The Vanishing Act of Lester Eubanks: A Fugitive's Tale of Justice Eluded

The Crime That Shook Mansfield

On November 14, 1965, the quiet town of Mansfield, Ohio, was rocked by the brutal murder of 14-year-old Mary Ellen Deener. While on an errand to get change at a local laundromat, Mary Ellen was abducted by Lester Eubanks, a 22-year-old man with a history of sexual offenses. Eubanks attempted to sexually assault her, and when she resisted, he shot her twice in the stomach. Believing she was dead, he returned home, only to come back later and find her still alive. He then bludgeoned her to death with a brick. The next day, Eubanks was arrested and confessed to the crime.

From Death Row to Life Imprisonment

In May 1966, Eubanks was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. However, in 1972, the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Furman v. Georgia led to the temporary suspension of the death penalty nationwide. As a result, Eubanks' sentence was commuted to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. He was transferred from death row to the general prison population at the Ohio State Penitentiary in Columbus....Read More

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