BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A jury has found Adam Bennefield guilty of murdering his estranged wife, Ke'Aira Hudson, in Buffalo in October 2022.
Bennefield was found guilty on all five counts that he faced, including second-degree murder, in connection to the deadly shooting on October 5, 2022.
The district attorney's office said Bennefield intentionally crashed his pickup truck into Hudson's vehicle while she was stopped in the area of Richlawn and Shawnee Avenues. Her three children were in the vehicle with her. After the crash, Bennefield got out of his vehicle and intentionally shot Hudson with a shotgun. She died at the scene.
Shortly after the shooting, police issued an arrest warrant for Bennefield and named him a suspect in the homicide. Bennefield was taken into custody by Buffalo police with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service a few days later.
“This was a callous, cold-blooded murder committed by a defendant who intentionally shot his estranged wife in the head in the presence of her three small children. I commend the victim’s daughter for having the strength and courage to testify against her mother’s killer. On behalf of Ke’Aira Hudson and her family, we will be asking the Court to impose the maximum term of incarceration at sentencing."
The 7 News I-Team previously learned that Bennefield was arrested the day before the shooting in connection to a domestic incident. He was released the same day because the charges were non-qualifying for bail. The district attorney's office said Bennefield committed the crime while knowingly in violation of an order of protection issued after his arrest.
According to Hudson's family members, she was in an abusive relationship with Bennefield.
Last month, her family filed a lawsuit against the Cheektowaga Police Department and Town of Cheektowaga accusing them of failing to step in. The lawsuit accuses the Town of Cheektowaga and its police department of failing to properly charge Bennefield and keep him behind bars. The lawsuit says this gave Bennefield the opportunity to kill Hudson the next day.
If you or a loved one have or is currently experiencing domestic violence, help is available:
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233
New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence:1 (800) 942-6906
Erie County Child and Family Services: 716-884-6000
Family Justice Center: 716-558-7233
