Oriskany, NY (WIBX) - The use of DNA is being credited for helping police solve the 2007 murder of 29-year-old Jennifer R. Bennett. Oneida County Sheriff, Robert Maciol, said investigators with the Sheriff's Criminal Investigation Unit received a hit from the state DNA database in September of 2011, that led them to the suspect, 30-year-old Craig C. Ingersoll of Herkimer Road in Utica.

Maciol said, "Craig Ingersoll was arrested, processed and charged with the death of Jennifer Bennett. Ingersoll was arraigned before New York Mills Village Justice Robert Glenn on the charge of Murder in the 2nd Degree, a Class A1 Felony and Criminal Sexual Act in the 1st Degree, a Class B Felony. Ingersoll was remanded to Oneida County Correctional Facility on no bail."

Officials say the victim was strangled and raped. Her body was found on January 11, 2007, behind the Deerfield Fire House pavilion in the Town of Deerfield by witnesses who were sledding down the hill behind the pavilion. Ingersoll, who is already serving time in Oneida County Jail on an unrelated charge, is due back in New York Mills court on Tuesday March 27th for a felony hearing.

Oneida County District Attorney, Scott McNamara said, "The allegation is that he forcibly sodomised her and during the course of that, he killed her. He's charged with felony murder under the felony murder section of our murder in the second degree during the course of certain inumerated felonies. If the victim of that felony dies, that's a felony murder and that's the allegation here--it's not an intentional murder allegation, it's a felony murder allegation." He says the recent expansion of the state's DNA database assisted investigators in solving this case.

Ingersoll's DNA came to the attention of investigators after he was booked in the Oneida County Correctional Facility on September 22, 2011, for Grand Larceny, Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle and Violation of a Family Court Act. At that time, his DNA was submitted into the database and officials say they received a perfect match.

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