BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Wyoming County District Attorney's Office announced that 43-year-old Michael Bellaire of Warsaw was found guilty of the following charges after a seven-day jury trial:
- Second-degree murder
- First-degree strangulation
- Fourth-degree grand larceny
According to the DA, Bellaire murdered Cheryl Cook inside her residence in Warsaw on November 2, 2023, by strangling her. Bellaire then stole Cook's debit card and fled to Mexico. He was apprehended by Mexican authorities about a year later and brought back to Wyoming County.
Bellaire is scheduled to be sentenced on January 9, 2026, and faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
“When the Defendant appears for sentencing, we will be recommending that the Defendant be sentenced to the maximum sentence allowed by law. The Defendant’s actions took the life of a mother, daughter, sister, and a member of our community. My sympathies go out to the Family of Cheryl Cook for their loss.”
- District Attorney Vincent A. Hemming
