Officials in Colorado said that newly analyzed DNA evidence solved two 1984 cold cases.
Patricia Smith, 50, was found beaten to death with a hammer in her home in Lakewood on Jan. 10, 1984. Six days later, Bruce and Debra Bennett were found beaten to death at their home in Aurora, along with their 7-year-old daughter Melissa.
The Bennett’s 3-year-old daughter was also sexually abused, shewas found the next day by her grandmother.
DNA Evidence
DNA evidence developed in 2010 after a cold case detective submitted DNA in the Smith case to compare it to the DNA collected in the Bennett case. The evidence indicated the person who killed Smith also killed the Bennetts, according to the Colorado Bureau of Corrections.“In the following day, we recognized that a match was made between the buckle swab of convicted offender Mr. Ewing to the forensic samples from the Bennett case,” Colorado Bureau of Investigations Director John Camper said.
Ewing Aready in Prison
Alexander Ewing, 57, is currently serving a 40-year prison term for attempting to kill a couple with an ax handle in their bedroom.His sentence runs through 2037 but he’s eligible for parole in 2021.
Ewing has now been charged with three counts of first-degree murder after deliberation, three counts of felony murder, and other crimes in the deaths of the Bennett family.
He’s also been charged with first-degree murder after deliberation, three counts of felony murder, and two violent crime counts for the death of Smith.
Families and Friends React
Smith’s family released a statement after the news was received.“I was made fun of in school because my parents were killed,” she said. “I was made fun of because the hammer man or whatever you want to call it was going to come to my house and hurt everybody when I had slumber parties and stuff.”
Colorado officials have started the extradition process to return Ewing to Colorado from Nevada to go on trial, a process that could take months.
Friends of Smith and the Bennetts and police officers reacted to the news while officials said they hoped the findings would help start closure.
“This case haunted the officers who responded that night. It was a case that haunted the families and the victims to the core,” said Nick Metz, chief of police at the Aurora Police Department.
“I don’t believe anybody ever, with something like this ever really has closure,” Bennett family friend Randy McCoy added. “I just wanted to hear it, hear they found the guy, not just on the news or something, I wanted to be here and hear it.”Officials in Colorado said that newly analyzed DNA evidence solved two 1984 cold cases.
Patricia Smith, 50, was found beaten to death with a hammer in her home in Lakewood on Jan. 10, 1984. Six days later, Bruce and Debra Bennett were found beaten to death at their home in Aurora, along with their 7-year-old daughter Melissa.
The Bennett’s 3-year-old daughter was also sexually abused, shewas found the next day by her grandmother.
DNA Evidence
DNA evidence developed in 2010 after a cold case detective submitted DNA in the Smith case to compare it to the DNA collected in the Bennett case. The evidence indicated the person who killed Smith also killed the Bennetts, according to the Colorado Bureau of Corrections.“In the following day, we recognized that a match was made between the buckle swab of convicted offender Mr. Ewing to the forensic samples from the Bennett case,” Colorado Bureau of Investigations Director John Camper said.
Ewing Aready in Prison
Alexander Ewing, 57, is currently serving a 40-year prison term for attempting to kill a couple with an ax handle in their bedroom.His sentence runs through 2037 but he’s eligible for parole in 2021.
Ewing has now been charged with three counts of first-degree murder after deliberation, three counts of felony murder, and other crimes in the deaths of the Bennett family.
He’s also been charged with first-degree murder after deliberation, three counts of felony murder, and two violent crime counts for the death of Smith.
Families and Friends React
Smith’s family released a statement after the news was received.“I was made fun of in school because my parents were killed,” she said. “I was made fun of because the hammer man or whatever you want to call it was going to come to my house and hurt everybody when I had slumber parties and stuff.”
Colorado officials have started the extradition process to return Ewing to Colorado from Nevada to go on trial, a process that could take months.
Friends of Smith and the Bennetts and police officers reacted to the news while officials said they hoped the findings would help start closure.
“This case haunted the officers who responded that night. It was a case that haunted the families and the victims to the core,” said Nick Metz, chief of police at the Aurora Police Department.
“I don’t believe anybody ever, with something like this ever really has closure,” Bennett family friend Randy McCoy added. “I just wanted to hear it, hear they found the guy, not just on the news or something, I wanted to be here and hear it.”