Man sentenced to death in Connecticut murders

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Steven Hayes was condemned to death yesterday for a night of terror in a suburban home where a woman was strangled and her two daughters were tied to their beds and left to die in a gas-fueled fire.

Jurors in New Haven Superior Court voted unanimously to send Hayes, 47, to death row after deliberating over four days. Judge Jon Blue will impose the sentence on Dec. 2.

Dr. William Petit, the husband and father of the victims, said the verdict was not about revenge. "Vengeance belongs to the Lord," he said. "This is about justice."

The jury foreman, Ian Cassell, told The Associated Press some jurors were initially "on the fence" about life or death for Hayes. He said it was tense and emotional in the jury room.

Defense attorney Tom Ullmann said Hayes, who had attempted suicide while incarcerated, smiled at the verdict. "He is thrilled with the verdict. That's what he wanted all along," Ullmann said.