Sixth Defendant Sentenced for Tampering with Evidence After Fatal Stabbing of Victim

Thursday, August 22, 2024

Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announces that all six defendants have been sentenced for their respective roles in the homicide of 25-year-old Brenden J. Benoit in Summer 2022.

Elexus O. Dean, 22, formerly of Hamburg, was sentenced yesterday afternoon before Erie County Court Judge Kenneth Case. She pleaded guilty to one count of Tampering with Physical Evidence (Class "E" felony) on October 6, 2023. Dean received a split sentence of six months in jail followed by five years of probation. Upon her release from jail, her probation supervision will be transferred to South Dakota where she presently resides.

Last week, Jared M. Adamski, 28, of Hamburg received the maximum sentence of 25 years in prison followed by 5 years of post-release supervision. Adamski pleaded guilty ahead of his scheduled trial for stabbing Benoit during the planned assault, which resulted in his death. In May 2024, he pleaded guilty to one count of Manslaughter in the First Degree (Class "B" violent felony), which was the lesser included offense in the highest count of the indictment. He was sentenced as a second violent felony offender.

Jared Adamski and his co-defendants conspired to lure the victim to a wooded area with the intent to commit the crime. During the late evening of Saturday, July 9, 2022, and into early morning hours of Sunday, July 10, 2022, Elexus Dean drove the victim, Kayleigh Skybyk-Schuh and two other individuals to a location near Heltz Road in Lake View. Jared Adamski, Harrison Drozen, and Connor Krone were hiding in the woods, waiting to assault the victim.

The victim was punched by one of the male defendants as he exited the vehicle in the wooded area. The victim retreated into the vehicle in an attempt to escape the attack. Jared Adamski, while armed with a knife, attacked the victim inside of the vehicle. Adamski, with the intent to cause serious physical injuries, stabbed the victim multiple times in the upper area of both legs. Adamski and his co-defendants drove away from the area, leaving the injured victim alone in the woods. Brenden Benoit died at the scene. His body was later found in the woods.

Kayleigh A. Skybyk-Schuh, 21, of Hamburg was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by 5 years of post-release supervision. On Friday, May 17, 2024,Skybyk-Schuh pleaded guilty to one count of Manslaughter in the First Degree (Class "B" violent felony) and one count of Tampering with Physical Evidence (Class "E" felony). She pleaded guilty, as charged, to all counts in the indictment.

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 (Class "B" violent felony), the lesser included offense in the indictment, on Wednesday, May 15, 2024.

Connor E. Krone, 24, of Hamburg was sentenced to time served and five years of probationforhis involvement in the assault of the victim. He pleaded guilty to one count of Assault in the Second Degree (Class "D" felony) on July 24, 2023.

A sixth co-defendant was previously sentenced to 360 days of incarceration for their involvement in the crime. The co-defendant pleaded guilty to one count of Tampering with Physical Evidence (Class "E" felony). As the defendant was adjudicated as a youthful offender due to their age at the time of the crime, our office will not be releasing their identity.

As part of the sentencing proceedings, final orders of protection were issued on behalf of a witness in this case.

Acting DA Keane commends Detective Sgt. Howard Widman, Detective Jason Nappo, Detective Timothy Colling, Detective William Stowell and members of the Town of Hamburg Police Department for their work in this investigation. Acting DA Keane also acknowledges the work of our office's victim advocates Kimberly Rapp and Nicole Haffa.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Chief Gina M. Gramaglia of the Special Victims/Domestic Violence Bureau and former Assistant District Attorney Ryan D. Haggerty.