Jury sees texts between 2 men in home invasion

photo This July 2007 police photo released by the Connecticut Judicial Branch as evidence presented Tuesday Sept. 27, 2011 in the Joshua Komisarjevsky trial in New Haven, Conn., Superior Court, shows a fire-damaged portion of the Petit home in Cheshire, Conn., where three family members were killed during a home invasion July 23, 2007. (AP Photo/Connecticut Judicial Branch)

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Jurors today saw text messages between two men charged with killing a woman and her two young daughters, including one in which one told the other he was "chomping at the bit to get started."

Prosecutors showed the texts that Joshua Komisarjevsky and Steven Hayes sent to each other in the hours before the deadly home invasion in July 2007 in Cheshire. Hayes was convicted and sentenced to death last year. Komisarjevsky is on trial and could join him on death row if he's convicted.

"I'm chomping at the bit to get started," Hayes wrote, according to testimony. "Need a margarita soon."

After Hayes sends another text later, Komisarjevsky replies that he's putting his young daughter to bed, adding "Hold your horses."

"Dude," Hayes responds, "the horses want to get loose. LOL."

Authorities also cited explicit cellphone photos Komisarjevsky took of 11-year-old Michaela Petit, who died of smoke inhalation along with her 17-year-old sister, Hayley. The two girls were tied to their beds and left to die in a fire authorities say the men set after dousing the house with gas.

Connecticut lab officials told the jurors that blood samples turned up no alcohol or illegal drugs in the two men.

Hayes was convicted last year of strangling Jennifer Hawke-Petit and killing the girls.

Komisarjevsky admits he beat Dr. William Petit with a bat and molested his younger daughter, but he blames Hayes for the three killings. Hayes blamed Komisarjevsky. Prosecutors say both men are equally responsible.

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