Lester A. Eubanks Newark resident Lester A. Eubanks, 97, departed this life on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, at home. Eubanks escaped from the Ohio State Penitentiary in 1973, according to City News Service. Eubanks is on the U.S. Marshals' list of 15 most wanted fugitives with a $50,000 reward for information that directly leads to his arrest. Marshal Peter Elliott of the Northern District of Ohio. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Lester A. Eubanks please visit our, Blessed Sacrament St. Charles Borromeo Roman Catholic Church. That's all conjecture though. Then, realizing that it was somewhat safe, he got somebody to pay for his bus ticket to California. Lester Eubanks (born October 31, 1943) [1] is an American criminal and fugitive who escaped prison in Ohio in 1973 after being jailed for the murder of 14-year-old Mary Ellen Deener. Lester Eubanks, then 22 years old, was convicted of the murder of Mary Ellen Deener in 1966. While bouncing around to different jobs, the fugitive reportedly worked in a waterbed factory and as a hospital janitor. He had a hit with 1966's "Open the Door to Your Heart". Reports suggest Eubanks fled to Michigan, and also spent time in Los Angeles. I think the first problem is how to get it into the database to begin with, Greely said. Marshals Service said on Saturday. 45 years after his escape, he was added to the United States Mashals Most Wanted List. From their union of 43 years five children were born: Michael, Sheila, James, Vincent and Catherine. "We're just hoping for that one, one piece of the puzzle that's going to get us to his front door.". Hundreds of new clues poured in after the ABC News Investigative Unit went inside the manhunt with the U.S. He passed away peacefully at his home in Newark,NJ. The inmate was even profiled while still on Death Row in 1972 by The Columbus Dispatch in an article on incarcerated artists. Eubanks has been on the loose since 1973, when he escaped while on a shopping . Mary Ellen Deeners Cause Of Death: How Lester Eubanks Killed Her, Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Beverly Kay Eubanks passed away nearly four years ago now, at the age of 77. On November 30, 2017, Lester A. Eubanks entered into his ultimate resting place at the age 97. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. Siler said in 2017, Theres been periodic leads and tips that have put him in different places.. U.S. He came back an hour later to finish the job. Wikimedia CommonsOhio State Penitentiary around 1897. The U.S. At the time of his escape, Eubanks was serving a life sentence for the November 1965 murder and attempted rape of 14-year-old Mary Ellen Deener, whom he bludgeoned to death. One person still hoping for a breakthrough is Myrtle Carter, the surviving older sister of Eubanks' victim, Mary Ellen Deener. Newly unearthed photos may hold clues in long-running manhunt for 1965 killer. Among those clues are photos that Siler recovered showing employees at a former waterbed factory in Gardena, where Eubanks worked during his early years on the run. Eubanks and three other inmates were allowed to leave the prison to go Christmas shopping at a local mall - unsupervised. At various times, authorities suspect he might have lived in Gardena, South Los Angeles, Long Beach and North Hollywood. At the time of his arrest, he was listed as 511 and. Eubanks was convicted of the 1965 murder and attempted rape of Mary Ellen Deener, 14. Recommend Lester's obituary to your friends. She headed out to get change and never came back. CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Lester Eubanks once sat on Ohio's death row for the rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl in Mansfield. "My mom called me crying that the sheriff had called her and told her that he'd escaped.". Marshals Service tipline at 866-4-WANTED. In the years that followed Lester Eubanks conviction, his execution was pushed back thrice for reasons unknown. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Would love your thoughts, please comment. He believes his late mother was raped by Eubanks. Reports suggest Eubanks fled to Michigan, and also spent time in Los Angeles. "We just need to talk to those people," he told KABC. His death sentence was commuted to life in prison in 1972 when the California Supreme Courtruled the death penalty unconstitutional. Investigators suspect that Lester Eubanks may be using the alias Victor Young. Netflix via Youtube "Fugitives on the run as long as Eubanks tend to use that time to change their appearance, use aliases, and even start new lives," Siler said, according to City News Service. corner of Clinton Ave. and Van Ness Place. Marshals wanted poster. After the sister alerted their grandmother and the two found the police around Deeners lifeless body. Marshals said they believed he was still living in the Los Angeles area, having received photographs of him with friends there.