(WNY News Now) – In a courtroom plea that concludes a tragic case, a Buffalo man admitted guilt for the fatal stabbing of another man on the city’s West Side.
BUFFALO, NY — Timothy A. Austin, 37, of Buffalo, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the first degree for the fatal stabbing of 49-year-old Tremaine Mayfield. The plea was entered on Wednesday before Erie County Court Judge Sheila A. DiTullio, with Austin acknowledging his responsibility in the violent incident that left Mayfield dead.
The stabbing took place on June 11, 2023, at approximately 1:00 p.m. on Niagara Street’s 400 block. According to Buffalo Police, officers were called to the scene after a 911 report of a stabbing. Upon arrival, they found Mayfield suffering from a single stab wound to the chest. He was transported to Erie County Medical Center (ECMC), where he succumbed to his injuries.
Austin pleaded guilty to the single count of first-degree manslaughter, a Class B violent felony, as charged in the indictment. This plea means he now faces up to 25 years in state prison at his upcoming sentencing on December 17, 2024. Until then, he remains held without bail.
The case, led by Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane, was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Rebecca L. Schnirel and Ryan M. Flaherty of the Homicide and Major Crimes Bureaus, respectively. DA Keane credited Buffalo Police Detectives Adam Stephany and Ray Krug for their investigative work, which led to the swift resolution of the case.