July 19, 2008: A year after home invasion, little has changed

[Record-Journal]

By Adam Wittenberg
Record-Journal staff

CHESHIRE - In the year since the Petit homicides shook the state and this suburban community of 29,000 people, not much has changed in the 49-officer Cheshire Police Department.

Personnel is steady and no policies or procedures have been altered in the wake of a crime that attracted national attention and spurred a round a criminal justice reforms in the state.

"I don't think we've had any retirements or people leave since July 23, (2007)," Lt. Jay Markella said Thursday. "We stand by the way that the Cheshire Police Department responded and handled the Petit incident."

Family members of Dr. William A. Petit Jr., who survived the home invasion, have expressed confidence in the department's actions, but the parents of his deceased wife, Jennifer Hawke-Petit, have raised doubts.

Hawke-Petit was strangled and her two daughters, Hayley Petit, 17, and Michaela Petit, 11, died after the house was set on fire. Michaela and her mother were sexually assaulted.

The Rev. Richard and Marybelle Hawke have written several letters to police and prosecutors seeking answers about what happened that Monday morning.

The couple believes officials botched communications and that officers didn't respond aggressively enough to the situation. They also think police were more focused on catching the suspects than saving lives.

"There was a time when (Steven Hayes, a suspect) came back from the bank with Jen that they could have stopped the whole scene. They could have stopped them at the bank if they were more on the ball," Marybelle Hawke said Friday from her home in Slippery Rock, Pa., a small town about an hour north of Pittsburgh. "I want the answers so that corrective measures can be taken."

But answers have been hard to come by because of a judge's gag order on anyone involved in the case, including the police.

The department also said it didn't receive the Hawkes' initial letter. The couple sent another note Monday asking many of the same questions to Capt. Robert Vignola, who handles the department's investigations.

The Hawkes are frustrated because they say the system seems to care more about the suspects, Hayes, 45, and Joshua Komisarjevsky, 27, than the victims' family members' right to know.

"It would be prejudicial not to release such information to the parents of the woman who was forced to go to the bank and was murdered as the result of inappropriate communications and orders to intercede during this plan by the perpetrators," the Hawkes wrote.

A heavily-edited police log of the 911 calls and police communications that was released in January has only increased their frustrations.

The first officer arrived at 300 Sorghum Mill Drive within minutes of the initial police radio dispatch. More officers followed, but officials won't say exactly how many, citing the gag order. Police were advised not to approach the home, something an expert said is normal in a hostage situation.

The national average response time for SWAT teams is about 45 minutes, said John Gnagey, executive director of the National Tactical Officers Association.

The suspects were apprehended nearly 32 minutes after the first dispatch, which came almost five minutes after the first 911 call about the incident from a manager of the bank where Hawke-Petit was taken to withdraw $15,000 to appease her attackers.

Typical SWAT tactics involve surrounding the area, containing it and attempting to establish some communication, Gnagey said.

Cheshire police did not attempt to contact anyone inside the home, and delayed entering it because of assurances from a 911 caller who had been told no one would be hurt if police were not notified, a law enforcement official told the Associated Press last year.

Department leaders have maintained they followed proper procedure and that their town is safe, but that response isn't good enough for the Hawkes.

Marybelle Hawke said she's not alone in questioning the officers.

"What did the police do to prevent the deaths of these family members?" she asked. "I think there are a lot of community people who probably have this same feeling but they're not about to bring everything out into the open because their homes might be at risk at some point."

Valerie Dripchak, a professor of social work in Southern Connecticut State University's graduate school, said looking to assign blame is a common reaction to trauma.

"We want to immediately blame so we can react, so we can be empowered to do something," said Dripchak, who wasn't commenting about the Petit case specifically. "Sometimes the average person might become more critical because it's our own way of trying to empower ourselves - let's blame so this won't ever happen again. I don't know how realistic that is."

But the couple is more interested in putting right what's wrong than gaining a sense of control, Marybelle Hawke said.

"I feel that we owed something to our daughter to uncover the reason that it happened," she said. "It wasn't just two evil men. It was also the lack of attention given to the call that Jen had put through from the bank and nobody can deny that there was mix-up after mix-up in that call. I'm not sure why, but we know that there were delays and delays with police at different places."

The Hawkes, both 75, have turned to their church, friends and leisure activities to cope with their loss.

The Rev. Hawke has "been working on a mural in our hometown, which is Grove City. They're redoing their downtown area. That's been very therapeutic for him," Marybelle Hawke said. "I go kayaking and swimming in the creek behind our house. I just stay involved with golfing and friends and have a good life."

They're also pleased with the outpouring of support for the various charity efforts in honor of their grandchildren and daughter. A 5-kilometer road race will be run in Plainville Sunday to benefit the Petit Family Foundation.

The police also have taken steps to cope. Markella said everyone involved with the case was required to meet at least once with a professional counselor.

The department responded to increased requests for home safety checks and added free rape aggression defense classes for women who live or work in town. Gun registrations have also surged, from 33 in 2006 to 81 in 2007 and 41 so far this year.

The Hawkes might get some of their answers during or after the trial, but that could be several years away.

The suspects could face the death penalty if convicted, meaning both the prosecution and defense will be painstaking in their preparations.

The couple knows they face a tough route challenging the police. They aren't willing to sue, even though an attorney recently told them that would be the only way to get answers.

"I'm not about to spend my life doing that," Marybelle Hawke said. "I might take a turning point and decide to throw in the towel."

