A deadly stabbing at an apartment complex near Cornell University has left a 19-year-old woman dead and a 20-year-old Ithaca man facing a murder charge, as investigators continue piecing together what led to the violence Saturday afternoon in Cayuga Heights.
Police identified the victim as Breanne Keane, 19. Authorities said officers responded around 2 p.m. Saturday to Pinehill Apartments at 709 Triphammer Road after receiving reports of a stabbing inside Building T2.
Keane received emergency medical treatment at the scene before being transported toward a regional trauma center, according to police. Despite life-saving efforts, she died from her injuries while in transit.
Police arrested 20-year-old Damian Stewart of Ithaca at the scene. He was charged with second-degree murder and arraigned in Tompkins County Centralized Arraignment Court before being remanded to the Tompkins County Jail.
In the hours before the stabbing, Keane’s father, Matthew Keane, said he spoke briefly with his daughter by phone.
“She said she was doing okay, and she was hanging out with a friend,” he said. “The call lasted 41 seconds, and that was the last time I spoke to Breanne.”
Later that evening, officers arrived at the family’s home to deliver the news.
“As soon as they said we have to talk about Breanne, I knew it wasn’t good,” he said. “I have to tell you, I just dropped to my knees. It was really hard.”
Authorities have not detailed the nature of the relationship between Keane and Stewart, though family members described the encounter as stemming from an online connection.
The Cayuga Heights Police Department said there is no ongoing threat to the public, but the homicide investigation remains active.
Multiple agencies assisted at the scene, including the New York State Police, Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office, Cayuga Heights Fire Department, and Bangs Ambulance.
Tompkins County Sheriff Derek Osborne issued a statement over the weekend offering condolences to those affected by the killing.
“The Sheriff’s Office extends its deepest condolences to the victim’s loved ones, and all those impacted by this tragic incident in the Village of Cayuga Heights,” Osborne said Saturday. “Incidences of this nature deeply affect the entire community.”
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