Alexandra Kogut Murder: Clayton Whittemore, man accused in NY college student's beating death, formally charged
(CBS/AP) ROCHESTER, N.Y. - A New York college student has been formally charged with second-degree murder in the beating death of his girlfriend inside her dorm room last month.
PICTURES: NY college student found dead in dorm room
The Monroe County District Attorney's office says a grand jury indicted 21-year-old Clayton Whittemore on Tuesday.
Whittemore has been held without bail since shortly after the body of 18-year-old freshman Alexandra Kogut was found Sept. 29 at the State University of New York College at Brockport, near Rochester.
According to a police report, the Utica College student said he and Kogut got into a shoving match while arguing over "stupid stuff" in her room. The report says he told the officer when her breathing sounded bad he hit her with a curling iron because he loved her and didn't want her to suffer.
The same day Kogut's body was found, Whittemore was arrested at a Thruway rest area about 100 miles away. Both students are from New Hartford in central New York.
Whittemore pleaded not guilty during an initial court appearance in Sweden Town Court.
