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A Syracuse man, Tashawn Adams, pleaded guilty to kidnapping and brutally assaulting Koddie Beechner at knifepoint. The 23-year-old admitted to holding Beechner in various locations and attacking him over several days in April 2023. Adams was one of seven people involved in the assault, acting as a main aggressor alongside Hunter Armstrong.
The case faced delays due to questions about Adams' mental competency, but it was determined he exaggerated his mental deficiencies. As a result, he was deemed fit to proceed with the trial. Judge Gordon Cuffy offered Adams a sentence of 20 years to life in prison if he pleaded guilty to the charges.
During the ordeal, Beechner was beaten, tased, and shot with a pellet gun. The torture was recorded on cell phones by the attackers. In one video, Adams paid Quincy Williams $50 to assault Beechner, while another showed Adams tasering him. Beechner was forced to walk to Armstrong's home, where he was shot with a pellet gun.
Beechner suffered severe injuries, including facial wounds, a collapsed lung, and bone fractures. He still has pellets lodged in his body. Adams' request for a lighter sentence under the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act was denied, as the court found no direct link between his past abuse and the crime.
Adams is scheduled for sentencing on January 9.