BUFFALO, N.Y. — A Buffalo man accused of killing his estranged wife has been found guilty.
Adam Bennefield was found guilty of murder in the second degree in connection to the killing of his wife, Ke'Aira Hudson Bennefield, in front of their children in 2022. He was also found guilty of three counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of aggravated criminal contempt.
"I don't know if I was surprised or not," Bennefield's lawyer Paul Dell said. "I would say that the defendant is very disappointed. ... I will be meeting with him and discussing his options with him with regards to sentencing and with regards to an appeal."
2 On Your Side was asked to leave the court room at around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday for jury instruction and deliberation. The jury came back with the verdict two hours later at around 12:30 p.m.
The defense argued that the prosecution did not prove enough to identify Bennefield as the shooter and driver. They said that the only eyewitness, the now-12-year-old daughter of Ke'Aira, who was in the car at the time of the crime, was inaccurate and assumed Bennefield was the shooter. The defense further argued that the police did not identify Bennefield as the driver of the gray Ford pickup truck that was used to commit the crime and flee the scene, and that the shotgun later found next to the abandoned truck was not DNA tested.
The prosecution pushed back, arguing that the items found in the truck, such as a benefit card belonging to the Ke'Aira, a blanket with Adam Bennefield's name on it, court paperwork with Bennefield's name, a long gun carrying case, and the car registration belonging to Bennefield's mother was enough to prove that Bennefield was the driver of the truck that rammed into Ke'Aira and committed the murder. They maintain that the evidence was proof enough that Bennefield was the shooter and DNA testing was not necessary.
" 'The courts forced my hand, she forced my hand. When is enough, enough?' Those were [Adam Bennefield's] words less than three hours before he did the unthinkable," the prosecution said.
During the closing arguments, members of Ke'Aira's family were crying as the prosecution went back over the details of the crime.
"He killed his own wife, he killed Ke'Aira Hudson Bennefield right in front of her three children. He was callous, calculated, and completely disregarded the safety of his own children," the prosecution said.
Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 20.