On November 7, 2014, police announced they had arrested Charles "Chase" Merritt, Joseph . He took her to the floor and sexually assaulted her. The child died from her injuries. All rights reserved. This was the last time the Bennetts were seen alive. This is a very unique activity, and it helps tie the EARONS crimes together based on M.O. Listen and Subscribe to The Generation Why Podcast! Now She's Speaking Out, Mass. There was no sign of the couple and theyve never been found. James, who posts online from time to time, discusses how vividly the case still haunts him even to this day. The blow was so severe that her jaw was shattered and her skull was fractured in several places. July 5, 1985 Survivor In Sierra Madre. Sometimes to get a more clear picture of the criminal, one must see him or her as a human being, see him or her as they truly are, feel what they feel, know what they know, feel the wants, needs and desires of that person. How can you describe what he feels during the crime? Toward the end of that series and during the murders, he began experimenting with different types of bindings plastic ties, twine, drapery cord, etc. Murderer of Aurora's Bennett family sentenced to life in prison August 17, 2021 It took 37 years, but on Tuesday, the families of Bruce and Debra Bennett saw justice served. The bludgeoned bodies of husband and wife, Bruce and Debra Bennett, were discovered and it soon became evident that they had both attacked with a knife and beaten to death. The 3-year-old sister, Vanessa, was the only survivor. Read more true crime, cold cases and unsolved mysteries from meHERE<<. No fingerprints or any other usable evidence could be found at the scene. Since they could find no signs of forced entry, police felt that the killer entered through the unlocked door and attacked her. Why did they have to get murdered? A hammer. It could be the store they all shopped in, the road that they all traveled daily to and from work, school, library they attended etc. As a workaround, a well-known forensic genealogist named Colleen Fitzpatrick analyzed the case, and her research came up with the possible surname of Ewing. This finding was announced an the television show, On the Case With Paula Zahn, in February 2018. About a week later, a different hammer was used to kill the Bennetts and their 7-year-old daughter Melissa in Aurora. They do value daylight hours and work them whenever they can during the winter months. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Vanessa Bennett was shocked to receive the phone call identifying the man who murdered her entire family and attempted to murder her in 1984and admits it hasnt quite sunk in. Dont you feel cheated a little? James, a young man not even twenty-five years old yet, had married his wife Kim in August of 1982. ': Ohio Man Sentenced for Murdering Family of 8, Accused Stockton Serial Killer Charged with 4 More Murders, Bringing Total to 7, She Saw Her Family Murdered by a Hammer-Wielding Stranger When She Was 3. <p>Bruce Bennett, 27, was fatally stabbed and bludgeoned. Recently, the Sun-Gazette has reported that Joseph DeAngelo, the man arrested for the Visalia Ransacker / Golden State Killer crimes, has been added to the suspect list. Both men were fiercely dedicated to seeing this case solved, and Conner started an effort to use every technology available to him to identify the offender. According to some sources, they were able to match a shoe print from the Bennett household to a shoe print found in the garage at the Donna Dixon assault. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Copyright 2023 Bruce Bennett ~ 27 ~ Found Murdered January 16, 1984, Debra Bennett ~ 26 ~ Found Murdered, Sexually Assaulted January 16, 1984, Melissa Bennett ~7 ~ Found Murdered, Sexually Assaulted January 16, 1984, Vanessa Bennett ~ 3 ~ Found Alive,Jaw Crushed, Severly Beaten About the Face. All four of them were attacked inside the home that night, only Vanessa survived. alone. It took 37 years, but on Tuesday, the families of Bruce and Debra Bennett saw justice served. Sometime between 9:00 PM on the 15th and 10:00 AM on the 16th (most likely between midnight and six), an intruder entered the Bennett home. Required fields are marked *. The hammer stuck her in the jaw, shattering the bone which splintered in an explosion of small fragments that punctured her windpipe. January 10th, 1984 started just like any other day, with Patricia dropping off her daughter and grandkids at work/school. Both district attorneys addressed the possibility of capital punishment being on the table, discussing that 1984 laws do seem to allow the possibility, and that its the hardest decision that a DA has to make and it wont be one thats made lightly. Why did they have to get murdered? But