HARTFORD — Sources told Eyewitness News that Steven Hayes may have tried to overdose on medication in prison.
According to sources, Hayes was found unresponsive in his cell at the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution around 7 a.m. Sunday.
Chief State’s Attorney Kevin Kane said Hayes had, “some kind of apparent medical emergency.”
Hayes was transported to the UConn medical center in Farmington.
Extra security was on hand while Hayes was at the hospital.
Hospital officials would not confirm nor deny the information. However, according to the New Haven Register, Hayes was placed in a medically induced coma.
Jury selection for Hayes’ trial was set to resume on Monday, but has been postponed until at least Wednesday. Hayes does have the right to be present during the selection of his jury.
Joshua Komisarjevsky and Hayes are charged with capital felony murder, assault, sexual assault, kidnapping, burglary, robbery, arson, larceny and risk of injury to children. Hayes was charged in the sexual assault of Jennifer Hawke-Petit, Dr. William Petit’s wife, and Komisarjevsky in the sexual assault of Michaela, their daughter.
Police said Hayes and Komisarjevsky entered the Petits’ Sorgum Mill Drive home during the night. They said once inside, they beat and bound William Petit and left him in the basement. Police said the pair then terrorized Hawke-Petit and her daughters, Michaela and Hayley, for hours.
Police said they surrounded the home after Hawke-Petit was taken by one of the suspects to a bank and made a withdrawal around 9:30 a.m. Hawke-Petit was able to communicate to the teller that she and her family were being held hostage in their home, authorities said. The teller contacted police and police said Hawke-Petit was taken back to the home.
Police said Komisarjevsky and Hayes set the house on fire before leaving the scene. They were arrested while attempting to flee, Cheshire police said.
The medical examiner ruled Hayley and Michaela’s cause of death to be from smoke inhalation and Hawke-Petit’s to be from asphyxiation.
Hayley was 17 at the time of her death and had recently graduated from Miss Porter’s School in Farmington. She planned to attend Dartmouth College. She also ran a charity called Hayley’s Hope, which raised more than $50,000 to fight multiple sclerosis, from which her mother suffered.
Hawke-Petit was 48 years old and was a nurse and director of the Student Health Center at Cheshire Academy.
Dr. Petit and his wife were married for 22 years.