District Attorney Matthew Van Houten announced today that Jonathan A. Roberts, 32, of Elmira, appeared in Tompkins County Court today and entered a guilty plea to the crime of Manslaughter
A 44-year-old Groton man pleaded guilty in Tompkins County Court Thursday to felony first-degree vehicular manslaughter, two counts of felony driving while intoxicated and felony leaving the scene of a personal injury incident without reporting all charges which stemmed from the May 2020 crash that resulted in the death of 64-year-old Cornell Professor Jerrie Gavalchin, of Groton.
Gavalchin was walking her bicycle along the fog line of Lick Street in Groton when Jeffrey Skinner struck her with his vehicle, causing her to suffer fatal injuries. Skinner admitted to leaving the scene of the accident without calling 911.
The maximum possible sentence for Skinner is five to 15 years in prison.