The state Superior Court has unsealed a statement from the man who will soon stand trial for the deaths of Jennifer Hawke Petit, 48, and her daughters, Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11, during the invasion of their Cheshire home.
Defense attorneys for Joshua Komisarjevsky wrote that their client is not “the embodiment of evil,” as he has been depicted, has shown remorse for his crimes and statements to the contrary impede on his rights to a fair trial, his attorneys state.
“Komisarjevsky is a damaged human being (rather than the embodiment of evil) and has, in fact, displayed remorse, but such statements, which are part of an ongoing public relations campaign, also have the direct and immediate effect of impinging upon Mr. Komisarjevsky’s constitutional right to a fair trial,” his attorneys wrote.
Dr. William Petit is the only survivor of the home invasion that took the lives of his wife and daughters. He was beaten but was able to escape the home, which was burned during the ordeal and has spoken out about the case.
The court documents cite Dr. Petit’s published comments and columns and said Dr. Petit and other family members have “employed provocative language when referring to Mr. Komisarjevsky or his co-defendant Steven Hayes.”
Hayes was convicted and has been sentenced to the death penalty for his role in the crimes.
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The documents go on to respond to a memoriam Dr. Petit wrote.
“Recently, in commemorating the fourth anniversary of the tragic deaths of their loved ones, the Petit, Hawke, Renn and Chapman families once again attempted to paint Joshua Komisarjevksy in a pernicious light, an effort consistent with their ongoing public relations campaign to ensure his execution or, as they prefer to label it, “justice.” Contrary to the family’s aspersions, however, Komisarjevsky is not “pure evil,” as he has displayed remorse and his execution would not advance the ends of justice, as that concept is defined in most of the civilized world,” the statement states.
gag order was imposed, but attorneys asked the court to unseal their statement to counter what they say have been statements that prejudice his right to a fair trial next month
