BUFFALO, N.Y. — A Hamburg man, accused in a stabbing death, was arraigned in Erie County Court Friday on a murder charge.
Jared M. Adamski, 26, is charged with one count of murder in the second degree and one count of tampering with physical evidence.
Investigators say Adamski allegedly caused the death of Brenden Benoit, 25, by stabbing him multiple times in the upper area of each leg. The incident happened July 10 near Heltz Road in Lakeview. Benoit died at the scene.
Two other people are being charged as accomplices to the murder.
Harrison J. Drozen, 20, of North Carolina was arraigned on one count of murder in the second degree and one count of tampering with physical evidence.
Kayleigh A. Skybyk-Schuh, 19, of the Village of Hamburg, was arraigned on one count of manslaughter in the first degree and one count of tampering with evidence.
All three defense attorneys declined comment.
All three are accused of conspiring to lure Benoit to a wooded area to commit the crime, according to investigators. Officials say Skybyk-Schuh allegedly drove with Benoit and others to the location where Adamski, Drozen, and Connor E. Krone were hiding in the woods in order to attack Benoit.
They say when Benoit got out of the vehicle, he was allegedly punched by one of the male suspects. Benoit reportedly tried to get back into the vehicle to escape the attack, but Adamski allegedly attacked Benoit with a knife in the vehicle.
Erie County assistant district attorney Ryan Hagerty said in court: "In this case Kayleigh Skybyk-Schuh drove with two other females to pick up the victim. These males laid in wait for them to arrive back at that spot. Once there Jared Adamski, Harrison Drozen, and Connor Krone ambushed the victim. Jared Adamski plunged his knife into the victim four times and dragged him out to a clearing to bleed out alone in the middle of nowhere.
"All of them then sped away back to the apartment that they shared where they gathered up the bloody evidence, including personal effects of the victim, and burned them in an effort to conceal their crimes. These charges are the result of their concerted effort to take the life of the victim."
Two more people have also been indicted by a grand jury in the case. Krone, 22, of Hamburg is expected to be arraigned Sept. 21; Elexus Dean, 20, of Hamburg will be arraigned on Sept. 21.
A sixth defendant, who was initially charged, was not indicted by the grand jury. Erie County district attorney John Flynn said "the sixth individual is still under investigation."
Adamski, Drozen and Skybyk-Schuh are being without bail.
Flynn acknowledged that he, much like the general Hamburg community, was surprised by the alleged actions of such young suspects.
"An individual is again is allegedly lured to a wooded area and people are in wait. This is the kind of thing that you see in movies, you know, that you see in books and murder novels," Flynn said.
If convicted, Adamski and Drozen face a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison. Skybyk-Schuh could face a maximum of 25 years in prison if she is convicted.
Flynn also again responded to claims by family members of the suspects that this attack may have been in retaliation for what they say was the victim Benoit's prior assault of one of their friends. Some point out he suffered those knife wounds in the upper leg area.
Flynn said he could not confirm or deny those claims and felt Hamburg police did a thorough job in their investigation.
Flynn says they're prepared if that kind of claim surfaces from the defense.