The Unsolved Case of Lester Eubanks, Fugitive Escapee After Brutal Murder

The official investigation, primarily led by the U.S. Marshals Service, continues to pursue Lester Eubanks, a fugitive who has evaded capture for nearly six decades. Eubanks, now 81, remains on the U.S. Marshals’ 15 Most Wanted list following his escape from prison in 1973. His disappearance is directly linked to the brutal murder of 14-year-old Mary Ellen Deener in 1965, a crime for which he had been sentenced to death. The case remains open, a lingering injustice for the victim’s family and a challenge for law enforcement agencies dedicated to bringing Eubanks to justice.

The tragic events leading to Eubanks’s status as a fugitive began on November 14, 1965. Mary Ellen Deener, a young teenager, was en route to a local laundromat to assist her family when she was murdered. At the time of this horrific offense, Eubanks was already out on bond, having been charged with attempted rape just three months prior. The jury found Eubanks guilty of murder during the commission of a rape on May 25, 1966, and he received a death sentence for his crimes.

In 1972, Eubanks’s sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment while he was incarcerated at the Ohio State Penitentiary. Less than two years later, a modification in his confinement led to him being placed at the Ohio Corrections Medical Center. During this period, he was granted the privilege of an honor assignment, which permitted him outside the prison walls. It was during this assignment, on December 7, 1973, that Eubanks escaped and has remained at large ever since.

The U.S. Marshals Service Cold Case Unit in northern Ohio took over the investigation in 2016, dedicating resources to locating Eubanks. Since then, investigators have pursued hundreds of leads and conducted numerous interviews, extending their reach both domestically and internationally. The case gained further national attention on December 7, 2018, exactly 45 years after his escape, when Eubanks was officially added to the U.S. Marshals’ 15 Most Wanted Fugitives list, with a reward of up to $50,000 offered for information leading to his apprehension.

Eubanks was last reportedly seen in Southern California during the 1970s, where he was known to use the alias “Victor Young.” His suspected locations included the Gardena, South Central, Long Beach, and North Hollywood areas. There is also an indication that Eubanks may have been employed as a janitor at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, California, during the late 1980s or early 1990s. To aid in his identification, the U.S. Marshals Service, in collaboration with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, has developed updated age progression photos of what Eubanks might look like today at 81 years old.

The U.S. Marshals Service remains committed to finding Eubanks and bringing closure to the Deener family. The reward of up to $50,000 underscores the significance of this long-standing case and the urgency to resolve it. Authorities are appealing to the public for any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, that could lead to Eubanks’s location.

Anyone with information regarding Lester Eubanks is urged to contact the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at 1-866-4-WANTED (1-866-492-6833). Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the U.S. Marshals Service web tip portal. Information leading to Eubanks’s location and the resolution of this case is eligible for reward money.

Article by Ken Buckler, based upon official case files from the U.S. Marshals Service

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