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Alleged Greensburg Stalker To Stand Trial

GREENSBURG (KDKA) – A man accused of stalking a college student in Westmoreland County will stand trial.

John Bennish, 60, is now headed to trial on charges he stalked a Seton Hill University student over a period of months.

He also allegedly found excuses to encounter her and even broke into her apartment on numerous occasions.

The victim told police she did not know Bennish and did not remember having encountered him.

Police arrested Bennish after a neighbor reported seeing him enter the girl's apartment in the Tollhouse complex in Greensburg.

After serving a search warrant at Bennish's Hempfield home, police recovered more than a dozen photos of other women who lived at the same apartment complex over the last decade.

They are investigating whether he may have been stalking them as well.

"The photos were recovered from the trash up in that area because unfortunately Mr. Bennish used to retrieve items out of the trash bin up there," Harry Smail, the suspect's defense attorney, said.

According to search warrants filed in the case, police have obtained a DNA sample from Bennish.

They also recovered numerous stained pairs of women's underwear from his home.

"He's very upset and he's obviously under a lot of stress," Smail said. "He feels that they're putting an extensive burden on him and I can understand that because of the conduct, but he's struggling with this no doubt."

Bennish remains free on bond with the condition he not have any contact with the victim. State police say this investigation is still very much ongoing.

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