MELBOURNE, Fla. – It wasn’t Zihuatanejo, and Rita Hayworth didn’t assist his escape, but the capture of longtime fugitive Frank Freshwaters in Melbourne, Florida on Monday still played like a scene right out of a movie.
The 79-year-old Freshwaters, referred to as “one of Ohio’s most wanted and long sought after fugitives,” was apprehended under the alias “William Harold Cox” after an extensive investigation by the new Cold Case Unit of the U.S. Marshal’s Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force. Freshwaters had escaped an “honor camp” in Sandusky 56 years earlier after spending time at the Ohio State Reformatory, scene of the well-known movie “The Shawshank Redemption.”
“This was one of our oldest cases that many believed to be impossible to solve,” stated Ohio Adult Parole Authority Regional Director Todd Ishee in a press release. “With this new Cold Case Unit at work, we are reopening many old fugitive files with the hope that we will continue to have the success that we have seen in these last few months. Great work by the investigators on bringing this cold case to a close.”
The last time Freshwaters was in custody was on Sept. 30, 1959 at the Sandusky Honor Farm – the day he escaped and fled the state of Ohio. Freshwaters was serving time leading back to an incident on July 3, 1957 when, as the driver of an automobile, he was involved in an auto-pedestrian accident that resulted in a fatality.
The 21-year-old from Akron pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 1-20 years in prison. Initially, Freshwaters’ sentence was suspended and he was given probation for five years, but on February 19, 1959, Freshwaters was found guilty of violating his probation and his original sentence of 1-20 years was imposed.
According to Daniel Flowers of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, Freshwaters was admitted to the Ohio State Reformatory on Feb. 26, 1959 under inmate No. R60018. Freshwaters was incarcerated for approximately seven months between the Ohio State Reformatory and the honor camp before escaping. According to the Marshals’ press release, Freshwaters was quickly able to earn the trust of reformatory officials and was moved to the Sandusky Honor Farm to finish his sentence.
“Mr. Freshwaters was discovered missing after a routine check of inmates assigned to the mess hall on Sept. 30, 1959,” said Flowers in an email. “We do not have any records that would indicate this particular walkaway changed any protocols. However, the approval process for outside work duties has changed over the years.”
According to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction’s current policy, inmates classified as Level 1 security – the lowest level – may be housed at a correctional camp with a single perimeter fence or a double perimeter fence and may work outside of the fence under intermittent supervision. Inmates are subject to a screening process to be approved for community work assignment programs, and security levels are reviewed on an annual basis.
In the last 56 years, Freshwaters only had one other run-in with the law when the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office in Charleston, West Virginia apprehended him on the Ohio warrant in October 1975. However, at that time, the Governor of the State of West Virginia refused to extradite Freshwaters to Ohio. Freshwaters was released and again went into hiding.
According to the Marshals’ press release, when the new U.S. Marshals Cold Case Unit was established three months ago the Ohio Adult Parole Authority requested assistance on locating Freshwaters, one of their oldest cases. After weeks of investigation, the Cold Case Unit believed to have located Freshwaters living under the alias William Harold Cox in Melbourne, Florida. The information was sent to the U.S. Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force in Florida and they began to investigate from their end.
After collaborative investigative efforts between U.S. Marshals in Ohio and Florida, it was determined that Cox was indeed Freshwaters. On Monday afternoon, U.S. Marshals in Florida arrested Freshwaters at his residence of 1200 Jones Rd. in Melbourne without incident. Freshwaters admitted his true identity during the arrest and he was transported to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office to be held until he can be extradited back to Ohio.
“He waived his extradition hearing and he is awaiting transport to Ohio,” said Flowers. “For security reasons we will not disclose the date of his move from Florida to Ohio. After he arrives in Ohio he will be housed at the Correctional Reception Center in Orient.”
U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott stated in the press release this is only the start of the Marshals’ Cold Case Unit, as they will continue to investigate cases once deemed unsolvable.
“We will continue to work on catching the un-catchable,” said Elliott. “Working together with all of our law enforcement partners in Ohio, West Virginia and Florida, we were able to close one of our states oldest escape warrants and I am proud of all the efforts our team put forth into this investigation.”
