Funeral services were held Thursday, October 4 for Alexandra Kogut, 18, of New Hartford who was murdered in her SUNY Brockport freshman dorm room early Saturday, September 29.
Kogut, a recent New Hartford High School graduate, was a part-time lifeguard this past summer at the Inlet Town Beach, and has family in the Big Moose area.
The eulogy for Kogut was read by Rev. Paul Drobin at St. John the Evangelist Church in front of the hundreds of people in attendance. Many of whom were wearing purple, the color associated with domestic violence. Kogut’s boyfriend, Clayton Whittemore, 21, also a New Hartford graduate and a current student at Utica College, is accused of beating Kogut to death and was initially charged with second-degree murder.After pleading not guilty, Whittemore was scheduled to appear in Sweden Town Court for a felony hearing on Thursday, October 4, however, the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday that Whittemore’s court appearance had been canceled.
He was indicted on new charges by a grand jury Wednesday and his case will now be moved to Monroe County Court instead.
The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the New Hartford Central School District, Attn: Kim Hibbard, 29 Oxford Road, New Hartford, N.Y. 13413. Donations will be used to establish an Alexandra Kogut memorial award.
