Look Formula, what I'm saying is. If the guy owned a firearm, chances are he wouldn't have woken up in the middle of the night and went to retrieve the firearm, and then confronted the robbers successfully. This is why, the man had no advanced knowledge that the robbers were in the house. There was no way for him to know what would have happened. You are all operating on hindsight. The man didn't have that luxury. Unless he was in the habit of waking up and retrieving his firearm on a regular basis, and was capable with the firearm, and was able to surprise the robbers, he still wouldn't have had a chance. The assertion that if ONLY he had a firearm this probably wouldn't have happened is absurd. Even IF he had a firearm, the odds were already stacked against him. Maybe Red88 walks around his home with guns every time he hears the house creak, but any normal person doesn't live his life in fear like that, and I'm sure after the 3000th time of waking preparing to kill a murderer in your home and then finding out that the wind knocked over a decoration because of a draft, you would start to ignore the creaks and noises.

I get up in the night and check my house every now and again, and I make sure I have a weapon upstairs. But it's not like I retrieve every time before going downstairs. It's just not realistic. Nobody thinks these thing will happen to them. They may be scared here and there, but chances are if those two picked you and your family instead of Dr Petiits, you would also have been taken unawares. That's just life man.

[This message has been edited by connecticutFIERO (edited 07-26-2007).]

Hmm. In this case, the the victims (father/mother) should have invested in a home security system. At least the alarm company would have alerted the police upon the intrusion. My grandmother has a alarm system on her house. If she doesn't respond within 1-minute, the company calls/owner/police dept and it also make a loud sound.

Edit: I need to check my area for half-way houses and who are they housing?

[This message has been edited by madcurl (edited 07-26-2007).]

They had an alarm. It was either off, or was disabled. It was probably off. Nothing like this has ever happened around that area. They probably got complacent, but don't allow yourself to think that any blame should be placed on the Dr. Nobody ever thinks this happens to them or their town.

quote Originally posted by connecticutFIERO: They had an alarm. It was either off, or was disabled. It was probably off. Nothing like this has ever happened around that area. They probably got complacent, but don't allow yourself to think that any blame should be placed on the Dr. Nobody ever thinks this happens to them or their town.

Wow. Thats sad if they had the alarm turned off or worse if the criminals disabled it. My grandmother never leaves the alarm off and she carries a loaded weapon at all times. I always call prior to arriving and no suprises, hehe.

quote Originally posted by connecticutFIERO: Maybe some of you do wake up at 3am and start patrolling your house with weapons, as if this triple murder scenario is a common occurrence and every other day you have to fight for your life from two murderers in your house. But from where I'm standing, knowing some of these people and knowing a hell of a lot more about this then any of you do, I think your full of **** . And it's disrespectful to this man's dead family to infer it's partially his fault for not stopping these two monsters. He fought as hard as he could.

Now he has changed things to "maybe" some people are armed and will patrol their house at night to protect family and property but then goes on with more blather about his (must be sexual) Rambo fantasy.


And again just EXACTLY how is it you know so much more than anybody else about this? Just because once upn a time (fairytales start this way) you say you knew one of these guys! heh. Or is it because you live in the same state? One of my oldest close friends is in the pen for 4 homicides, that certainly doesn't mean I know anything more about that crime than anybody else, hell no it doesn't


[You wrote
"Yeah you're right. Because the Dr was a liberal p***y from liberal CT is why his family was murdered. "

I wrote
"Oh, do show us where I said that. Go back and read it again." Well we are still waiting?

WE ARE STILL WAITING

quote Originally posted by connecticutFIERO: You don't walk around your house with guns every time you hear the house creak in the middle of the night.

Still waiting on this secret knowledge too.

quote Originally posted by connecticutFIERO: Big talker. Big bullshitter. Period. This isn't just a theoretical scenario, you would find yourself unaware and facing hardened criminals in your ****ing tighty whities.

I sleep in the raw, thank you, Mr. clairvoyant, hehehe. Still waiting for the answers from you.

YOU are wrong, have attempted to demean others and called me a liar with ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to back up a dam thing you have written. You should run for political office.

You can stop this anytime by simply admitting you've been acting like a jackass and apologize. Won't hold my breath though, it takes a MAN to admit his mistakes and short comings. But (now it's my turn at the crystal ball) I think you will just dig a deeper hole for yourself judging by you complete failure to answer ONE SINGLE QUESTION.

