The murder trial of a Geneva man charged in the beating death of an accused burglar begins Monday in Ontario County Court.
Jeff Salone Jr., 29, faces charges of second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter and tampering with physical evidence in the September 2017 death of Jawaun Brumfield. Brumfield, 23, was found injured and unresponsive in Salone’s Hallenbeck Avenue home, and later died later at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.
In a statement to police, Salone said he was sleeping about 4:30 a.m. when he heard a loud noise. After getting out of bed, Salone said he saw a black male coming through his kitchen window, adding that the intruder was holding a Taser and reaching for a knife.
Salone said a fight ensued and the intruder’s head hit a coffee table. He told police the intruder tried to get up, but he kicked and hit the person, and the intruder eventually became unconscious and was “breathing funny.”
The tampering charge alleges Salone concealed, altered or destroyed evidence.
While Salone told police he acted alone, law enforcement and prosecutors have said they don’t believe him. Assistant District Attorney Jason MacBride, who is prosecuting the case, said Brumfield was dragged into the home and “savagely beaten by multiple people and left for dead” — although no one else has been arrested in the case.
MacBride said that instead of calling police right away, Salone called his parents, and they went to the house before police were called.
“The defendant’s family was in and out of the (crime) scene,” MacBride said.
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