GUILTY CO - Bruce, 27, Debra, 26, & Melissa Bennett, 7, murdered, Aurora, 16 Jan 1984 *inmate arrest 2019*

[margarita25]

This is the Golden Age of cold-case solving! Second Golden Age--the first one came with the first DNA identifications.

Indeed.

 

[dotr]

Investigation into 1984 murders with hammer has reached ‘critical stage,’ police say
"The news conference will be held Friday morning at 10 a.m.

FOX31 and Channel 2 plan to stream the press conference on our website and Facebook pages if possible."

 

[margarita25]

Investigation into 1984 murders with hammer has reached ‘critical stage,’ police say
"The news conference will be held Friday morning at 10 a.m.

FOX31 and Channel 2 plan to stream the press conference on our website and Facebook pages if possible."

Wow!

 

[Jennifer17]

So, is he the black man that was involved in the other case of hammer attack?

 

[margarita25]

The Haubenschild attacker was described as "African American" but DNA from Patricia Smith and the Bennett murders show a white perpetrator. Perhaps the Haubenschild attack was done by someone else and it's not related to the Smith/Bennett cases?

Also, only the Smith and Bennett cases are connected by scientific evidence.

Marking

 

[Jennifer17]

I am not sure that the Haubenschild attack is true. He had a head injury and she had a concussion? No rape just a few blows to the head?

 

[Nina Michigan]

So, is he the black man that was involved in the other case of hammer attack?

If you read further upthread, it was a white perp (based on DNA) who attacked the Bennett family, Donna Holm and murdered Smith. It was an African American attacker in the Haubenschild case.

 

[Ontario Mom]

I just started reading about this case this morning and was SO blown away by the brand new developments. I went here Inmates | Nevada Department of Corrections and searched based on the genealogy clue previously released and compared the inmate photo to the photo here Unsolved: The Bennett family murders and the likeness is truly incredible.

ETA:

"Last year Conner commissioned a sketch created by DNA profilers to show what the killer may have looked like. He also worked with a forensic genealogist who determined a possible last name for the murderer: Ewing. But those clues have not led to any breaks in the case."
Aurora cold case investigators seek genealogy DNA link to solve notorious hammer murders

 

[dotr]

I just started reading about this case this morning and was SO blown away by the brand new developments. I went here Inmates | Nevada Department of Corrections and searched based on the genealogy clue previously released and compared the inmate photo to the photo here Unsolved: The Bennett family murders and the likeness is truly incredible.

ETA:

"Last year Conner commissioned a sketch created by DNA profilers to show what the killer may have looked like. He also worked with a forensic genealogist who determined a possible last name for the murderer: Ewing. But those clues have not led to any breaks in the case."
Aurora cold case investigators seek genealogy DNA link to solve notorious hammer murders

Thanks for the very handy links, yikes!

 

[LR1]

The clue given if it does turn out to be him blew me away. That is quite an advancement in techniques. We do want to be careful though and make sure it's him and he's been matched to the offender dna sample. I think we should not put any names in the thread until it's confirmed. I also wouldn't want to steal their thunder if it is him. Calling a press conference three days out is a little puzzling. I guess maybe they're doing a follow up test to confirm.

The James H and wife attack was not reported to be a black guy in the press that I remember. I believe that one post in this thread is the only time it was mentioned so not sure we can take that as fact.

 

[Ontario Mom]

The clue given if it does turn out to be him blew me away. That is quite an advancement in techniques. We do want to be careful though and make sure it's him and he's been matched to the offender dna sample. I think we should not put any names in the thread until it's confirmed. I also wouldn't want to steal their thunder if it is him. Calling a press conference three days out is a little puzzling. I guess maybe they're doing a follow up test to confirm.

The James H and wife attack was not reported to be a black guy in the press that I remember. I believe that one post in this thread is the only time it was mentioned so not sure we can take that as fact.

Agreed. If you follow the statements in the media already, such as "The alleged suspect in the case has been convicted of previous crimes, including attempted murder, use of a deadly weapon, burglary and aggravated escape." and "Santina confirmed that an inmate matching the name and prisoner number The Post provided is incarcerated in Nevada and is eligible for parole in 2021." from here Sources: Aurora police have possible suspect in 1984 Bennett family hammer attacks then see who's still in custody with the surname given, there's only one match. If you then note the county he was sentenced in and pull up the county court records https://www.clarkcountycourts.us/Anonymous/Search.aspx?ID=400 there's also only 1 person with the same last name and the same exact charges.