I do know a lot about this case. I wish I didn't. It has nothing to do with where I live.

My problem with you was your post. It's ridiculous.

quote "Well for most people your probably right, heck some people won't fight to save there f'ing lives.

You're blaming victims. The problem isn't that the Dr wasn't armed at 3am in his own home, it's that two burglars WERE armed in his home at 3am.

quote I am a light sleeper, well armed, well trained, even if unarmed. Americans have turned into pussies for the most part, that is why this crap happens.

And then here you are with your Rambo fantasy about what YOU would have done in his situation. You infer that if it were you, since you're a light sleeper you would have somehow known that burglars were in your house.

And then you say you're well armed and well trained, as if that would matter if you didn't have time to prepare.

Then you finish with "Americans are pussys, and THAT's why this crap happens"? No my friend, because their are disturbed evil people willing to do these things and to kill people is why this crap happens. Stop pretending. Should 15 year old teen babysitters walk around with a colt on their hip when putting Jr to bed. Not everybody is going to be a pretend commando.

quote Being in CT if the guy had shot these guys he would probably end up the bad guy, after all maybe they would have just wounded him,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

OK, since it's CT, that means the state must be a weak on crime defenseless blame the victim for fighting back kind of place. Where do come up with this crap?

quote People protect themselves ALL THE TIME in their homes from sh!t bags like these, Doesn't seem to make the news though."

No, when someone successfully defends themselves from a home invasion it ALWAYS makes the news. You just like to think otherwise.

I can tell you think if it was your house that was invaded that you would have bagged the robbers and been a hero, I wish life worked that way too. But you have to wake up man.

[This message has been edited by connecticutFIERO (edited 07-26-2007).]

quote Originally posted by connecticutFIERO: Look Formula, what I'm saying is. If the guy owned a firearm, chances are he wouldn't have woken up in the middle of the night and went to retrieve the firearm, and then confronted the robbers successfully. This is why, the man had no advanced knowledge that the robbers were in the house. There was no way for him to know what would have happened. You are all operating on hindsight. The man didn't have that luxury. Unless he was in the habit of waking up and retrieving his firearm on a regular basis, and was capable with the firearm, and was able to surprise the robbers, he still wouldn't have had a chance. The assertion that if ONLY he had a firearm this probably wouldn't have happened is absurd. Even IF he had a firearm, the odds were already stacked against him. Maybe Red88 walks around his home with guns every time he hears the house creak, but any normal person doesn't live his life in fear like that, and I'm sure after the 3000th time of waking preparing to kill a murderer in your home and then finding out that the wind knocked over a decoration because of a draft, you would start to ignore the creaks and noises. I get up in the night and check my house every now and again, and I make sure I have a weapon upstairs. But it's not like I retrieve every time before going downstairs. It's just not realistic. Nobody thinks these thing will happen to them. They may be scared here and there, but chances are if those two picked you and your family instead of Dr Petiits, you would also have been taken unawares. That's just life man.

You say we're operating on hindsight, but you're making a lot of assumptions about the situation that you couldn't possibly know unless you were there. I don't believe anyone is saying "if he'd only had a gun, this wouldn't have happened." Far from it. But it MIGHT have helped.

You mention not having time to prepare.. what do you think "prepare" means? It's not like you go through a 2 hour ritual before you're ready to act. That was my point about training - it becomes INSTINCT. You don't have to prepare - you react instinctively. That's why you train.

We don't know how he encountered the killers. Like I tried to say before, maybe he was caught asleep in his bed. Or maybe he heard something suspicious and went to investigate and was fully awake (it's called adrenaline). He could have been anywhere from fully asleep to fully awake. We just don't know, and neither do you.

connecticutFIERO...

If I had a gun, and I heard a noise in my house in the middle of the night when there should not have been, I would grab the gun, make sure it was loaded and at the ready, and I would go investigate.

No, I would not be "Rambo", but I would damned well know that I could probably protect my house.

I have no personal issues with you, but from the moment you responded to Red88FF, this thread has taken a decidedly downward path.

It was your response that turned it Political. The discussion has not been that "If he had a gun, this WOULD have been prevented." It has been "There is a chance that his family would have survived if he had considered all of the possibilities, including a firearm and training." Hell, even if he walked downstairs with a baseball bat of his own, there is a good chance that things would have been different.

