Alliance man pleads guilty to murder of Valley woman

YOUNGSTOWN -- Nicholas Cunningham, 34, of Alliance pleaded guilty to aggravated murder Friday in the October 2023 killing of Gena M. Wade, 44, at Wade's rural home on Courtney Road in Smith Township, just north of Beloit.

The plea followed a third determination recently that Cunningham was competent to stand trial. He was evaluated several times for competency and sanity. He was set for trial Aug. 17, but instead that will be his sentencing date.

The most recent time Cunningham was evaluated for competency was after his attorney, Mike Kivlighan, in October said he had "concerns that (Cunningham) is not presently competent and does not presently have sufficient ability to consult with his lawyer and with a reasonable degree of rational understanding, nor does he have a rational as well as factual understanding of the proceedings against him."

But on Friday, as Cunningham's trial date loomed on Aug. 17, Cunningham and Kivlighan stood before Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge Anthony Donofrio. Cunningham then pleaded guilty to aggravated murder with a joint recommendation from the prosecution and defense that he would serve 20 years to life in prison.

In exchange for Cunningham's guilty plea, several other charges were dismissed, including aggravated burglary and violating a protection order.

Donofrio could hand down a more severe sentence than 20 years to life, but approving the joint recommendation of 20 to life means Cunningham won't be able to appeal the plea and sentencing, Mahoning County Prosecutor Lynn Maro said after the plea hearing.

"We hear in the media all the time about appeals that go on for years and a conviction getting vacated. All of that is wiped out with an agreed-upon sentence such as this. In speaking with the family, having that finality, having that closure was important to them," Maro said. The family was satisfied with the plea and sentencing, she said.

Several members of Wade's family attended the hearing. The sentencing is where they will have a chance to talk about Gena and the impact Cunningham's horrific actions have had on them.

FAMILY FRUSTRATION

Michelle Hively of Canton, sister of Gena Wade, and other family members spoke with the Vindicator in May 2024 about their family's frustration that Wade was killed despite Wade and other family members having a civil stalking protection order against Cunningham.

Hively said her family told police in February 2023 that Cunningham was making threats against her sister and a young female family member. Hively and her fiance, Richard Hashman, said Hively and her sister had known Cunningham for many years because both women provided care to Cunningham's mother, Kathy Cunningham, for about 20 years.

"We felt bad for Nicholas. We gave him rides to the gas station," Hively said.

Hashman said Nicholas Cunningham "didn't have many friends, so (the sisters) tried to look out for him a little bit."

But that all changed in late 2022 when Hively and her family learned that Cunningham had a criminal record from 2015 involving crimes committed against a child. Hively said Wade found out that Cunningham was posting "inappropriate" things about the young family member on Facebook, so they "told him to stay away."

After that, Cunningham started to make death threats, Hively said.