NOTE: Verdict was rendered on Thursday, May 22, 2025.
Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announces that a jury found Michael A. Harris, 56, of Buffalo, guilty of one count of Murder in the Second Degree (Class “A-I” felony), one count of Aggravated Criminal Contempt (Class “D” felony), one count of Tampering with Physical Evidence (Class “E” felony), and one count of Criminal Contempt in the First Degree (Class “E” felony). Jurors rendered their decision on Thursday afternoon* after more than two hours of deliberation following a nearly five-day trial, convicting the defendant of all four counts of the indictment.
On Sunday, July 7, 2024, at approximately 2:00 a.m., the defendant, with the intent to cause the death of another person, stabbed the victim in the neck outside of her home on Anthony Drive in the City of Lackawanna. The crime occurred while the defendant and the victim, his former girlfriend, were involved in an argument. Later the same morning, at approximately 10:00 a.m., the victim, 48-year-old Tanya L. Stump, was found deceased on the back porch by a family member.
The defendant committed the homicide while knowingly in violation of an existing order of protection. A no-contact order of protection had been issued for the victim following a prior domestic violence-related incident. The orders of protection were issued in West Seneca Town Court on July 25, 2023, and Lackawanna City Court on February 1, 2023.
After the homicide, the defendant tampered with physical evidence by attempting to remove blood from his clothing and sneakers. The defendant’s washed clothes, shoes and other blood evidence was recovered from the common area laundry room of the defendant’s apartment on Heussy Avenue in the City of Buffalo during the execution of a search warrant.
Harris faces a maximum of 25 years to life in prison when he is sentenced before Erie County Court Judge Kenneth Case on Monday, July 14, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. He remains held without bail.
DA Keane commends Detective Joseph Milkowski and Detective Chuck Jaworski of the Lackawanna Police Department for their work in this investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney John P. Gerken, Jr. of the Homicide Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Abbi L. Fuhrken of the Felony Trials Bureau.