A New York mother was murdered by her husband less than 24 hours after he was released from prison without bail for beating her in a video she posted to Facebook.
Keaira Bennefield, 40, was shot dead on October 5 by her estranged husband Adam Bennfield, 45, on a street in Buffalo, New York.
The mother was driving her three children, aged five, nine and six months, to school when she was attacked by Adam, police said.
At the time of her death, the mother-of-three was so terrified of her estranged husband that she walked out of the house wearing a bulletproof vest the morning of her death, according to the Buffalo News.
Keaira was a mother to two girls, ages five and nine, and a six-month-old boy who she shared with Adam
Adam Bennefield was arrested on October 12, eight days after Keaira was shot
Crime scene investigators found Keaira in her car, dying from a gunshot wound inflicted by Adam
Adam was released on bail thanks to New York laws that allow suspected criminals to roam free without having to pay for most misdemeanors and non-violent crimes.
According to the Brennan Center for Justice, the law was passed by state Democrats and was aimed at “reducing the risk of someone being incarcerated because they cannot afford to pay for their release.”
The law, passed in 2019, also seeks to “reduce the unnecessary use of incarceration, which can have a profound impact on people’s lives.”
Keaira’s murder happened in the hometown of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Hochul has repeatedly stated that she has no plans to repeal the law, even as incidents such as Keaira’s death surface across the state.
On September 28, Keaira posted the video of Adam repeatedly attacking her, captured by cameras at her home.
“That’s what this man does to me, but I’m always treated like I’m the perpetrator,” she wrote in her social media post.
The video, which shows two different angles of attack, is just under eight minutes long and shows her lying on the ground for several minutes after Adam forced her to the ground and punched her.
In the video, Adam can be seen punching her at least 28 times and kicking her almost half a dozen times as she lay on the floor after his punches.
Keaira called the police after the incident and informed the officers that Adam hit her and that she was injured.
Keaira posed with her family members on her wedding day with Adam and looked happy after the ceremony
The mother was kidnapped when she was just 40, thanks in part to lax laws in New York that allow people charged with misdemeanor to be released without bail
Upon arriving at the scene, the police decided to arrest Adam for molestation. Keaira was not hospitalized for her injuries.
Adam was found locked in a bathroom by officers and taken to the Erie County Medial Center for examination.
After his release, a warrant was issued for the man’s arrest and police told Keaira to contact them if he returned.
Later that evening, the woman posted the video to her Facebook page.
Keaira’s three children are left without their mother after her husband brutally murdered her in front of her
The Buffalo News reported that a domestic violence attorney from the Cheektowaga Police Department contacted Keaira the day after the incident, saying she had video of the attack.
The attorney later spoke to law enforcement officials and told them the molestation allegations against Adam were insufficient.
After speaking to domestic violence advocates, police contacted Keaira and asked her to upload her video to the police system so they could investigate.
On September 30, Keaira posted a heartbreaking update on social media, telling family and friends that she was strong and smart enough to “get myself out of this situation alive.”
“Don’t underestimate me, I’m a Hudson, we were born strong but I also know when to play weak and that saved my life,” Keaira wrote in a Facebook post. “I was smart enough to get out of this situation alive.”
At the time of her murder, Keaira told Facebook friends that she got out of the situation with Adam after he hit her in a video she posted to Facebook
On October 2, Keaira called the police and said she was concerned that someone was in her home. When they answered the house, they found no one, but they were able to view the video Keaira posted on Facebook.
At the time, Cheektowaga Police Department officials ruled that Adam’s charges should be increased to misdemeanor charges, including third-degree assault, fourth-degree criminal mischief, second-degree threats, and second-degree wrongful imprisonment.
Just a day later, Keaira went to the police station to sign the charges papers, and on October 4, Adam was finally arrested and put on trial.
A judge at the time issued Keaira a protective order and released Adam without bail. Although he was charged with multiple charges, the misdemeanors were still not enough to keep him under law.
Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn said in a meeting after the fact that “there was no evidence of anything higher” than the misdemeanor charge he was already facing.
“The fees were charged correctly. The judge had no choice but to release that person,” Flynn said.
Fearing for her life, the mother-of-three had stayed at her mother’s home, police and law enforcement officials said
The very next day, the woman who had lived with her mother was driving her children to school when Adam crashed his own vehicle into hers, attacked her in the street, and shot her with a shotgun.
All three of her children, including the six-month-old baby she shared with Adam, were in the back seat at the time.
Investigators found her at the scene wearing a bulletproof vest.
On October 12, police officers were finally able to locate Adam thanks to a tip from the public.
The man was found and arrested near the intersection of Bissell Avenue and Walden Avenue, according to police.
Keaira was driving her children to school when she was ambushed and fatally shot by her estranged husband
To make matters worse, Adam had previously been charged with kidnapping an ex-girlfriend and another woman, and once escaped from the Erie County Correctional Facility.
On October 21, the man pleaded not guilty to Keaira’s murder and other charges in the case.
“The allegations contained in this indictment are chilling,” Assistant District Attorney Ryan Haggerty said during Adam’s plea hearing. “You are the stuff of nightmares.”
He remains in custody and was held without bail by Supreme Court Justice M. William Boller.
He is next scheduled to appear before an Erie County judge on Wednesday, November 2.