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The Cheshire, Connecticut Home Invasion Murders: Jennifer Hawke-Petit and Her Daughters
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In 2007, Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her daughters Hayley and Michaela were murdered in a Cheshire, Connecticut home invasion that shocked the nation.
The Cheshire, Connecticut Home Invasion Murders: Jennifer Hawke-Petit and Her Daughters
Updated: June 2026
Case: Cheshire, Connecticut home invasion murders
Location: Cheshire, Connecticut
Date: July 23, 2007
Victims: Jennifer Hawke-Petit, Hayley Petit, and Michaela Petit
Survivor: Dr. William Petit
The Cheshire, Connecticut home invasion murders remain one of the most painful and widely discussed crimes in modern American true crime history.
On July 23, 2007, Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her two daughters, 17-year-old Hayley and 11-year-old Michaela, were killed during a violent home invasion in Cheshire, Connecticut. The only surviving member of the family was Dr. William Petit, who escaped after being badly beaten and restrained.
The case shocked the country not only because of its cruelty, but because it happened inside a quiet family home in a town where many people felt safe. It later became part of Connecticut’s death penalty debate and was covered in books, documentaries, and national news reports.
Who Were the Petit Family?
The Petit family lived in Cheshire, Connecticut.
Dr. William Petit was a physician. His wife, Jennifer Hawke-Petit, was an oncology nurse and a mother deeply involved in her daughters’ lives. Hayley Petit was 17 and had recently graduated from high school. Michaela Petit was 11 and still in middle school.
By all public accounts, the family was close, hardworking, and well respected in the community. They were not involved in anything that would normally place them in danger. That is part of why the crime disturbed so many people.
It seemed to begin with a random moment: a trip to a grocery store.
The Night Before the Murders
On July 22, 2007, Jennifer and Michaela went to a local store. Joshua Komisarjevsky later became connected to that encounter, and reports say the family was followed or selected as a target afterward.
During the early morning hours of July 23, Komisarjevsky and Steven Hayes entered the Petit family home.
Dr. William Petit was attacked while he was sleeping downstairs. He was beaten with a baseball bat, tied up, and left badly injured. Jennifer, Hayley, and Michaela were also restrained.
What appears to have started as a burglary became a long hostage situation that lasted for hours.
The Bank Trip
The attackers eventually forced Jennifer Hawke-Petit to go to a bank and withdraw money.
At the bank, Jennifer tried to alert staff that her family was in danger. The teller contacted police after Jennifer left. Officers responded to the area, but by the time the situation ended, Jennifer and her daughters had already been killed.
This part of the case has been discussed for years because it raises painful questions about timing, police response, and whether anything could have been done differently. But the responsibility for the crime remains with the two men who invaded the home, attacked the family, and set the house on fire.
What Happened Inside the House
After returning from the bank, the violence continued.
Jennifer Hawke-Petit was killed inside the home. Hayley and Michaela were left restrained as the attackers set the house on fire. The girls died from smoke inhalation.
Dr. Petit, who had been left injured and tied up, managed to escape. He got out of the house and made his way to a neighbor for help, despite serious injuries.
Police arrested Hayes and Komisarjevsky shortly after they fled the scene in the Petit family vehicle.
The home invasion had lasted around seven hours.
William Petit’s Escape and Survival
William Petit’s survival is one of the most remarkable parts of the case.
He had been beaten severely and was losing blood. He had no clear knowledge of everything happening upstairs, but he knew his family was in danger. Somehow, he managed to free himself enough to escape from the basement area and reach a neighbor.
His survival allowed him to testify later, but it also meant he had to live with the loss of his wife and daughters.
In the years after the murders, William Petit helped create the Petit Family Foundation in memory of Jennifer, Hayley, and Michaela. The foundation supports causes connected to education, chronic illness, and helping people affected by violence.
The Arrests and Trials
Steven Hayes and Joshua Komisarjevsky were arrested soon after the crime.
Both men were tried and convicted in separate trials. The charges included murder, kidnapping, sexual assault, burglary, and other crimes connected to the home invasion.
Hayes was convicted first and sentenced to death in 2010. Komisarjevsky was later convicted and also sentenced to death.
For many people in Connecticut, the case became closely tied to the death penalty debate. Supporters of the death penalty pointed to the Cheshire murders as an example of a crime they believed deserved the harshest punishment. Opponents argued that the state should not continue executions under any circumstances.
