Learn how your comment data is processed. Ewing has been behind bars in Nevada since the summer of 1984 after he escaped there while being transported to Kingman, Arizona, from St. George, Utah, for a court appearance on attempted murder and burglary charges. 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. At least, until they came to Vanessas bed. What are Dr. Bennett's areas of care? She was happy to be home for a while, and eagerly awaiting the next day when her boyfriend, Ronald Holm, would be home. 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 . She too worked at the family-owned furniture store, and was happily helping raise the couples two children, Melissa (seven-years old, about to turn eight) and Vanessa (three years old), with the man that she loved. Vanessa, after a wait of 3 decades received a call from the Aurora sheriffs department informing her that her parents killer had been identified as 57-year-old Alexander Christopher Ewing. The fact that the murders took place between Highline Canal and the Alameda Corridor is curious, in fact, I am drawn to this fact about the case more so than any other fact. Bruce Bennett ~ 27 ~ Found Murdered January 16, 1984, Debra Bennett ~ 26 ~ Found Murdered, Sexually Assaulted January 16, 1984, Melissa Bennett ~7 ~ Found Murdered, Sexually Assaulted January 16, 1984, Vanessa Bennett ~ 3 ~ Found Alive,Jaw Crushed, Severly Beaten About the Face. There are a few very notable ones, particularly because they occurred during quiet periods where the offender wasnt attacking. Damien Bendall, 31, is now alleged to have raped and murdered Lacey Bennett . She was also left with a shattered pelvis and fell into a coma. ~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. August 17, 2021 / 3:31 PM The couples youngest daughter, 3 year old Vanessa, was also attacked by the hammer wielding assailant. 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. The mandatory minimum sentence for each count is life with possibility of parole after 20 years, according to the prosecution. There were reportedly signs of a struggle in the first case, and there may be workable DNA evidence from up to three of the scenes. Over 200 Million Downloads! You called it in a recent case again how did you know? A murder inquiry has been launched, and one man - a 31-year-old from Killamarsh, who was known to the family - is in custody. This phone call came just two days after the breaking news that the East Area Rapist crimes had been tied by DNA to the murders in Southern California. A photo of the Bennett family. 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. 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. January 16, 1984: Bennett family is attacked in their Aurora, Colorado home with 3 out of the 4 family members murdered by an intruder wielding a hammer. 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. How do you feel knowing this case was solved? This generated a buzz of discussion, with victims and family wondering why this information wasnt released sooner, and online sleuths pouring over leads such as previous offenders named Richard, different water company uniforms looked at, and even eyes turned toward folks who were associated with a Canadian town/military base called Petawawa in Ontario. Ewing, 57, has also been charged with murder for the slaying of a Lakewood grandmother a few weeks prior to the Bennett killings, a crime police linked to the Bennett murders in 2010 through DNA. One lab felt that the letters were RICHAR. Another lab felt that it said PETAW C, with a space or fold between the W and the C and perhaps another fold in there as well. Would you like to contribute as an editor or a writer on our site? DENVER- The Bennett family murders is a case that goes back more than three decades. They were Holly Chromey, 49, and her children, Katie Zapzalka, 18, and Jared Zapzalka, 16. Family photo Police say DNA evidence links Alex Ewing to the 1984 murders of three members of Bruce and Debra Bennett and their 7-year-old daughter Melissa, left. The other victim murdered in the terrifying crime spree. Is it not true that you usually get police closer to a suspect faster than they ever could without using dna? Why was she the lone survivor? Arapahoe County District Judge Darren Vahle spoke directly to Ewing before announcing the sentence. Lauer and Phelps disappeared on Labor Day weekend while on their way to Virginia Beach. / CBS Colorado. The family had been celebrating Melissas birthday that night. alone. As an adult, she developed a drug habit and became an addict. Peter Weir, District Attorney of the 1st Judicial District, oversees the area where the Smith murder occurred. Dixon survived. A childhood photo of Vanessa Bennett, who survived the hammer attack, and Alex Ewing as seen in a mid-1980s booking photo . Furthermore, the loving grandmother had been sexually assaulted. Sometimes it works, sometimes its sort of right, sometimes not even close. The investigators looked at everything from construction workers to drug addicts in the areas around the attacks because at the time a lot of construction was happening, they looked at the fact that the attacks happened around the holidays so maybe that was a trigger for this killer, even looked at the possibility that the killer was in some sort of drug fueled rage. Required fields are marked *. Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The rapes were opportunities and only that. The force of the impact threw her head into the steering wheel. Nothing else appeared to be missing. Ronald worked as a pilot. In fact, there was a string of unsolved crimes in the area that took place just days apart from each other. Law enforcement today is actually better than it was then. 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. Alex Ewing on trial for the murder of three members of the Bennett family (credit: Aurora Sentinel). 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. You can also see what seems to be escalation and a frenzy of activity at certain points. 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. Channel 2 sports director Zach Klein is at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, where. Her body was found in a basement . He used two methods, and announced a few weeks ago that hed struck out with his first attempt. No immediate leads could be generated in the case. ", She added: "I lost my sanity. They both survived. Often times a profilerwill come up with a profile that fits into a box, the box was made from materials that were provided by profiles obtained from past criminals who committed similar crimes, which is a really great place to start. Alex Christopher Ewing Arapahoe County District Judge Darren Vahle sentenced Alex Christopher Ewing, 61, for killing the couple and their 7-year-old daughter in 1984. 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. But he isnt going to talk about this crime to just a friend or bar mate. The case lacked any apparent motive. Nevada inmate accused of Colorado murders says he'll fight extradition. They were almost always in good shape/new condition, and lab analysis revealed almost nothing about them except the occasional hair. The same night he escaped, he broke into yet another couples house and attacked the male of the home. The caller whispered harshly into the phone, saying You know who this is or Do you know who this is? The victim was on the line with him for about a minute. He then found the couples oldest daughter, 7 year old Melissa, who tragically suffered the same terrible fate as her mother. He was among many who worked the case tirelessly for many years and is directly responsible for using some of the innovative DNA technologies, such as the Parabon Nanolabs imaging that came out a few years ago. Flatbed Trucking Company Bennett Motor Express is the premier open deck general freight carrier in the US. Tabernacle. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Victim #24received a call from a voice that she identified as the EARs. The childs skull was caved in on the right side of her forehead and a metal plate was inserted to reshape the skull. Miraculously, both of them survived the assault, though James suffered from a fractured skull and his wife suffered a concussion. 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. For over thirty years, this killer has remained unidentified. Forensic evidence was hard to retrieve due to the decomposed state of the bodies, but its been reported that the two may have been stabbed to death. Debra Marie Bennett, twenty-six years old, had married Bruce before his Navy deployment in 1976. When she first woke up, she had the mentality of a two-year old. She had to relearn how to talk and couldnt speak a full sentence for almost six months. The cases are commonly known as the 1984 Colorado Hammer Murders. Ewing, then 23, was arrested again two days later about 15 miles (24 kilometers) away by park rangers at Lake Mead. Some of the ligatures matched across scenes. 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. 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. Amazing!!!!!!!! Serve as lead administrator of a K-3, 9-12 urban site . March 14, 2022 5:04pm Updated The Murdaugh family property where a mother and son were found dead lists for $3.9 million. She slumped over onto the passenger seat. The blow was so severe that her jaw was shattered and her skull was fractured in several places. The Bennetts didnt show up for work on Monday. Both men were fiercely dedicated to seeing this case solved, and Conner started an effort to use every technology available to him to identify the offender. See them as the killer did, see the victims as the killer did at that moment. First published on August 17, 2021 / 3:31 PM. Being able to track the victim down (the call occurred at her workplace) meant that most likely, he was a free man and had stopped killing of his own volition. Full cooperation from Nevada Law Enforcement led to a confirmation of the DNA match. 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. Vanessa Bennett was shocked to receive the phone call identifying the man who murdered her entire family and attempted to murder her in 1984and admits it hasnt quite sunk in. 