NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A judge yesterday refused to declare a mistrial in Joshua Komisarjevsky’s home-invasion murder trial — ruling that the victims’ relatives, who had walked out en masse rather than listen to autopsy testimony, were free to come and go.
Defense attorney Jeremiah Donovan had argued that the abrupt departure was prejudicial to his client. Judge Jon Blue disagreed.
Authorities say Komisarjevsky and Steven Hayes broke into the Cheshire home in July 2007 and tied up Dr. William Petit and his family. Hayes was convicted last year of killing Petit’s wife, Jennifer Hawke-Petit, 48, and two daughters, ages 17 and 11.