thanks to modern technology and the incredible talent and dedication of several individuals, it seems this case has finally been solved. They were living in Aurora and planned to make a life together there. For over thirty years, this killer has remained unidentified. They also looked across state lines looking for similar or like crimes and to date, they have not one suspect. He fed the need. The childs skull was caved in on the right side of her forehead and a metal plate was inserted to reshape the skull. The Bennett family. They saw her parents killer as a boogeyman who would attack and them and kill them if they went anywhere near little Vanessas home for parties or play dates. Required fields are marked *. I dont I think they are just waiting on a dna match thats all they ever do. He went into the process of requesting extradition of the suspect, with the request soon going to the governors office and the process taking up to a couple of months. He finds his release from the level of pain he inflicts on the victim, the level of violence he is able to achieve. The Colorado killings followed two other attacks near Denver that either involved or were suspected of involving a hammer. In that homicide, DNA evidence was found matching Ewing. Often times a profilerwill come up with a profile that fits into a box, the box was made from materials that were provided by profiles obtained from past criminals who committed similar crimes, which is a really great place to start. Laid out in this manner, not only can you see the ratio of prowlings to ransackings, but you can get a feel for any patterns that mightve occurred, and you can clearly see when he was most active and when he was dormant. The FAIR School, Minneapolis Public Schools and West Metro Education Program. RELATED: Bennett family murders: Full coverage of suspect's trial. On the night of January 16th, 1984 a gruesome discovery was made at a house on 16300 East Center Drive, Aurora. Remember me? The hammer struck her in the jaw, shattering the bone which splintered in an explosion of small fragments that punctured her windpipe. He assured the public that theyll move with all appropriate speed.. They had recently purchased a new home in Aurora for their young family, consisting of Melissa and a younger sister who was 3 years old. Not only was she left with physical injuries and scars as a reminder of the attack, but she was also left with ADHD, PTSD, and bipolar disorder. The Attack happened between midnight and 6 a.m. on Jan. 16, 1984. Victim #24received a call from a voice that she identified as the EARs. Bruce and Debra Bennett lived with their daughter Melissa and younger daughter, Vanessa. But what about his second? Prosecutors alleged Ewing raped Melissa Bennett before killing her. But new technology is getting detectives closer and closer to solving the brutal mystery. Investigators said he also sexually assaulted Melissa before she died from being beaten. Would you like to contribute as an editor or a writer on our site? Youre going to suck my cock again.. Sadly technology was not as advanced in the mid-eighties as it is today, and the case went cold, remaining that way for over 30 years. Jason Bennett, who is understood to be the father of two of the. During sentencing Aug. 17, members of the Bennett and Large families submitted impact statements and came to the courtroom. I lost the person who I was supposed to be.. I write about old, unsolved cases from the pre-DNA era. Look at the area, the artery that the crimes were committed along. The guy here fit the profile you provided over that of the fbi. KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) _ Two men were arrested Friday in the killing of an elderly man and his wife, a crime whose brutality traumatized this small town and went unsolved for more than a year. Police later linked the murder of the Bennett family with another rape and murder that happened just less than a week before. They lived on a peaceful cul-de-sac where most of the houses had recently been finished and were yet to be sold. The police swarmed through the residence, quickly assessing the condition of each family member as they cordoned off certain areas of the home to gather evidence. Ewing is arrested and incarcerated. Here are the Small Town Murder show particulars: Small Town Murder. It begins with a woman killed with a hammer in Lakewood and, a week later, a family killed the same way. Ewings DNA profile was entered into CODIS (the FBI's database) this year (2018 as I write this) and the following morning his profile was matched to the DNA found at the crime scenes of both the Bennett family and Patricia Smith. A hammer was used to kill Patricia Louise Smith, 50, in Lakewood Jan. 10, 1984. While closure and peace may be