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. A brief question and answer session involved the police asking any residents or witnesses to come forward with anything they might know in relation to these crimes so that the prosecution can continue to build its case. Her nude body was found over a week later in the Friant-Kern Canal near Woodlake an area located northeast of Visalia and a fair distance away from where shed disappeared. The crime scene is the Bennett Family home where 3 out of 4 family members were murdered in January 1984. She said in an interview that she has big plans for the future, and reminds us that "its never too late to achieve big things. He also appealed to other district attorneys and lawmakers who might be watching (singling out Montana briefly) to change their DNA collection laws and practices and to begin participating in CODIS. He was known as the "Happy Face Killer" because he drew smiley faces on his many letters to the media and authorities. Safdar Ali was allegedly involved in selling weapons to gang members of Atiq Ahmed. 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. On the night of Jan. 15, 1984, the Bennett family left their garage door open. James, who posts online from time to time, discusses how vividly the case still haunts him even to this day. The case got very little press, and unfortunately, it was never solved. On Friday, August 10th, 2018 at 10:00 AM Mountain Time, a press conference was held to announce that two different jurisdictions in Colorado were filing charges against a man named Alex Christopher Ewing for the Patricia Smith and Bennett family homicides. </p> Kevin Vaughan on Twitter: "NEW TONIGHT: #9WantsToKnow has obtained this mugshot of Alex Christopher Ewing, the suspect in two 1984 hammer murders. The family got a ride from someone else. Apparently when the killer lifted Melissa Bennett, an imprint from his shirt was made in the blood that had resulted from his assault on her. The family was discovered by Constance Bennett who has since raised little Vanessa. 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. The Bennett family was attacked either the night of Jan. 15 or the morning of Jan. 16. Are you suggesting that initially investigators missed certain details based off the profile of the dude? A 61-year-old man learned this week he'll die behind prison bars after being sentenced to three consecutive life sentences for the 1984 murders of a Colorado couple and their 7-year-old daughter, PEOPLE confirms. The youngest girl, Vanessa, only three years old until March, was also struck violently in the face with the hammer. 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. Profiling like that is a great place to start, yet it can also mean that its a great place to leave a crime long enough that it goes cold. The killer pummeled and sexually assaulted his 26-year-old wife, Debra, and 7-year-old daughter, Melissa. A handful spoke in court, including the surviving daughter. Another resident, Donna Dixon, was also struck with a hammer. Ewing, who was convicted of the murders on Aug. 6, broke into the family's new home the night of the killings. As blood poured out of her body, he lifted her up from the bed, unknowingly leaving an imprint from his shirt on her blood-soaked pajamas. 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. About a week later, a different hammer was used to kill the Bennetts and their 7-year-old daughter Melissa in Aurora. The story has a silver lining though on another case we explored with this team, theBrandon Lawsoncase, we were able to not only make a sketchy part of his 911 call understandable, but possibly a major break in the case by preparing for LE some scientific evidence that there was another person present when he disappeared. This killeris more the type that would self medicate more than likely be a heavy drinker as opposed to taking medication. Dont you think the police could have gotten the guy long ago had they given you the evidence they had? Obviously, this guy was looking for his next target. Patricia still wore her sweater and boots, but her jeans were pulled down. The attacker retrieved a butcher knife from the kitchen and began stabbing Bruce in various places on his upper body, and once Bruce was incapacitated again the offender used the knife to slit his throat from ear to ear. She too survived the attack, although she was first in a coma for some time. The husband ran outside but he was gone. John Hickenlooper to request Ewings extradition today but the process could take weeks or months depending on a host of legal factors. This killer did in fact re-offend, the issuehe was in the learning phase of actually killing humans during this time frame in Colorado. On night of January 16 th, 1984 a gruesome discovery was made at a house on 16300 East Center Drive, Aurora, Colorado. He finds his release from the level of pain he inflicts on the victim, the level of violence he is able to achieve. 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. We didnt just look for all three to match, but also looked for a Ray to Gonna Kill You match, a Ray to Dumb Fuckers match, etc. He may have been in the system at some point but it is difficult to determinewhether it would have been on felony charges or misdemeanor because his crimes may have stopped altogether. This is a very unique activity, and it helps tie the EARONS crimes together based on M.O. He tossed it onto the seat of the car and began pulling her from the vehicle. "The Crown prosecutor who is prosecuting my case in September seems like a dog with a . She was also raped. Residents here have lived under a dark cloud since Monday, when police found three residents dead in their home. The Attack happened between midnight and 6 a.m. on Jan. 16, 1984. Broderick was denied parole for a second time just this past January. When he arrived in Aurora almost four years ago Metz said he spoke to detectives about the citys cold cases and this one, which he said shocked the conscience of the community, stuck with him. Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Twelve Twenty-Six Seventy-Five by Tony Reid, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. It was dusted for prints, but none were found. Bruce and Debra Bennett lived with their daughter Melissa and younger daughter, Vanessa. I dont believe that. He took her to the floor and sexually assaulted her. Years later, strides would start to be made in the crime lab. On the night of January 16th, 1984 a gruesome discovery was made at a house on 16300 East Center Drive, Aurora. Her head was constantly swimming with thoughts of her parents. If you were living in La Jolla in the early 80s, you knew the Brodericks. The Investigation kept ongoing. Most likely it appears quite small in your browser window simply click on it to enlarge it. As of December 2021, the Boulder Police Department has processed more than 1,500 pieces of evidence related to the murder of JonBenet Ramsey. Which is why a more beneficial profile from the onset is more important in fact, its critical. A hammer lay next to her. By far, easier prey lay in wait just north which would be Colfax Ave and at the time might not have hit the news like the murder of the Bennett family did had the crime occurred in a neighborhood more near Colfax. Additionally, an audio expert associated with an upcoming television show that were a part of was able to isolate the background sounds of the Gonna Kill You phone call, and there was a tiny bit of a surprise in there. They are more likely to begin work before sunup rather than stay much after sundown. The 3-year-old sister, Vanessa, was the only survivor. District Attorney John Kellner said the murders had shocked the community, adding that he was glad to see justice for the victims after 37 long years. Required fields are marked *. Ewing massacred a family but left a key to his identity, Chief Deputy District Attorney Garrik Storgaard told the jury. He kept the hammer. He faced six counts of first-degree murder. 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. Ewing would not stop hitting her the entire time and eventually the woman realized that she would have to play dead in order to get him to stop. This killers only motive was to kill. Almost six days later, tragedy struck Aurora once again. 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. The life sentences will be served consecutively. He also isnt killing with this level of violence often enough to track. I lost the person who I was supposed to be.. I wouldtear everything down and start over with the evidence, the crime scene and so on. 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. He noticed a gaping wound on the left side of her skull. This mans only motive was to inflict as much pain as possible and kill his victims. The slain girl's younger sister, Vanessa Bennett, who was 3 at the time, survived the life-threatening injuries she sustained in the vicious beating. Theyd been strangled, their throats had been slashed, and rope marks were found on their necks and wrists. Coincidence is just an illusion that we all tell ourselves myself included, when we are unable to explain how something actually came to be. Investigators noted there was evidence of a struggle at the house. De Ligonnes Family. Here are a few of the notable phone calls: January 15th, 1979 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. 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. The police found her posed with her arms crossed over her chest, as if she was in a coffin. Although she had no memory of the attack, what happened that night in 1984 would negatively impact the rest of her life. As one of the investigations were doing for the book,we hired an audio expert to do some work on the three recordings attributed to EAR: The dumb fuckers call, the Is Ray there? call, and the Gonna Kill You call. 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. JonBenet was 6 years old when she was reported missing on Dec. 26, 1996, after her family reported finding a ransom note inside their home in the 700 block of 15th Street. The Bennett family murders is a case that goes back more than three decades. Taking a good long hard look at the evidence again and compare it to someone who was in and/or around that artery in Denver at the time would help to narrow the suspect list or in this case open it up. Here are the Small Town Murder show particulars: Small Town Murder. January 10th, 1984 started just like any other day, with Patricia dropping off her daughter and grandkids at work/school. For some reason the killer had to or wanted to be near this artery more so than the major arteries through and around Denver at that time. Jun 2004 - 201612 years. Police are still looking for information on the cases connected to Ewing and are asking the public for help. 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. Late on Jan. 9 or early on Jan 10, a flight attendant was beaten, possibly with a hammer, and sexually assaulted after she pulled into the garage of her home in Aurora.
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