"My mom called me crying that the sheriff had called her and told her that he'd escaped.". Market data provided by Factset. For many years he was a faithful member of the Queen of Angels Roman Catholic Church in Newark, NJ. He was initially sentenced to death,. Marshals hope DNA from Lester Eubanks' biological son will present new leads. [2][3] His disappearance featured on the Netflix series Unsolved Mysteries. Marshals Service number: 866-4WANTED (866-492-6833). The show aims to understand how anything like it couldve happened. After his military years Lester worked at General ServiceAdministration (GSA) where he retired. March 29, 2021 Lester Eubanks in the 1970s, and as he would appear today. Marshal David Siler, who began working the case in 2016, that Eubanks had planned his escape from justice all along. We are still focused on the L.A. area. ET After convicted murderer Lester Eubanks escaped from prison during the winter of 1973, his case wasn't brought to the public's attention very much again until a 1994 episode of America's Most Wanted . Other unique physical. He said he pulled her behind a house and forced down her underwear, and shot her twice in the stomach after she tried to fight him off. But in 1972, his death sentence was commuted to life in prison without parole. Powered by. Lester Eubanks, then 22 years old, was convicted of the murder of Mary Ellen Deener in 1966. Anyone who has information on Eubanks is asked to call the U.S. After the sister alerted their grandmother and the two found the police around Deeners lifeless body. For Siler, tragedy and pain mark the Lester Eubanks case from all angles. We are fueled by one thing, and that is justice for 14-year-old Mary Ellen Deener of Mansfield, Ohio, the innocent victim in this case.. Investigators narrowed their search to the Los Angeles area after reviewing recently obtained photographs that allegedly show Eubanks working and socializing with people in Los Angeles County, including a former waterbed factory in Gardena, NBC Los Angeles reports. She was 14 years old when she was killed. 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. Get Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/curiosity - Enter promo code curiosity for 83% off and 3 extra months free! Were going to do everything within our legal means to uncover the identity that Lester Eubanks is utilizing, said Peter Elliott, the U.S. In 1973, convicted child murderer Lester Eubanks escaped from prison. It was only 20 years after Lester escaped, in December of 1993, that a lead was finally attained. We believe that he may have never left the Greater Los Angeles area, Murphy said. Bayliss, Cherry R. 11 entries. Springer knew Eubanks as Victor Young and says that he worked hard, kept quiet and rode a 10-speed bicycle to work. His case received renewed attention when it was the subject of a recent. Mary Ellen Deener was shot and bludgeoned to death when she was 14 by Lester Eubanks. Unsolved Mysteries season 2 releases on October 19; one of the episodes, Death Row Fugitive, features the murder of Mary Ellen Deener at the hands of Lester Eubanks in 1965. "One person that we have a name as a possible girlfriend, her name is Renee and she went by 'Sherm,'" says Siler. It is suspected that he is still alive today. Before that, though, he had been arrested a couple of times for sexual offenses. Eubanks, 22, was sentenced to death, a sentence eventually commuted to. And over time, he earned "honor status" as an inmate and the trust of prison guards. It was the last time the 14-year-old was seen alive. The .gov means its official. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. "We're hoping that the viewers in Los Angeles are able to identify some of these people," says Siler. I think hes probably still alive. LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - One of the most wanted fugitives in the United States is being sought in the Los Angeles area after escaping from an Ohio prison in 1973, authorities confirmed Saturday.. An official website of the United States government. Officials also believe he worked as a janitor at St. Francis Hospital in Lynwood in the late 1980s or early 90s, Murphy said. U.S. 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. Anthony passed away December 30, 2020 in Ben Wheeler. It's quite repulsive; it's unfathomable. 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. [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. That's all conjecture though. Her killer, soon identified as Lester Edward Eubanks, confessed to authorities and was convicted the following year. . 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. Netflix via Youtube Check out what's clicking on FoxNews.com. Contact USA.gov, usmarshals.gov is an official site of the U.S. Federal Government, U.S. Department of Justice. "He picked up a brick and bashed her skull in. Instead, he vanished and hasnt been seen in nearly half a century. Authorities follow the trail of a confessed child killer to Southern California and hope newly unearthed photos will crack the case. He was asked to meet back at a specific time and place near the mall when he was finished. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. 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. US Marshals. I think theres people who know who he is and what he did. In December 1973, Eubanks walked away from the custody of the Ohio Department of Corrections while on a temporary honor furlough to go Christmas shopping. Dwayne Heard, Atlanta entrepreneur, dies at 67. He believes his late mother was raped by Eubanks. U.S. Other photos show a former employee known only as Rick. Local News Sports Politics Opinion For Subscribers NKY Obituaries . Lester served in the United States Army and received an honorable discharge after 4 years of service. She was 78 years old. Deputy U.S. Crestview Funeral Home, Memory Gardens & Cremation 1623 Highway 109 N Gallatin, TN 37066 (615) 452-1943 https://t.co/G9Ve0bpFv2. He said protections could be imposed so the biological sons sample could only be used for the purpose of searching for Eubanks and nothing else. All rights reserved. Marshals Service office, American Embassy/Consulate, call the U.S. Lester Eubanks is wanted by the Ohio Adult Parole Authority for escape. "Unsolved Mysteries" season 2 releases on October 19; one of the episodes features the murder of Mary Ellen Deener. Officials said that he may be using the alias Victor Young to hide his identity. 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. "He realized she was still breathing, still alive," says Siler. By the time Lester Eubanks murdered Mary Ellen Deener, a 14-year-old Mansfield, Ohio girl, he had already committed a series of sexual offenses. All rights reserved. Fortunately, neither are the authorities. Kay, the widow of Lesters cousin and his previous pen-pal, turned out to be crucial in the investigations that followed. This report is part of the ABC News podcast, "Have You Seen This Man?," hosted by 'The View's' Sunny Hostin. Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website. Marshals wanted poster. Marshals Service) Eubanks was convicted of murdering Mary Ellen Deener, 14, in 1966. The program was borne from hopes that time outside the prison walls would help reform felons like him and was heavily curtailed after three convicts including Eubanks escaped. Marshal David Siler reflected on Eubanks escape, lamenting to the Manfield News Journal