WARREN Adams vows to appeal conviction

Adams already is doing 25 to life for the murder of a Poland Township woman.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- An angry Stanley Adams told a judge this morning that he is innocent of charges that he killed a Warren woman and her daughter and he will appeal his conviction.
In a 10-minute statement before Judge Peter Kontos in Trumbull County Common Please Court, Adams said he did not get a fair trial and his attorneys were incompetent.
"I told you I wanted them fired, and you told me I couldn't fire them" Adams said to the judge of attorneys Ted Macejko Jr. and Mark Lavelle.
Adams also told the judge he should not have presided over his trial because Judge Kontos was a former assistant prosecutor under county Prosecutor Dennis Watkins.
Judge's reply: "I'm sure you'll be able to come up with a lot more excuses in prison," the judge said when Adams was finished.
"When a horrific crime happens, people will often say "what kind of animal would do this?' I will not call you an animal because that would be an insult to the entire animal kingdom."
With that, the judge ordered two deaths sentences and set Adams' execution date for Oct. 11, 2002.
Relatives of the victims and members of the prosecution team chose not to speak before sentencing.
Adams' lawyers said other attorneys will appeal his case.
Judge Kontos followed a the recommendation of the jury as he sentenced Adams to death for the October 1999 murders of Esther Cook, 43, and her 12-year-old daughter, Ashley.
Under state law, the judge did not have to follow the jury's recommendation and could have sentenced Adams to life in prison without the possibility of parole or life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 or 30 years.
Jury's verdict: Two weeks ago, the same jurors found Adams guilty of two counts of aggravated murder and specifications that the murders took place when Adams was committing other crimes.
Adams was also convicted of two counts of rape and one count each of kidnapping and aggravated burglary.
Prosecutors said Adams raped the girl, then killed her and her mother.
Adams already is serving 25 years to life for the Aug. 6, 1999, rape and murder of Roslyn Taylor, 40, of Poland Township. He maintains his innocence in that case, as well.
Authorities say Adams was a self-employed auto mechanic who had lived with the Cooks for a short time.