Nov 26, 2008 11:17 pm US/Eastern
Reliving And Outlasting The Cheshire Murders
Dr. William Petit Speaks To CBS 2 HD About Forgettable Day In '07 When His Family Was Violently Taken Away
CHESHIRE, Conn. (CBS) ―
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William Petit Jr., Connecticut doctor, with wife Jennifer Hawke-Petit, and their two daughters, Hayley, top left, and Michaela. (Photo 7/23/07)
AP
His home was broken into, his wife and children were tortured and murdered, but yet somehow he survived.
A Connecticut doctor who has lost so much found the courage to talk to CBS 2 HD in an exclusive interview about what it takes to face each day.
"Anybody who watches this should spend more time being more kind to whoever they're with," Dr. William Petit said.
It's that simple message that Petit has turned into his calling -- after having his family brutally taken away.
In July 2007, two burglars turned the Petit's Cheshire home into an unfathomable crime scene.
They broke in at 3 a.m. and beat Dr. Petit unconscious. They then moved on to wife Jennifer, and daughters Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11. They tortured, raped and strangled his wife before setting the house on fire. As they fled, Hayley and Michaela lay tied to their beds, dying of smoke inhalation.
Dr. Petit was the only one to survive the attacks, and he still asks himself how he faces life without his family each day.
"Is that question answerable? Not at this point. No," he said.
Caring for people was a petit family trait.
"My wife was involved with community service," he said.
As were his two daughters. Now, Dr. Petit shares his family legacy at events like a student community service fair. It was his classmates from Connecticut's Plainview High class of '74 who encouraged him to get involved.
"To try and make me feel better, make my friends feel better, you know, because what else could they do? What else could I do?" Dr. Petit said.
"As Bill would say, you try to find the good in the bad. It's a shame that tragedy begets good deeds," said Dr. Michael Majsak, Petit's classmate and friend.
There have been many events that have raised nearly $1 million in the names of the Petit women for education, violence prevention and multiple sclerosis, which Jennifer suffered from. And while Dr. Petit no longer practices medicine, his mission of caring hasn't changed.
"Maybe this is just part of being a physician, you know? ... Just showing up at the office and seeing patients even when you didn't want to see patients. When you have a bad day you saw patients," Dr. Petit said.
When asked if there are more hard days or more positive days, Petit said, "A lot of hard days."
And while strangers continue to share their kindness with him, he knows who they are truly reaching out to.
"Less embracing me than they're embracing the girls," the doctor said.
Jury selection begins in January. Petit is a proponent of the death penalty and fighting for a three strikes law to prevent criminals who are convicted three times of ever being paroled.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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