Five teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in the beating death of an unhoused man in Binghamton.
The Binghamton Police Department and the Broome County District Attorney’s Office identified the victim of the attack as 45-year-old Peter Bennedum on the evening of May 6, over a week after he was found unconscious on the sidewalk on April 27.
Bennedum, authorities said, was pronounced dead at a local hospital at 1:21 p.m. on May 5. An autopsy was conducted at UHS Wilson Medical Center in Johnson City and the investigation is now “being handled as an homicide,” according to a news release.
The five teens, who range in age from 13-15, have not been identified due to their ages. Two 15-year-old boys and two 14-year-old boys were initially charged with attempted second-degree murder.
They now face second-degree murder charges and will be arraigned at at a later date.
A 13-year-old who previously had not been charged and was released to a guardian was located on May 6 in Whitney Point, taken into custody and charged with second-degree murder. He was arraigned in Broome County Court and is now being held in a juvenile detention facility in Syracuse where the other teens are also being held.
What happened to Peter Bennedum
Police responded to a report of an unconscious man lying on the sidewalk at about 11 p.m. on April 27 in the area of Carroll and Henry streets in the City of Binghamton. At the scene, Bennedum was alone on the sidewalk and appeared to be injured and was displaying signs of “medical crisis,” according to a BPD press release.
Binghamton Fire Department EMS along with Broome Ambulance responded to the scene and transported Bennedum to a local hospital for further evaluation and treatment.
Police said Bennedum, who did not have a permanent address, was assaulted by a group of five teenage boys at around 9:30 p.m. that night while walking alone on the sidewalk on Carroll Street. The teenagers involved fled the area by foot and Bennedum walked a short distance before becoming unconscious from injuries sustained during the assault.
After an “extensive video canvass” and “several interviews” throughout the day, all five of the teenagers were identified, located and taken into custody by 5 p.m. on April 28.
Police said their investigation determined the attack was related to a social media trend in which unhoused or drug addicted people on the street are targeted.
A video circulated on social media after the attack depicts a person curled up on the sidewalk, surrounded by four teenagers. When the person tries to get up and walk away, one of the attackers picks him up and throws him on the ground before stomping on his face. The person does not move after hitting the concrete.
Community response
After police confirmed the initial report of the attack, the Binghamton community began rallying behind Bennedum and supporting his family via a GoFundMe started by Bennedum’s mother Dianne Galliher. On the page, Galliher identified her son as the victim before an official police update and on May 1 said Bennedum “will be removed from life support in the next few days.”
On May 3, Galliher posted another update thanking donators after raising nearly $17,000 for funeral expenses. She said there may be “a plaque or art object” placed at the site of the attack and a possible fundraiser for that project as well.
“This senseless act has left our family devastated and facing the unimaginable pain of losing someone we love so deeply,” the GoFundMe description reads. “Peter was a kind soul who, despite his struggles, always tried to help others. His life was cut short in a way no one should ever experience, and our hearts are broken.”
A candlelight vigil was held for Bennedum on May 5 at the site of the attack and was attended by Binghamton residents and concerned members of the community.
The vigil was attended by around 50 people following an outpouring of concern and support on social media in the days following the attack. Multiple people spoke at the gathering, pointing to a greater “systemic issue” in the treatment of the unhoused population in Broome County.
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: With Binghamton unhoused man’s death, 5 teens now face murder charges
Reporting by Jillian McCarthy, Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin / Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
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