I believe he killed again no way he stopped. Patricia had come home from work for lunch, stopping at Wendys on the way. Designed by Flatbed Trucking Company Bennett Motor Express is the premier open deck general freight carrier in the US. She made her way to the bedroom and went to bed. / CBS Colorado. Determine the level of organization/disorganization of each crime scene. What are Dr. Bennett's areas of care? Vanessa Bennett sat under a picnic shelter on a muggy Arizona morning and talked for the first time about the physical and emotional toll she bears as the only surviving victim of one of. WordPress. KUSA reports that Vanessa recounted for the courtroom how the critical head injuries she survived left her with a lifetime of problems, including depression, anxiety, anger and struggles with heroin abuse. If they were used shoelaces, youd expect to find a vast array of particles and wear-and-tear. Patricia had only been living in Lakewood for about three and a half months, having moved there from Nebraska with her daughter, who was recently divorced. At approximately 2:00 AM on January 4th, 1984, an intruder came through an unlocked garage door. Forensic Yard He finds his release from the level of pain he inflicts on the victim, the level of violence he is able to achieve. The sprawling Colorado home where 6-year-old beauty pageant contestant JonBenet Ramsey was murdered in 1996 is listed for sale for a cool $7 million. Her purse was found nearby some money had been stolen from it. It seemed that robbery was not the primary motive only the personal jewelry that Patricia was wearing was missing from the scene. Yvonne Missy Woods, a DNA analyst at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), was the last of 25 prosecution witnesses called to the stand in Ewings trial on multiple counts of first-degree murder in the hammer killings of Bruce and Debra Bennett and their daughter, Melissa. This killer strikes with such violence that it is difficult to understand, see or know of a possible motive. We move long-haul and short-haul loads to anywhere in the lower 48 states for commercial and government entities. The blow was so severe that her jaw was shattered and her skull was fractured in several places. 28-year-old Bruce Bennett had jumped into action when the attacker entered the family home and a struggle broke out between the two as Bennett attempted to protect his family. This case impacted not just the victims, but it also terrorized an entire community, he said. Lauers Chevy Nova was later discovered heading AWAY from the beach. He then found the couples oldest daughter, 7 year old Melissa, who tragically suffered the same terrible fate as her mother. The Colorado killings followed two other attacks near Denver that either involved or were suspected of involving a hammer. Ewings DNA profile was entered into CODIS (the FBIs database) in 2018 and his profile was matched to the DNA found at the crime scenes of both the Bennett family and Patricia Smith. The garage door was still open. They didnt feel that he forced his way into the home as she entered it herself due to the television, wig, and Wendys receipt being located upstairs. Toward the end of that series and during the murders, he began experimenting with different types of bindings plastic ties, twine, drapery cord, etc. He then proceeded to charge John Doe with 18 counts, including three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of sexual assault, first-degree assault and two counts of sexual assault on a child and burglary. Ron showed his commitment to Donna by marrying her in May 1984, just a few months after the ghastly attack and before she was even fully recovered. The couples youngest daughter, 3 year old Vanessa, was also attacked by the hammer wielding assailant. He fed the need. Constance Bennett, the mother of murder victim Bruce Bennett, is questioned defense attorney Katherine Powers Spengler during Alex Ewing's murder trial, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in an Arapahoe County Court in Centennial, Colo. Ewing is accused of killing Bruce and Debra Bennett and their 7-year-old daughter Melissa in Aurora in January 1984. They remain married to this day. They pledged to continue to support the families via their victim services organizations. Alexander Ewings list of seemingly endless violent crimes are described throughout the many articles published about him since he has been identified as the man behind the murder of the Bennett family. 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. The hammer stuck her in the jaw, shattering the bone which splintered in an explosion of small fragments that punctured her windpipe. Report of July 5, 2022 officer-involved shooting in Report of July 21, 2022 officer-involved shooting in Jury returns guilty verdict in mass shooting at Aurora man sentenced to decades in prison for Man sentenced to two consecutive life sentences for Parolee and former Scout leader with history of Lone Tree bowling alley shooter sentenced to 23 Report of March 3, 2022 officer-involved shooting in Colorado District Attorneys Council honors trial team for Jury finds man guilty in former CU football Report of July 5, 2022 officer-involved shooting in Aurora, Report of July 21, 2022 officer-involved shooting in Englewood, Man sentenced to two consecutive life sentences for murdering couple who responded to advertisement for used car. 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. This killeris more the type that would self medicate more than likely be a heavy drinker as opposed to taking medication. On August 7th, 2018, it was announced that there were significant new developments in the Smith/Bennett case, and that a news conference would be held at 10:00 AM on Friday, August 10th with more information. Miraculously, both of them survived the assault, though James suffered from a fractured skull and his wife suffered a concussion. 