The trial for the Oneida County sheriff’s deputy accused of setting a house on fire while on duty in an attempt to kill multiple people continued on June 18 with the more witnesses being called.
Aaron Alshaman stood before Judge Robert Bauer at the Oneida Courthouse in Utica on June 18, with day four continuing witness testimony..
Alshaman, 29, of Lee Center, is accused of setting fire to a Utica residence on April 9, 2025.
Jennifer Gudnaya called 911 when they became overwhelmed with smoke in the interior of the residence, and fled outside with her infant child, and two parents.
Alshaman, the father of the infant, is charged with second-degree arson and four counts of second-degree attempted murder. Alshaman pleaded not guilty to all charges and bail was set at $250,000 or $500,000 cash bond.
He had been a member of the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office for around five years, serving from Sept. 2020 to March 2023 before serving shortly with the Rome Police Department and returning to the sheriff’s office on August 2024.
If convicted of his top charge alone, second-degree arson, Alshaman faces up to 25 years in state prison.
Jury selection finished on June 15 and both prosecution and defense gave their opening statements to the jury.
Oneida County District Attorney Todd Carville said that money and his financial future was the motivation for Aaron Alshaman’s alleged attempted murder and arson.
“What makes this case so disturbing is that Aaron Alshaman, who took an oath to protect, started a fire to the residence of his own son while knowing they were there and with intent to cause the death of his own son,” Carville said. “And he did it while on duty as a sheriff’s duty.”
Defense Attorney John Leonard said that the prosecution was “planting the seed” that Alshaman was a “bad guy” and that it was “crazy” that Alshaman would kill people over paying more child support and that the prosecution’s entire case was circumstantial.
“I’ve been doing this all alone”
Gudnaya said in her texts that Alshaman had not been there for the birth and had not visited once after the birth of Ezekiel and kept himself distant and had not told Olivia, his mother, or anyone that he was going to be a father. And that was why she was filing for full custody.
“I’ve been doing this all alone,” Gudnaya said.
Alshaman lamented that he was not ready to be a father and that was due to his financial situation, even after raises from contract negotiations with the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office. Alshaman said in texts dated 2025 that he only recently paid off his credit card and after he buys out Olivia’s half of his house, he would be in a perilous financial situation, especially if he missed a child support payment.
“I could lose my job, I see it all the time on calls,” Alshaman said in texts.
No response after premature birth
Gudnaya said that her son, Ezekiel, had a death knot in his umbilical cord and that it was cause for her premature birth.
“Are you going to come meet your son?” She read. “He didn’t respond.”
Alshaman, when confronted with the possibility of going to family court, said he wanted to settle it out of court with a lawyer and not “…in a circus.” He also demanded a paternity test. However, when it was time to go to the hospital to visit Ezekiel or get swabbed for the test, Alshaman said he had been stung twice on his ankle and that it had swollen up.
“I guess that’s a no, then? lol,” Gudnaya read.
“I’m not after your money, Aaron.”
In a massive text to Alshaman, Gudnaya declared that she had no interest in money from Alshaman and that she had hoped Alshaman would have been in the baby’s life, but lamented that it had been “…four months since we talked.”
Alshaman also worried about the fact that he had broken off an engagement with his then-girlfriend, referred to as Olivia.
“I can’t just take off my belly”
Jennifer Gudnaya read text messages between her and Alshaman where Alshaman laments that “everyone” at work was talking and gossiping behind his back about Gudnaya’s pregnancy. At one point, Alshaman said something about how she “should have hidden it” and Gudnaya shot back saying, “I can’t just take off my belly at work.”
Gudnaya’s texts read that she was not the one spreading rumors and had not told anyone that Alshaman was the father.
“If they ask, I tell them I’m pregnant. If they ask if I’m in contact with the father, I tell them no,” Gudnaya said. “This is the most we’ve spoken in months.”
Continued testimony of Jennifer Gudnaya
The fourth day of testimony in the attempted murder case against Aaron Alshaman continued with testimony from Jennifer Gudnaya on June 18. Gudnaya had been prompted by prosecution to read several pages of texts between her and Alshaman that lead up to Gudnaya requesting full custody of their child Ezekiel and Gudnaya going to court.
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Day 4 of the Aaron Alshaman attempted murder trial
Reporting by Casey Pritchard, Utica Observer Dispatch / Observer-Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Casey Pritchard, Utica Observer Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
