MANSFIELD — If Lester Eubanks is still alive at age 81, the U.S Marshal’s Office wants him back behind bars.
U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott on Tuesday released new age-progression photos of the convicted murderer who has been on the lam for more than half a century.
“The USMS is hopeful that with an updated, age-progression photo, new tips from the public may lead to the location of Eubanks,” Elliott said.
Since 2016, the U.S. Marshals Service in the northern district of Ohio has renewed focus in its hunt for Eubanks, convicted in 1966 of the murder of 14-year-old Mary Ellen Deener from Mansfield.
On Nov. 14, 1965, Deener was walking to the laundromat to help her family with laundry when she was brutally murdered by Eubanks.
When Eubanks killed the teenager, 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.
Six years later, 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 Dec. 7, 1973, Eubanks escaped and has not been seen since by authorities.
The U.S. Marshals Service Cold Case Unit in northern Ohio has worked to locate Eubanks since 2016, when the case was turned over for investigation.
Since then, marshals followed up on hundreds of leads and conducted dozens of interviews not only throughout the country, but internationally, as well.
On Dec. 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 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 to update age-progression pictures of what Eubanks may look like now 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,” Elliott said.
Eubanks was last seen in southern California in the 1970s, 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 Eubanks was working as a janitor at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, Calif., in the late 1980s or early 1990s.
Eubanks is a 5-foot-11 male with black hair and brown eyes. At the time of his disappearance, he weighed approximately 175 pounds. Other unique physical characteristics include a mole under his left eye.
“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,” Elliott said.
Anyone with information concerning Eubanks or any wanted fugitive can contact the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at 1-866-4WANTED (1-866-492-6833). People can also send a web tip at the following webpage http://www.usmarshals.gov/district/oh-n/index.html.