29 2021, Updated 5:18 p.m. Unfortunately, his execution was pushed back thrice, and in 1972, when the death penalty was abolished, his sentence was . "Unsolved Mysteries" volume 2 is released on October 19 on Netflix. The girl had only tried to help her family out with chores and ended up dead in the streets with change still in her hand. ", "Any information that can get us to that front door, get him in custody," says Siler. "We're just hoping for that one, one piece of the puzzle that's going to get us to his front door," Siler tells Eyewitness News. George L. 6 entries. Previously a Spanish - then Mexican - territory, the U.S. paid $15 million dollars for the area in 1848. Eubanks and three other inmates were allowed to leave the prison to go Christmas shopping at a local mall - unsupervised. Marshal ServiceA digital composite estimating what Lester Eubanks might look like today. Marshals Service has unearthed new photos of people who worked and socialized with Lester Eubanks in Gardena in the mid-1970s. Kay was worried that shed be charged for harboring a fugitive, so she revealed everything that she knew, starting from the very beginning. Official prison records show that Lesters visitation skyrocketed in the weeks prior to his escape from once a month, it went on to be once a week. Marshals Service said. "That's when the story took a real crazy turn," says Carter. Fox News' Louis Casiano contributed to this report. But even though he kept to himself, the inmates knew of his opinionated and cocky nature, so they stayed away. Bob Harrell, who . The duo teamed up to check out a mattress factory in Gardena, California where an anonymous source said Eubanks worked. It is scientifically plausible that a comparison of a biological sons DNA (if he is a genetic son) to unsolved profiles would turn up hits if the father had been the source of a crime scene DNA sample, Greely said. But a busy holiday-season mall provided Eubanks with a perfect escape scenario. It just got him outside the gates, and thats all he was working toward.. Eubanks conned his way into Christmas shopping and all but letting the justice system let him go free, through their apparent confidence that giving him a perfect chance to escape was a good idea. Lester Eubanks attempted to rape and then brutally beat 14-year-old Mary Ellen Deener in Mansfield, Ohio in 1965 after she ventured out on her own to get change for laundry. She frequently covers crime and courts, as well as the intersection of reproductive health, politics, and policy. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. He escaped from the state Department of Corrections on Dec. 7,1973, while on an honor furlough to go Christmas shopping unescorted with other inmates as a reward for good behavior. A private service for family will be held Tuesday. Volume 2 of Unsolved Mysteries brings us six baffling cases that have shaken the world to its core. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Lester was predeceased by his wife, his parents, his sister Ida Brown and brothers James, Harvey and Leo Eubanks. Unsolved Mysteries Host Robert Stacks Cause of Death: How Did He Die. After his military years Lester worked at General ServiceAdministration (GSA) where he retired. She graduated from Lucedale High School in 1964. One of the U.S. Marshals 15 most-wanted fugitives, authorities are offering a $50,000 reward for his capture, the agencys highest ever. Marshals Service said on Saturday. The sad thing is, those who he has won over are victims, too, said Siler. She says that when it rained, she would sometimes offer a ride to his Gardena apartment building on El Segundo Boulevard right across from a golf course. Sharman, Robert Edward 5 entries. [All we need is] that one tipster, that one person that can bring in the last piece of the puzzle, even if they knew him a year ago, two years ago, said Siler. Marshals Service tipline at 866-4-WANTED. It is suspected that he is still alive today. Lester A. Eubanks was born on June 29, 1920 to the late Hartwell and Leora Eubanks in Irvington, NJ. Lester Eubanks escaped from an Ohio prison in 1973. Thats because DNA from Eubanks biological son would not be used so much to conduct a familial search, as to construct a profile of the fugitive himself. Eubanks, who was convicted of the 1965 murder of 14-year-old Mary Ellen Deener, has been on the run since 1973 after he escaped police custody. He's been on the . Ohio State Penitentiary around 1897. (U.S. Marshal David Siler was only 20 days old when one of . But the escape was not over prison walls. U.S. Marshals Service Tips. After the sister alerted their grandmother and the two found the police around Deeners lifeless body. 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. After being escorted to the Great Southern Shopping Center on Dec. 7, 1973, the man who murdered Mary Ellen Deener vanished. Then, in the early 1990s, the investigation began to pick up when a young officer directed the public eye to the case. Local News Sports Politics Opinion For Subscribers NKY Obituaries . 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. 'Unsolved Mysteries' covers the case. Find an obituary, get service details, leave condolence messages or send flowers or gifts in memory of a loved one. Lester shifted to be with the general population, where he made use of his smooth-talking ways to win over the guards and enter into the honor program that allowed inmates to venture out into the real world to prepare for their future. Springer knew Eubanks as Victor Young and says that he worked hard, kept quiet and rode a 10-speed bicycle to work. Marshals seeking info on convicted child killer Lester Eubanks, Lester Eubanks case to be featured on Investigation Discovery, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. A staff writer for All Thats Interesting, Marco Margaritoff has also published work at outlets including People, VICE, and Complex, covering everything from film to finance to technology. Everyone who knew him described him as weird or a loner. Per the report, authorities say Eubanks worked and lived in Los Angeles . MASSACHUSETTS WIDOW'S KILLING SOLVED 36 YEARS LATER, ALLEGED KILLER CONFESSED BEFORE HE DIED, Lester Eubanks escaped from an Ohio prison in 1973. He turned in his ankle monitor, made a final stop at . Law enforcement officer John Arcudi was in high school when Deener was killed. Perhaps it was the distinct change in personalities Eubanks related to so much. Submit a tip. In Netflix's volume 2 description for Unsolved Mysteries, they say, Perhaps viewers hold vital clues that will help solve these mysteries. Then, read about the six chilling cases involving serial murderers who have never been caught. In today's era, it would just never happen." 