The appeal of convicted murderer Bennie Adams has been denied by the Ohio 7th District Court of Appeals. 

In 2007, Bennie Adams was arrested for the 1985 rape, robbery, and murder of 19-year-old YSU student Gina Tenny. 

At the time, investigators claimed Adams had always been a suspect, and DNA evidence that had been tested in the years following Tenny's murder linked him to the crime. 

In 2008, Adams was convicted and sentenced to death. The Ohio Supreme Court later upheld his conviction, but dismissed the death penalty. Adams was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. 

Years later, a federal judge ordered new hearings, after learning that jurors deliberating the 2008 case might have known about Adams's prior convictions.

Those hearings were held in June of 2023. The court had to decide if jury members knew of the prior conviction, and then decide if it impacted the verdict.

In October of 2023, Adams appeal claimed that Donofrio made a mistake in not allowing Adams's expert witness to testify about errors made by the judge who oversaw the 2008 trial. 

The court denied this appeal. 

Adams maintains his innocence, and is eligible for parole in 2028.