One of those techniques was an innovative imaging tool by Parabon Nanolabs which provides an approximation of what they offender mightve looked like at both the time of the crimes and in the current day. Bruce and Debra Bennett lived with their daughter Melissa and younger daughter, Vanessa. Recently, he was exploring forensic genealogy techniques. Police later linked the murder of the Bennett family with another rape and murder that happened just less than a week before. They do value daylight hours and work them whenever they can during the winter months. Victim #7received a phone call, and she recognized the voice on the other end as the voice of the rapist. The court heard how . Killing on this level requires some level of planning on the part of the perpetrator. Quite frankly if the suspect wasnt on the original list, spoken to or even noticed in this case it may come down to just DNA unless police have enough evidence and suspect info they can rework the case from scratch. SOMERVILLE Sandra G. Bennett, 76, died March 2, 2023. Atlanta, GA. Fri, Sep 8, 2023 08:00 PM. 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. Police later linked the murder of the Bennett family with another rape and murder that happened just less than a week before. In 2015, information leaked that there was important clue found at the Bennett scene. He thought about murder for a long time, he daydreamed about it and more than likely attempted several times prior to these specific attacks to commit murder but for whatever reason didnt go through with it or was unable to because his victim fought him off, fear of being seen or heard etc. The husband then got a lock for the gate and made sure their house was locked and secure. The Visalia Ransacker, a unique brand of offender who terrorized a very small area of California for a period of over two years, caught my attention a long time ago due to the cases possible association with the East Area Rapist. After multiple surgeries,Vanessa was saved, though she went on the live with permanent physiological affects from the assault. Here are a few of the notable phone calls: January 15th, 1979 Constance entered the home, encountered the grisly scene, and immediately dialed the authorities. They pledged to continue to support the families via their victim services organizations. Onsale to General Public. ': 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. Youve done this with other cases to. 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 blow was so severe that her jaw was shattered and her skull was fractured in several places. Camper explained that the CBI does a nightly check of all of their profiles against the CODIS system, and at that point, in early July, there was a match. Photo: 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office A 61-year-old man learned this week he'll die behind prison bars after being sentenced to three consecutive life sentences. The killer was practicing, he was unsure of himself and he was unsure of the weapon he would eventually use. But some states were slow to add DNA to CODIS and the Damn ACLU had to butt its nose into it and doesnt like how some states collect DNA beyond certain felony charges or convictions. 26 miles away from the Smith murder, but very close to the other incidents, the Bennett family was still settling into their new home on East Center Drive in Aurora, Colorado. The prosecution compared the Bennett family murders to another murder where a woman, Patricia Smith of Lakewood, was also murdered with a hammer earlier that same month. Twenty-eight-year-old Donna Dixon, fresh off a shift working as a flight attendant, had been out running some errands. No services are scheduled at this time. She was murdered on Jan 10, 1984 by an, at that time, unknown person who raped and killed her inside her Lakewood home. Currently all 50 states have to collect DNA for certain types of Felony crimes and submit it to CODIS. 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. Ewing, 23 at the time, killed the 27-year-old husband and his 26-year-old wife, as well as their daughter, inside their Aurora home. Camper reviewed the timeline that led to the arrest, which included a DNA profile from the Bennett case generated in 2001 and uploaded to CODIS (the national FBI DNA database), a profile developed from the Smith case is 2010 that matched the Bennett profile, and the strides that Nevada has made in testing their current prison population, which directly led to Ewings DNA being uploaded into CODIS. Jun 2004 - 201612 years. Thought to be the work of a serial killer, the crimes have remained unsolved for thirty years. Between 9 p.m. January 15, 1984 and 10 a.m. January 16, 1984, twenty-seven year old Bruce Bennett, his twenty-six year old wife, Debra and their seven year old daughter Melissa, were brutally murdered inside their home located in the 16300 Block of East Center Drive. Seemingly, nothing they did showed investigators any reason someone would want to kill them. Over 200 Million Downloads! Her purse was found nearby some money had been stolen from it. 