These crimes, which took place in January 1984, were part of a series of assaults that tore through the Denver area and have remained unsolved for thirty-four years. ~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. At the press conference, they informed the public that when authorities in Nevada went back and retroactively began swabbing and entering their inmates DNA into CODIS, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation got a hit and thats whats led to the development in this case. He shouted her name, but she could only groan in response. ~Then on Jan. 10, 1984, someone used a hammer to strike 50-year-old Patricia Louise Smith several times in the head in her Lakewood home thus killing her sometime between 3pm and 5pm. This mans only motive was to inflict as much pain as possible and kill his victims. Bruce and Debra were brutally attacked and killed inside their home, Melissa was killed and also raped. Look at the area, the artery that the crimes were committed along. Vanessa, now 38 years old, received a call from the Aurora sheriffs department informing her that her parents killer had been identified as 57 year old Alexander Christopher Ewing. James, who posts online from time to time, discusses how vividly the case still haunts him even to this day. Bruce and Debra were both probably dead by the time the killer entered Melissas bedroom. At some point, either when the intruder entered the couples bedroom or before, Bruce was alerted to the intruders presence and a tremendous struggle took place. Caller: Do you want fuck? File photo Editor's note: At an August 10 press conference, authorities revealed that Nevada inmate Alex Ewing has been named in an arrest warrant for the. Theyd been strangled, their throats had been slashed, and rope marks were found on their necks and wrists. Did you know that one of the most popular places to rob are construction sites? It was a blitz attack for no reason, said Marvin Brandt, who investigated the case as a homicide detective between 1984 and when he retired from the Aurora Police Department in 2002. It was a match, proving that the same unknown offender had killed all four victims. There was no way, given the samples that we have, to determine whether the voices match or not. If he had not done that, they may have been the unfortunately victims. He thought about murder for a long time, he daydreamed about it and more than likely attempted several times prior to these specific attacks to commit murder but for whatever reason didnt go through with it or was unable to because his victim fought him off, fear of being seen or heard etc. Tabernacle. He reminded the public that John Doe warrants had been filed based on the DNA profile of the killer back in 2002, and mentioned that the John Doe charges have been updated to Alex Christopher Ewings name. Listen and Subscribe to The Generation Why Podcast! A hammer was used to kill Patricia Louise Smith, 50, in Lakewood Jan. 10, 1984. Flatbed Trucking Company Bennett Motor Express is the premier open deck general freight carrier in the US. There are some instances where a strange phone call was received, but its not thought to be the offender. 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. April 6th, 2001 With time, multiple surgeries and the support her extended family, Vanessa began to recover from her physical injuries, but living a normal life after losing both her parents to a murderer who had yet to be captured and convicted made childhood difficult. The family was discovered by Constance Bennett who has since raised little Vanessa. 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. The couple, especially Ron, wanted to show that their love was truly for better or for worse and that it would survive any challenge. How can you describe what he feels during the crime? Its bloody, painful for the victim and brutal. . Although she had no memory of the attack, what happened that night in 1984 would negatively impact the rest of her life. Calls Toyota Celica was found at a river overlook several hours after he and Hailey went on their first date. This killer is indiscriminate in terms of who he kills, attacks or rapes. She was also left with a shattered pelvis and fell into a coma. Ron showed his commitment to Donna by marrying her in May 1984, just a few months after the ghastly attack and before she was even fully recovered. He was currently working at a family-owned furniture store, but was taking classes at the local college and would soon be working as an air traffic controller. Sometimes to get a more clear picture of the criminal, one must see him or her as a human being, see him or her as they truly are, feel what they feel, know what they know, feel the wants, needs and desires of that person. AURORA | Police and prosecutors say they have solved the brutal 1984 hammer slayings of the Bennett family in Aurora, one of the citys most-shocking and tough-to-crack cold cases. Peck Funeral Home assisted the family . Juliana Kenney, 75, her husband Clayton Kenney, 83, and Mrs. Kenney's 44- year-old daughter, Adrienne Arnot, were beaten and stabbed to . The scene in the home traumatized the daughter and grandchildren for life. This phone call occurred 25 years after the attack. Recently, the Sun-Gazette has reported that Joseph DeAngelo, the man arrested for the Visalia Ransacker / Golden State Killer crimes, has been added to the suspect list. Some of the ligatures matched across scenes. Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. A hammer lay next to her. The 1982 call is important, because the offender hadnt killed for over a year, and it was thought that he mightve been incarcerated. So I guess Ill be the first to post. Keep in mind that the offenders last known murder was in 1986, which makes the last few particularly creepy. 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. These were quite commonplace, but as folks who havent read my book are learning, there were quite a few instances where he actually spoke with victims, potential victims, or even Law Enforcement. Bizberg Themes, Forensic Science and Cyber Forensics Quiz (Free). This call is important because not only did it occur during an EAR quiet period, but this attack is connected by DNA. The other kids at school would tease her, telling her the hammer man was going to come and finish her off. He took her to the floor and sexually assaulted her. She was numb and cold, and somehow was able to get to her feet and go inside the house. As an adult, she developed a drug habit and became an addict. There was evidence of a struggle in the bedroom. For years the case was cold, until in 2018 a DNA profile from semen the killer left at the scene was matched to Ewing. January 10th, 1984 started just like any other day, with Patricia dropping off her daughter and grandkids at work/school. It was taken in Arizona 11 days after the attack. Alexander was not identified as a suspect until a DNA hit in July 2018 linked him to semen left at the crime scene. It was dusted for prints, but none were found. There were very few leads to go on only a hazy physical description from Kim. She slumped over onto the passenger seat. Damien Bendall, 31, is now alleged to have raped and murdered Lacey Bennett . The other kids at school would tease her, telling her the hammer man was going to come and finish her off. Investigators said he also sexually assaulted Melissa before she died from being beaten. In June 2002, former Arapahoe County Colorado, District Attorney Jim Peters obtained a John Doe arrest warrant in the Bennett killings based on the DNA. Police are still looking for information on the cases connected to Ewing and are asking the public for help. Headquartered in McDonough, Georgia, Bennett Family of Companies provides innovative logistics and transportation for companies across America. Bruce finally succumbed to his injuries and the family was left vulnerable. Shed left the garage door open and most likely left the door unlocked as she went upstairs, removed her wig, and turned the television on. At approximately 2:00 AM on January 4th, 1984, an intruder came through an unlocked garage door. Here are a few of the notable phone calls: January 15th, 1979 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 killer was practicing, he was unsure of himself and he was unsure of the weapon he would eventually use. She was happy to be home for a while, and eagerly awaiting the next day when her boyfriend, Ronald Holm, would be home. Blood was all over the garage floor. Dont you think the police could have gotten the guy long ago had they given you the evidence they had? Bruce had mentioned wanting to run to the store before bed. Safdar Ali was allegedly involved in selling weapons to gang members of Atiq Ahmed. Dixon survived. Perhaps, though put in tp the system (and hopefully still there, maybe for good), his DNA was never taken to match the DNA from the crime scenes. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and the murder weapon? He used two methods, and announced a few weeks ago that hed struck out with his first attempt. 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. The first sign of trouble came in the afternoon, when Patricia failed to pick them up. This horrific and cold case of Aurora, Colorado has kept everyone wondering about the culprit while this horrendous incident kept sending chills to the bones of people all around the world. Dont profile by LOOKING AT the behavior in an attempt to findclues to his or her psychology in an effort toaid in capturing a criminal. HE had to get knife in addition to the hammer just to ward off Bruce who was trying to protect his family. Thankfully, this community, these families and everyone impacted by the horrific crimes now knows this defendant will never hurt anyone ever again.". Begins: Fri, 03/03/23 10:00 AM EST. Required fields are marked *. District Attorney John Kellner filed the murder charges against Ewing when he headed up the Cold Case Unit in the office. Read more true crime, cold cases and unsolved mysteries from meHERE<<. He took Debras purse and went out the front door, then dumped the contents out onto the snow. Ax Handle Attacker Alex Ewing Named Suspect in Bennett Family Murders. She was murdered on Jan 10, 1984 by an, at that time, unknown person who raped and killed her inside her Lakewood home. Arapahoe County District Judge Darren Vahle spoke directly to Ewing before announcing the sentence. Sadly, technology was not as advanced in the mid-eighties as it is today, and the case went cold, remaining that way for over 30 years. For over thirty years, this killer has remained unidentified. A neatly-folded Winnie the Pooh comforter lay under her, a portion of it obscuring her head. The victims may not have ever known one another but the killer found them somehow, it was not random although it appears that way. 