By Russ Tarby
Contributing Writer
Four weeks after the body of 25-year-old Jacob Giarrusso was discovered in his parked car off Morgan Road, Onondaga County Sheriff’s Detectives charged a state parolee with his murder.
Jacob E. Stanton, 24, of Lake Country Drive, Geddes, was charged Dec. 19 with second-degree murder, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, tampering with physical evidence and petit larceny in connection with Giarrusso’s death.
Family members had reported Giarrusso missing on Nov. 18. His body was discovered by detectives two days later in his gray 1995 Oldsmobile Aurora after a resident of Brookwood on the Green apartment complex had observed the vehicle parked at Galloway Drive.
Stanton, who is currently on parole for robbery, is accused of stabbing Giarrusso with a knife and then transporting his body to a remote location.
The suspect was arraigned on Tuesday, Dec. 19, in Syracuse City Court before Van Buren Judge Edward Van Der Water as part of the new Centralized Arraignment Program. Van Der Water heard Stanton plead not guilty. No bail was set, and Stanton remains in custody.
Five years ago, Stanton resided at 608 Wolf St. on Syracuse’s North Side. At that time he was charged with second-degree burglary and second-degree robbery, both felonies, and petit larceny, a misdemeanor, after a Dec. 2 home invasion in Mexico, New York.
Authorities said Stanton was one of three men who disguised themselves with ski masks and broke into a home where they attacked a man inside, wrestled him to the ground and stole loose change. Stanton was also charged with misdemeanor criminal impersonation in 2012, after he allegedly falsely identified himself during the investigation. Police also found outstanding warrant against Stanton in Onondaga County at that time.
After being found guilty of third-degree robbery, Stanton served more than two years at the Attica Correctional Facility before being paroled on Feb. 18, 2016.
Giarrusso reportedly lived with his grandmother in the town of Salina, at 616 Sunflower Drive, Liverpool. He was the father of a 7-year-old son.
The sheriff’s office requests anyone with information about the Giarrusso murder to call deputies at (315) 435-3081.
