The Associated Press contributed to this report. Alexander Christopher Ewing is now the behind bars, serving 40 years for two counts of attempted murder in the state of Nevada. Its bloody, painful for the victim and brutal. 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. 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. There are a few very notable ones, particularly because they occurred during quiet periods where the offender wasnt attacking. Just your average everyday normal family. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and the murder weapon? Bruce Alan Bennett was twenty-seven years old. Bruce Bennett tried to climb the staircase several times in an attempt to ward off the perpetrator and save his young family. Were happy to at least have a little bit of science behind us on this and it was worth exploring, even though the result was inconclusive. He tore her clothes off, tossed them about the garage, and then he raped her on the concrete floor. Its unfortunate le didnt get him back then. 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. Bruce had been attacked with a knife and hit in the head several times with a hammer or blunt object. Weve been given a hi-resolution copy to share, which you can view by clicking below: Around this time, on this very night 38 years ago, the EAR/GSK beganlaying siege to Goleta, California. It could be the store they all shopped in, the road that they all traveled daily to and from work, school, library they attended etc. 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. The killer murdered two parents - Bruce and Debra Bennett - and their 7-year-old, Melissa, and left their other child severely injured. 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. Why was she the lone survivor? 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. They saw her parents killer as a boogeyman who would attack and them and kill them if they went anywhere near little Vanessas home for parties or play dates. DENVER- The Bennett family murders is a case that goes back more than three decades. Hed been in the Navy, where he worked on high-tech sonar equipment at Pearl Harbor. On the night of Jan. 15, 1984, the Bennett family left their garage door open. On August 7th, 2018, it was announced that there were significant new developments in the Smith/Bennett case, and that a news conference would be held at 10:00 AM on Friday, August 10th with more information. Police said in a Friday morning press conference that they linked Ewing to the crimes this year shortly after Nevada authorities uploaded his DNA to a national database. While meeting with the families in regards to this case reopened many old wounds and horrific memories, the Aurora Police Department, Lakewood Police Department, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the 18th Judicial District, and the 1st Judicial District is committed to seeing that justice is served in this case. Both survived. Her bra was wrapped around one of her wrists, and her clothing was found on the bank nearby. I didnt just lose my parents and my sister, she said. Victim #7received a phone call, and she recognized the voice on the other end as the voice of the rapist. I look in the mirror every day and look at myself and I hate who I am. Alexander Christopher Ewing is already behind bars, serving 40 years for two counts of attempted murder in the state of Nevada. They remain married to this day. They were Holly Chromey, 49, and her children, Katie Zapzalka, 18, and Jared Zapzalka, 16. "I lost the person who I was supposed to be. Caller: Do you want fuck? He utilized the bindings in another distinct way he almost always forced his penis into his victims bound hands. Another resident, Donna Dixon, was also struck with a hammer. Darkness had just fallen. One of the most terrifying aspects of the case is the sketch of his mask, made with the assistance of survivors who caught a glimpse of him. He raced inside and quickly found Donna in the middle of the blood-soaked bed. 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. This mans only motive was to inflict as much pain as possible and kill his victims. 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. Or any of the other angles he was pursuing? Her body was found in a basement . That, and the knots he used, provide a link among several scenes. Add some text book, some psychological profiling and presto, they have a profile. Then in 2010, cold case investigators, who long theorized that the person who killed Patricia Smith in Lakewood was the same person who had committed the crimes in Aurora, compared the DNA from the Patricia Smith murder to the DNA found at the Bennett household. 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. 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. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Copyright 2023 Murders at this level are not just random. Lauer and Phelps disappeared on Labor Day weekend while on their way to Virginia Beach. The killer pummeled and sexually assaulted his 26-year-old wife, Debra, and 7-year-old daughter, Melissa. The couples youngest daughter, 3-year-old Vanessa, was also attacked by the hammer-wielding assailant. Required fields are marked *. Thankfully, this community, these families and everyone impacted by the horrific crimes now knows this defendant will never hurt anyone ever again.". 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. ~ Jan. 4, 1984, a man snuck into an Aurora home and used a hammer to beat James and Kimberly Haubenschild. Patricia missed her husband Oliver, who stayed behind in Nebraska, but she loved being with her daughter and two grandchildren in a bustling city. Ewing is arrested and incarcerated. 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. Yvonne Woods was on the stand for more than three hours . While closure and peace may be forever out of reach, the panelists hope for a sense of justice among those affected. There was the sound of children and maybe a woman in the background, which couldve potentially come from a television or some other source. There are potentially other crimes that Ewing could be charged for, and Brauchler emphasized that he wont prosecute a crime that he cant ethically prove theres a high standard for evidence in these types of cases. This killeris more the type that would self medicate more than likely be a heavy drinker as opposed to taking medication. The bludgeoned bodies of husband and wife, Bruce and Debra Bennett, were discovered and it soon became evident that both were attacked with a knife and beaten to death. 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. The Vampire Diaries Wiki Explore Main Page Discuss Aurora police Chief Nick Metz said the case has haunted the families involved. 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 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. Bizberg Themes, Forensic Science and Cyber Forensics Quiz (Free). 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He said the detectives who have worked it over the years, in particular Detective Steve Conner, the departments cold case investigator, never quit on. She was naked, curled up in a fetal position and groaning. It was taken in Arizona 11 days after the attack. At least, until they came to Vanessas bed. Vanessa was saved, though she went on the live with permanent physiological affects from the assault. It begins with a woman killed with a hammer in Lakewood and, a week later, a family killed the same way in Aurora. The jury agreed, and on Aug. 6, 2021, they found Ewing guilty of murder in the three deaths.