Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Erie County District Attorney John Flynn announced the arraignment of 45-year-old Adam Bennefield, who stood before State Supreme Court Justice M. William Boller on an indictment this Friday charging him with one count of Murder in the Second Degree (Class "A-I" felony).
In addition to the murder charge, he is also one count of Aggravated Criminal Contempt (Class "D" felony) and three counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Class "A" misdemeanors).
It is alleged that on Wednesday, October 5, 2022, at approximately 8:30 a.m., the defendant intentionally shot his estranged wife as she was sitting inside of her vehicle in the area of Richlawn Avenue and Shawnee Avenue in the City of Buffalo. The victim's three children were inside of the vehicle during the homicide. The victim, 40-year-old Keaira S. Bennefield, also known as Keaira Hudson, died at the scene.
Bennefield is also accused of committing the crime while knowingly in violation of an order of protection.
Bennefield is scheduled to return on Wednesday, November 2, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. for further proceedings. He continues to be held without bail.
If convicted of the highest charge, Bennefield faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
District Attorney John Flynn says that the three children are doing well, "The nine-year-old is with his biological father, the five-year-old and the six-month-old are with a grandparent."
In part of Bennefield being released previously due to a number of violent and nonviolent charges, there has been much discussion among NY officials and political candidates in regards to New York's bail reform laws, DA Flynn believes there should be some things that are tweaked regarding bail reform.
"Keep the entire bail statute as it is, you don't gotta throw it out. You don't gotta get rid of it. You can keep it as it is and keep the framework as it is, but you can insert one simple sentence into the statute. That simple sentence says that judges have the ability to assess dangerousness either to themselves or to other people in evaluating bail and if you come up with a determination that the defendant is a danger to himself or to others, then a judge can articulate that on the record."
