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10 Scary Things To Know About The Cheshire Murders

On 23^rd July 2007, the Cheshire Murders which shocked many took place. Linda Hayes and Joshua Komisarjvesky decided to attack the Petit family in their residence in Cheshire, Connecticut. Their initial intention was to rob the Petit family but all this changed after they made an invasion of the household.

The two assailants went ahead and murdered Jennifer Hawke-Petit alongside her two daughters, Hayley Petit (17-year-old), and Michaela Petit (11-year-old). Dr. William Petit, the father of the family managed to escape the attack but he got severe injuries. On 22^nd July 2007, Jennifer and Michaela had gone to a local store for some groceries when Joshua Komisarjevsky spotted them, then got interested and followed them back to their house.

On the day of their attack, the two assailants accessed the Petit home through the basement and made first contact with Dr. William who they restrained. They went into the home and restrained the three family members as they ransacked the house for valuables. Linda and Joshua were not satisfied with the amount they got which made them take Jennifer to the bank to withdraw $15k from her line of credit.

After returning to the Petit homestead, the assailants became vicious to the family they assaulted them and poured gasoline on them. Dr. William Petit managed to escape from his restraints. Linda and Joshua decided to escape from the scene after their acts but were arrested one block from the Petit home. They were both handed death sentences which were overturned to life imprisonment.

Here are the 10 Scary Things To Know About The Cheshire Murders:

1. Linda and Joshua were Known Ex-convicts

The Cheshire murders were carried out by two vicious ex-convicts who had committed various crimes and had been incarcerated multiple times. Linda Hayes who was born Steven Joseph Hayes was arrested for the first time at the age of 16 and paroled. However, Linda went ahead and committed various crimes that got her arrested 30 times with the latest before the Cheshire murders being in 2004.

Joshua Komisarjevsky began his ill behaviors at a tender age as he was once accused by his sister of sexually assaulting her. He was also in and out of prison for several years as he was a known house burglar. Joshua had committed at least 18 home invasions.

2. The Perpetrators Initial Plan was Burglary

On the evening of 22^nd July 2007, Joshua Komisarjevsky spotted Jennifer and Michaela at a grocery shop where they had gone to buy some food. Joshua got interested in the two who he followed up to their home.

He later alerted Linda Hayes and started the plans for their attack. Initially, Joshua and Linda Hayes had planned the attack to be a burglary, but as the family was under siege, the plan turned out to become murder.

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3. The Petit Family was Bound and Restrained during the Whole Incident

A woman was restrained to a chair. Author; James Kovin.

After Linda and Joshua had gained entry to the house through an unlocked door in the basement, they found Dr. William on the couch in the sunroom. Joshua took a bat he found on the basement staircase and struck Dr. William four to five times.

The two then bound the arms of Dr. William using plastic zip ties and ropes before proceeding on. They then proceeded to the rooms where the other family members were. Joshua and Linda proceeded to bind and restrain Jennifer, Michaela, and Hayley to their bedposts and placed pillows over their heads.

4. Hayes Forced Jennifer to Withdraw $15,000 from Her Line of Credit

A person holding out money. Author; Karolina.

The two perpetrators ransacked the Petit family’s home with the hopes of finding more valuables to steal. However, they only got a check register with $40,000 which they stole $15,000.

Linda Hayes then forced Jennifer Hawke-Petit to the bank where they waited until it was open. After opening, Linda forced Jennifer to withdraw $15,000 from her line credit. Jennifer took this opportunity to inform the bank manager of the situation but maintained that the perpetrators were easy on them.

5. Joshua Sexually Assaulted Michaela and Recorded the Act on His Phone

After returning from the bank, the situation at the Petit family home changed. The two perpetrators aggravated the nature of their crimes from robbery to sexual assaults.

Joshua Komisarjevsky went ahead and sexually assaulted 11-year-old Michaela Petit which he openly confessed. He also revealed that he photographed the whole incident as he was assaulting and raping Michaela which he stored in his phone. The autopsy of Michaela also provided seminal evidence of rape.

6. Hayes Raped Jennifer Hawke-Petit on the Living Room Floor

In the living room, Linda Hayes was also committing her atrocities on Jennifer Hawke-Petit. She made a confession of raping Jennifer Hawke-Petit on the floor of the living room. Linda confessed that she committed the act of rape after being provoked by Joshua Komisarjevsky.

7. Jennifer was Strangled to Death after Dr. William had Escaped

The whole time of the attack, Dr. William was restrained in the basement as Linda and Joshua were terrorizing his family. He was able to hear his wife getting assaulted upstairs.

At one point, Dr. William yelled at them and heard one of the perpetrators saying that everything will be over in a couple of minutes. Joshua Komisarjevsky went downstairs and found out that Dr. William had escaped from his restraints. Linda Hayes then strangled Jennifer Hawke-Petit to death after receiving this information.

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8. Hayley and Michaela Died from Smoke Inhalation

A dead body in a black body bag. Author; Cottonbro.

Linda Hayes had purchased gasoline for $10 which they wanted to clear out any evidence from the attack. The two doused the whole house in gasoline after committing their heinous act and torched it.

Hayley and Michaela were also doused in gasoline in the process. They both died from smoke inhalation as well as suffered some burns. Hayley had managed to escape from her bedroom but she fell in the hallway and died.

9. The Petit Family was held Hostage for 7 Hours before Dr. William Escaped

Joshua Komisarjevsky and Linda Hayes terrorized the Petit for seven hours. The two managed to ransack the house after restraining the family, stole from Jennifer’s bank, and raped Jennifer and Michaela.

When all this was happening, Dr. William who was severely injured was restrained in the basement. However, he revealed that his adrenaline went high which gave him the strength to get off the restraints. He then crawled to his neighbor who never recognized him at first but was later saved.

10. Linda and Joshua were Sentenced to Death but later Handed Life Imprisonment

The two perpetrators used the Petit family car to escape from the scene after killing them. However, they rammer into a police car a few blocks from the Petit family home and got arrested. The trial of Linda Hayes began on 13^th September 2010 and was given the death penalty.

However, in August 2015, her death penalty became life imprisonment. The trial of Joshua Komisarjevsky began on 19^th September 2010. He was set for the death penalty which was overturned to life imprisonment in August 2015.

The two perpetrators of the Cheshire murders later sent their apologies to the Petit family for the pain and suffering they had caused. The Petit family foundation was established to help other people as well as he married Christine Paluf. These murders also led to several reforms to the  Connecticut criminal justice system.

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