Convicted sex offender Sean Dawson was killed on August 19, 2025
By Andrew Harris
Last summer, according to NY State Police reports, two convicted felons met in an Alfred NY motel room. When Sean Dawson admitted to Briar York that he was a convicted sex offender, York proceeded to stab and bludgeon Dawson to death. He was arrested for 2nd Degree murder and Tampering with Evidence, state police reported:
On August 21, 2025, at 10:22 A.M., Officers responded to the Economy Inn on State Route 244 in Allegany County for a welfare check on Sean M. Dawson, 32 of Alfred, NY. Officers located Dawson in his hotel room deceased from apparent multiple stab wounds. The Bureau of Criminal Investigation determined that Dawson was visited by York in his hotel room on August 19, 2025. Following a discussion regarding Dawson’s status on the sex offender registry, York became physically aggressive and stabbed Dawson multiple times. York attempted to clean the scene of possible evidence after the incident occurred.
Dawson had been arrested in 2022 for multiple crimes in Wellsville, all with children as victims. Social media hailed the killing as street justice, and went as far as to call York a “hero.” The Allegany County justice system didn’t agree and prosecuted York as a predicate felon.
York pled guilty to Manslaughter charges in October 2025 and was sentenced on Monday to the maximum prison term of 25 years.
Allegany County District Attorney Peter Degnan released this statement today:
COURT REPORT
Defendant’s Name: Briar A. York
Address: Formerly of Alfred, New York; Currently of Belmont, New York
Court Appearance Date: February 2, 2026
Proceedings: Briar A. York was sentenced to 25 years in New York State prison, to be followed by 5 years post-release supervision. Briar A. York previously pled guilty, as charged, to Manslaughter in the First Degree on October 28, 2025. Briar A. York was sentenced as a Predicate Felon, and the sentence imposed by the Allegany County Court is the maximum allowed by law.
Briar A. York also pled guilty to Tampering with Physical Evidence, and for that charge was sentenced to 2 to 4 years in New York State prison.
These charges stem from an August 19, 2025, incident in which Briar A. York stabbed and bludgeoned to death 32-year-old Sean M. Dawson at the Economy Inn in Alfred, New York.
The District Attorney’s Office remains ever committed to ensuring violent crimes in Allegany County are thoroughly investigated and prosecuted. Today’s sentence reflects that commitment, and provides accountability to the defendant for this vicious, senseless killing.
Read our reporting from last year which includes details of the criminal history of the victim:
