Deliberations resume in trial of man charged in Conn. home invasion; woman, 2 girls killed
By APTuesday, October 5, 2010
Deliberations resume in Conn. home invasion trial
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A Connecticut jury has started a second day of deliberations in the trial of a man charged in the 2007 home invasion killings of a woman and her two daughters.
The jury reconvened Tuesday morning in New Haven Superior Court after meeting for about two hours Monday.
Steven Hayes faces 17 charges including capital felony, murder, arson and sexual assault in connection with the deaths of Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her daughters, 11-year-old Michaela and 17-year-old Hayley, at their Cheshire home. Hawke-Petit’s husband, Dr. William Petit, was beaten but survived.
If Hayes is convicted of capital felony, the same jury will return for a penalty phase to determine if he should receive the death penalty. A co-defendant, Joshua Komisarjevsky (koh-mih-sar-JEV’-skee), will be tried next year.
