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Each man stared straight ahead, ignoring the searching gazes of a family devastated by the crimes the pair allegedly carried out.
Komisarjevsky and Hayes were arraigned on six counts of capital felony before Judge Richard A. Damiani Tuesday for allegedly beating prominent endocrinologist Dr. William Petit Jr., 50, with a baseball bat in his Cheshire home early July 23, then strangling his 48-year-old wife to death and leaving their daughters to die in a fire they set.
Neither man entered a plea Tuesday, but they are expected to plead not guilty to the charges following probable cause hearings set for Sept. 18. They are being held in lieu of $15 million bail each; Komisarjevsky is at McDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield, while Hayes is at Northern Correctional Institution in Somers, where he is under suicide watch.
Petit, who survived and is recuperating at his father's Plainville home, was not at Tuesday's hearing. He was released from St. Mary's Hospital in Waterbury four days after the deadly attack, in time to bury his wife and daughters at an undisclosed cemetery.
But at least 10 family members were there, and while they were ushered out a special exit and did not speak to reporters, they issued a statement earlier Tuesday that said Komisarjevsky and Hayes "committed horrific acts of violence against our beloved family members," and urging the state to "hold these individuals accountable for what they have done."
In addition to Hawke-Petit, killed in the attack were daughters Michaela, 11, and Hayley, 17. Hawke-Petit was strangled to death, while the girls were tied to their beds and died of smoke inhalation in the fire. Prosecutors say Hawke-Petit and Michaela also were raped.
Hours before Komisarjevsky and Hayes would appear before Damiani on Tuesday, a heavy security presence swooped down on the Church Street courthouse. Prisoner transport vans carrying Hayes and Komisarjevsky, who arrived at court about 20 minutes apart, drove in with sirens blaring and lights flashing down Wall Street toward the prisoners' entrance, while guards brandishing shotguns stood in the middle of the street.
In a courtyard behind the complex, where a sallyport that leads to holding cells is located, at least a half-dozen members of the state Department of Corrections' Special Operations Group stood guard. They were armed with what looked like submachine guns, and wore camouflage with what appeared to be black body armor vests and helmets.
As two vans, one of which contained Komisarjevsky, rolled in at 9:15 a.m., guards scanned rooftops and upper windows of adjacent office buildings.
A department spokeswoman said the heavy security seen Tuesday is standard in all death-penalty cases, but wouldn't release details as to how many members of the SOG team were detailed to the courthouse, or with what weapons they were armed. The public outrage about the crime did play some role, however.
"Because of the notoriety of the charges, we felt it was necessary," said DOC spokeswoman Stacy Smith.
Security wasn't limited to outside the courthouse.
Anyone entering Damiani's sixth-floor court room was frisked; once in courtroom, a human wall of judicial marshals and SOG team members separated spectators from the two defendants.
None of the Petit family said anything during the court hearing, but one man who marshals said was not connected with the Petits was ejected from the building after he shouted "Killers!" as Komisarjevsky shuffled from the lockup. Another man, Peter Cusanelli, of West Haven, muttered "scumbag" as Hayes left the courtroom.
"I just think that the crime was so heinous," Cusanelli, who also has no relation to the Petits, said later.
State's Attorney Michael Dearington would only release a statement Tuesday extending his sympathy to the Petit family and vowing to pursue the prosecution "to the fullest extent of the law allowable." When asked if any death threats had been made against the pair that would justify the high security, Dearington said, "Not that I know of, but they don't tell me anything."
Although neither Komisarjevsky nor Hayes said anything remarkable during the hearings, their attitudes appeared vastly different. Hayes, called first, walked briskly out of the lockup and gave a hard, steady look to Damiani.
Komisarjevsky, 18 years younger than Hayes and lacking the years of incarceration that Hayes has had, shuffled slowly out into the courtroom when he was called; he slouched, looked nervously around and briefly at the family before staring down at the floor.
He stood at the defense table alone for minutes, looking downward, as the court waited for his appointed public defender, Jeremiah Donovan, to arrive; eventually Damiani sent him back to the lockup to wait. When asked if he understood his rights, Komisarjevsky meekly told the clerk, "Yes, ma'am."
Afterward, Donovan wouldn't answer any questions but read a statement to reporters pledging to fight the charges to the fullest. He and Fairfield attorney Auden Grogins, who was in trial in Hartford Tuesday, have been assigned represent Komisarjevsky.
"Accepting this case is a heavy responsibility, in that I have a beloved wife and two lovely daughters of my own," Donovan said. "Nevertheless, I will represent Joshua with all of the vigor and ability I do possess - the court expects that, the prosecution expects that, and the people of Connecticut expect that."
Nancy Manning of Rocky Hill doesn't know Petit well - he just became her doctor shortly before his family was killed - but still attended Tuesday's hearing as well as the pair's initial arraignment in Meriden on July 24.
"I came to court initially to see what evil looked like," Manning said. "Now I want to see what the courts are going to do to prevent it from happening again."
Luther Turmelle can be reached at 789-5706 or at lturmelle@nhregister.com. Phil Helsel can be reached at phelsel@nhregister.com.
