ACCUSED CONN. KILLER WANTS TO AVOID NEEDLE

DIALING FOR DEATH. One of the thugs accused of slaughtering a woman and two young girls in a botched Connecticut home invasion is begging for his life. Now, lawyers for Joshua Komisarjevsky say their client is offering to plead guilty to avoid the death penalty.
In July 2007, cops say Komisarjevsky and Steven Hayes broke into a home in Cheshire; beat and tied up Dr. William Petit; raped and strangled his wife, Jennifer Hawke-Petit; molested one of their daughters; and set the family's house on fire before attempting to flee.
Both daughters -- 17-year-old Hayley Petit and 11-year-old Michaela Petit, both of whom had been tied to their beds -- died of smoke inhalation. Petit escaped to a neighbor's home. Hayes is already destined to get the needle. Komisarjevsky's mouthpieces say Hayes committed the most heinous acts.

"Steven Hayes admitted raping and strangling Mrs. Hawke Petit; Steven Hayes purchased the gasoline and doused the house with it, including specifically over Mrs. Hawke Petit's body; and, as the state has already argued, Steven Hayes lit the fire that culminated in the unnecessary, senseless and tragic deaths of the Petit children," the motion stated.

Komisarjevsky's murder trial has been scheduled to start September.
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