forever out of reach, the panelists hope for a sense of justice among those affected. There was evidence of a struggle in the bedroom. Never profile someone using the box as your guide. Bruce, his wife Debra and 7-year-old Melissa were found dead. A brief question and answer session involved the police asking any residents or witnesses to come forward with anything they might know in relation to these crimes so that the prosecution can continue to build its case. The backyard of the home was the only one in the area without a fence, and it backed up to a dark and lonely portion of Alameda Avenue. Calls Toyota Celica was found at a river overlook several hours after he and Hailey went on their first date. He faced six . She made her way to the bedroom and went to bed. Here are a few of the notable phone calls: January 15th, 1979 Immediately she went over the home to investigate. The case got a jolt in 2009 when a retired FBI photographer used graphic images from the crime scenes during a class lecture. This is a harsh, cold fact profilers must learn if they are to more accurately profile. Forensic evidence was hard to retrieve due to the decomposed state of the bodies, but its been reported that the two may have been stabbed to death. The womens bodies were found inside Thomas vehicle. Jun 2004 - 201612 years. Although she had no memory of the attack, what happened that night in 1984. Theyd moved there around Thanksgiving from another place a few miles away, and had so far enjoyed their quiet, developing neighborhood. The house of Safdar Ali, who is allegedly a close aide of Atiq Ahmad, was demolished by the administration. He shouted her name, but she could only groan in response. Date: September 19th/22nd, 1987 It begins with a woman killed with a hammer in Lakewood and, a week later, a family killed the same way in Aurora. "There is no punishment that is too harsh for you and I will do everything in my power to make sure you never draw a free breath ever again.". Although she had no memory of the attack, what happened that night in 1984 would negatively impact the rest of her life. Reporters and detectives subsequently learned that very little of the evidence from the scenes had been combed through using modern forensic technology, including DNA testing. She had no idea how she got there and she didnt feel any pain. If it were me, I would explore other possibilities in terms of profiling my suspect here, explore past just some guy who was currently working construction in the area or druggies who killed in a drug fueled rage. The world turned a painful red and Donna began to lose consciousness. Sometime between 1990 and 1992 The rapes are secondary crimes. At around 8:00 PM on January 10th, 1984, her boyfriend Ron Holm arrived home. My heart hurts that this happened! Three members of the Bennett family were brutally killed in their Aurora home. See them as the killer did, see the victims as the killer did at that moment. The previous week, on the 10th of January,awoman in her fifties named Patricia Smith had also been murdered in her own home in a townhouse in Green Mountain, Lakewood, which is just a 25 minute drive from the Bennetts home in Aurora. In 2015, information leaked that there was important clue found at the Bennett scene. The money was never claimed. The slain girl's younger sister, Vanessa Bennett, who was 3 at the time, survived the life-threatening injuries she sustained in the vicious beating. In June 2002, former Arapahoe County Colorado, District Attorney Jim Peters obtained a John Doe arrest warrant in the Bennett killings based on the DNA. De Ligonnes Family. Bizberg Themes, Forensic Science and Cyber Forensics Quiz (Free). Shed left the garage door open and most likely left the door unlocked as she went upstairs, removed her wig, and turned the television on. Sometimes it works, sometimes its sort of right, sometimes not even close. Victim #14received a phone call from a man who whispered Remember when we played? She positively identified the man as the voice of the East Area Rapist. What we do know is that he likes the level of violence a blunt object signifies. A coworker informed Bruces mother, Constance, about their absence. Now we know that Patricia's murder is connected to the Bennett Family murders in Aurora, Colorado. Special recognition was given to Detective Steve Conner from the Major Crimes Unit who, incidentally was at the scene of the Bennett crime as a young deputy, and who has worked the case for many, many years. It begins with a woman killed with a hammer in Lakewood and, a week later, a family killed the same way. This killer strikes with such violence that it is difficult to understand, see or know of a possible motive. At the conclusion of his comments, he introduced his former