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You are here: Home / Unsolved / Bennett Family Murders: Jury Impasse

Bennett Family Murders: Jury Impasse

August 6, 2021 By Alice

Photography Simon Folkard 2
Photography Simon Folkard

UPDATE: the jury found Alexander Christopher Ewing guilty on all six counts ( three counts of first-degree murder after deliberation and three counts of first-degree felony murder) on Friday August 6, 2021.

Ewing faces life imprisonment however, he will be sentenced under the law as it was at the time of the crime. In 1984, he would be eligible for parole after serving 20 years. Sentencing is scheduled for August 17 at 130PM.

**

The jury started deliberations Thursday afternoon but has already indicated to struggle. “The judge, in turn, said it was “too early” to declare a mistrial and sent jurors home for the night They’re set to return to continue deliberations on at 8:30 a.m. on Friday.”

As I noted in the previous post, some evidence from the Bennett Family Murders was never tested. Some evidence was so deteriorated it could not be tested. But there are several things that can be discussed.

“On one side, the jurors heard there is “no innocent explanation” for the presence of Ewing’s DNA on the carpeting where Melissa was raped and killed. On the other, jurors heard that “it’s just not that simple” that Ewing, and Ewing alone, committed the crimes.”

As far as I can tell, the DNA extracted from the semen is not a mixed profile so only one person contributed. That said, it is indeed possible that others also attacked the Bennett Family however, no accomplices were ever identified. Furthermore, there are many the similarities in several rape-hammer murders for which Ewing was convicted or will be tried for in October 2021.

The defense did not call a slate of experts of their own to contest expert testimony from state witnesses. Ewing did not take the stand.

The Case

Alexander Christopher Ewing is accused of using a hammer to kill Bruce, Debra, Melissa Bennett, and Patricia Smith. He faces charges for six counts of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of sexual assault on a child, burglary and five counts of committing a violent crime for the January 1984 killings of Bruce and Debra Bennett and their daughter Melissa. Ewing also faces charges for four counts of first-degree murder in the Patricia Louise Smith killing. These murders are known as the 1984 Colorado Hammer Murders.

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Filed Under: Cold Case News, Unsolved Tagged With: Alexander Christopher Ewing, Bennett Family, Colorado, DNA, Patricia Louise Smith

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Author Notes

On my website, I write about old, unsolved cases. Most are from the pre-DNA era and need renewed media attention. I only do research and leave active investigation of these cases to the professionals.

My posts are about homicides, missing and unidentified people, wrongful convictions, and forensics as related to these cases.

On book reviews: I only review select works of true crime, crime fiction, and historical fiction/mysteries. The stories have to fit my website's theme and research. It remains my prerogative to not review a book. Please check the FAQ page for more!

My database has hundreds of cases listed by the victim’s last name. You will find a brief description there as well. The database is free to the public.

All writing suggestions for cases that come in by email are added to my to-do list in the order in which they were received. Please be patient. My to-do list is very long but no case gets dropped and I will get back in touch.

If you have any questions about my website please check the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, the about page, and the tabs in both menu bars. If you still cannot find the answer there, please contact me.

Thank you,

Alice de Sturler

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