Cayea pleads not guilty to murdering Cornell girlfriend

ITHACA – Benjamin Cayea, the man charged with strangling his girlfriend to death on Thanksgiving Day, pleaded not guilty on Friday in Tompkins County Court.

Cayea, 32, of Cayuga Heights, is accused of murdering his girlfriend, Shannon Jones, 23, on Nov. 27, during a domestic dispute at his apartment. He is charged with second-degree murder, which is having intent and causing the death of a person.

If convicted, Cayea faces a prison sentence of 15-years to life.

Cayea's attorney, Matt Van Houten, said that the facts of the case aren't so black and white as the Tompkins County District Attorney's Office claims. Van Houten is representing Cayea as a public defender.

"Based on my investigation of the case, there are many more layers to what happened than what the prosecution understands," Van Houten said.

After submitting Cayea's not-guilty plea, Van Houten requested that Tompkins County Judge Joseph Cassidy release his client on bail.

Van Houten said that Cayea is a lifelong Tompkins resident with no previous criminal history; he has friends who would allow him to stay at their home; and that he's not a risk to himself or others.

Tompkins County Assistant District Attorney Andrew Bonavia was the prosecutor. He requested that Cayea remain in jail because of the serious charges and a witness reported that Cayea threatened his own life.

Cassidy remanded Cayea back to the Tompkins County Jail

"I'm not foreclosing the possibility of setting bail," Cassidy said. He instructed Van Houten to submit a formal bail application, but warned that bail would be very high, if it is allowed.

The defense's motions are due by Feb. 17, and the prosecution's response is set for Feb. 24.

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In court documents, Cayea is alleged to have killed Jones around 6:30 p.m. Nov. 27 and then drove her car to the Newfield home of friend Jacob Ives.

Ives reportedly told police that Cayea was hysterical and sobbing, saying "I snapped" and "I did it, I choked her."

Ives also said Cayea was talking about killing himself repeatedly, but Ives told him he couldn't because of his religion. Ives said he did not know Cayea to be violent and told police, "No, in fact, because of his religion I thought him incapable of violence. He is a Buddhist."

Police said Cayea admitted to the murder in a videotaped interview with Tompkins County Investigator Kevin Cowen.

Cayea told the investigator that he knew Jones was dead because she was blue and had no pulse. He said he stayed in the apartment for an unknown amount of time before leaving.

Jones was a senior and independent major in Cornell University's College of Engineering. She is remembered by friends and family as a caring and creative person dedicated to her work.

Cayea graduated from Newfield High School in 2000 where his late father, James Cayea, was a principal. Cayea worked as a doorman checking identifications for a downtown Ithaca bar and restaurant.

Ithaca Journal Staff writers Kelsey O'Connor and Matthew Hayes contributed to this report.

Follow Andrew Casler on Twitter: @AndrewCasler