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. They lived on the other side of the Denver metro area, but their home and Smiths 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. Investigators had collected and stored the killers DNA from the crime scene back in 1984 and since they did not know the hammer killers identity at the time issued a warrant for the arrest of John Doe on three counts of murder, attempted murder, felony murder, two counts of sexual assault, and two counts of child sexual assault in the hope that technology in the future could aid in identifying the assailant. The bludgeoned bodies of husband and wife, Bruce and Debra Bennett, were discovered and it soon became evident that they had both attacked with a knife and beaten to death. Not only was he hanging on the situation for any sign of improvement, but he was afraid that the killer would find out that she survived, might be able to identify him, and might come back to attack her again. Her bra was wrapped around one of her wrists, and her clothing was found on the bank nearby. Evidence that an aristocrat has gone missing--and was possibly murdered--near Sandringham House sets Queen Elizabeth II on the path to discover unsavory family secrets and much more in this new installment of the series the New York Times Book Review calls "sheer entertainment." Queen Elizabeth II is looking forward to a traditional Christmas gathering with her family in . The victim was fifty-year-old Patricia Louise Smith. Her parents, Bruce and Deborah Bennett, were also killed. 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. According to some sources, they were able to match a shoe print from the Bennett household to a shoe print found in the garage at the Donna Dixon assault. 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. Victims: Daniel Lauer (21) and Annamaria Phelps (18). Another resident, Donna Dixon, was also struck with a hammer. She was born August 12, 1946 in Mississippi. When a telephone call came for Steve Bennett on the afternoon of July 4, 1985, his daughter, Whitney, opened her bedroom window to summon her father, who was outside watering the front yard. Police examining the scene were able to reconstruct the basic chain of events. On the 4th of January James and Kimberly Haubenschild were also attacked with a hammer at their home in Aurora, but both survived. The 3-year-old sister, Vanessa, was the only survivor. She was also sexually assaulted and the intruder left a small hammer near her body. As she got older, unresolved anger issues caused Vanessa to clash with her grandmother who had become her primary caretaker after the death of her parents. 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. Constance entered the home, encountered the grisly scene, and immediately dialed the authorities. In fact, there was a string of unsolved crimes in the area that took place just days apart from each other. No services are scheduled at this time. The Bennett family murders is a case that goes back more than three decades. More details will be forthcoming in the case as more is learned about the alleged killer and an affidavit is circulated containing the evidence used to charge him with these crimes. Let us know all the details about yourself and send us a message. The wheels were put into motion to submit dozens of pieces of evidence to the FBI lab. This murder, which has sat on the cold case shelves for far too long, is in desperate need of this new media attention and the new investigative resources. The following tests were performed on the EAR calls: Long story short inconclusive. In the papers, the most attention is paid to the last state witness, the DNA analyst at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Chris Harris has been a senior true crime reporter for PEOPLE since late 2015. Its my hope that this can help folks gain a better understanding of how prolific this offender was, and that insights can be gained as to perhaps why he was active at the times that he was, and why he mightve laid low during some of the quieter times. After multiple surgeries,Vanessa was saved, though she went on the live with permanent physiological affects from the assault. It is deeper than that. Medical professionals werent sure if the hammer attack would leaveVanessa with permanent brain damage or not, but the girls family held on to the hope that she would make a full recovery. Your email address will not be published. His attacker slit his throat before eventually delivering a final fatal blow with a hammer. The couples youngest daughter, 3 year old Vanessa, was also attacked by the hammer wielding assailant. Perhaps one of the most famous murders in La Jolla history, the story of Daniel and Linda Broderick's death in 1989 shocked the seaside community and reverberated throughout San Diego. 