BUFFALO, N.Y. — A sixth defendant was sentenced Wednesday for their role in the murder of Brenden J. Benoit in 2022.
Elexus O. Dean, 22, formerly of Hamburg was sentenced in Erie County Court on one count of Tampering with Physical Evidence. She received a split sentence of six months in jail followed by five years of probation.
The five other defendants in the case already received their sentences.
Jared M. Adamski, 28, of Hamburg was sentenced to 25 years in prison followed by 5 years of post-release supervision. He admitted to stabbing Benoit during the planned assault, which resulted in Benoit's death. Adamski pleaded guilty in May to one count of Manslaughter in the First Degree. He was sentenced as a second violent felony offender.
Investigators says Adamski and the other co-defendants conspired to lure Benoit to a wooded area on July 9, 2022, with the intent to commit a crime. They say Dean drove Benoit, Kayleigh Skybyk-Schuh and two other individuals to a location near Heltz Road in Lake View where Adamski, Harrison Drozen, and Connor Krone were hiding in the woods, waiting to assault the victim.
Benoit was punched by one of the male suspects as he got out of the car. Investigators say Benoit tried to escape the attack by going back into the vehicle. That is when Adamski attacked Benoit with a knife inside the vehicle. Benoit was stabbed multiple times. The other defendants left Benoit, who was seriously injured, in the woods where he was found dead.
Kayleigh A. Skybyk-Schuh, 21, of Hamburg was sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by 5 years of post-release supervision. She pleaded guilty to one count of Manslaughter in the First Degree and one count of Tampering with Physical Evidence.
Harrison J. Drozen, 22, of Hamburg was sentenced to 12 years in prison followed by 5 years of post-release supervision. Drozen pleaded guilty to one count of Manslaughter in the First Degree.
Connor E. Krone, 24, of Hamburg was sentenced to time served and five years of probation for his involvement in the assault of Benoit. He pleaded guilty to one count of Assault in the Second Degree.
A sixth co-defendant was previously sentenced to 360 days of incarceration for their involvement in the crime. That person was adjudicated as a youthful offender due to their age at the time of the crime and pleaded guilty to one count of Tampering with Physical Evidence.
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