I used to keep a bat under my bed. It isn't there now. I used it to play baseball, and put it in the garage when I got home. It isn't going to do me much good there.

I have thought about getting a gun several times, and have never done it. The main reason is I don't know if I would accidentally hurt a family member with it. Percentage wise, if I hear a noise somewhere in the house when all are supposed to be in bed, it is more likely going to be a family member that got up than an intruder. So percentage wise, it would be more likely I would be pulling a gun on one of my own family members. Would I accidentally shoot them? I don't know. I don't THINK so. But I'm not trained, and am I closer to Rambo or Barney Fife? I would like to think Rambo. But I don't know.

I could play scenarios in my mind, and that would help my confidence a little. But is it enough? And I know I won't be spending the time to go to some place and practice scenarios. That would really help my confidence, but I know I'm not going to do it.

Emotionally, after reading about this, I want to get a gun again. Should I? If so, which one? What ammunition? Again, I THINK I could wind up not shooting my own family, and would like to have that contingency of a weapon available, but should I?

And I can certainly relate to this guy. I'm a year older. A physician. 3 daughters that could have been raped. A wife.

[This message has been edited by frontal lobe (edited 07-26-2007).]

frontal lobe, if you want to get a firearm, go take some training on how to handle one. Then spend some time at a range trying a number of different ones to see what feels good to you. Many ranges will rent various pistols for you to try.

Join the NRA and seek out any local groups that can provide more than just the basic safety training.

quote Originally posted by connecticutFIERO: It's really quite amazing to see so many of you acting so tough.

It's really quite amazing to see you really think that simply being pragmatic is acting "tough". I was a boy scout, you know, be prepared and all that crap. When I get out of bed at 3:00am to investigate strange noises, I assume the worst. I am the one with the element of surprise, not the invader. I know the layout of my house in the dark. I know where the weapons are. I know where the furniture is and where the exits are. I know where my family is in relation to lines of fire. If someone breaks into my house thinking they have an advantage, they're not only stupid but they're toast. They don't have a prayer. THAT is not tough talk, just a strategic reality.

I don't know the details of how the father was attacked or what scene he saw the criminals or enough time to react. For those who are prepared; the outcome would have been bad, very bad for the criminals. Just about everyone I know who have guns would love to unload a few clips...on "just causes." They'll ask questions once the smoke clears.

Well still waiting.

In all that blather you still didn't say anything other than you don't like what I wrote. YOU still did not answer on single question about your vast knowledge of me my fellow posters and the unfortunate events that this thread is about. WELL how about it jackass.

quote Originally posted by connecticutFIERO: do know a lot about this case. I wish I didn't. It has nothing to do with where I live. My problem with you was your post. It's ridiculous.

We all can see that obviously you don't like what I wrote but STILL just how do you know more than anybody else about this? still waiting

quote Originally posted by connecticutFIERO: You're blaming victims. The problem isn't that the Dr wasn't armed at 3am in his own home, it's that two burglars WERE armed in his home at 3am.

That IS EXACTLY what the problem was.

quote Originally posted by connecticutFIERO: And then here you are with your Rambo fantasy about what YOU would have done in his situation. You infer that if it were you, since you're a light sleeper you would have somehow known that burglars were in your house.

No, that is your Rambo fantasy. I don't deal in fantasy, I deal with situations by being prepared. Judging by your reactions you don't and lash out at anybody that does because, well I can only guess since I do not share your mystical clairvoyant abilities but you must feel inadequate. rightfully so too.

quote Originally posted by connecticutFIERO: And then you say you're well armed and well trained, as if that would matter if you didn't have time to prepare.

Read my post again, well actually it is quite aparent that you ignore anything that doesn't fit what you want to hear.

quote Originally posted by connecticutFIERO: Then you finish with "Americans are pussys, and THAT's why this crap happens"? No my friend, it's because their are disturbed evil people willing to do these kill people that this crap happens. You live in a fantasy.

At least make an accurate quote. Yup evil people are the root of the problem, but as long as people let themselves be victims the villains will be back just like a raccoon that knows where your garbage can is.

quote Originally posted by connecticutFIERO: OK, since it's CT, that means the state must be a weak on crime defenseless blame the victim for fighting back kind of place. Where do come up with this crap?

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha it's my home state jackass.

quote Originally posted by connecticutFIERO: No, when someone successfully defends themselves from a home invasion it ALWAYS makes the news. You just like to think otherwise.

