Adams could face death penalty in 1985 murder

YOUNGSTOWN — A city man could now face the death penalty if convicted of killing a Youngstown State University student 22 years ago.

A Mahoning County grand jury handed up a superceding indictment Thursday that adds a death penalty specification to the aggravated murder charge against Bennie L. Adams, 50, of Hollywood Avenue.

Adams, who also faces charges of rape, aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery and kidnapping in the case, is accused of killing Gina Gay Tenney on Dec. 29, 1985. Tenney was Adams’ upstairs neighbor in an Ohio Avenue duplex at the time her body was found floating in the Mahoning River near the West Avenue bridge.

For more, see Friday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com