Adams still faces death penalty in 1985 slaying

Adams still faces death penalty in 1985 slaying

YOUNGSTOWN — The trial judge has overruled a defense motion to drop the death-penalty specification against Bennie Adams.

The defense argued unsuccessfully the death specification should be dismissed because Ohio’s lethal injection method of execution is an unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishment.

But the judge granted a defense motion to postpone Adams’ jury trial to give the defense more trial preparation time. The trial is now reset from March 31 to May 5.

Adams, 50, of Hollywood Avenue, is charged with the Dec. 29, 1985, strangulation death of Gina Tenney, a 19-year-old Youngstown State University student from Ashtabula.

The Mahoning County Prosecutor’s office said DNA evidence preserved from Tenney’s body was matched recently with a sample of Adams’ DNA, leading to Adams indictment in the 22-year-old case last October.

For the complete story, see Friday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.