AUBURN - A jealous boyfriend armed with a kitchen knife allegedly killed his 17-year-old girlfriend, leaving students at Weedsport High School to deal with the murder of a "bright, kind" classmate.
Murder suspect Bradley Laning, 17, is led out of city court Thursday night. He turned himself in to police following the murder of Andrea Kell. Jason Rearick / The Citizen
Andrea Kell, a junior honor student at Weedsport, was stabbed to death Thursday afternoon just off of Cayuga Community College's nature trail.
"She was a bright, kind student. She was quiet, very friendly. She was just a nice kid," high school principal Phillip Grome said.
Bradley C. Laning, 17, turned himself in to police 90 minutes after police were informed a body had been found at the nature trail and fitness circuit behind Cayuga Community College. He arrived at the Auburn Police Department station around 5:30 p.m. saying he needed to talk to someone.
During an interview with police, Laning admitted to stabbing Kell.
"Based on what I know, he appeared to be armed with garden-variety kitchen knife," said District Attorney James Vargason, who examined the crime scene. "It suggests to me premeditation. It does appear to me the motive was jealousy."
A male neighbor walking the wooded nature trail discovered the assault when he saw a large man bent over a body; the neighbor returned to his home to call 911, Giannotta said. The Cayuga County 911 Center received a telephone call at 4:09 p.m. from the neighbor.
By the time police and rescue personnel arrived at the scene, Kell was dead, Giannotta said. She suffered at least one stab wound and several lacerations.
Jeremy Karschner, 23, -who said he was Laning's brother -came to the murder scene with a friend around sundown to ask police if Laning was responsible for Kell's murder.
"They were fighting on and on" for the last couple of days, Karschner said. He reported they had left his company earlier that day, but he hadn't seen Laning for a couple of hours.
Giannotta said the teenagers were arguing over their relationship before the murder.
"The defendant was very jealous and that added to the recent contentious relationship," Vargason said.
Giannotta - who received notice of the murder while at the Auburn city council meeting - was "floored" over Auburn's second murder in three months following the shooting death of John Beer inside of his home in December.
"This is very unusual. This is devastating to have two 17-year-old kids and one kid is dead," Giannotta said.
The murder weapon was recovered by police from the scene, Giannotta said. Auburn police called for Onondaga County's Air-One helicopter to search the area for the assailant before Laning turned himself in at the station.
Police roped off the streets at the intersection of Prospect Street and Boyle Avenue and the parking lot to the college while they concluded their investigation Thursday night.
Giannotta said he expected to reopen the parking lot today to allow faculty members to access the facility. College students are on spring break this week.
Laning was scheduled to be arraigned this morning. He had been a student in Weedsport a couple of years ago but transferred elsewhere, Grome said.
Weedsport school officials met at the high school Thursday night to discuss how to handle the news with their faculty and students.
"Any time you lose a young person, it's a tragedy," Grome said. "Andrea was a sweet young lady who's going to be missed. It's going to hit the school community. It's going to hit us hard."
Staff writer Amaris Elliott-Engel can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or at amaris.elliot-engel@lee.net
"She was a bright, kind student. She was quiet, very friendly. She was just a nice kid," high school principal Phillip Grome said.
Bradley C. Laning, 17, turned himself in to police 90 minutes after police were informed a body had been found at the nature trail and fitness circuit behind Cayuga Community College. He arrived at the Auburn Police Department station around 5:30 p.m. saying he needed to talk to someone.
During an interview with police, Laning admitted to stabbing Kell.
"Based on what I know, he appeared to be armed with garden-variety kitchen knife," said District Attorney James Vargason, who examined the crime scene. "It suggests to me premeditation. It does appear to me the motive was jealousy."
A male neighbor walking the wooded nature trail discovered the assault when he saw a large man bent over a body; the neighbor returned to his home to call 911, Giannotta said. The Cayuga County 911 Center received a telephone call at 4:09 p.m. from the neighbor.
By the time police and rescue personnel arrived at the scene, Kell was dead, Giannotta said. She suffered at least one stab wound and several lacerations.
Jeremy Karschner, 23, -who said he was Laning's brother -came to the murder scene with a friend around sundown to ask police if Laning was responsible for Kell's murder.
"They were fighting on and on" for the last couple of days, Karschner said. He reported they had left his company earlier that day, but he hadn't seen Laning for a couple of hours.
Giannotta said the teenagers were arguing over their relationship before the murder.
"The defendant was very jealous and that added to the recent contentious relationship," Vargason said.
Giannotta - who received notice of the murder while at the Auburn city council meeting - was "floored" over Auburn's second murder in three months following the shooting death of John Beer inside of his home in December.
"This is very unusual. This is devastating to have two 17-year-old kids and one kid is dead," Giannotta said.
The murder weapon was recovered by police from the scene, Giannotta said. Auburn police called for Onondaga County's Air-One helicopter to search the area for the assailant before Laning turned himself in at the station.
Police roped off the streets at the intersection of Prospect Street and Boyle Avenue and the parking lot to the college while they concluded their investigation Thursday night.
Giannotta said he expected to reopen the parking lot today to allow faculty members to access the facility. College students are on spring break this week.
Laning was scheduled to be arraigned this morning. He had been a student in Weedsport a couple of years ago but transferred elsewhere, Grome said.
Weedsport school officials met at the high school Thursday night to discuss how to handle the news with their faculty and students.
"Any time you lose a young person, it's a tragedy," Grome said. "Andrea was a sweet young lady who's going to be missed. It's going to hit the school community. It's going to hit us hard."
Staff writer Amaris Elliott-Engel can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or at amaris.elliot-engel@lee.net
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