Kriti Mehrotra
When 17-year-old Karen Adams was found dead in a ditch in March 1975, it honestly left not just her loved ones but also the entire state of Ohio bewildered to their very core. That’s because, as profiled in ‘Cold Case Files: Murder in the Midwest,’ there was no forensic evidence available at the time that could help officials apprehend her perpetrators, leaving her case unsolved until 2011. This was when DNA recovered from her undergarments was sent for analysis, and the technological advancements finally brought her family, especially her brother Gene, some closure.
Gene Adams Never Forgot His Sister’s Ordeal
Although the third-youngest in the family of five, Gene reportedly had a great time growing up surrounded by loved ones and never really felt any significant issues amongst siblings despite their age gaps. He thus still vividly remembers when their entire world came crashing down, especially because his elder sister Karen was like a glue within the family; she was beautiful, smart, and kind. So, when she asked her parents to leave home one evening to grab a scarf she’d left behind at a friend’s place, they let her go, just for her to never be seen or heard from again.
It turns out Karen had actually left to secretly meet her boyfriend at a nearby supermarket, but her absence from home was still suspicious because she never stayed out late. She was thus reported missing the following morning, just for Gene to find her car abandoned a few miles away and knowing something terrible had happened because his sister would’ve never left it behind. Her body was found in a ditch a day later, shattering all her loved ones’ heart to the very core – what’s worse was that there officials didn’t have the resourses they do now to uncover what’d truly happened to her.
It thus wasn’t until 2011 that it came to light that Karen had been abuducted, sexually asssaulted, and killed by two men on the fateful day – there were two different DNA traces on her being. One was identified as convicted kidnapper and rapist (unrelated) Robert Meyer who was living in Cincinati at the time, whereas the other was Charles Webber who’d passed away long prior. Though little did anyone know that as soon as Gene heard this news, he traveled all the way to the former’s home with a gun in his hand – he was ready to shoot him in the face to secure justice himself, but backed away without a word after considering his whole family and thinking about his mother.
Where is Gene Adams Now?
While Gene did not shoot Robert on the fateful day, he was right there at every step of his court proceedings and witnessed him plead guilty to the charge of murder despite claiming not to remember the ordeal. In fact, in the end, he even gave an impact statement: “You got away with it, and there you sit. I hope you rot in hell.” He had no idea that the assailant would actually pass away in prison within three years of his 15 years to life term, meaning he’d long passed away when he was identified as Lori Nesson’s perpetrator in 2020 too – he and Charles had abducted, kidnapped, and killed her too.
Coming to Gene’s current standing, he has since established a close bond with Lori’s sister, Toni, and even attended the 2021 memorial she’d held for her at her grave site in Ohio. On a more personal level, from what we can tell, it appears as if he’s based in North Lewisburg, Ohio, where he’s surrounded by his loving wife, Teresa Short Adams, and their own little brood. As for her professional life, Gene is actually a vintage car enthusiast who serves as a full-time truck driver at Moeller Trucking Inc., which appears to be keeping him fulfilled since it combines his passion for the road and traveling in one. He also keeps the memories of his sister alive by featuring in similar true-crime productions.
Read More: Toni Nesson: Lori Nesson’s Sister is Spreading the Message of Hope Today
