NEW HAVEN, CT (AP) -- A couple whose daughter and two granddaughters were killed by intruders in their Cheshire home are now criticizing the police department's actions that day.
The Reverend Richard Hawke and his wife, Marybelle, say quicker police action could have saved the lives of Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her daughters. It's the first time that relatives of the victims have questioned the police handling of the July 23 crime.
The couple wrote critical letters to the police department and prosecutors that were obtained by The Associated Press.
Hawke-Petit and her daughters were held hostage for several hours before they were killed. Police arrived outside the home 26 minutes before the suspects were arrested while attempting to flee.
A department spokesman is defending the police response.
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