Ooookay just because you say so, it must be true.

quote Originally posted by connecticutFIERO: I can tell you think if it was your house that was invaded that you would have bagged the robbers and been a hero, I wish life worked that way too. But you have to wake up man.

Wish all you want but if you are not prepared and you do nothing to protect yourself and family what the Fok do you think is going to happen? You are the one that needs to wake up and quit wishing and do something real to improve your chances for coming out on top when evil shows it's ugly face. Quit your whining about the people that do.

Why do you bother to respond if you are not going to answer one little question? Yes we all get that you don't like me or the fact that some of us believe that we can win. I am a winner, you are a loser. If I remember right you don't even have a house to protect, married? don't you think you should do everything in your power to protect them??

A weapon doesn't necessarily need to be a gun. A baseball bat or a big knife can be just as effective. Even pepper spray is better than nothing. Also, keep in mind that a weapon is the last resort, to be used only when all other measures (perimeter fence, dog, motion-sensing lights, locked doors/windows, alarm system, etc) have failed. Likewise, it should be the last item in your home security strategy, after all other security measures have been taken.

One more thing: don't count on the police to keep you safe. They're not clairvoyant. They won't know about a problem until it's already happened. By then, it's already crunch time. Think about what you'll do to stay alive until they arrive.

[This message has been edited by Blacktree (edited 07-26-2007).]

quote Originally posted by Formula88: You say we're operating on hindsight, but you're making a lot of assumptions about the situation that you couldn't possibly know unless you were there. I don't believe anyone is saying "if he'd only had a gun, this wouldn't have happened." Far from it. But it MIGHT have helped. You mention not having time to prepare.. what do you think "prepare" means? It's not like you go through a 2 hour ritual before you're ready to act. That was my point about training - it becomes INSTINCT. You don't have to prepare - you react instinctively. That's why you train. We don't know how he encountered the killers. Like I tried to say before, maybe he was caught asleep in his bed. Or maybe he heard something suspicious and went to investigate and was fully awake (it's called adrenaline). He could have been anywhere from fully asleep to fully awake. We just don't know, and neither do you.

You're right I don't know more about exactly what happened in that house. I have some additional knowledge about things surrounding the case and some of what Dr Petit has said, but I'm not pretending to know exactly what went on. But as a father of two kids even if he had a gun it probably would have been locked up. And noises happen all the time in the middle of the night. Even if he DID get his gun his chances were still slim, they had the upper hand.

quote Originally posted by Red88FF: The article said "confronted" to me that means confrontation. I would think they would have said, was surprised by or stumbled upon or was ambushed by or etc. if it had been meant any other way.

Your definition of "confronted" or "confrontation" isn't necessarily the same as everybody else's.

Besides, if you read the articles, you'll see it's statements by the two b*st*rds themselves which have led the police to believe that the doctor "may have confronted" them. The truth of the matter may be that the good doctor was actually beaten senseless while still in bed.

quote Originally posted by Synthesis: Mother Strangled, Daughters Died from Smoke Inhalation Based on statements that the two men have provided, police now believe that William Petit may have confronted the burglars and was badly beaten with a baseball bat, tied up and left in the basement, sources said..

http://l-h1.com/pinnacle_se...PtxY0CFSUCYAodjiU4GQ

quote Originally posted by Toddster: It's really quite amazing to see you really think that simply being pragmatic is acting "tough". I was a boy scout, you know, be prepared and all that crap. When I get out of bed at 3:00am to investigate strange noises, I assume the worst. I am the one with the element of surprise, not the invader. I know the layout of my house in the dark. I know where the weapons are. I know where the furniture is and where the exits are. I know where my family is in relation to lines of fire. If someone breaks into my house thinking they have an advantage, they're not only stupid but they're toast. They don't have a prayer. THAT is not tough talk, just a strategic reality.

I assume the worst, too, even though it isn't statistically most likely. Just due to the stakes.

I would feel I have the advantage regarding layout of the house. Furniture. Exits. I would know where my family members are IF they are in bed. And most likely they would be. Unless one got up due to the noise as well. Small chance, but possible.

THEY would likely have the advantage in weapons handling; and in how to be thoughtless and heartless. Likely also the advantage in reacting quickly. FOR ME.

I would LIKE to be at the point you are where they would NOT have those advantages (well, not talking about the thoughtless and heartless part), but I'm not.


