GUILTY CT - Jennifer Hawke-Petit, 48, & 2 daughters killed in home invasion, 23 July 2007

[gxm]

closings today, defence asked for continuance as they have just received a pile of letters Hayes sent from jail where he says he has murdered 17 times before and that he had intended to kill Komisarjevsky if they had managed to commit the crime and get away from the house

Judge denied the motion so closings will go ahead

Wow. That's a huge development. IMO, and if these letters really exist, then SH is a serial killer which would strengthen JK's defense that he did not set the fire. It would also provide explanation for his questioning "why" SH killed them during his interrogation.

 

[PrairieWind]

closings today, defence asked for continuance as they have just received a pile of letters Hayes sent from jail where he says he has murdered 17 times before and that he had intended to kill Komisarjevsky if they had managed to commit the crime and get away from the house

Judge denied the motion so closings will go ahead

Hayes's claims seem pretty unlikely to me. For a guy that had spent as much time in prison as he had, and considering how careless he was with the Petit crimes, if he had really killed and/or raped multiple women in the past, he would have been caught.

 

[joe jones]

The article doesn't say when the letters were supposed to have been written. Nor does it say how the defense came into possession of them.

one was intercepted at the jail and not sent, I presume they then went to the person who was to have received the letter (was a woman according to twitter) and may have recovered other letters,

the state handed them to defence once they had received them, and seems they only got them very recently - and as they were first brought up today it is likely that state and defence probably got them since close of defence CIC and today was the first day back in court for the defence to bring them up

they will probably feature more in the penalty phase if he is convicted of capital charges

 

[gxm]

Hayes's claims seem pretty unlikely to me. For a guy that had spent as much time in prison as he had, and considering how careless he was with the Petit crimes, if he had really killed and/or raped multiple women in the past, he would have been caught.

I agree that it could be what a sick mind considers "bragging." It's possible he was trying to "impress" the woman he was writing to and just making stuff up. I can't imagine that LE won't follow up to see if there are any murders that fit his descriptions and that occurred when SH was not in jail. That said, it's still persuasive evidence for JK's defense.

 

[PrairieWind]

I agree that it could be what a sick mind considers "bragging." It's possible he was trying to "impress" the woman he was writing to and just making stuff up. I can't imagine that LE won't follow up to see if there are any murders that fit his descriptions and that occurred when SH was not in jail. That said, it's still persuasive evidence for JK's defense.

Oh I'm sure LE is following up on it to see if they can match any unsolved crimes to Hayes, recheck to see if there is any DNA matches etc. But I'd bet pretty heavily that its not true. So why would he say it? Could be attempts to brag or impress as you say. Or could be an attempt to show he is unbalanced in an attempt to gain a finding of incompetance. Or it could be that Hayes really "gone around the bend." I dont think we know near enough about these letters and the context in which they were sent know. I wonder who this recipient was and what her connection to Hayes was?

 

[joe jones]

jury will begin deliberations tomorrow

 

[UdbCrzy2]

While the defense has tried to blame Hayes, prosecutors reminded the jury that the sole survivor testified there was one voice doing the talking during the crime. They cited examples in Komisarjevsky's confession in which he says he was the one talking to William Petit.

"He's the one who's controlling the situation," said States Attorney Michael Dearington. "He's calling the shots."

http://www.ktul.com/story/15665104/closing-arguments-set-in-home-invasion-trial

 

[UdbCrzy2]

Oh I'm sure LE is following up on it to see if they can match any unsolved crimes to Hayes, recheck to see if there is any DNA matches etc. But I'd bet pretty heavily that its not true. So why would he say it? Could be attempts to brag or impress as you say. Or could be an attempt to show he is unbalanced in an attempt to gain a finding of incompetance. Or it could be that Hayes really "gone around the bend." I dont think we know near enough about these letters and the context in which they were sent know. I wonder who this recipient was and what her connection to Hayes was?

They probably have already checked his DNA from past felony convictions. I don't understand why someone would want to write and be friends with a convicted murderer. This isn't the first time I've heard of inmates like him having a groupie fan base.

I don't think the jury will be kind to JK even though he has submitted mitigating evidence. There is no mitigating evidence that he could show me that topples the aggravating evidence in this case.

 

[PrairieWind]

Defense this morning asks to reopen testimony so they can present evidence from the Hayes letters. Judge says the letters are perhaps more likely to incriminate JK than help him; says they can be used in penalty phase. Time to get this to jury. I'm not sure the letters would be admissible anyway.

 

[PrairieWind]

"nhrlive Before jury entered, Donovan made day's 3rd mistrial motion. He says jury expert saw jurors roll eyes at something that was said. #Komis "
Wow. I wonder if the juror was rolling his eyes like I am now. Or like Judge Blue did at this motion for mistrial.

 

[PrairieWind]

Judge Blue sends jury out to elect its foreman and begin deliberations.

 

[joe jones]

jurors gone home for the day without a verdict

 

[ziggy]

And now we wait. This heartbreaking story needs a good ending.

 

[2goldfish]

I will wish fervently that this fella gets the polar opposite of the anthony jury - that they deliberate long and hard...vote guilty...hand down a death sentence.

I'm not usually a brutal supporter of the death penalty but if I ever saw a crime that it was made for, it's this monster and the other one who did get it.

 

[Madeleine74]

I don't understand how they could not come back with a "guilty" verdict right away. The bigger issue will be the debate for or against the DP. Yeah, yeah, I know. All those charges and forms and yadaa yadda.

 

[cece5300]

Didn't the deliberations for SH take something like 5 days? I don't like the idea of waiting that long (it's agonizing!) but it's worth it if the jury comes back with a Guilty verdict. I can't imagine how they couldn't, but we'll see.

I can't wait for this to be over. Hopefully Dr. Petit can move on after these nightmare trials and begin his life of healing

 

[dr dona]

keep coming back for Jury watch. No way could I find him not guilty on every charge. And, like many others I think he was mastermind--Hayes was the dumb sheep (follower).

 

[joe jones]

jurors back to deliberate, I doubt they are taking long over guilty v not guilty, I think the focus will be on whether they convict him on the capital charges and then have to go through the penalty phase

 

[PrairieWind]

jurors back to deliberate, I doubt they are taking long over guilty v not guilty, I think the focus will be on whether they convict him on the capital charges and then have to go through the penalty phase

Probably haggling a bit over some of the issues like Mrs. Petit's rape and murder. Should jk be guitlty of the crime or the facilitation, etc. I would think (for what that is worth) that as the jury works thru the verdict form they will almost undoubtably find JK guilty of capital crimes. The question will be how many.

 

[PrairieWind]

keep coming back for Jury watch. No way could I find him not guilty on every charge. And, like many others I think he was mastermind--Hayes was the dumb sheep (follower).

That is what my gut tells me too. And I feel the evidence supports that. But even a dumb follower could have made the plan to burglarize/rob go haywire, simply because he is dumb. But even if that did happen, JK was clearly the instigator for the burgalry in the first place, so he would be responsible for putting Hayes and the Petits on that collision course. But as I said, I believe JK was fully involved in the decision to get the gas and burn the home/family. Not sure when that decision was arrived at, but its irrelevant.