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In this Jan. 24 file photo, a Jamestown police vehicle is seen in front of Park View Apartments, 401 W. Fourth St.

A Buffalo man has been identified and formally charged with an “execution-style” murder in Jamestown.

District Attorney Jason Schmidt announced Wednesday that Darius Kadenhead, 33, was indicted by a grand jury and charged in Chautauqua County District Court with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of Marlon Clay that occurred Jan. 22 at the Parkview Apartments in Jamestown.

Bail was set by Hon. David W. Foley at $2.5 million cash, $5 million surety, or $10 million collateral with a 10% deposit.

Two days after the shooting, Jamestown police announced that they had identified a suspect in Clay’s death. The suspect’s name was not released, but it was said that he was a Buffalo resident.

The next day, the suspect was arrested and held in Erie County.

On Wednesday, Schmidt discussed Kadenhead’s arrest in detail.

“Mr. Clay suffered a gunshot wound to the back of the head. His body was later discovered by a tenant of the apartment complex, who alerted police. An intensive investigation was immediately launched by members of the Jamestown Police Department, the Chautauqua County Forensic Investigation Team, and the District Attorney’s Office, which led to the identification and arrest of Mr. Kadenhead in Buffalo, New York, three days later, on January 25. The arrest of Mr. Kadenhead was led by our own Jamestown detectives, who traveled to the City of Buffalo to make contact with Mr. Kadenhead in coordination with the Buffalo Police Department and the FBI.”

Schmidt added, “The manner of his death suggests that Mr. Clay was executed. When Mr. Kadenhead is alleged to have committed this brutal, irrevocable act, he had only been on parole for four months after being released from state prison for a previous manslaughter conviction. When Jamestown detectives approached Mr. Kadenhead, he was found to be in possession of a loaded firearm. He was subsequently taken into custody for parole violation and possession of new weapons. At this time, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office, in consultation with me and my office, will be filing charges,” he said.

After the indictment, Schmidt said he was legally allowed to release the suspect’s name.

“By taking Mr. Kadenhead off the streets on these charges, we addressed our concerns about public safety, which is always our top priority when investigating violent crimes, and gave us the time needed to continue our efforts to gather evidence that we ultimately presented to a grand jury. The resulting secret indictment was then unsealed (Tuesday) at the time of Mr. Kadenhead’s arraignment, so we can now update the public on these developments,” he said.

Schmidt noted that Clay’s death was the first homicide in the county in 2024, but there have been many more.

“Within the next three months, before the month of April was even out, there were a total of five confirmed murders in our relatively small community. That’s more than the number of murders that occurred in the city of Boston, Massachusetts, through June, if you can believe that,” he said.

Four of the murders reported in 2024 occurred in Jamestown, one in Silver Creek.

Schmidt thanked investigators for their help in bringing charges against a suspect.

“The capture and arrest of the defendant in our indictment is only the first stage of a lengthy legal process that would not have been possible without the persistence and dedication of the Jamestown Police Department, who led the investigation. We owe each of these officers and all police officers our gratitude and support for the difficult, mentally and physically demanding work they do every day,” he said.

Schmidt said his office is currently completing disclosure requirements and preparing for defense challenges.

“We are due back in court on August 5 for a disclosure conference. Given our busy schedule and the impending litigation in this case, I do not anticipate a trial date until later this year. When the time comes, we will be ready,” he said.