Why I would think about it more seriously is this: there are almost zero areas in my life where I have decided to let the government "take care of me". I do it with national defense. I don't have an army against foreign invaders, or small weapons cache. Little else do I look to the government. The harsh reality, though, is that I have turned over protection of myself and family over to the local police. I do not have anything other than perimeter monitoring and defense (and a couple of little dogs that would be no help if their barking is ineffective). And while my own personal community police are VERY responsive (I had a drunk invade my home in 1992 and 4 police cars were at my home in THREE minutes), I have to ask myself why I am allowing the government total responsibility for that part of my life when I haven't given them much responsibility in almost any other area.

quote Originally posted by WhiteDevil88: I've got to say, I've never seen the personal need for a firearm, but this has me thinking shotgun.

My personal weapon of choice for self defense. If I can't hit the intruder with a semi-auto 12 guage, then I can beat them with the other end. I'm not a believer in in rifles in close quarters but a shotgun is very distrubing when looking at the business end of it.

------------------
Ron
Land of the Free because of the Brave. Most gave some, some gave all. Some ran the other way.

look, if he did not want to protect the home, that is his choice.
that simple. everyone has the right to.

now, that is not to say that this is his fault. someone else did the killing. this is basicly EVERY fathers nightmare. wife at gunpoint, and daughter being raped - christ - does it get any worse?

we all know these people are out there. I've had a gun to my head. not fun. yay I lived. I still dont keep a gun. but, I will NEVER want the choice to have one go away. I can handle a gun, have hunted, shot at the range, etc.

hopefully, this guy being a doctor, will go into a deep dark place, and develop a poison, and slip it into the local prisons food. the people need to do what the government cant. KILL CRIMINALS. gas the jails. burn the jails. dont let prison be a training ground on how to do it better next time.

I think alarms are great to have as long as you have them working properly but sometimes they are a little late to be effective. That`s why I like living in the boonies. Let someone go slinking down the road in my rural neighborhood and he`s going to set off every dog barking within a mile. I don`t mind putting up with the occasional barking at varmits and such if it will scare off an intruder the one time one shows up.

Remington 870, 18" barrell, 000 Buck. Under the bed, unloaded, shells at hand, can be loaded and ready to fire in less than 30 seconds. Been there for 20 years, never had to use it on anything more threatening than a skunk.

John Stricker

quote Originally posted by blackrams: My personal weapon of choice for self defense. If I can't hit the intruder with a semi-auto 12 guage, then I can beat them with the other end. I'm not a believer in in rifles in close quarters but a shotgun is very distrubing when looking at the business end of it.

quote Originally posted by TXGOOD: I think alarms are great to have as long as you have them working properly but sometimes they are a little late to be effective. That`s why I like living in the boonies. Let someone go slinking down the road in my rural neighborhood and he`s going to set off every dog barking within a mile. I don`t mind putting up with the occasional barking at varmits and such if it will scare off an intruder the one time one shows up.

yes - brings up another fine defense system: dogs - greatest alarm ever.

but, the boonies? while it sounds good - any help or rescue is way to far away. you truly are safer in the city. no way could this have happened in a reasonably populated area. outskirt subdivisions are easy pickins. there is generally no police within a 1/2 hour response. small towns & farm land is a no brainer. but, rarely do they have a look to invite the trouble. yes, everyone knows everyone - but they will only hear about the problem after the damage is done. as in this story. day long - driving in & out to the bank?!

Quick story about dogs as defense.

On a road trip a lifetime ago, my friend brought his well trained pit bull/mut with us. Great dog, very smart and big and bulky.

We left the dog in the car for a quick stop to eat and have a drink at a pub in Vancouver BC. When we came back out an hour later, the entire contents of the van were gone.

The only thing I can think happened was either the thief opened the door (broken lock on back door window) and then hit the dog with a pipe or something. Or he gave the dog a couple of cheeseburgers to keep him busy. That dog barked his head off whenever anybody came close to the van. Whoever went in there had some serious nads.

You can't rely on dogs. Even if you think they are well trained. Unless of course you are a professional dog trainer and trained him to specifically not take food from anybody.