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. Bruce and Debra Bennett lived with their daughter Melissa and younger daughter, Vanessa. Alexander Christopher Ewing is now the behind bars, serving 40 years for two counts of attempted murder in the state of Nevada. Prosecutors alleged Ewing raped Melissa Bennett before killing her. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Other Information The blow shed felt was the attacker striking her head with a hammer. After investigating, the police found similarities between the attack at the Bennett home and nearby random attacks that happened days earlier along the Highline Canal and Alameda Avenue corridor. His use of ligatures were fairly distinct and helped tie a lot of the crimes together. Here are the Small Town Murder show particulars: Small Town Murder. Not one part of this familys life would indicate such a violent predator was going to kill them. The rapes are secondary crimes. Designed by One of the signature trademarks of an EAR/GSK attack was the use of ligatures. Dont forget to follow Generation Why on FB [X] , Instagram [X] and Twitter [X]. When they did, they noticed that the garage door was still open. Ronald worked as a pilot. Not only was she left with physical injuries and scars as a reminder of the attack, she was also left with ADHD, PTSD and bipolar disorder. James and Kim divorced divorced in the fall of 1987. 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. Your email address will not be published. The case got a jolt in 2009 when a retired FBI photographer used graphic images from the crime scenes during a class lecture. They are asking tipsters who know anything about the Aurora case to call 303-739-6400 and the Lakewood case to call 303-763-6800. The couples youngest daughter, 3-year-old Vanessa, was also attacked by the hammer-wielding assailant. 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. Tamara Lich's trial on multiple charges related to the Freedom Convoy protests is set to start in the fall. Theyd moved there around Thanksgiving from another place a few miles away, and had so far enjoyed their quiet, developing neighborhood. 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. He said the detectives who have worked it over the years, in particular Detective Steve Conner, the departments cold case investigator, never quit on. The father, Xavier Dupont de Ligonnes, immediately became the prime suspect, as he abruptly disappeared after the . There was blood all over the car. Vanessa Bennett sat under a picnic shelter on a muggy Arizona morning and talked for the first time about the physical and emotional toll she bears as the only surviving victim of one of. They ended up determining that Armour had been killed, and the Fresno Bee (along with the Fresno Guarantee Savings and Loan Association) set aside $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of her killer. Ewing is arrested and incarcerated. Amazing!!!!!!!! 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The results (if any) of the tests run on the current evidence is currently unknown. Its quite possible that he changed his method of killing in an effort to keep police from tying him to these murders on the off chance he was caught for lets say rape. The highest maximum penalty for the financial crimes is for money laundering in an amount exceeding $100,000 - which carries a potential 20-year sentence - on that front, Alex Murdaugh has . It seemed that robbery was not the primary motive only the personal jewelry that Patricia was wearing was missing from the scene. And I hate what I had to go through and still go through. DNA at both the Bennett crime Scene and the Smith crime scene were matched to the same killer in 2010. They immediately connected it with the Donna Dixon case from January 9th, and recognized that a serial offender was working the area. On the night of January 16th, 1984 a gruesome discovery was made at a house on 16300 East Center Drive, Aurora. Even to this day, she has absolutely no recollection of the next several hours. The hammer struck her in the jaw, shattering the bone which splintered in an explosion of small fragments that punctured her windpipe. Its nothing more or less than that. Lauers Chevy Nova was later discovered heading AWAY from the beach. Investigators believed the killers attacks escalated from just beating someone with a hammer to actually murdering them. She recently gave an interview, which you can view here (, Summary of Press Conference on 1984 Hammer Murders, you can review my extensive post from yesterday, Secret Origin of the Golden State Killer: Visalia Ransacker, High-resolution version of Mr Cruels mask, Tribute to Robert Offerman and Debra Manning, Ligatures Used by the East Area Rapist / Golden State Killer, he almost always forced his penis into his victims bound hands, Audio Comparison of EAR Calls The Results, Phone Calls where the East Area Rapist Spoke, https://www.coldcase-earons.com/phonecalls.php, Visalia Ransacker Incident Chart: Prowlings vs Ransackings over time.

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