A man who took part in the rape and murder of a young family in Chesire, Connecticut, during a 2007 home invasion has begun his gender transition behind bars–on the taxpayer’s dime.
Stephen Hayes was convicted of raping and murdering three members of a young family in 2007.
He was initially sentenced to death, before the state of Connecticut retroactively abolished the death penalty and Hayes’ sentence was commuted to six consecutive life sentences.
Hayes denies raping and killing Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her daughters, 11-year-old Michaela and 17-year-old Hayley; and claims he never ‘went upstairs’–where the family was found–and only partook in the robbery of the home.
Jennifer Hawke-Petit was allegedly raped and strangled by Hayes, while her two daughters were found tied up in their beds and were killed when the house was set on fire afterwards.
The husband, Dr. William Petit Jr., was beaten with a baseball bat during the invasion, but managed to survive the attack.
Hayes maintains that his accomplice, Joshua Komisarjevsky, was solely responsible for the rapes and murders.
“I’m not a monster,” Hayes has said. “It really wrecked me when I found out what happened. My life is ruined over all this. Everybody’s life is ruined. Do not do it. Nothing works out. Look at me. It’s absolutely not worth it. Unfortunately, we don’t get do-overs.”
Hayes was later transferred–about a year ago–from Connecticut to a Pennsylvania prison where he has now begun his gender transition.
Law Enforcement Times reports that Hayes has been taking hormones for around 18 months–on the taxpayer’s dime.
Following his transfer to Pennsylvania, Hayes has been moved out of general population as complications may arise from his new gender identity.
READ MORE: Trans Woman Murders Mom and Brother Over Gender Identity, Claims ‘It Was Me or Them’
Hayes isn’t the first to be granted gender reassignment treatment behind bars.
In 2017, a convicted murderer in California was awarded gender reassignment surgery while behind bars.
Earlier this year, the Idaho taxpayer may be stuck with the bill for the gender reassignment surgery of a convicted child molester.