[This message has been edited by connecticutFIERO (edited 07-26-2007).]

quote Originally posted by connecticutFIERO: We left the dog in the car for a quick stop to eat and have a drink at a pub in Vancouver BC. When we came back out an hour later, the entire contents of the van were gone. The only thing I can think happened was either the thief opened the door (broken lock on back door window) and then hit the dog with a pipe or something. Or he gave the dog a couple of cheeseburgers to keep him busy. That dog barked his head off whenever anybody came close to the van. Whoever went in their had some serious nads.

I gave the dog two double-cheeseburgers and a tummy rub. Works everytime.

quote Originally posted by Patrick: I gave the dog two double-cheeseburgers and a tummy rub. Works everytime.

I propose a new law mandating all food that is considered tasty to dogs be made unfordable by thieves. If those two cheeseburgers cost you $500, instead of $2.12 it wouldn't have been worth it to steal my stuff.

I agree that if the perp sees the dog he can do something but my point is my dog and the neighbors dogs start barking before the person ever sees anything because it`s dark out there. Plus, I don`t know about the rest of the country but here in Texas, especially in the country people are usually armed quite well because in my younger days of youthful antics and getting too close to a farmhouse when the dogs started barking I heard the ratchet of a shotgun a couple of times.

Oh by the way, as stated up above I think a couple af times people have gotten away with shooting someone for breaking into their car but think it`s still recommended to drag the thug into the house before calling the cops so there won`t be any doubt.
And I`m sorry for kind of getting off of this subject which is the tragedy that has happened.

[This message has been edited by TXGOOD (edited 07-26-2007).]

quote Originally posted by Patrick: Your definition of "confronted" or "confrontation" isn't necessarily the same as everybody else's. Besides, if you read the articles, you'll see it's statements by the two b*st*rds themselves which have led the police to believe that the doctor "may have confronted" them. The truth of the matter may be that the good doctor was actually beaten senseless while still in bed. Based on statements that the two men have provided, police now believe that William Petit may have confronted the burglars and was badly beaten with a baseball bat, tied up and left in the basement, sources said..

[/QUOTE]

Yes that may well be. That is why I said "means to me" I am not clairvoyant nor have the magic crystal ball the Conn man apparently has, so all I can go on is the info provided. Frankly this type of scenario scares the crap out of me that is why I try to be prepared. Wonder if we the public will get the rest of the story

I will also add that there really is no such thing as a guaranteed win, just one of the reasons these things are so disturbing. I used to feel much safer with my old friend Auggy the Rott, though he was very protective and loyal beyond belief his greatest strength was as a deterrent though.I will miss that guy forever :-(

Clairvoyant huh? I'm not sure what you're even getting at? Apparently you don't like hearing that sometimes you're not in control of a situation, that probably scares the hell out of you which is why you have this delusional self defense fantasy. I'm all for self defense, but don't pretend this Dr had a chance, he was a Dr not a an ex Navy Seal.

Updated in first post.

Capital Felony Murder Charges Filed

Authorities Believe Men Followed Mother, Daughter From Supermarket Hours Before Home Invasion

By DAVE ALTIMARI And COLIN POITRAS | Courant Staff Writers
4:20 PM EDT, July 26, 2007

New Haven State's Attorney Michael Dearington has filed six counts of capital felony murder against each of the two suspects in the Cheshire home invasion that left a woman and her two daughters dead. The charges would make the suspects eligible for the death penalty.

Capital felony is punishable by a sentence of life in prison without the possibility or parole or by death by lethal injection. Dearington stated that the state intends to seek the death penalty for both defendants.

Police are investigating the home invasion in which Jennifer Hawke-Petit and daughters Michaela, 11, and Hayley, 17, were killed now believe their killers were watching as Hawke-Petit and her youngest daughter returned to the family's white Mercedes-Benz at 7:30 Sunday night at a Stop & Shop a mile or so from their Cheshire house.

The suspects, Joshua Komisarjevsky and Steven Hayes, followed the pair back to their Sorghum Mill Drive home, police sources said. Hours later, at about 3 a.m., they would enter the home through a cellar bulkhead door, terrorizing their victims for more than six hours before killing them, police said. They left a beaten Dr. William Petit Jr. for dead in the basement, but he was able to escape before the suspects set the home on fire, authorities said.

Investigators are still trying to answer a key question: Did the suspects randomly select Hawke-Petit and her daughter or did they have a prior connection to the family?

What investigators do know, law enforcement sources said, is that once the suspects saw where the Petits lived, they went to a local Wal-Mart and purchased rope and an air rifle. The suspects, who both have long criminal records and were out on parole, then parked their car slightly more than a mile away before entering the home, sources said.

