A Connecticut jury has recommended the death penalty for Stephen Hayes, who was found guilty for the July 2007 murders of Hayley Petit and her mother and sister. Hayley Petit would have matriculated with the Class of 2011.
The jury deliberated for just over three days before reaching this conclusion, asking for clarification on mitigating factors such as how Hayes' potential mental illness at the time of the crime played into their sentence before coming to their final decision.
Hayes was convicted last month after two days of deliberation on 16 of 17 charges, including rape, assault, murder and kidnapping. Hayley Petit, her younger sister Michaela Petit and mother Jennifer Hawke-Petit were murdered in July 2007 when Hayes and accomplice Joshua Komisarjevsky allegedly invaded and later set fire to the Petit home in Cheshire, Conn.
Hayes has exhibited suicidal tendencies and previously told a psychologist that he wished to be executed.
In his time in prison, Hayes attempted to commit suicide by hoarding his medications and then taking many pills at once. Last March, Hayes told a psychologist that he no longer intended to commit suicide, but wanted to receive the death penalty, according to CNN."I want to plead guilty to everything now, because I just want it over now," Hayes told an evaluation team, according to CNN.A high school dropout and the father of two children out of wedlock, Hayes has admitted to a long history of substance abuse, Justin Schechter, a forensic and clinical psychiatrist, told CNN.William Petit '78 Hayley Petit's father, who survived the attack has lobbied for the death penalty in the past but declined to testify at Hayes's sentencing because of concerns it could give Hayes grounds for appeal, The Dartmouth previously reported.
