New Age Progression Photos Released in the Lester Eubanks Fugitive Cold Case-59 Years After Death Sentence
Cleveland, Ohio– United States Marshal Pete Elliott announces new information in the cold case fugitive investigation into Lester Eubanks. Since 2016 the United States Marshals Service in the northern district of Ohio has been on the hunt for escaped prisoner, Lester Eubanks.
On November 14, 1965, 14-year-old Mary Ellen Deener was walking to the laundromat to help her family with laundry when she was brutally murdered by Lester Eubanks. When Eubanks committed the horrific offense against Mary Ellen, he was out on bond for an attempted rape which had occurred only three months prior. On May 25, 1966, Eubanks was found guilty by a jury of murder while perpetrating a rape and two days later was sentenced to death for his crimes.
In 1972, while Eubanks was serving his time at the Ohio Penitentiary, his sentence was commuted to life in prison rather than the original sentence of death. Less than two years after the sentence modification, Eubanks was placed in the Ohio Corrections Medical Center and given the privilege of an honor assignment which allowed him outside the prison walls. During that assignment, on December 7, 1973, Eubanks escaped and has not been seen by authorities since.
The United States Marshals Service (USMS) Cold Case Unit in northern Ohio has been diligently working on locating Eubanks since 2016 when the case was turned over for investigation. Since then, the USMS has followed up on hundreds of leads and conducted dozens of interviews not only throughout the country, but internationally as well. On December 7, 2018, exactly 45 years after his escape, Eubanks was officially listed as a USMS Top 15 Most Wanted Fugitive with a reward available of up to $50,000 for information leading to his location. While investigating this fugitive case, the USMS worked with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) on an age progression photo of Eubanks. The original age progression photo was completed in August 2019.
Over the past several months the USMS Cold Case Unit has again been working alongside NCMEC on meticulously updating age progression pictures of what Eubanks may look like at age 81. The USMS is hopeful that with an updated age progression photo, new tips from the public may lead to the location of Eubanks.
Eubanks was last seen in southern California in the 1970’s going by the alias of “Victor Young.” Eubanks was known to be in the area of Gardena, South Central, Long Beach and North Hollywood. It is also believed that Eubanks was working as a janitor at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, California in the late 80s or early 90s. Reward money of up to $50,000 is available to anyone who provides information that leads to the location of Eubanks and the closure of this decade-long case.
U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott stated, “Fifty-nine years ago Lester Eubanks was sentenced to death for the vicious murder of Mary Ellen Deener, and even after 59 years the U.S. Marshals Service will not give up on this case until Eubanks is found, justice can finally be served, and Mary Ellen’s family can rest.”
Anyone with information concerning a wanted fugitive can contact the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at 1-866-4-WANTED (1-866-492-6833), or you can submit a web tip. Reward money is available, and tipsters may remain anonymous. Follow the U.S. Marshals on Twitter @USMSCleveland.
The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force Teams & Specialized Units– Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Lorain, Mansfield, Painesville, Toledo, Youngstown, Sex Offender Investigations, Missing Child Unit and Cold Case Unit.