At about 9 a.m., Hayes and Hawke-Petit, 48, drove to the Bank of America in Maplecroft Plaza, the same plaza where Hawke-Petit and her daughter shopped the night before. Hawke-Petit withdrew $15,000 but was able to alert bank personnel that her family was being held hostage. She was strangled when they returned to the home. Her daughters died of smoke inhalation.

New details emerged Wednesday, including:

Investigators believe Hayes left the house at around 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. to fill up four containers with gasoline. Hayes got lost driving on his way back to the home and had to call Komisarjevsky at the home for directions, authorities said.

The first Cheshire police officer to arrive at the scene, Det. Dennis Boucher, heard at least one of the girls screaming from inside the house. As he approached, the suspects tried to run him down in the family's Chrysler Pacifica, which crashed into two cruisers down the street. Shortly after Boucher arrived, the house exploded into flames, fueled by the gallons of gasoline spread around the girls and their mother's body.

Boucher had arrested Komisarjevsky in 2002 for a string of burglaries in Cheshire.

Petit, 50, was probably unconscious for almost the entire ordeal after he confronted the two men and was beaten with a baseball bat. Sources said he woke up to hear his wife screaming and pleading for her life. When her screams stopped and as flames from the fire rose around him, he managed to hop out the basement door and reach a neighbor.

Robert Farr, chairman of the Connecticut Board of Pardons and Parole, said Wednesday the board didn't have all the facts on Komisarjevsky's background when it chose to parole him in April. If it had, he said, the board's decision might have been different. Hayes was paroled in May.

Hayes, 44, is being held at Northern Correctional Institution in Somers while Komisarjevsky, 26, is at the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield. Both are separated from the general prison population, said Department of Correction spokesman Brian Garnett.

Dearington has pursued the death penalty in only one other case in his career - the murders of Katherine "Kitty" Kleinkauf and her children, Rachael Crum, 6, and Kyle Redway, 4, in their Guilford home on Dec. 27, 2000. Jonathan Mills was convicted but the jury decided against sentencing him to death.

Komisarjevsky and Hayes have been charged with sexual assault, arson, kidnapping and risk of injury to a minor and are being held with bail set at $15 million each.

The girls, sources said, were tied to their beds and raped, then left to burn after gasoline was poured around their beds and ignited. Hawke-Petit was strangled on the first floor and gasoline was poured around her body as well. Their deaths were ruled homicides.

Law enforcement sources said that while on parole, Hayes was working for a landscaping company from the Farmington Valley. Police were trying to determine whether the company may have done work at the Petit home, the sources said.

As part of their parole restrictions, Komisarjevsky and Hayes had to get full-time jobs and report weekly to a parole officer. Department of Correction officials said both men had gotten jobs, although they will not release where, and had been reporting to their parole officers.

Monday's tragedy has some people questioning how two career criminals could have been released from custody. Department of Correction officials have said Komisarjevsky and Hayes were considered nonviolent offenders.

While defending the board's decision to parole both men, Farr said Wednesday that the board had no idea a Superior Court judge had called Komisarjevsky a "cold, calculating predator" during a 2002 sentencing because a transcript of the sentencing was not included in his parole file, even though state law required it to be there.

Komisarjevsky was sentenced to nine years on those burglary charges, but served three before he was placed in a halfway house, where he met Hayes.

The parole board was not aware of news reports that described Komisarjevsky as wearing night goggles and slashing window screens during burglaries in the Cheshire and Bristol area.

"I'm not suggesting that those items would have been enough in denying parole," Farr said. "What I'm saying is, if we had it or the Department of Correction had it, there might have been a psychological evaluation that would have maybe turned up something."

Farr said the board routinely does not get full sentencing transcripts in which the prosecution and defense summarize their cases.

Inmate files are supposed to have - at minimum - a police report, a summary of the case and the defense attorney's version of events and circumstances as well as the sentencing transcript.

Farr said he reviewed the two suspects' case files over the past two days, and it appears their release on parole was "appropriate" based on the available evidence.

Komisarjevsky is believed to be the grandson of Theodore Komisarjevsky, a leading 20th century Russian theater director and designer who once oversaw Moscow's prestigious Bolshoi theater.

