Hamburg, N.Y. (WBEN) - Erie County District Attorney John Flynn announced Monday afternoon the arraignment of 26-year-old Jared M. Adamski of the Village of Hamburg, who is being accused of manslaughter after stabbing 25-year-old Brenden Benoit of Boston, NY during a premeditated assault.
Early Sunday morning, police say they received a call of a man assaulted in a wooded area off Heltz Road in Lakeview. Police say they found Benoit in the woods, where he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Six defendants have been arrested in connection to the assault and were arraigned in court Monday before Hamburg Town Court Justice Carl W. Morgan. Jared M. Adamski was arrested for one count of Manslaughter in the First Degree (Class "B" violent felony) and one count of Assault in the Second Degree (Class "D" felony).
His five accomplices, who were involved in the assault, were also charged with Assault in the Second Degree for their alleged participation:
-Elexus O. Dean, 20, of Village of Hamburg
-Harrison J. Drozen, 20, of Village of Hamburg
-Connor E. Krone, 22, of Village of Hamburg
-Kayleigh A. Skybyk-Schuh, 19, of Village of Hamburg
-Larissa C. Smith, 18, of Town of Hamburg
It is alleged that on the late evening of Saturday, July 9, 2022, the three female defendants drove the victim to the location where the three male defendants were hiding in the woods. The six defendants are accused of acting in concert with one another with the intent to cause physical injury to the victim.
When the victim exited the vehicle, he was allegedly punched by one of the male defendants. The victim allegedly retreated back into the vehicle in an attempt to escape the attack. It is further alleged that defendant Adamski, while armed with a knife, engaged in a physical altercation with the victim inside of the vehicle. Adamski is accused of stabbing the victim multiple times in the upper leg area.
Thanks to the police work of Hamburg PD's Captain Nick Ugale and Detective Howie, DA Flynn says he has sufficient evidence as to why the group of friends lured the 25-year-old into the woods but that information will not be divulged at this time.
Adamski was held without bail. Prosecutors requested that the five co-defendants also be remanded. Dean, Drozen, Krone, Skybyk-Schuh, and Smith were held on $100,000 cash/bond or $200,000 partially secured bond.
All defendants are to be back in court for a felony hearing on Friday, July 15th, 2022 at 10 a.m.
To listen to the DA's full remarks, see the player below:
