All 3 deaths ruled homicide; more charges pending

(AP) - State medical examiner has confirmed thatthe deaths of a Cheshire woman and her daughters in a violent homeinvasion were homicides. Autopsies determined that 48-year-old Jennifer Hawke-Petit wasstrangled

News 12 Staff

Jul 25, 2007, 12:52 AM

Updated 6,347 days ago

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(AP) - State medical examiner has confirmed thatthe deaths of a Cheshire woman and her daughters in a violent homeinvasion were homicides.
Autopsies determined that 48-year-old Jennifer Hawke-Petit wasstrangled to death. Seventeen-year-old Hayley and eleven-year-oldMichaela died of smoke inhalation. Authorities say their home wasset on fire by two suspects who broke in early Monday morning, held them hostage for hours then tried to cover theirtracks with arson.
The lone survivor of the attack Doctor William Petit Junior, thehusband and father, remains hospitalized in Saint Mary's Hospitalin Waterbury.
The suspects were apprehended as they tried to flee yesterdayand were arraigned today in Meriden Superior Court on charges ofaggravated sexual assault, assault, arson, robbery, kidnapping andother crimes. They were both ordered held on $15 million bond.
Authorities describe both the men - 26-year-old JoshuaKomisarjevsky of Cheshire and 44-year-old Steven Hayes of Winsted -as career criminals with multiple convictions for burglary andlarceny. But neither have been convicted of violent crimes.
More charges are expected to be filed.
Related Information:Supectsarraigned in home-invasion homicides