Komisarjevsky's grandmother is Ernestine Stodelle, an internationally known dancer, author and dance critic. Stodelle, who has a dance studio in Cheshire, was also the wife of the late author and columnist John Chamberlain.

I hope these bastards get the death penalty.

They calculated ALL of this. They planned to kill the family ahead of time. The girls and wife were still alive at the time the one guy went to the gas station.

They knew what they were doing.

quote Originally posted by connecticutFIERO: Clairvoyant huh? I'm not sure what you're even getting at? Apparently you don't like hearing that sometimes you're not in control of a situation, that probably scares the hell out of you which is why you have this delusional self defense fantasy. I'm all for self defense, but don't pretend this Dr had a chance, he was a Dr not a an ex Navy Seal.

What is your damage? Why do you have this bug up your butt about people wanting to be prepared in case they have to defend themself and their family? You keep going on about delusion and fantasy and Rambo and Navy Seals, etc. It's just people not wanting to passively wait to be at the mercy of an intruder. Will a weapon or training make a difference? Don't know. Depends on the circumstances. But some people choose to at least try. Others choose not to, and that is their right. But you seem to be getting all bent out of shape just because someone wants to take steps to defend themselves.

You have repeatedly said the Doctor didn't have a chance. You don't know that. We know whatever chance he did have didn't work, but we don't know what he tried to do, if anything.

Why does this bug you so much. You've already said you're not anti-gun. What's the problem? Why the personal attacks?
You've already mentioned you know one of the perps. Is that it? Do you feel some kind of connection to this case becasue you know one of them?

quote Originally posted by Red88FF: Frankly this type of scenario scares the crap out of me that is why I try to be prepared.

I just got back from three weeks in the wilderness up the coast, and I felt safer up there among the bears and the cougars than I do back here in Vancouver among all the friggen druggies.

I've never investigated what it takes to get a firearm here in Canada, but at some point I need to check it out. As I alluded to earlier, a gun isn't much good if you've been taken by surprise, but I'd at least like to have a fighting chance if my life and/or those of people I care about are endangered.

quote Originally posted by Synthesis: Capital Felony Murder Charges Filed The girls, sources said, were tied to their beds and raped, then left to burn after gasoline was poured around their beds and ignited. Hawke-Petit (the mother) was strangled on the first floor and gasoline was poured around her body as well.

Words escape me...

quote Originally posted by connecticutFIERO: Clairvoyant huh? I'm not sure what you're even getting at? Apparently you don't like hearing that sometimes you're not in control of a situation, that probably scares the hell out of you which is why you have this delusional self defense fantasy. I'm all for self defense, but don't pretend this Dr had a chance, he was a Dr not a an ex Navy Seal.

Not sure what I am getting at? you are even stupider than I had imagined.

Now I am delusional huh, I am not the one claiming to know what, how, and if anyone else is capable of defending themselves, told people they don't get up armed in the night nor have I made claims to know what anybody here wares to bed at night, I am not the one fixated on Rambo. I have not claimed inside knowledge to this crime, that is all you. You sir are a first degree jackass. Keep on fooling yourself cause nobody else is buying it.

quote Originally posted by Formula88: What is your damage? Why do you have this bug up your butt about people wanting to be prepared in case they have to defend themself and their family? You keep going on about delusion and fantasy and Rambo and Navy Seals, etc. It's just people not wanting to passively wait to be at the mercy of an intruder. Will a weapon or training make a difference? Don't know. Depends on the circumstances. But some people choose to at least try. Others choose not to, and that is their right. But you seem to be getting all bent out of shape just because someone wants to take steps to defend themselves. You have repeatedly said the Doctor didn't have a chance. You don't know that. We know whatever chance he did have didn't work, but we don't know what he tried to do, if anything. Why does this bug you so much. You've already said you're not anti-gun. What's the problem? Why the personal attacks? You've already mentioned you know one of the perps. Is that it? Do you feel some kind of connection to this case becasue you know one of them?

I already told you, what is it with you? I don't like people commenting on how "if it was me I would have done xyz". You don't know what you would have done. You're just typing on a message board. That Dr never knew this would happen, and I'm sure he didn't know what would happen when he woke in early morning to find burglars in his house. You don't know what this man went through. Leave it at that.

It is disrespectful and shameful to infer this Dr somehow didn't do enough to protect his family. I'm sick of it.

[This message has been edited by connecticutFIERO (edited 07-26-2007).]