I expect LE will publicly name him on Friday but I do find it interesting the date the charges were filed in Nevada. September 1984.

 

[LR1]

Agreed. If you follow the statements in the media already, such as "The alleged suspect in the case has been convicted of previous crimes, including attempted murder, use of a deadly weapon, burglary and aggravated escape." and "Santina confirmed that an inmate matching the name and prisoner number The Post provided is incarcerated in Nevada and is eligible for parole in 2021." from here Sources: Aurora police have possible suspect in 1984 Bennett family hammer attacks then see who's still in custody with the surname given, there's only one match. If you then note the county he was sentenced in and pull up the county court records https://www.clarkcountycourts.us/Anonymous/Search.aspx?ID=400 there's also only 1 person with the same last name and the same exact charges.

I expect LE will publicly name him on Friday but I do find it interesting the date the charges were filed in Nevada. September 1984.

Yeah I found all that last night and expressed that one page back. They put out a statement cautioning anything that don't come from LE so that is the reason I didn't lay it all out as you have. If this was indeed a dna match as the media implies then its gonna be him.

 

[Ontario Mom]

In doing some digging I've come across something rather odd and I'm not sure what to make of it. Just 5 days ago, someone posted 8 old newspaper articles of the (alleged suspect name) from August 1984 and his crimes back then, as well as 3 newspaper articles about the Bennett family, at the newspapers dot com site.

 

[Ontario Mom]

Yeah I found all that last night and expressed that one page back. They put out a statement cautioning anything that don't come from LE so that is the reason I didn't lay it all out as you have. If this was indeed a dna match as the media implies then its gonna be him.

Just repeating what's already been said in the MSM.

 

[LR1]

Just repeating what's already been said in the MSM.

I think we're good. We've just highlighted the trail of crumbs laid out by the Post, if it turns out to be a mix up we'll just blame the Post. Now if this was Ontario we might all be in trouble.

 

[Nina Michigan]

The James H and wife attack was not reported to be a black guy in the press that I remember. I believe that one post in this thread is the only time it was mentioned so not sure we can take that as fact.

I covered this case on Episode 57 of my podcast, in researching the episode I spoke with Steve Connor (detective on the case) and he confirmed for me that it was an AA male who assaulted the Haubenschilds. YMMV

 

[wary]

Agreed. If you follow the statements in the media already, such as "The alleged suspect in the case has been convicted of previous crimes, including attempted murder, use of a deadly weapon, burglary and aggravated escape." and "Santina confirmed that an inmate matching the name and prisoner number The Post provided is incarcerated in Nevada and is eligible for parole in 2021." from here Sources: Aurora police have possible suspect in 1984 Bennett family hammer attacks then see who's still in custody with the surname given, there's only one match. If you then note the county he was sentenced in and pull up the county court records https://www.clarkcountycourts.us/Anonymous/Search.aspx?ID=400 there's also only 1 person with the same last name and the same exact charges.

I expect LE will publicly name him on Friday but I do find it interesting the date the charges were filed in Nevada. September 1984.

Attempted murder....I wonder if it was a hammer he used.

And if this is the one--he was incarcerated years before DNA tests. Moved to another state, cooled off a few months, and tried it again. And the public's been safe from him all these years--that's a relief.

 

[Ontario Mom]

Attempted murder....I wonder if it was a hammer he used.

And if this is the one--he was incarcerated years before DNA tests. Moved to another state, cooled off a few months, and tried it again. And the public's been safe from him all these years--that's a relief.

Not from everything I've been able to find, no. But there were 2 instances and in both a blunt object was used so... very similar MO.

 

[wary]

Not from everything I've been able to find, no. But there were 2 instances and in both a blunt object was used so... very similar MO.

I'm guessing from the burglary charge that he may have attacked a stranger, in their home? If so, that fits the MO, too.

 

[JPlott]

Attempted murder....I wonder if it was a hammer he used.

And if this is the one--he was incarcerated years before DNA tests. Moved to another state, cooled off a few months, and tried it again. And the public's been safe from him all these years--that's a relief.

Nope it was an axe handle