A Syracuse men’s lacrosse recruit was charged with second-degree murder Monday, an Ontario police official told The Daily Orange.

Kent Owen Hill, also known as Kent Squires-Hill, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in connection with the strangling death of 21-year-old Tashina General, said Rocki Smith, the Six Nations deputy chief of police.

The 20-year-old Hill played at Onondaga Community College in 2006-07 and was expected to transfer to SU in the fall. A lack of credits delayed his arrival, according to a Post-Standard report.

General was last seen in January, when she was four months pregnant, Smith said. Police found her remains Friday, buried in a shallow grave on property owned by Hill’s father on the Six Nations reserve in Ontario.

Hill and General were friends, Smith said.

Hill was arrested in a hotel roughly 500 miles away from the reserve, Smith said. He was brought to court in Brantford, Ontario, on Tuesday for a hearing.

He is currently being held in police custody, Smith said.

In Canada, a second-degree murder charges correlates with any murder which is not considered first-degree.

SU head coach John Desko is prohibited by NCAA rules from talking about recruits and unable to comment on the arrest.

Hill was national midfielder of the year in 2007 for OCC. He and teammate Cody Jamieson, who won a pair of junior-college national championships at OCC, intended to transfer to Syracuse after the 2007 season.

But Hill did not earn enough credits at OCC and needed to return for the 2007-08 school year. He was expected to coach at the college this season, according to a Post-Standard report in January.

A statement issued by OCC’s office of public affairs Wednesday said that Hill ‘voluntarily withdrew’ as a student at the college in mid-April.

‘Onondaga Community College is deeply shocked by this situation, and we extend our heartfelt sympathy to the family of Tashina General,’ the statement also read. ‘. . . The College pledges its full cooperation and support for the ongoing investigation.’

General’s grandmother reported her missing on March 16, prompting a search.

Agencies from both the United States and Canada participated, coordinating across the border, Smith said.

Hill scored 33 goals last season and assisted on 54. Jamieson scored 65 goals and 51 assists, and was named national player of the year.

Published on May 2, 2008 at 12:00 pm