WEST HAVEN — One of the men convicted of killing a woman and her two daughters in the 2007 Cheshire home invasion allegedly has realized he is transgender and is undergoing hormone therapy in prison, he told the host of a new podcast show.

Stephen Hayes, who is serving six life sentences for one of the most notorious crimes in Connecticut history, apologizes for the crime and tells Joe Tomaso, host of the podcast “15 Minutes With…” he was cited for contraband because he had a hand-fashioned bow in his hair and altered his prison gear to be more “feminine.”

City resident Tomaso, 56, a former paramedic and founder of CT News Alert, which monitors area police activity, launched the podcast series recently in hopes that young people and adults who listen will be deterred from crime.

Tomaso, who attended the Connecticut School of Broadcasting, poses questions to interviewees about their crimes and always asks what they would tell their younger self or any other person considering a life of crime.

“You know what’s going to make me happy?” Tomaso said. “If I found out it kept one kid or more than one kid out of trouble.”

He has done 15-minute jailhouse phone interviews with big-name criminals including Hayes and convicted killed Drew Peterson, and is reaching out for more, including “Son of Sam” serial killer David Berkowitz, Jesse James Hollywood, Brendan Ray Dassey and locals as well. Tomaso invites prisoners who want to be interviewed by phone to write to him at P.O. Box 162, West Haven, 06516.

Tomaso also has reached out to Hayes’ co-conspirator in the Cheshire case, Joshua Komisarjevsky, but expects that to hold because the killer is pursuing a state Supreme Court appeal for a new trial. The two were convicted of murder in the deaths of Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her daughters, 11-year-old Michaela and 17-year-old Hayley. Hawke-Petit was raped and strangled by Hayes and the daughters died in the fire that was set shortly afterward.

. Hawke-Petit’s husband and the girls’ father, Dr. William Petit Jr., was beaten with a baseball bat at the outset of the home invasion but survived.

Tomaso has posted three 15-minute interviews with Hayes and has a few more ready to go.

Tomaso said he’s not in it for the money, as the podcasts can be watched for free on YouTube, Spotify and other platforms. Tomaso said the podcasts are costing him money, as he pays for the prison phone calls and equipment.

Hayes, who was transferred from Connecticut to a Pennsylvania prison about a year ago, and put into the general population, tells Tomaso he’ll answer any question because his case is over forever — he said he will not seek any appeals as he doesn’t want to cause the Petit family any more pain.

Hayes told Tamaso he was suicidal for 18 months after the Cheshire crime, because it did not go as planned — a robbery where everyone in the family would sit on the couch together so they felt safe.

Hayes said he wanted money for drugs and to start a new life with his significant other. No one was supposed to be harmed, he claims.

“I’m not a monster,” Hayes tells Tomaso, blaming his crime partner for the escalation. “It really wrecked me when I found out what happened.” Hayes claims he never went upstairs during the invasion, where the two young girls were tied to their beds, left to die in the arson fire.

Hayes sounds resigned and focused now, but said he misses the varied life experiences that freedom allowed.

Hayes said the only good he can do now is to discourage others from a life of crime, which he started early.

“My life is ruined over all this. Everybody’s life is ruined,” Hayes said. What would he tell young people?

“Do not do it. Nothing works out. Look at me,” Hayes said. “It’s absolutely not worth it. ... Unfortunately we don’t get do-overs.”

He told Tomaso he was that person who thought he knew everything, and didn’t listen when people told him he was headed down a path of self destruction, but they were right.

Hayes said talking in the podcasts to deter crime is his only way of “giving back” and he will not seek a Supreme Court appeal because, “I don’t want to cause any more harm to the family. Three innocent people are dead. ... The family doesn’t deserve to go through this anymore.”

He said he is one of two transgender inmates at the Pennsylvania prison and there are many problems with presenting as a female.

He also talks about an “amazing” person he has met in in prison.

In a letter to Tomaso regarding the podcast plan, Hayes wrote: “Last year I did finally openly admit my personal truth that I am transgender and lived a life of severe gender dysphoria.”

Hayes tells Tomaso in one of the interviews that while going through his files, Hayes found he was diagnosed with gender dysphoria at age 16, but his family never addressed the issue.

It could not be immediately determined who is providing the hormones Hayes claims to have been taking for 18 months.

A spokesperson for the Connecticut Department of Correction said in an email that Hayes’ medical information is protected by privacy laws. They could neither confirm nor deny his claim of receiving hormones.

Tomaso is taken by the fact Hayes apologizes to the family for the crime — something Tomaso said Hayes has never done.

Tomaso, who has a strong, clear voice and also had interviews with Drew Peterson, a former police sergeant from Chicago serving a 38-year sentence in the 2004 death of ex-wife Kathleen Savio and 40 additional years for plotting to kill the prosecutor who put him behind bars.

He said Peterson appears to be enjoying prison and notoriety. Peterson brought up that he still gets letters and pictures from women, and even proposals.

Tomaso hopes to interview legal experts, as well.