A killing inside a state prison cell ended with a second life sentence this week, closing a case that stunned even seasoned prosecutors.
Kevin Farley, 43, pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of first-degree murder for killing his cellmate at Five Points Correctional Facility in Romulus.
The attack happened during the night of Dec. 22–23, when Farley intentionally caused the death of Adam Lafferty, 42. Investigators said Farley strangled Lafferty inside their shared cell and stayed there overnight as Lafferty died.
Officers found Lafferty dead in his bed the next morning. He had been strangled with a homemade ligature and a metal device Farley used to ensure his death, according to the Seneca County District Attorney’s Office.
Farley already served a sentence of 24 years to life for a separate murder conviction from Madison County. Seneca County Court Judge Barry Porsche sentenced him to an additional 25 years to life, to run consecutive to his existing sentence.
District Attorney John Nabinger said the guilty plea brought some measure of relief to the victim’s family. “Today Adam Lafferty’s family was able to experience a modicum of justice, watching the man who brutally murdered their family member over a year ago admit his guilt and be sentenced,” Nabinger said.
Nabinger urged the state parole board to never release Farley, pointing to the brutality of the crime and Farley’s actions afterward. He said the combined sentences should keep Farley in prison for the rest of his life.
The district attorney credited the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision and New York State Police for a thorough investigation that led to the conviction. He also praised Lafferty’s family for the “grace and dignity” they showed throughout the case.
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