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. It was believed that the main garage door was left open throughout the night and that the door leading from the garage to the house was possibly left unlocked. The police after searching the home believe that the intruder brought his own weapon, a hammer or some other type of blunt object yet, he took a knife from the kitchen which is what he used to slash and cut Bruce with. He faced six counts of first-degree murder. That is very clear. It was Colorado Bureau of Investigation Director John Camper who got to break the news to Aurora PD that there had been a DNA match. Investigators believed the killers attacks escalated from just beating someone with a hammer to actually murdering them. The Bennett family murders is a case that goes back more than three decades. Investigators had collected and stored the killer DNA from the crime scene back in 1984 and since they did not know the hammer killers identity at the time issued a warrant for the arrest of John Doe on three counts of murder, attempted murder, felony murder, two counts of sexual assault, and two counts of child sexual assault in the hope that technology in the future could aid in identifying the assailant. Again, info is given only about the phone calls where the offender spoke. After a string of several burglaries and escalating events on this night, the offender crossed the line to murder and he never looked back. The crimes appeared to be sexually motivated, judging by the assaults that occurred on Debra and Melissa. Remember me? Police are still looking for information on the cases connected to Ewing and are asking the public for help. So I guess Ill be the first to post. Its believed that the EAR bought his shoelaces new from the store or from some other source. Im going to come over and fuck you again. He took her to the floor and sexually assaulted her. Let us have a look at this unforgettable case of the Bennet family murders. Dont forget to follow Generation Why on FB [X] , Instagram [X] and Twitter [X]. 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. Ron kept vigil and kept guard in her hospital room day and night. How do you feel knowing this case was solved? A typical way one would see this is that he likes control, that is wrong. Required fields are marked *. Thankfully, this community, these families and everyone impacted by the horrific crimes now knows this defendant will never hurt anyone ever again., 2022 - DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE 18 JUDICIAL DISTRICT, Murderer of Auroras Bennett family sentenced to life in prison, Victim Impact Statement and Restitution Information, Bad Check Restitution Program DISCONTINUED, Senior Law & Safety Summit: May 21, 2022, Peace Officer Credibility Disclosure Notification. The case got very little press, and unfortunately, it was never solved. 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. July 23, 1993. 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 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. More details will be forthcoming in the case as more is learned about the alleged killer and an affidavit is circulated containing the evidence used to charge him with these crimes. All three were beaten to death with a claw hammer. 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. Dotted with impressive bridges and blanketed by thick trees, it usually provides year-round beauty and convenience for travelers. James and Kim divorced divorced in the fall of 1987. She slumped over onto the passenger seat. This case impacted not just the victims, but it also terrorized an entire community, he said. Note: We cover the Armour case and the other Visalia Ransacker crimes in our new book, Secret Origin of the Golden State Killer: Visalia Ransacker. Determine the level of organization/disorganization of each crime scene. Apparently, although the authorities never followed up on this, there were a series of murders just like this across the country just off of I-70. Ewing massacred a family but left a key to his identity, Chief Deputy District Attorney Garrik Storgaard told the jury. He'd been in the Navy, where he worked on high-tech sonar equipment at Pearl Harbor. I would not limit the list to any type of profession or lack of any type of profession until suspects can be eliminated. We offer a suite of trucking and specialized logistics services, from flatbed and step deck trucking, driveaway, manufactured housing transport and RV delivery to 3PL/4PL logistics, customs brokerage . We wanted to know if there was any way that we could determine whether the voices matched or not. He viciously struck the young child in the head with a hammer. Only the calls or phone events where the caller was believed to be the rapist are included. Flatbed Trucking Company Bennett Motor Express is the premier open deck general freight carrier in the US. I dont believe this killers blood lust was sated after all these acts of violence leading up to these murders; unless he was somehow killed (or committed suicide) soon after, my guess is he ended up in jail for something unrelated or something that somehow wasnt linked, like a violent rape. 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. This killer strikes with such violence that it is difficult to understand, see or know of a possible motive. On the night of Jan. 15, a stranger broke into their home and viciously assaulted and attacked the family. During the winter in Colorado its difficult to find a construction crew working well into the night. For over thirty years, this killer has remained unidentified. In 2018, a DNA match linked Alex Ewing to the Jan. 15, 1984, killings of Bruce and Debra Bennett, as well as their daughter Melissa. Juliana Kenney, 75, her husband Clayton Kenney, 83, and Mrs. Kenney's 44- year-old daughter, Adrienne Arnot, were beaten and stabbed to . Donna underwent several operations. The Associated Press contributed to this report. We move long-haul and short-haul loads to anywhere in the lower 48 states for commercial and government entities. Nevada inmate charged in 1984 hammer killing of Lakewood grandmother. Whatever the case, this person was in and around this area for at least the first part of January and