Man enters not guilty plea in killing of Cohoes teen

The Watervliet man accused of killing a Cohoes teen pleaded not guilty Friday to two felony charges in Albany County Court.

Thomas Slivienski, 22, was charged with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon, both felonies, in connection with the killing of 17-year-old Johni Dunia on Nov. 16.

Slivienski, a former Cohoes resident, is accused of shooting Dunia, an Albany High School junior, near the southern end of the Mohawk-hudson bike path in Cohoes.

The District Attorney’s Office as well as Slivienski’s public defender declined to comment following the court proceeding. Dunia’s funeral is 10:30 a.m. Saturday in the Chapel+cultural Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 2125 Burdett Ave., Troy. Calling hours are 9 to 10:30 a.m. at the chapel.

His death is the second homicide in Cohoes this year and only one of nine in the past 30 years, according to FBI data.

Skip Dickstein / Times Union Thomas Slivienski, left, is arraigned before Judge Peter Lynch for the alleged murder of Johni Dunia. Representing Slivienski is Rebekah Sokol. The case’s prosecutor is David Rossi.