Case overview
On July 23, 2007, two men broke into the Petit family home in Cheshire, Connecticut, held the family hostage for hours, sexually assaulted Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her 11-year-old daughter Michaela, then set the house on fire. Jennifer and her two daughters, Michaela and Hayley, 17, died. Dr. William Petit, severely beaten, escaped.
The night before
Steven Hayes and Joshua Komisarjevsky had been watching the Petit family. On the evening of July 22, they followed Jennifer Hawke-Petit and Michaela home from a local supermarket. The two men returned early the next morning, just after 3:00 a.m., and entered through an unlocked basement door.
They found Dr. Petit asleep on a sunroom couch. Komisarjevsky struck him with a baseball bat. The men tied him up in the basement, then went upstairs and restrained Jennifer, Hayley, and Michaela in their bedrooms.
The hostage period
For several hours, Hayes and Komisarjevsky controlled the household. They demanded money. At approximately 9:00 a.m., they forced Jennifer to go to a Bank of America branch and withdraw $15,000. A bank manager grew suspicious and called police. Jennifer told the teller that two men were holding her family hostage and that they needed the money or her family would be killed.
Police were notified before Jennifer left the bank. Officers arrived near the Petit home and set up a perimeter but did not immediately enter. The men inside were unaware that law enforcement had been alerted.
What happened inside the home
After Jennifer returned with the cash, the situation escalated. Hayes sexually assaulted her. Komisarjevsky photographed Michaela on his cell phone in sexually explicit positions. Both men later acknowledged these acts during trial testimony.
Hayes and Komisarjevsky then poured gasoline throughout the house. They tied Jennifer, Hayley, and Michaela to their beds. Jennifer was strangled. Hayley and Michaela were still alive when the fire was set. Autopsies confirmed both girls died of smoke inhalation.
Dr. Petit, still restrained in the basement, freed himself and escaped through a basement door. He was severely injured but managed to reach a neighbor’s yard, where he collapsed. Neighbors called 911.
Police response and timing
The question of when police entered the home remains central to the case. Officers were positioned outside for several minutes before the fire started. Some witnesses and family members have questioned whether an earlier entry could have prevented the deaths of Jennifer, Hayley, and Michaela.
Police radio logs and testimony showed that officers were preparing a tactical approach when they saw Hayes and Komisarjevsky attempt to flee in the Petit family vehicle. Both men were apprehended in the driveway. By that time, the house was already on fire.
Firefighters arrived and extinguished the blaze. Jennifer’s body was found on the first floor. Hayley and Michaela were found in their bedrooms, still tied to their beds.
Arrests and charges
Steven Hayes and Joshua Komisarjevsky were arrested at the scene. Both were on parole at the time of the crime. Hayes had a history of drug-related offenses and burglary. Komisarjevsky had multiple prior convictions, including burglary and assault.
Prosecutors charged both men with capital murder, sexual assault, kidnapping, burglary, and arson. Connecticut law allowed the death penalty at the time of the crime.
Trial and sentencing
Steven Hayes was tried first in 2010. The jury found him guilty on all 16 counts and sentenced him to death. During the penalty phase, the jury heard testimony about his substance abuse and mental health history but ultimately recommended execution.
Joshua Komisarjevsky was tried separately in 2011. His defense argued that Hayes was the primary aggressor and that Komisarjevsky had not intended for anyone to die. The jury rejected that argument and convicted him on all counts. He was also sentenced to death.
Both men offered apologies during their sentencing hearings. Dr. Petit and other family members provided victim impact statements. Dr. Petit described the loss of his wife and daughters and the trauma of surviving the attack.
The death penalty question
In 2012, Connecticut abolished the death penalty for future crimes. However, the law did not retroactively apply to those already sentenced. Hayes and Komisarjevsky remained on death row.
In 2015, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty violated the state constitution. The court’s decision applied retroactively, and all death sentences in the state were commuted to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Both Hayes and Komisarjevsky are now serving life sentences. Dr. Petit and other family members opposed the commutation. The case continues to be cited in debates over capital punishment, sentencing reform, and the role of the death penalty in cases involving multiple murders.
Disputed evidence and unanswered questions
Several aspects of the case remain points of contention. The timing of the police response has been scrutinized in civil litigation and public debate. Dr. Petit filed a lawsuit against the town of Cheshire in 2017, claiming that officers should have acted sooner. The case was settled confidentially in 2018.
Cell phone records and photographs recovered from Komisarjevsky’s phone provided critical evidence of the crimes. The images were used during trial but were not made public due to their graphic nature.
Defense attorneys argued that both men were under the influence of drugs and alcohol and that their actions were impulsive rather than premeditated. Prosecutors countered that the men had stalked the family, planned the home invasion, and showed deliberation in their actions over several hours.
Aftermath and legislative impact
The Cheshire murders led to significant changes in Connecticut law. In 2007, the state legislature passed a home invasion law that increased penalties for crimes committed during a break-in. The law was named in honor of the Petit family.
Dr. Petit became an advocate for victims’ rights and criminal justice reform. He remarried in 2012 and has continued to speak publicly about the case and the need for stronger protections for crime victims.
The case also prompted debate about parole and recidivism. Both Hayes and Komisarjevsky had been released on parole despite prior convictions. Connecticut’s parole system came under review, and reforms were introduced to tighten supervision and reduce early release for violent offenders.
Where to look next
- Documentary: “The Cheshire Murders” (HBO)
- Book: “In the Middle of the Night: The Shocking True Story of a Family Killed in Cold Blood” by Brian McDonald
- Podcast: “The Cheshire Home Invasion” (“Casefile True Crime”, Casefile Presents)