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. He tore her clothes off, tossed them about the garage, and then he raped her on the concrete floor. All three were beaten to death with a claw hammer. He shouted her name, but she could only groan in response. Over 200 Million Downloads! DENVER- The Bennett family murders is a case that goes back more than three decades. Sole survivor of 1984 Aurora hammer attack testifies on opening day of murder trial She recently gave an interview, which you can view here (, Summary of Press Conference on 1984 Hammer Murders, you can review my extensive post from yesterday, Secret Origin of the Golden State Killer: Visalia Ransacker, High-resolution version of Mr Cruels mask, Tribute to Robert Offerman and Debra Manning, Ligatures Used by the East Area Rapist / Golden State Killer, he almost always forced his penis into his victims bound hands, Audio Comparison of EAR Calls The Results, Phone Calls where the East Area Rapist Spoke, https://www.coldcase-earons.com/phonecalls.php, Visalia Ransacker Incident Chart: Prowlings vs Ransackings over time. Medical professionals werent sure if the hammer attack would leaveVanessa with permanent brain damage or not, but the girls family held on to the hope that she would make a full recovery. He then tries to strangle her with a telephone . Before Donna Dixon was even found, another crime had taken place 26 miles to the west in the city of Lakewood. He tossed it onto the seat of the car and began pulling her from the vehicle. He went on to continually beat the mans wife as she attempted to shield her husband from the blows of an ax handle while simultaneously on the phone to 911. Perhaps, though put in tp the system (and hopefully still there, maybe for good), his DNA was never taken to match the DNA from the crime scenes. The other kids at school would tease her, telling her the hammer man was going to come and finish her off. Bruce Bennett tried to climb the staircase several times in an attempt to ward off the perpetrator and save his young family. 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. On November 7, 2014, police announced they had arrested Charles "Chase" Merritt, Joseph . This killer is indiscriminate in terms of who he kills, attacks or rapes. Even to this day, she has absolutely no recollection of the next several hours. Jun 2004 - 201612 years. The jury found Ewing guilty on all counts. Even though Vanessas jaw was crushed, sending jagged bones into her windpipe, she survived after her grandmother, Constance Bennett, checked on the family later that morning when they didnt show up to work at a family-owned furniture store. 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. In just two days,. DNA at both the Bennett crime Scene and the Smith crime scene were matched to the same killer in 2010. Police felt that the killer brought his own weapon to the scene it didnt appear that any of the tools or hammers at the home had been rifled through. Forensics determined that the hammers used in each of the attacks were different, and that there didnt appear to be anything terribly useful in the way of fingerprints or other evidence. I would not limit the list to any type of profession or lack of any type of profession until suspects can be eliminated. 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. The case got a jolt in 2009 when a retired FBI photographer used graphic images from the crime scenes during a class lecture. We often times want answers that fit into a box and I am sorry to say in this case we will not get them. His use of ligatures were fairly distinct and helped tie a lot of the crimes together. All rights reserved. Im your biggest fan. 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 kept the hammer. April 6th, 2001 The husband then got a lock for the gate and made sure their house was locked and secure. Ramirez heads to Sierra Madre, CA, where he attacks Whitney Bennett, 16, with a tire iron as she sleeps. HE had to get knife in addition to the hammer just to ward off Bruce who was trying to protect his family. He is awaiting extradition to Colorado, police and prosecutors announced Friday. The killer murdered two parents - Bruce and Debra Bennett - and their 7-year-old, Melissa, and left their other child severely injured. Those were the sentencing rules in 1984, and since these crimes were committed at that time, Ewing is grandfathered into those standards. The husband ran outside but he was gone. ~ Jan. 4, 1984, a man snuck into an Aurora home and used a hammer to beat James and Kimberly Haubenschild. A hammer. He faced six . Darkness had just fallen. The cases are commonly known as the 1984 Colorado Hammer Murders. The jury found Ewing guilty on. The killer also may have completely changed his MO from victim type to weapon used, to less grisly murdering, became better at leaving no DNA behind Because he committed the murders in Colorado during his learning phase if you will it is difficult to determine what he went on to be if anything. How can you describe what he feels during the crime? In fact, there was a string of unsolved crimes in the area that took place just days apart from each other. Despite the trauma of the attack and losing an incredible amount of blood, the doctors and nurses were able to save her life. She left her hometown and moved to Arizona, at one point spending half a year homeless, living under a bridge. In just two days, Melissa would turn 8 years old. He is more introverted when he is sober and an extrovert when he isnt. Vanessa was saved, though she went on the live with permanent physiological affects from the assault. Dont forget to follow Generation Why on FB [X] , Instagram [X] and Twitter [X]. If you are just simply looking at it, you miss the most critical and important clues. The Bennett family was attacked either the night of Jan. 15 or the morning of Jan. 16. 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. His attacker slit his throat before eventually delivering a final fatal blow with a hammer. James, who posts online from time to time, discusses how vividly the case still haunts him even to this day. The family overall lead a very quiet and peaceful life. The house of Safdar Ali, who is allegedly a close aide of Atiq Ahmad, was demolished by the administration. They were almost always in good shape/new condition, and lab analysis revealed almost nothing about them except the occasional hair.