But their goal remains.

"I hope that the homes in Cheshire and throughout the country might be safer as a result of the re-evaluation to approaches to situations of this kind and a change in protocol," she said.

Material from the Associated Press is included in this report.

awittenberg@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2231

[Falls Plain Resident]

It seems that in our state, it is more important to protect defendants' rights than to punish them.

Living a short distance from where this horror-show occurred, I have written to my legislators asking for the Three Strikes legislation to be passed.

It is an OUTRAGE that this matter of utmost seriousness became a partisan issue. Where did the lawmakers get the idea that Democrats don't want to be safe from these repeat offenders who continue year after year to hone the skills of their CHOSEN trade??? I'm as liberal as they come, and I want to repair a frustrating, broken system whose left hand often doesn't know what its right hand is doing!

Before we listen to the nay-sayers like Rep.Mike Lawlor (D-East Haven), who seems more interested in greasing the slippery wheels of justice than protecting the innocent citizens of CT, let's stop for a moment and consider who pays the taxes in our state? We homeowners or the guys who spend their lives in and out through the revolving doors of our broken penal system in CT? Who votes? We hard-working honest people or those who prey on us at banks, grocery stores, and even in our very own homes?

The best way to make the lawmakers pay attention is to continue to make noise and VOTE. There are only so many defense attorneys in CT, whom our lawmakers seem more eager to please than their constituents! We outnumber them! Show them that we are serious and we DO remember the Pe****!

[BillCarson436]

Hello...

Remember the Manson home invasion...

now think...seriously....

can changing the law stop this kind of thing...

no.... not....never.

Just a massive waste of time.... and money. YOUR money...MY money.

Just another case of people wanting to wave the flag and be...seen.

[Charles E. Peevyhouse]

Originally Posted by BillCarson436

Hello...

Remember the Manson home invasion...

now think...seriously....

can changing the law stop this kind of thing...

no.... not....never.

Just a massive waste of time.... and money. YOUR money...MY money.

Just another case of people wanting to wave the flag and be...seen.

I agree whole heartedly. (I do not remember the manson home invasion a little before my time) but knee jerk reactions make bad laws. If people want to commit crime they are going to commit crime that is the sad truth.

[BillCarson436]

Hello...

Not familiar with the Tate- LaBlanka murders back in 69?

That makes the Cheshire murders look like a " Disney " version
of a home invasion. Look it up online... or rent Helter Skelter.

The whole story about Manson and his family will get interesting
soon because he's up for parole in 2012.

He won't get out... but it will be a story the media issure to hype.

[S_Meriden60]

I don't think the Hawke family is seeking to "blame" anyone here as claimed in the article. I think they want to know what happened to their loved ones and they want answers.
As for crime, yes, there will always be bad guys that commit terrible crimes. However, let's stop letting them back out on the street before their sentence it finished. I'm sick of prisoners doing only part of their sentence and being let out. If you have to let them out, then let's fix the parole system so we know what is going on.

[Charles E. Peevyhouse]

Originally Posted by S_Meriden60

I don't think the Hawke family is seeking to "blame" anyone here as claimed in the article. I think they want to know what happened to their loved ones and they want answers.
As for crime, yes, there will always be bad guys that commit terrible crimes. However, let's stop letting them back out on the street before their sentence it finished. I'm sick of prisoners doing only part of their sentence and being let out. If you have to let them out, then let's fix the parole system so we know what is going on.

Currently in Connecticut non-violent offenders must complete 50% of their sentence before they are elgible for parole. This does not mean they are paroled they just getting a hearing. Violent offenders must complete 85% of their sentence before they are eligble for parole. This just means they get a hearing. The reality is that Connecticut does not have space for our offenders we are shipping them out of state. Prehaps we need to re-examine the war on drugs which is filling the prision system and creating much of the overcrowding.

[S_Meriden60]

I think violent offenders should complete ALL of their sentence and never be paroled until their sentence is done. If that means building more jails or sending them out of state to be jailed, so be it. That's a tax I'd be willing to pay. But, let's cut out all the perks in jail. No TV, etc.

[Falls Plain Resident]

I still seems to me that if the people who have committeed three (3) VIOLENT crimes were put away for good, then they would not be out there for their crimes to continue to escalate.

Repeat VIOLENT offenders are responsible for much of the crime we have: they same guys keep getting arrested over and over.

I am not trying to get you wealthy guys taxed more, I just want to spend the tax dollars we all pay WISELY. Letting the same VIOLENT people out to repeat their crimes is rediculous. They are hurting innocent people!

If we all just lay back and say, "There's nothing we can do about it," the bad guys win. I am not willing to throw in the towel. I cannot afford to move away and live in a gated community somewhere. I own my home, care about my neighbors, and am willing to ask my legislators to do what CAN be done so we innocent peaceful citizens can enjoy our lives, NOT be preyed upon by REPEAT offenders.

I actually watch CT-N and listened to all of the proposals and agruments for and against the changes in legislation. And I was firmly of the belief that THIS time, about THIS issue, the Republicans were right!

[oldnickel]

Everyone is in favor of longer sentences and a three stikes and you don't get out type of law. Fewer people or towns are interested in having prisons/jails built in their town or even having current facilities expanded. One such town that falls into the latter is cheshire. They were against the re opening of wing at the cheshire correctional facility. So i guess you are correct, not much has changed.