A man who forcibly raped a woman in the Village of Phoenix in July of 2005 has been convicted. Joseph A. Stefanovich was sentenced to 20 years in state prison by Oswego County Court Judge James Metcalf, for Rape in the First Degree. Stefanovich will also receive five years’ post-release supervision. The conviction pertains to an allegation that Stefanovich grabbed the victim from behind, put her in a chokehold, and dragged her into a wooded area where the offense was committed.
Stefanovich was linked to the case due to a DNA sample from a 2006 case. The DNA was on profile due to a prior sexual offense conviction.
At trial, Stefanovich claimed that his DNA appeared in the rape kit because he had a consensual encounter with the victim on the day of the offense. He told the jury that another person must have raped her later that same day.
The victim testified that she did not know Stefanovich and had never engaged in consensual intercourse with him.
District Attorney Gregory Oakes, the prosecutor of the case, stated that he wanted to commend the victim for having the “strength to come forward and the courage to testify at trial. Our community is now safe from this predator because of her bravery and fortitude. It was an honor to stand up and fight for her in court.”
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Oswego Gets Back on Track
The Oswego men’s baseball team defeated the Rochester Yellowjackets yesterday in dramatic fashion. The Lakers were trailing heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, but junior infielder Brandon Nicholson hit a double to left that drove in two runs and tied the game at seven. The hitting was contagious as later in that inning three consecutive Lakers put the ball in play, extending their lead by four. That lead was more than enough for the Lakers to pick up the win as they move to 17-6 on the season. Oswego plays host to conference opponent Brockport in a three game series that begins Friday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for noon. -
Oswego Bear Sighting
OSWEGO, NY — Oct 13, 2016
It’s a relief for SUNY Oswego students to get a day off from classes, but yesterday’s break in honor of Yom Kippur may have allowed them to avoid something besides their professors. On Wednesday morning, the college issued an alert that a black bear had been sighted on Route 104 by the college’s main entrance.
The University Police said the bear posed no immediate threat, though students and staff were advised to keep their distance and contact university police in the event of another sighting.
Although the sighting may have surprised students, these incidents are not unique to Oswego. Black bears have been a common sight across Oswego County over the past few months, with several seen in July alone. Bear sightings have increased across upstate NY, with some towns reporting over three times as many than usual.
Though the actual cause of this increase in sightings is unknown, black bears are not uncommon in upstate NY. Oswego may fall outside of their primary range, but that does not rule out the occasional sighting: according to the Department of Environmental Conservation, 10-15 percent of the state’s population of 6,000-8,000 black bears live in the central-western region of NY
Even with the increase, the odds of an actual attack remain extremely low. Black bears are responsible for the deaths of less than one person per year across North America.
For more information on what to do in the case of a bear encounter, visit the Oswego State University Police Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Oswego-State-University-Police-90985222236/.
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Green Beer Sunday
Reported by: Conor Halton