most likely stayed in the area during that time. A hammer lay next to her. July 5, 1985 Survivor In Sierra Madre. But new technology is getting detectives closer and closer to solving the brutal mystery. Although she had no memory of the attack, what happened that night in 1984 would negatively impact the rest of her life. Its our hope that something can come from this new push that will finally solve it. <p>Bruce Bennett, 27, was fatally stabbed and bludgeoned. The crime scene is the Bennett Family home where 3 out of 4 family members were murdered in January 1984. How can you describe what he feels during the crime? Not one part of this familys life would indicate such a violent predator was going to kill them. On night of January 16th, 1984 a gruesome discovery was made at a house on 16300 East Center Drive, Aurora, Colorado. WordPress. I hurt myself. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Alexander was not identified as a suspect until a DNA hit in July 2018 linked him to semen left at the crime scene. A man accused of murdering a mother and three children has also been charged with raping one of the victims, who was 11. The couple's 3-year-old daughter Vanessa was also beaten but survived with permanent injuries. Upon the capture of a suspect in the Golden State Killer case, Conner again turned to genealogical databases. The rapes are secondary crimes. The other victim murdered in the terrifying crime spree. She was numb and cold, and somehow was able to get to her feet and go inside the house. He is awaiting extradition to Colorado, police and prosecutors announced Friday. The family got a ride from someone else. 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. The rapes were opportunities and only that. CENTENNIAL, Colo. (CBS4) - A judge sentenced Alex Ewing to three life sentences on Tuesday after he was found guilty in the 1984 murders of three people in Aurora. Designed by The Investigation kept ongoing. I'm a very strong person, though, but when it comes to my family that was the most important thing to me in the whole world.". Serve as lead administrator of a K-3, 9-12 urban site . Autor do artigo Por ; Data do artigo estranged from family and happy; benson funeral home worthington, mn obituaries em bennett family murders address em bennett family murders address In Aug 2018, Alexander Christopher Ewing was accused and charged in both cases. He knew he was going to kill the family, Father, Mother and Children, so he clearly wasnt afraid to go after a man and thought he would be able to easily kill a man. This call occurred over a month after her attack. Thankfully, this community, these families and everyone impacted by the horrific crimes now knows this defendant will never hurt anyone ever again.". She made her way to the bedroom and went to bed. His attacker slit his throat before eventually delivering a final fatal blow with a hammer. Toward the end of that series and during the murders, he began experimenting with different types of bindings plastic ties, twine, drapery cord, etc. DeAngelo was a police officer in nearby Exeter at the time, and has been confirmed by police to be tied to a string of over 100 burglaries, a murder, and an attempted murder that occurred in Visalia in 1974 and 1975. Man Gets Life in Prison for 2016 Killing of Google Employee Vanessa Marcotte, Lone Survivor of 1984 Colorado Hammer Killer Attack Misses the Family He Stole: 'Inside I Cry Every Day', Man Sentenced for 1982 Ax Murder of His Wife After the Case Went Unsolved for Nearly 40 Years, Colo. Woman Applied for Restraining Order Against Ex Days Before He Allegedly Killed Her Family Members, JonBent Ramsey's Father Is Optimistic DNA Advances Will Catch Daughter's Killer, Slams Boulder Police, Man Who Shot Lady Gaga's Dog Walker During Dognapping Sentenced to 21 Years: 'I Do Forgive You', N.C. Man Killed Girlfriend's Daughter, 3, with Chloroform in Attempt to Get Her to Sleep. Ewing, who was convicted of the murders on Aug. 6, broke into the family's new home the night of the killings. They were almost always in good shape/new condition, and lab analysis revealed almost nothing about them except the occasional hair. He either got turned on by the prospect of killing or used the rapes as a way to cover up the true motive which was to murder. Evidence that an aristocrat has gone missing--and was possibly murdered--near Sandringham House sets Queen Elizabeth II on the path to discover unsavory family secrets and much more in this new installment of the series the New York Times Book Review calls "sheer entertainment." Queen Elizabeth II is looking forward to a traditional Christmas gathering with her family in . 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. He likes that violent way of killing so going from a hammer to a gun would be a jump for this killer and simply would not be the first choice for him. About six weeks later, hunters came upon their bodies in a remote location in the woods near a logging road. This killers only motive was to kill. An autopsy found that Debra died from blunt force trauma. Family medicine doctors are primary-care physicians trained. If he had not done that, they may have been the unfortunately victims. Lightening the speech with a quasi-political jab at Al Gores inventing the internet, he went on to describe cooperation from Clark County Nevada and Mojave County Arizona, which were other jurisdictions whod had Ewing pass through their systems. He raced inside and quickly found Donna in the middle of the blood-soaked bed. 