• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About the writer and her website
  • References
  • Archives
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Contact Page

Defrosting Cold Cases

Research website by Alice de Sturler

  • Cold Case Research Methods
  • How to search for cases
  • Case of the Month: Charles Lee Snowden
  • Book Reviews
  • Cold Case Database
    • Index
      • Cases Index A-G
      • Cases Index H-N
      • Cases Index O-Z
    • Summaries
      • Case Summaries A-G
      • Case Summaries H-N
      • Case Summaries O-Z
You are here: Home / Cold Case News / Bennett Family Murders: three life sentences

Bennett Family Murders: three life sentences

August 18, 2021 By Alice

Photography Simon Folkard 2
Photography Simon Folkard

Yesterday, Aug 17, District Judge Darren Vahle sentenced Alexander Christopher Ewing to three life sentences, one for each member of the Bennett Family.

Ewing was found guilty on Aug 6, 2021 in the 1984 Bennett family Murders in Aurora, Colorado. Ewing didn’t speak during his sentencing hearing.

The life sentences will be served consecutively. As these murders occurred in 1986, Ewing is sentenced under those laws. The mandatory minimum sentence to serve is 20 years. After that, parole is a possibility. The chance that he will actually get parole is extremely small.

Ewing is also the suspect in two other hammer attacks in Aurora that happened in January 1984.

The trial in the rape-murder of Patricia Smith starts October 18, 2021.

Patricia Louise Smith case

Patricia Louise Smith (50) was born on Sept 19, 1933. She was murdered on Jan 10, 1984 by an, at that time, unknown person who raped and killed her inside her Lakewood home. Now we know that Patricia’s murder is connected to the Bennett Family murders in Aurora, Colorado.

In Aug 2018, Alexander Christopher Ewing was accused and charged in both cases. He faces first-degree murder charges in the Patricia Louise Smith case.

On Dec 4, 2018, a Nevada judge ordered Ewing’s extradition to Colorado. Ewing appealed.

On Nov 22, 2019, his appeal was denied by the Nevada Supreme Court. The US Supreme Court did not intervene so Ewing was extradited to Colorado.

On July 28, 2020 18th Judicial District Judge Michelle Amico ruled that there was enough evidence to proceed to trial. Covid-19 postponed all proceedings.

On Aug 6, 2021 a jury found Ewing guilty on all charges in the Bennett Family Murders. The trial for Patricia Smith is scheduled for Oct 18, 2021.

If you have information please contact Lakewood Police at (303) 987-7474.

Thank you for sharing!

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)

Related

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

Primary Sidebar

Dina Fort

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

Copyright

If you use my work, please add a link back. Let your readers know where you found your information. I do the same for you. Thank you!

Protected by Copyscape

Categories

Top Posts & Pages

  • Owachige Elice Osceola
  • Cold Case Database
  • Janet Eva Roberson Gregston
  • Missing: Joanna Lopez
  • How to search for cases

Subscribe to DCC by email

Enter your email address to get new posts notifications in your inbox

Recent Posts

  • Bitter Blood by Jerry Bledsoe
  • Assassin’s Lullaby by Mark Rubinstein
  • Remembering Charles Lee Snowden
  • The Harvest Man by Alex Grecian
  • Guilty Verdict for Patricia Louise Smith

William Thomas Zeigler

Category: ALL POSTS

On March 31, 2016, an evidentiary hearing was held to request touch DNA testing. On July 18, 2016, Judge Whitehead denied that request.

On November 23, 2016, an appeal was filed with the Florida Supreme Court. On April 21, 2017, the Florida Supreme Court denied the request for touch DNA analysis.

On May 8, 2017 a motion for a rehearing with the US Supreme Court was filed. It was denied November 13, 2017.

In the summer of 2019, the appeal for DNA testing to the Florida Conviction Integrity Unit was denied.

Richard Lapointe

Category: ALL POSTS

In March 2015, the Connecticut State Supreme Court ordered a new trial for Richard lapointe. On Oct 2, 2015, International Wrongful Conviction Day, Richard was set free. The judge ruled that he cannot be retried for the 1987 rape-murder of Mrs. Bernice Martin. Richard Lapointe died on Aug 4, 2020 of Covid19 complications.

In 1987, someone killed Bernice Martin. I hope that she will not become a forgotten file.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Copyright: Please add a link back if you use my work. Let your readers know where you found your information. I do the same for you. If you need help with this, just contact me. Thank you, Alice de Sturler

Copyright © 2022 ·News Pro · Genesis Framework by StudioPress · WordPress

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.