Crime | Connecticut Trial of Burglar Accused of Murdering Family Begins Mother, two daughters were killed By Alp Arslan Posted Sep 14, 2010 8:57 PM CDT Posted Sep 14, 2010 8:57 PM CDT Promoted on Newser Sep 14, 2010 9:41 PM CDT Copied This 2007 photo provided by Dr. William Petit Jr., shows Dr. Petit, left, with his daughters Michaela, front, Hayley, center rear, and his wife, Jennifer Hawke-Petit. (AP) In July of 2007, two lifetime criminals, Steven Hayes and Joshua Komisarjevsky, broke into the Petit family home in New Haven, Connecticut. They are accused of horrific crimes—raping and killing Jennifer Hawke-Petit, sexually abusing one of her daughters before killing her, and killing another daughter by setting the house on fire while father William Petit was bound and beaten in the basement. William Petit escaped and alerted the police, who captured the two burglars. Hayes went on trial today with William Petit testifying to the gruesome events of that day. Komisarjevsky will be tried separately. Connecticut is seeking the death penalty for both defendants. Read the full article at CNN. Read These Next Saudi tells Iran to wise up, 'stop attacking their neighbors.' Ex-counterterror official Joe Kent is under investigation by the FBI. Trump cracked a Pearl Harbor joke with Japan's leader. Navy's most advanced aircraft carrier pulls out of the Iran war. Report an error