Jurors Talk About the Decision for Death

For weeks, jurors saw graphic evidence of horrors three Cheshire women went through.

Hours after making the decision to sentence Steven Hayes to death for the murders of Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her daughters, the jury foreman said he and fellow jurors were "disgusted" and "horrified" by what they saw.

“A lot of times, people needed to hold someone’s hand,” Ian Cassell, 35, of New Haven, said.

Cassell said the trial was a difficult time for him and his family.

“It was hard on my family, my job,” Cassell said. “A lot of difficult things to get through.”

It took four days of deliberation before the jury handed down the death sentence.

Cassell said that it took so long because the case was complicated. Early on during the deliberations, he was not sure Hayes would get the death penalty. The jurors were divided over Hayes' claim that he wanted a death sentence but that argument didn't play a big role in the deliberations.

Maico Cardona, another juror, said the jury took its job very seriously and looked at every piece of evidence.

“I couldn’t believe how inhumane a person could be,” Cardona said. “Such a beautiful family was destroyed that day.”

Several members of the jury are in New York on Tuesday morning and to appear on the morning news shows.

One of the jurors said they decided to talk to the media to promote the Petit Family Foundation, and victim advocacy.

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