In a dramatic courtroom scene in upstate New York, a judge had enough of a convicted murderer’s self-centered speech during his sentencing and cut him off mid-statement. The convicted man, 47-year-old Adam R. Bennefield, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison—the toughest penalty for second-degree murder—for the brutal killing of his estranged wife, 30-year-old Ke’Aira Bennefield, also known as Ke’Aira S. Hudson.
The horrifying crime happened on the morning of October 5, 2022, in Buffalo, near Richlawn and Shawnee Avenues. Adam rammed his pickup truck into Ke’Aira’s car and, as her three children sat inside, walked up to her vehicle and shot her with a shotgun. She died at the scene, leaving her family shattered.
Ke’Aira’s 12-year-old daughter, the eldest of her children, bravely testified during the trial. After just an hour of deliberation, the jury found Adam guilty. Prosecutors had pushed for the maximum sentence, and Erie County Assistant District Attorney Colleen Curtin Gable made her thoughts clear, saying Adam “deserves every minute” of his punishment. She pointed out his lack of accountability and history of violent behavior—he had served 15 years in prison for kidnapping two women, including an ex-girlfriend, back in 2000.
During his sentencing, Adam showed no remorse, turning his statement into a list of grievances. He claimed prosecutors withheld evidence and accused the all-white jury of being biased against him. At one point, he even said, “I don’t want to be here,” which provoked a sharp response from State Supreme Court Justice M. William Boller.
“You’re here because a jury convicted you of brutally killing your wife,” Judge Boller snapped after cutting off Adam’s speech. As Adam continued to argue, Boller called him a narcissist and silenced him with, “Hear me out: Shut up!” The judge eventually had him removed from the courtroom.
After the outburst, Judge Boller turned to Ke’Aira’s grieving family and apologized for the scene. He expressed his frustration with the law, which prevented him from sentencing Adam to life without parole. “I will give him the maximum because if anybody deserves it, he does,” Boller said.
In addition to second-degree murder, the jury also found Adam guilty of aggravated criminal contempt and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Acting Erie County District Attorney Mike Keane commended Ke’Aira’s daughter for her courage, saying, “This was a callous, cold-blooded murder… I commend the victim’s daughter for having the strength to testify against her mother’s killer.”
This heartbreaking case serves as a grim reminder of the devastating consequences of domestic violence and the resilience of those left behind to seek justice.