[6]. And the next year, he escaped. "I mean, it means the world to me. Real Name: Lester Edward Eubanks Aliases: Victor Young, Pete Eubanks, Lester William Eubanks Wanted For: Murder, Escape Missing Since: December 7, 1973 Case Details: Lester Eubanks is wanted for escape; he had been serving a life sentence for the murder of fourteen-year-old Mary Ellen Deener of Mansfield, Ohio. He confessed to smashing her head in with a brick, killing her. It was the last time the 14-year-old was seen alive. He passed away peacefully at his home in Newark,NJ. MANSFIELD - Convicted child killer Lester Eubanks of Mansfield is being sought in the Los Angeles area after being convicted of killing a 14-year-old Mansfield girl in 1965 and walking away. Recent Condolences for. Marshal for Northern Ohio. She claimed that she used to run with Lester and that he used to reside in the city with someone named Kay Banks. Officials also believe he worked as a janitor at St. Francis Hospital in Lynwood in the late 1980s or early 90s, Murphy said. Marshal and spokeswoman Anne Murphy of Cleveland confirmedMonday. "And he was not in any of them, not one.". It's quite repulsive; it's unfathomable. The cold case of fugitive Lester Eubanks, who was sentenced to death in the 70s for the murder of a 14-year-old girl in Ohio but then escaped prison, has been given new energy as tips poured in . "We continue to fight for [Deener] so that someday she will get justice when we're able to put Lester Eubanks in custody.". The promising Gardena lead ended with news that their suspect had quit his job and vanished. "That's when the story took a real crazy turn," says Carter. He was asked to meet back at a specific time and place near the mall when he was finished. Find an obituary, get service details, leave condolence messages or send flowers or gifts in memory of a loved one. He was driven to a city just outside Detroit and has been on the run now for 46 years. Eubanks would be in his 70s now and is described as 5-foot-11-inches and was around 175 pounds at the time of his arrest. Murphy said the point of releasing the photographs is the marshals don't know who the people in photographs are, but would love to talk to them in hopes they may have more information on Eubanks. Anthony grew up in Canton and graduated Canton High School in 2018 . Fugitive Lester Eubanks is seen here . "Take him out and turn him loose in a shopping center for rehabilitation purposes? Henry T. Greely, director of the Center for Law and the Biosciences at Stanford University Law School, said the challenge is getting the sample into the FBI database for review, when the FBI policy prohibits searches using a relatives DNA. Marshals Service office, American Embassy/Consulate, call the U.S. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. Marshals Service hopes that newly unearthed photos of people who worked and socialized with Lester Eubanks in the mid-1970s will lead to a clue that cracks the case. Siler said in 2017, Theres been periodic leads and tips that have put him in different places.. Richland County Sheriffs DepartmentLester Eubanks had a criminal history of sexual offenses prior to Mary Deeners murder. U.S. MarshalsIt took decades for the U.S. Using re-enactments and interviews to detail the circumstances surrounding mysteries that are, well, unsolved, it covers everything from crimes, to paranormal activities, to tales of lost people, all the while encouraging views to provide any information that might help solve the case. Washington, DC - The reward for information leading to the arrest of wanted fugitive Lester Eubanks has been increased to $50,000, U.S. Anthony passed away December 30, 2020 in Ben Wheeler. Marshal David Siler, a member of a cold case squad seeking Eubanks, said, according to KABC-TV. IE 11 is not supported. They want the child killer captured, and they wont stop until they succeed. In arguably the first time Lester Eubanks would escape justice, his sentence was commuted to life in prison without parole when a U.S. Supreme Courts ruling in 1972 found the death penalty unconstitutional. Lester would give you the shirt off his back and would do everything to help support his family. Marshals Service] By: Michelle Sigona In fact, the authorities couldnt even figure out how Lester had managed to escape so quickly. Dwayne Heard, Atlanta entrepreneur, dies at 67. "This is one of these cases that you go to bed