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. Its quite possible that he changed his method of killing in an effort to keep police from tying him to these murders on the off chance he was caught for lets say rape. In 2011, Agnes Dupont de Ligonnes and her four children, ages 13 to 21, were shot and killed with a .22 rifle with a silencer on it while asleep in their beds in Western France, along with their two Labradors. It begins with a woman killed with a hammer in Lakewood and, a week later, a family killed the same way. This call is important because not only did it occur during an EAR quiet period, but this attack is connected by DNA. August 17, 2021 / 3:31 PM 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. Bruce worked at the family-owned furniture store and was also taking classes to become an air traffic controller. They remain married to this day. He attacked the couple with a hammer, bludgeoning them with it and leaving them for dead. Her head was constantly swimming with thoughts of her parents. The childs skull was caved in on the right side of her forehead and a metal plate was inserted to reshape the skull. 21-year-old Polish national, Julia Faustyna, claims to be Madeleine McCann- the story so far, CCTV Footage from New Jersey Gas Station Shows Woman Escaping Alleged Captor, Two men arrested in connection with the 1975 murder of Indiana teenager Laurel Jean Mitchell. 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. The family had been celebrating Melissas birthday that night. DNA at both the Bennett crime Scene and the Smith crime scene were matched to the same killer in 2010. Investigators were able to determine that the girl had died by drowning, but at first they couldnt agree on whether it had been accidental or whether there was foul play involved. She was happy to be home for a while, and eagerly awaiting the next day when her boyfriend, Ronald Holm, would be home. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and the murder weapon? Chris Harris has been a senior true crime reporter for PEOPLE since late 2015. 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. 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. They immediately knew something was wrong. At approximately 2:00 AM on January 4th, 1984, an intruder came through an unlocked garage door. Headquartered in McDonough, Georgia, Bennett Family of Companies provides innovative logistics and transportation for companies across America. When they did, they noticed that the garage door was still open. This is a very unique activity, and it helps tie the EARONS crimes together based on M.O. A handful spoke in court, including the surviving daughter. This phone call occurred 25 years after the attack. Between 1986 and 1989 though, a crime spree took place that left three pairs of travelers missing and another pair of travelers gone without a trace. Bruce and Debra were brutally attacked and killed inside their home, Melissa was killed and also raped. The case lacked any apparent motive. 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. If the list does exist its worth a look at as well as look at reports of crimes at the local job sites involving missing tools. Amazing!!!!!!!! The previous week, on the 10th of January, a woman 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 minutes drive from Bennets home in Aurora. ~The very same day, a man using a hammer attacked flight attendant Donna Dixon in the garage of her Aurora home, leaving her in a coma. In 2002, Arapahoe County filed a John Doe arrest warrant for the perpetrator of the Bennet murders based on the DNA profile. Victims: Daniel Lauer (21) and Annamaria Phelps (18). About a week later, a different hammer was used to kill the Bennetts and their 7-year-old daughter Melissa in Aurora. Theyd been strangled, their throats had been slashed, and rope marks were found on their necks and wrists. Even to this day, she has absolutely no recollection of the next several hours. They lived on the other side of the Denver metro area, but their home and Smith's home were both near a main east-west road, Alameda Avenue, leading investigators to suspect the killer used that route. What we do know is that he likes the level of violence a blunt object signifies. I only do research and leave active investigation of these cases to professionals. Ewing, then 23, was arrested again two days later about 15 miles (24 kilometers) away by park rangers at Lake Mead. Here are the days of the week the alleged killer struck each victim (s). The couples youngest daughter, 3 year old Vanessa, was also attacked by the hammer wielding assailant. There are a few very notable ones, particularly because they occurred during quiet periods where the offender wasnt attacking. Vanessa Benn. The four of them lived together in a townhome off of West Bayaud Avenue. The Murder of Jaye Potter Mintz Feb 23, 1987 Leland N.C. A Catastrophic Cyber Event in the Next 2-Years. Weve published this page today to show you the details and origin of the ligatures used in the EAR/GSK attacks. As an adult, she developed a drug habit and became an addict. The house of Safdar Ali, who is allegedly a close aide of Atiq Ahmad, was demolished by the administration. Most importantly take the need to judge them and all of your own emotions and personal beliefs out of the picture. Alexander Christopher Ewing is already behind bars, serving 40 years for two counts of attempted murder in the state of Nevada. Its also interesting to note that the first incidence of violence, the Snelling murder, didnt stop him, but he did seem to be gradually slowing down after what appears on the surface to be the 1975 peak. Patricia missed her husband Oliver, who stayed behind in Nebraska, but she loved being with her daughter and two grandchildren in a bustling city.