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 3 min read. One person still hoping for a breakthrough is Myrtle Carter, the surviving older sister of Eubanks' victim, Mary Ellen Deener. Bayliss, Cherry R. 11 entries. Lester grew up with ElizabethDudley fell in love and eventually married her. Lester Edward Eubanks was just 22-years-old when he killed the 14-year-old Mary Ellen Deener in Mansfield, Ohio, and was subsequently caught. While bouncing around to different jobs, the fugitive reportedly worked in a waterbed factory and as a hospital janitor. Eubanks might have lived in Gardena, South Los Angeles, Long Beach, and North Hollywood at various times, Murphy said. For decades, investigators suspect he has been "hiding in plain sight," using a series of false identities for years to remain undetected, ABC News reported. We believe that he may have never left the Greater Los Angeles area, Siler said. Some legal experts believe this case could open the door for the FBI to make a rare exception to the policy that prohibits searches using familial DNA. At one point, he sat on death row at the Ohio State Penitentiary and remains one of the U.S. Marshals most wanted fugitives to this day. Capt. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. As if her murder couldnt be any sadder, Deener had dreamt of becoming a nun. Plant a tree in memory of Lester An environmentally friendly option Plant a tree But every state contributes its DNA repository to the national database, and some states have restrictions against those types of familial searches. Eubanks, who lived in the neighborhood, reportedly heard noises and returned to the scene. The case has prompted US authorities to offer a $25,000 (19,000) reward for helping to catch missing fugitive Lester Eubanks. He had to start this process two or three years prior, said Siler. A captain searched the national database to check if Lester had committed an offense somewhere else, and the information had somehow not been forwarded, but what he found was even more shocking. Listen and subscribe to the "Have You Seen This Man? Hes been avoiding the authorities for forty plus years.. Newly resurfaced photos may finally lead authorities to capturing him. The FBI would not make available the person in charge of the nations criminal DNA database, Thomas F. Callaghan, for an interview. Arizona was the last of the contiguous states to be admitted to the United . corner of Clinton Ave. and Van Ness Place. On December 7, 1973, Lester, with his good behavior and many prison awards for painting, was allowed to go Christmas shopping with three other inmates. Lester was predeceased by his wife, his parents, his sister Ida Brown and brothers James, Harvey and Leo Eubanks. View All obituaries Today. She headed out to get change and never came back. Eubanks is a convicted murderer, who confessed to and was found guilty of the November 1965 murder and attempted rape of a 14-year-old girl named Mary Ellen Deener. Because each states rules are different, the FBI prohibition is intended to take the approach least likely to run afoul of state laws. He attended his school years in the Newark School system where he eventually graduated from West Side High School. Messmore said his parents operated TheFairmont Dairy Store and he and his parentsknew Deener's mother and the family who were in the store frequently and lived nearby. Siler believes that Eubanks is most likely being unwittingly protected by people who dont even know who he is. He was born January 26, 1999 in Athens. Someone whos like, I know that guy.'. For about several years now, no new leads about Lester have come to light, but the U.S. Legal Statement. "I mean it just boggles the mind," says retired Capt. He is described as 5-foot-11-inches with a huge scar on his right arm. "He picked up a brick and bashed her skull in. It is suspected that he is still alive today. Lester Eubanks, who has been on the run for 47 years, was convicted of killing 14-year-old Mary Ellen Deener in 1966. The USMS established the 15 Most Wanted Fugitive Program in 1983 to prioritize investigation & apprehension of some of the countrys most dangerous fugitives. Lester A. Eubanks was born on June 29, 1920 to the late Hartwell and Leora Eubanks in Irvington, NJ. Reports suggest Eubanks fled to Michigan, and also spent time in Los Angeles. Incarcerated for life without parole in 1966, Eubanks had been a model inmate for about seven years, so Ohio State Penitentiary granted him a furlough to go Christmas shopping at a local mall that December. You might get a lot of false positives but when you are looking for leads, false positives are common.. Victor Young, Pete Eubanks, Lester William Eubanks, Ten Steps to Doing Business with the USMS, U.S. He holds dual bachelor's degrees from Pace University and a master's degree from New York University. Prosecutors alleged he raped and beat her then shot her twice. Lester Eubanks passed away on August 27, 2017 in Griffin, Georgia. Family and friends are welcome to leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. Eubanks has been on the loose since 1973, when he escaped while on a shopping . His case received renewed attention when it was the subject of a recent. He dragged her behind a house in the 300 block of North Mulberry Street, raped her, shot her twice and left her for dead. Washington, DC - The reward for information leading to the arrest of wanted fugitive Lester Eubanks has been increased to $50,000, U.S. It's just so disgusting, so unjust," Siler said, KABC reported. Lester Eubanks had a criminal history of sexual offenses prior to Mary Deeners murder. One point, he sat on death row at the Ohio State Penitentiary remains... Convicted of killing 14-year-old Mary Ellen Deener in 1966 of the countrys most dangerous fugitives we believe that is!, they say, perhaps viewers hold vital clues that will help solve these Mysteries those who he won... 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