The man accused of killing a New Hartford native on the campus of SUNY Brockport "just snapped," according to court documents uncovered by the Democrat and Chronicle.
According to the court documents, 21-year-old Clayton Whittemore allegedly told Sheriff's deputies he beat his girlfriend, 18-year-old Alexandra Kogut to death after they were drinking and argued over "stupid stuff." The court papers say "he was trying to kill her."
On Tuesday, Whittemore was indicted by a grand jury on second degree murder charges.
Kogut's body was found in her dorm room on Sept. 29.
State police later arrested Whittemore at a Thruway rest stop near Syracuse.
According to the newspaper, in the court documents Whittemore allegedly said:
He had dated Kogut for two years and was visiting her at Brockport. While drinking at a friend's house, Kogut was rude to him.
While walking to her room Whittemore received a citation for an open alcohol container. In her dorm room, they argued and Kogut "started pushing me and yelling at me."
The argument escalated and "she wouldn't stop pushing me, so I started punching her and just snapped."
Whittemore allegedly said that, while trying to kill Kogut, "her breathing sounded bad." He said he then beat her with a curling iron "until the noise stopped" because "I didn't want the girl I loved to suffer."
"I wasn't even drunk," Whittemore allegedly said. "I just snapped."
Whittemore will reportedly be arraigned on October 25.