with, it's one of these cases that you wake up with. LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Could the confessed killer of a little girl in Ohio be living in plain sight in Southern California? [5], After Eubanks was featured on the series, the U.S. The last she knew, she admitted, Lester was in Gardena, working in a mattress manufacturing factory as Victor. Eubanks June 29, 1920 - November 30, 2017 Obituary. Marshals to place Lester Eubanks on their 15 Most Wanted list. After his military years Lester worked at General ServiceAdministration (GSA) where he retired. Detectives, journalists, and family members offer intriguing theories in this gripping series from the creators of the original docuseries. Anyone who knows anything about Eubanks whereabouts today is encouraged to report what they know to the appropriate authorities. On trial in 1966, Eubanks confessed to the murder yet again, not showing remorse, and he was convicted and given the death penalty for his crimes. In December 1973, prison officials took the convicted murderer to . Other photos show a former employee known only as Rick. After all, in the summer of 2003, they did try to question his father, Mose, who refused to talk about Lester but said that sometimes people could change and move on with their lives. Eubanks had. READ NEXT: Unsolved Mysteries Host Robert Stacks Cause of Death: How Did He Die? You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! In the Eubanks case, the man who provided DNA has asked ABC News not to identify him. Authorities follow the trail of a confessed child killer to Southern California and hope newly unearthed photos will crack the case. ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lester_Eubanks&oldid=1140459173, This page was last edited on 20 February 2023, at 04:34. Investigators are reportedly closing in on a convicted murdererof a 14-year-old girl who escaped from prison nearly 50 years ago, authoritiessaid Saturday. Marshal ServiceA digital composite estimating what Lester Eubanks might look like today. Inside The Disturbing Legend Of The 'Tsunami Spirits' That Have Haunted Japan Ever Since Its 2011 Disaster, 12-Year-Old Canadian Boy Finds 69-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Fossil While Hiking, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. "Unsolved Mysteries" season 2 releases on October 19; one of the episodes features the murder of Mary Ellen Deener. Carter still prays for justice and that her sister's soul can finally be at peace. Kaye said the federal law that led to the creation of the national DNA database does not prohibit searches using genetic samples from relatives. The investigators on the case followed that up by questioning everybody who came to see him, from his family to his associates, but none of them gave up any information. Lester leaves to mourn and carry on his legacy of support and love of family onto his sons Michael, James & Vincent Eubanks; daughters Sheila Pugh and Catherine Eubanks; his daughter in law Norma JeanBrown of Toms River; 11 grandchildren; 19 great grandchildren; sisters Leora & Helen Eubanks, Madelyn Hicks and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins andfriends. "This is one of these cases that you go to bed with, it's one of these cases that you wake up with. Marshals believe DNA collected from escaped child killer Lester Eubanks' biological son could be the key to unearthing new clues to the fugitive's identity or location.. Eubanks, who . Market data provided by Factset. He was just out there on his own and nobody seemed concerned about it.. And over time, he earned "honor status" as an inmate and the trust of prison guards. Bob Harrell, who . She was 14. May God Bless and Keep You! Newly resurfaced photos may finally lead authorities to capturing him. Last edited on 20 February 2023, at 04:34, "Police close in on escaped child killer who's been on the run for almost 50 years", "The murderer who vanished: How one man walked away from a life sentence", "Prison Fugitive Featured on Netflix's 'Unsolved Mysteries' Sought in LA Area", "Has Netflix's "Unsolved Mysteries" helped to solve any cases? Lester Eubanks has been at large since escaping during a Christmas shopping trip while on furlough from the Ohio Department of Corrections nearly half a century ago. Acknowledgement: The family of the late Lester A. Eubanks wishes to acknowledge with deep appreciation the many expressions of love, concern andkindness shown to their family during this hour or bereavement. He was sentenced to the death penalty, but in 1972 his sentence was commuted to life in prison without parole. 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