were needed to tie Jennifer and Michaela to their beds at the same time. Prosecutors said the men went into Hayley's room and tied her up.
While the prosecutor spoke on Friday, the jury was shown photos of all the rooms and beds in the home.
Prosecutors said the men began rummaging through drawers, and did not find enough money. They said Hayes and Komisarjevsky then found the family's bank documents and changed the plan to bring Jennifer to the bank in the morning and then place the family in a car and burn down the home to get rid of evidence.
According to prosecutors, at 4:45 a.m., Petit heard birds chirping and the men took him into the basement. At 5:30 a.m., Petit said he remembered hearing the sprinklers come on while he was tied to a pole in the basement.
Petit said at 6:45 a.m., he heard his wife calling his office and saying that he would not be in. Prosecutors said at 7:05 a.m., Hayes arrived at the Citgo station where he filled up the car with $10 worth of gas. They said he did not fill the containers used to spread gas throughout the home before it was torched at that gas station.
Prosecutors said at 7:43 a.m., cell phone records show Hayes was in Southington, which is where they said he possibly filled the containers.
Prosecutors told members of the jury that at some point he heard his wife saying that she needed to change and get her purse. They said at 8:45 a.m., a call was made from the Petits' home to the Cheshire Bank of America, for which Hayes and Jennifer left for at 9 a.m.
Prosecutors said at 9:05 Hayes called and communicated with Komisarjevsky. At 9:09 Jennifer walked up to the bank teller window. While at the bank, Jennifer told the teller and bank manager that her family was being held hostage. The manager then made a 911 call.
Jurors, during Friday's closing arguments, again listened to the call made by the Bank of America manager while being shown photos of the money they said Hayes and Komisarjevsky were caught fleeing the Petit house with.
At 9:11, Hayes called Komisarjevsy and said he was concerned that Jennifer was not coming out of the bank. Komisarjevsky told Hayes to "hang in there."
At 9:21 a.m., prosecutors said Jennifer got in the car. Prosecutors said that Hayes did not wear a mask to the bank, so he then had more to worry about than fingerprints because Jennifer knew what he looked like.
Once back at the house, prosecutors said Komisarjevsky told Hayes that he had sexually assaulted Michaela and instructed him to do the same to Jennifer. Prosecutors said Hayes complied.
Petit said he heard thumping on the floor and moaning. Prosecutors tell the jurors that what Petit heard was Jennifer being strangled. Prosecutors said Hayes began smelling gas and Petit said he heard a commotion, and yelled, "Hey, hey!" Petit said he heard a sinister voice shout, "Don't worry, it will be over soon."
Petit said he got an adrenaline rush and freed his hands. He managed to get out of the basement and roll his way to his neighbor's home.
Prosecutors said upstairs, Komisarjevsky began yelling to Hayes that Petit escaped and Hayes ran to grab the money. Hayes began pouring gas on the stairs, and poured gas on Jennifer's body and up to the stairs. Prosecutors said the continuous pour shows Hayes is the one who poured gasoline all the way up to the bedrooms. Prosecutors said Hayes' claims that he only poured gas on the home's stairs do not make sense.
Prosecutors tell the jury that the fire began near Jennifer's body and was started with a match. At 9:57 a.m., prosecutors said both men fled the house. An officer reported seeing Komisarjevsky come out of the house first, and then go back before both men emerged.
Prosecutors said they believe Hayes lit the fire because he was the last one out of the home. They said the fire was so fast moving, it had to be the last man out who lit it.
The prosecution said the crimes committed were not just against the house, but also the people in it. They said Hayes could have walked away at any time, and that he had multiple opportunities to walk away. They said Hayes was part of an evolving plan that left the house burned down.
When caught, prosecutors said Hayes did not tell the officer who was in the home, he just said that things got out of control.
In its closing arguments, the defense said Hayes admits to tying the Petits up, but said things got out of control because of Komisarjevsky. They said Hayes admits to the sexual assault and death of Jennifer, but said he did not specifically intend to kill Michaela and Hayley.
The defense said Hayes used a BB gun, not a real gun in the attack, and that the plan only changed because of Komisarjevsky, who they said barked out orders and was in control.
Hayes' attorneys said he was not in the house when Michaela was sexually assaulted and that he raped Jennifer, but only at the command of Komisarjevsky, who had a bat that Hayes said he knew Komsiarvesky would use. OH HE RAPED HER AT BAT POINT??
Defense attorneys said Jennifer described the captor who took her to the bank as being nice. The defense said there are 17 charges brought against Hayes and that jurors have an obligation to scrutinize each one.
Jurors are set to begin deliberating on Monday. Komisarjevsky is awaiting trial.
"What was a vibrant house of people at 9 o'clock became a house of terror and horror"
NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Closing arguments in the trial of Cheshire home invasion suspect Steven Hayes were made on Friday, with the jury set to begin deliberations on Monday.
State's Attorney Michael Dearington began Friday by thanking jurors for their service, and said the case is one of the hardest any juror in the state has ever heard.
Prosecutors then began closing statements by describing a sequence of events beginning on July 23, 2007. Prosecutors described the Petit family having a family dinner, which 11-year-old Michaela made, on the night before the crime while the two suspects, Hayes and Joshua Komisarjevsky, plotted to break into the family's home.
Prosecutors said Hayes told Komisarjevsky he needed money, and that Komisarjevsky asked him how desperate he was. According to prosecutors, Hayes said he would do anything for money, and the pair then planned to break into the Cheshire home and tie up the family and leave with their money.
While the Petits finished their meal, prosecutors said Komisarjevsky and Hayes texted one another about their plan. After eating, Jennifer-Hawke-Petit watched television with Michaela and 17-year-old Hayley while Dr. William Petit read the newspaper on the sun porch.
