MERIDEN - A Superior Court judge has ordered a Bronx man held in lieu of $2 million on murder charges in the 1986 death of a Wallingford woman.

Judge Phillip Scarpellino said a lengthy criminal history in New York and a lack of ties to the Connecticut area made Kevin Benefield, 45, a flight risk as Benefield appeared for arraignment in Meriden Superior Court Thursday.

"All of his offenses are out of state, but it is a lengthy record with a wide variety of charges. I'm in agreement with prosecutors that I don't think the bond was high enough," Scarpellino said.

Benefield is charged with murder and first-degree sexual assault in the 1986 death of Barbara Pelkey. Police found Pelkey face down at the R.S. Molding and Manufacturing Co. where she worked the night shift.

Benefield was extradited from New York Wednesday

Wallingford police said DNA which had cleared Kenneth Ireland of a 1989 murder conviction in August 2009 also connected Benefield to the Pelkey murder. Benefield had been an employee of Central Connecticut Catering located just two doors down from the murder scene.