boss, Peter Weir. Alexander Christopher Ewing is already behind bars, serving 40 years for two counts of attempted murder in the state of Nevada. I should also note that the data becomes a bit skewed in that month because of the fact that the Snelling murder, being a homicide investigation, resulted in a much more thorough sweep of the area and more prowling incidents were recorded that wouldve otherwise been left unreported. Fourth Crime Scene Not only was she left with physical injuries and scars as a reminder of the attack, she was also left with ADHD, PTSD and bipolar disorder. Ewing was convicted of killing 27-year-old Bruce and 26 year-old Debra Bennett, as well as their 7-year-old daughter Melissa, in Aurora. The colossal 1,772-acre South Carolina hunting farm where Maggie and Paul. On the night of Jan. 15, a stranger broke into their home and viciously assaulted and attacked the family. The next thing Donna remembered was waking up naked in the garage. He also shattered the face of Bruce Bennetts 3-year-old daughter, Vanessa. does anyone think they are actually looking though? This phone call came just two days after the breaking news that the East Area Rapist crimes had been tied by DNA to the murders in Southern California. Amazingly, it was thought that spending so many hours naked on the garage floor in the freezing temperatures may have kept her from bleeding to death. I didnt just lose my parents and my sister, she said. Is it not true that you usually get police closer to a suspect faster than they ever could without using dna? There is no innocent explanation for how you explain all of the evidence.. She screamed because he would have had to go through an open gate into their yard. By far, easier prey lay in wait just north which would be Colfax Ave and at the time might not have hit the news like the murder of the Bennett family did had the crime occurred in a neighborhood more near Colfax. The first sign of trouble came in the afternoon, when Patricia failed to pick them up. The jury found Ewing guilty on all counts. On Friday, August 10th, 2018 at 10:00 AM Mountain Time, a press conference was held to announce that two different jurisdictions in Colorado were filing charges against a man named Alex Christopher Ewing for the Patricia Smith and Bennett family homicides. The Bennett family was your average middle class family living the American dream. This killers only motive was to kill. All four family members were assaulted, only one survived. Second Crime Scene Forensic Yard ", She added: "I lost my sanity. Her head was constantly swimming with thoughts of her parents. It would be nearly twenty-four hours total before she was found. How to Become a Crime Scene Investigator in India? Those were the sentencing rules in 1984, and since these crimes were committed at that time, Ewing is grandfathered into those standards. Only the calls or phone events where the caller was believed to be the rapist are included. Alex Ewing on trial for the murder of three members of the Bennett family (credit: Aurora Sentinel). Another resident, Donna Dixon, was also struck with a hammer. Your email address will not be published. The 2001 call didnt happen too long ago and makes it a little too close for comfort, though theres something positive to be said for the idea that the offender could still be alive and could still face justice for his crimes. He could have found other ways to feed the need. Third Crime Scene Its quite possible that she wasnt even conscious for any of it. Become a Patreon Supporter for bonus content! Investigators noted there was evidence of a struggle at the house. Kevin Vaughan on Twitter: "NEW TONIGHT: #9WantsToKnow has obtained this mugshot of Alex Christopher Ewing, the suspect in two 1984 hammer murders. As she turned to leave the car, she felt a tremendous blow on the left side of her head. "The Crown prosecutor who is prosecuting my case in September seems like a dog with a . She was also left with a shattered pelvis and fell into in a coma. The Bennett Family Murders ~ Aurora, Colorado ~ January 16, 1984 The Bennett family was your average middle class family living the American dream. I just read this article and Im completely blown away so much of what you speculated turned out to be spot on. A man accused of murdering a mother and three children has also been charged with raping one of the victims, who was 11. Peter Weir, District Attorney of the 1st Judicial District, oversees the area where the Smith murder occurred. 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Yvonne Woods was on the stand for more than three hours . Family photo Police say DNA evidence links Alex Ewing to the 1984 murders of three members of Bruce and Debra Bennett and their 7-year-old daughter Melissa, left.