Man Gets Maximum Prison Term For Murder Near Cornell Campus

ITHACA, N.Y. (AP) — A 47-year-old Ithaca man has received the maximum sentence of 25 years in prison for killing a woman whose body was found at a construction site near Cornell University.

Michael Davis pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in February. He admitted he killed 28-year-old Josie Berrios in June. He was sentenced Friday in Tompkins County Court.

Investigators said Berrios and Davis had a personal relationship but didn't provide details.

Prosecutors initially considered charging Davis with a hate crime for killing Berrios, who was a transgender woman. But District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said there was no evidence to support that charge.