Komisarjevsky Convicted in Home Invasion Triple Murder, Faces Death Sentence

Joshua Komisarjevsky, the second defendant in the horrific Cheshire, Conn., home invasion murders in 2007, was found guilty Thursday of 17 counts, including murder, kidnapping and sexual assault.

The 31-year-old now faces a possible death sentence for his role in the murders, in which Dr. William Petit's wife and two daughters were tied up, doused in gas, and killed in a fire, while Petit was left seriously injured.

Komisarjevsky’s partner in the crime, Steven Hayes, was convicted of murder and sentenced to death in 2010.

Komisarjevsky was convicted of all 17 charges he faced, including capital felony killing, kidnapping and sexual assault.

After the jury read out the verdict, Komisarjevsky sat back in his chair, rocking back and forth slightly.

Petit was the only survivor; his wife, Jennifer Hawke-Petit, and daughters Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11, were killed in the attack.

According to Hayes' confession, the two planned to rob the family and flee the scene without hurting the family. But Hayes and Komisarjevsky both escalated the assault and then Komisarjevsky raped the younger daughter, Michaela, and provoked Hayes to rape Hawke-Petit.

Though the defendants were found guilty of gruesome murder, the sexual assault of the youngest daughter was the main focus of the second case.

Hayes was found guilty in 16 out of 17 counts and was sentenced to death in December 2010. Komisarjevsky's trial began on Sept. 19, 2011, and on Oct. 13, 2011, he was found guilty on all 17 counts.

During Komisarjevsky's more than two weeks of testimony, prosecutors played a taped confession in which he spoke matter-of-factly and laughed occasionally, the New York Times reported.

Komisarjevsky, in his confession, admitted beating Petit and sexually assaulting his younger daughter, but he insisted that Hayes was worried about the DNA at the scene and wanted to kill the family.

Komisarjevsky further added that Hayes poured the gas on them and lighted the fire, but forensic reports said that Komisarjevsky had gas on his clothes.

The jury in New Haven Superior Court, after deliberating for more than eight hours, for two days convicted Komisarjevsky of the most gruesome crimes in recent history.

The penalty phase will begin Oct. 24, and the jury will decide whether Komisarjevsky should be executed or sentenced to life in prison.