It began, by most accounts, with a chance encounter at a grocery store. It ended with one of the most painful home invasion cases in modern American memory.
Who the Petit Family Was
Dr. William Petit was a physician in Cheshire, Connecticut; his wife, Jennifer Hawke-Petit, was an oncology nurse deeply involved in their daughters' lives. Hayley, 17, had recently graduated high school; Michaela, 11, was still in middle school. By all accounts the family was close and well respected in their community -- part of why the crime that followed shocked so many people.
The Night Before
On July 22, 2007, Jennifer and Michaela made a trip to a local store. One of the men who would attack their family later encountered them there and, according to reports, followed them home.
The Home Invasion
In the early hours of July 23, 2007, Joshua Komisarjevsky and Steven Hayes entered the Petit family home. Dr. Petit was attacked while sleeping downstairs, beaten with a baseball bat and restrained; Jennifer and both daughters were also restrained. What began as an apparent burglary turned into an hours-long hostage situation.
The Bank, and What Happened After
The men forced Jennifer to go to a bank and withdraw money. At the bank, she attempted to alert staff that her family was in danger; a teller contacted police after she left, and officers responded to the area, though the situation had already ended tragically by the time it resolved. Back at the house, Jennifer was killed, and Hayley and Michaela were left restrained as the men set the house on fire; both girls died of smoke inhalation. Dr. Petit, severely injured, managed to free himself and reach a neighbor for help. The two men were arrested shortly after fleeing in the family's car. The invasion had lasted roughly seven hours.
Trials and Sentencing
Hayes and Komisarjevsky were tried separately on charges including murder, kidnapping, sexual assault, burglary, and arson. Hayes was convicted first and sentenced to death in 2010; Komisarjevsky was convicted and sentenced to death shortly after. Connecticut abolished the death penalty for future cases in 2012, and in 2015 the state's Supreme Court ruled that carrying out existing death sentences after abolition would violate the state constitution -- converting both men's sentences to life in prison without the possibility of release. Komisarjevsky's appeal of his conviction was rejected by the Connecticut Supreme Court in 2021.
Where the Perpetrators Stand Today
Steven Hayes has since legally changed her name and gender identity and is now known as Linda Mai Lee. She was transferred from a Pennsylvania facility to Oregon in March 2023 in connection with a separate lawsuit and has continued representing herself in ongoing legal proceedings from custody; a related petition regarding her legal name and sex designation was denied by an Oregon court in February 2024. Joshua Komisarjevsky remains incarcerated as well, continuing to serve his life sentence following the 2021 rejection of his appeal.
A Lasting Impact
Dr. Petit survived and later helped establish the Petit Family Foundation in memory of his wife and daughters, supporting causes connected to education and victims of violence. The case became closely tied to Connecticut's death penalty debate in the years that followed, and remains one of the most widely discussed home invasion cases in American true crime history.
FAQ
Who were the victims of the Cheshire home invasion?
Jennifer Hawke-Petit, 48, and her daughters Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11. Dr. William Petit survived the attack.
Are the perpetrators still in prison?
Yes. Both remain incarcerated, serving life sentences after their death sentences were converted following Connecticut's abolition of the death penalty.
Has anything changed in the case recently?
Steven Hayes has legally changed her name and gender identity and is now known as Linda Mai Lee; she was transferred to an Oregon facility in 2023 in connection with a separate legal matter.