Thaindian News

New Haven, Nov 8 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Steven Hayes has been sentenced to death for the 2007 killing of a woman and her two daughters. Steven was convicted of killing Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her two daughters Hayley and Michaela during a gruesome robbery that lasted seven hours.

After their deliberations, the jury returned the death sentence on Steven. He was found guilty and the jury returned the death sentence on all the charges. Steven was found guilty of killing Hawke-Petit and Michaela and Hayley 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. All of these charges carry the death penalty and technically that means Steven has been sentenced to death six times.

The husband and father of the victims - Dr. William Petit Jr. showed a lot of emotions as the names of his wife and two children were read out. It ought to be mentioned that 47-year-old Steven broke into the house of the Petits with another man, Joshua Komisarjevsky. During the course of the home invasion which lasted seven hours, the accused persons ransacked the house in search of money and valuables and Jennifer was forced escorted to the bank by Hayes to withdraw money for them. When they left the house, Joshua sexually assaulted Michaela Petit who was just 11 years old.

When Hayes returned with Jennifer later, he raped her before strangling her to death. The pair later poured gasoline on the house and burnt it to the ground, killing Hayley and Michaela in the process. Doctors later certified that the pair died as a result of the smoke they inhaled into their body.

Joshua is still being tried for his role in the act.