Death Sentences Changed to Life in Prison
Connecticut abolished the death penalty for future cases in 2012. At first, that did not automatically remove death sentences already imposed.
Then, in 2015, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that carrying out the death penalty after the state had abolished it would violate the state constitution. That decision affected the remaining prisoners on Connecticut’s death row, including Hayes and Komisarjevsky.
As a result, both men’s death sentences were changed to life in prison without the possibility of release.
Komisarjevsky was later resentenced to six consecutive life terms. Hayes was also resentenced to life in prison.
Why the Case Had Such a Large Impact
The Cheshire home invasion murders had an impact far beyond one town.
They changed how many people in Connecticut thought about home invasion laws, parole, repeat offenders, and the death penalty. The case was also compared in some media coverage to older American crime stories such as In Cold Blood, not because the facts were identical, but because it forced the public to confront a violent crime committed inside an ordinary family home.
The case later became the subject of books and documentaries, including coverage focused on William Petit’s survival and the long emotional aftermath.
For many readers, the most difficult part is that the victims were not doing anything risky. They were at home. That is what made the case feel so frightening.
Remembering Jennifer, Hayley, and Michaela
True crime articles often focus heavily on the perpetrators, but the Petit family should not be remembered only through the men who killed them.
Jennifer Hawke-Petit was a nurse, wife, mother, and daughter. Hayley Petit was a young woman with a future ahead of her. Michaela Petit was still a child.
Their lives were not defined by one night of violence. They were loved, remembered, and honored by people who knew them. The foundation created in their memory is one way their family tried to turn grief into something that could help others.
The Cheshire murders remain painful because they show how quickly an ordinary life can be destroyed by violence. But the lasting memory of Jennifer, Hayley, and Michaela is not only the crime. It is also the love their family and community continued to show after it.
Timeline of the Cheshire Home Invasion Murders
July 22, 2007: Jennifer Hawke-Petit and Michaela Petit visited a local store.
Early July 23, 2007: Steven Hayes and Joshua Komisarjevsky entered the Petit family home in Cheshire, Connecticut.
July 23, 2007: Dr. William Petit was beaten and restrained. Jennifer, Hayley, and Michaela were held inside the home.
Morning of July 23, 2007: Jennifer was forced to withdraw money from a bank and tried to alert bank staff.
Later that morning: Jennifer was killed, and the house was set on fire. Hayley and Michaela died from smoke inhalation.
July 23, 2007: William Petit escaped and reached a neighbor. Hayes and Komisarjevsky were arrested shortly afterward.
2010: Steven Hayes was convicted and sentenced to death.
2011–2012: Joshua Komisarjevsky was convicted and sentenced to death.
2012: Connecticut abolished the death penalty for future cases.
2015: The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty could no longer be carried out for those already on death row.
2016: Hayes and Komisarjevsky were resentenced to life in prison without release.
2021: The Connecticut Supreme Court rejected Komisarjevsky’s appeal and affirmed his conviction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What were the Cheshire, Connecticut murders?
The Cheshire murders were a 2007 home invasion case in which Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her daughters Hayley and Michaela were killed. Dr. William Petit survived.
Who were the victims?
The victims were Jennifer Hawke-Petit, 48, Hayley Petit, 17, and Michaela Petit, 11.
Who survived the Cheshire home invasion?
Dr. William Petit survived after being badly beaten and restrained. He escaped and reached a neighbor for help.
Who committed the Cheshire murders?
Steven Hayes and Joshua Komisarjevsky were convicted for the crimes.
Were Hayes and Komisarjevsky sentenced to death?
Yes. Both were originally sentenced to death. Their sentences were later changed to life in prison without release after Connecticut’s death penalty rulings.
Why is the case important in Connecticut legal history?
The case became part of Connecticut’s death penalty debate. The state abolished the death penalty for future cases in 2012, and a 2015 court ruling later removed death sentences for those already on death row.
Sources
Justia — State v. Komisarjevsky
Sources
Sources
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https://abc7ny.com/post/cheshire-home-invasion-killers-spared-after-ct-overturns-death-penalty/927075/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="display:block; color:#111; text-decoration:none; font-size:26px; line-height:1.4; margin-bottom:22px;"> ABC7 New York
https://time.com/4032204/petit-home-invasion-the-rising/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="display:block; color:#111; text-decoration:none; font-size:26px; line-height:1.4; margin-bottom:22px;"> TIME
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