According to the timeline laid out by prosecutors, Hayes and Komisarjevsky then met and had a beer at a Waterbury bar. The pair drove around until 2 a.m., when they parked in a residential neighborhood and made masks while sitting in their car.
Prosecutors said Hayes and Komisarjevsky walked through the Cheshire neighborhood and decided to break into the Petits' home when they saw Petit sleeping on the couch on the sun porch. Komisarjevsky went into the home through the basement and assaulted Petit with a bat. Prosecutors said Komisarjevsky hit Petit with the bat four or five times and Petit woke up in a daze and feeling pain. Petit felt something warm running down his face and saw two men, who put something over his head before tying up his hands and feet.
One man said, "We want the money and if you cooperate, everything will be alright," prosecutors said. Petit heard the men walking around the home's first floor, and said they asked him where the safe was located. Petit said he told the men there was no safe. The men then went upstairs, first into the home's master bedroom, where Jennifer and Michaela were sleeping, prosecutors said. The men woke the mother and daughter, and tied each of them to their respective beds. Prosecutors said two people were needed to tie Jennifer and Michaela to their beds at the same time. Prosecutors said the men went into Hayley's room and tied her up.
While the prosecutor spoke on Friday, the jury was shown photos of all the rooms and beds in the home.
Prosecutors said the men began rummaging through drawers, and did not find enough money. They said Hayes and Komisarjevsky then found the family's bank documents and changed the plan to bring Jennifer to the bank in the morning and then place the family in a car and burn down the home to get rid of evidence.
According to prosecutors, at 4:45 a.m., Petit heard birds chirping and the men took him into the basement. At 5:30 a.m., Petit said he remembered hearing the sprinklers come on while he was tied to a pole in the basement.
Petit said at 6:45 a.m., he heard his wife calling his office and saying that he would not be in. Prosecutors said at 7:05 a.m., Hayes arrived at the Citgo station where he filled up the car with $10 worth of gas. They said he did not fill the containers used to spread gas throughout the home before it was torched at that gas station.
Prosecutors said at 7:43 a.m., cell phone records show Hayes was in Southington, which is where they said he possibly filled the containers.
Prosecutors told members of the jury that at some point he heard his wife saying that she needed to change and get her purse. They said at 8:45 a.m., a call was made from the Petits' home to the Cheshire Bank of America, for which Hayes and Jennifer left for at 9 a.m.
Prosecutors said at 9:05 Hayes called and communicated with Komisarjevsky. At 9:09 Jennifer walked up to the bank teller window. While at the bank, Jennifer told the teller and bank manager that her family was being held hostage. The manager then made a 911 call.
Jurors, during Friday's closing arguments, again listened to the call made by the Bank of America manager while being shown photos of the money they said Hayes and Komisarjevsky were caught fleeing the Petit house with.
At 9:11, Hayes called Komisarjevsy and said he was concerned that Jennifer was not coming out of the bank. Komisarjevsky told Hayes to "hang in there."
At 9:21 a.m., prosecutors said Jennifer got in the car. Prosecutors said that Hayes did not wear a mask to the bank, so he then had more to worry about than fingerprints because Jennifer knew what he looked like.
Once back at the house, prosecutors said Komisarjevsky told Hayes that he had sexually assaulted Michaela and instructed him to do the same to Jennifer. Prosecutors said Hayes complied.
Petit said he heard thumping on the floor and moaning. Prosecutors tell the jurors that what Petit heard was Jennifer being strangled. Prosecutors said Hayes began smelling gas and Petit said he heard a commotion, and yelled, "Hey, hey!" Petit said he heard a sinister voice shout, "Don't worry, it will be over soon."
Petit said he got an adrenaline rush and freed his hands. He managed to get out of the basement and roll his way to his neighbor's home.
Prosecutors said upstairs, Komisarjevsky began yelling to Hayes that Petit escaped and Hayes ran to grab the money. Hayes began pouring gas on the stairs, and poured gas on Jennifer's body and up to the stairs. Prosecutors said the continuous pour shows Hayes is the one who poured gasoline all the way up to the bedrooms. Prosecutors said Hayes' claims that he only poured gas on the home's stairs do not make sense.
Prosecutors tell the jury that the fire began near Jennifer's body and was started with a match. At 9:57 a.m., prosecutors said both men fled the house. An officer reported seeing Komisarjevsky come out of the house first, and then go back before both men emerged.
Prosecutors said they believe Hayes lit the fire because he was the last one out of the home. They said the fire was so fast moving, it had to be the last man out who lit it.
The prosecution said the crimes committed were not just against the house, but also the people in it. They said Hayes could have walked away at any time, and that he had multiple opportunities to walk away. They said Hayes was part of an evolving plan that left the house burned down.
When caught, prosecutors said Hayes did not tell the officer who was in the home, he just said that things got out of control.
In its closing arguments, the defense said Hayes admits to tying the Petits up, but said things got out of control because of Komisarjevsky. They said Hayes admits to the sexual assault and death of Jennifer, but said he did not specifically intend to kill Michaela and Hayley.
The defense said Hayes used a BB gun, not a real gun in the attack, and that the plan only changed because of Komisarjevsky, who they said barked out orders and was in control.
Hayes' attorneys said he was not in the house when Michaela was sexually assaulted and that he raped Jennifer, but only at the command of Komisarjevsky, who had a bat that Hayes said he knew Komsiarvesky would use. OH HE RAPED HER AT BAT POINT??
Defense attorneys said Jennifer described the captor who took her to the bank as being nice. The defense said there are 17 charges brought against Hayes and that jurors have an obligation to scrutinize each one.
Jurors are set to begin deliberating on Monday. Komisarjevsky is awaiting trial.