Benjamin Cayea found guilty of murdering Shannon Jones
Jury not swayed by sex game defense
Benjamin Cayea was convicted of second-degree murder just before 10am this morning.
The verdict came after a four-day trial that heard two very different stories about how his girlfriend Shannon Jones died on Thanksgiving of last year.
Throughout the trial, jurors heard from 15 witnesses who testified about Jones’ troubled relationship with Cayea and the injuries found on her body.
During this four day period, Cayea changed his initial story, saying that her death was an accident that was a result of choking her for her own sexual gratification — something that had not been mentioned before this point.
He testified that BDSM, a sexual act that involves strangulation, bondage and submissive force, was a common practice in his relationship with Jones.
However, the jurors were not swayed by this surprise change in testimony, and Cayea is now facing 15 years to life in prison. He has been sent to the Tompkins County Jail without bail and will be sentenced on December 7th.
His attorney, Matthew Van Houten, plans to appeal.