Where is “Hammer Killer” Alex Ewing Now? Who Were His Victims? – Alex Ewing, often known as the Hammer Killer, was convicted in 2021 of all counts related to the horrible 1984 murders of an Aurora, Colorado, couple and their 7-year-old daughter. He was also put on trial for the murder of Patricia Smith, an interior designer who was beaten to death six days before the Bennett slayings after being subjected to a sexual attack. He was convicted of Patricia’s first-degree murder earlier this year.
For crimes he committed nearly forty years ago, Alex Ewing is currently serving four lifetimes in prison. Investigation Discovery’s show “People Magazine Investigates: The Colorado Hammer Killer” focuses on the persistent police work that ultimately resulted in Alex’s arrest and conviction many years after his original attacks, now that the victims have received their deserved compensation. As a result, if you’re interested in finding out more about where he might be right now, we’ve got you covered.
Must Read: Where Are Kim Haubenschild and Vanessa Bennett Today?
Who Were the Victims of Alex Ewing?
When Kim and Jim Haubenschild were attacked at their Aurora, Colorado, home on January 4, 1984, everything began to unravel. As depicted on the show, they discovered Kim’s purse open and dropped outside a residence. In the middle of the night, an intruder entered into their home and attacked them with a hammer before running away. Kim and Jim were alive, but the authorities were unable to apprehend the perpetrator at the time.
Then, on January 10, 1984, Patricia Smith, age 50, was murdered in her Lakewood, Colorado, home, as the neighborhood was still reeling from the attack. She had roughly 17 head wounds when she was discovered, having been struck with a hammer. The devoted grandma had additionally experienced sexual assault. Similar to what happened to the Haubenschilds, the attacker searched Patricia’s purse and dispersed its contents across the bedroom.
The same day, Donna Holm was returning home from the grocery store in Aurora when she was accosted in her garage by an assailant brandishing a hammer. She was hit, and her partner ultimately discovered her in bed with a head wound. It was eventually established that Donna had also been sexually abused after the hammer was discovered in the garage.
On January 16, 1984, around six days later, family members of the Bennett family became concerned when they didn’t show up for work or return phone calls. Bruce, 27, and Debra, 26, who was his wife, lived in Aurora with their two kids, Melissa, 7, and Vanessa, 3. Bruce’s mother arrived at their home after driving there to discover her son bleeding from the throat and suffering from a head injury. Debra was discovered in the bedroom naked from the waist up and severely injured.
Melissa was discovered dead and having been sexually abused in the bloody mess of the kids’ bedroom. Vanessa was discovered with severe wounds, but she was still alive, so she was sent to the hospital. She was sexually attacked and had multiple fractured bones. The use of a hammer in each attack and the absence of robbery as the major motive led the police to identify a pattern. Additionally, the assailant picked residences with often opened garage doors and entered through them.
A few days later, on January 27, 1984, Roy Williams was attacked in Kingman, Arizona, by someone brandishing a big rock. He, fortunately, made it through. After that, Alex Ewing was detained not far from the scene of the crime because, according to the program, it was his shoes that appeared to have left the footprints outside Roy’s home. At the time, Arizona had a capacity issue, so Alex was sent to Utah.
During a prisoner transport in Henderson, Nevada, on August 9, 1984, Alex escaped from captivity. The authorities think he broke into Nancy and Chris Barry’s house that day and attacked them with an axe handle. The children were uninjured, and the couple survived. Soon after, Alex was detained, putting an end to the series of crimes. It took him a while, though, before he was linked to the deaths in Colorado.
What Happened to Alex Ewing and Where Is He Now?
Because Alex attempted to murder Nancy and Chris, he received a 110-year sentence. He was found guilty in 2021 of killing Bruce, Debra, and Melissa and was given three life sentences as punishment. It wasn’t until 2018 that the police used DNA to link him to the murders of Patricia and the Bennett family. This made it possible for Alex to be extradited to Colorado, a decision he resisted for a few years.
At first, Alex’s murder trial against Patricia was ruled a mistrial. He was, nevertheless, convicted of the same crime in April 2022, with DNA evidence playing a key role. But Alex, then 61, said, “You guys don’t want the people who actually committed the crimes; you just want the conviction,” adding that the whole process was skewed.
He was nonetheless given a fourth consecutive life sentence for the murder of Patricia. In accordance with the show, the statute of limitations had passed even though the authorities also thought he was responsible for the other attacks. His continued incarceration at the Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility in Caon City, Fremont County, as shown by prison records.