Gregory “Greg” Jouben, a 36-year-old man from Little Falls, New York, owned and operated a coin and jewelry business in the basement of the Burrell Building on Main Street. On October 17, 1991, Jouben was seen outside his shop at about 5 p.m. Several hours later, at approximately 8 p.m., his body was discovered inside the business. He had been shot to death during what investigators came to understand was a carefully planned robbery.
The killer did not choose the shop on impulse. Gary Charles Evans, an experienced burglar and antique thief, reportedly spent roughly two weeks studying Jouben’s business from the roof of the building. Evans watched the shop and prepared for the robbery before entering on October 17. Once inside, he approached Jouben and asked him to determine the value of an item, creating an opportunity to catch the shopkeeper off guard. Evans then shot Jouben and stole coins, jewelry, and other valuable merchandise from the store.
The stolen property was subsequently sold, with accounts placing the proceeds at approximately $60,000. Evans also took steps to conceal evidence connecting him to the crime. He reportedly buried the murder weapon at Albany Rural Cemetery in Menands. The killing remained unsolved for years, leaving investigators with no immediate arrest and the Little Falls community without a clear explanation for why the local businessman had been targeted.
The case finally moved toward resolution in 1998 after Evans, by then suspected of being responsible for several disappearances and murders, surrendered to authorities in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. During extensive questioning, he confessed to five killings, including the murders of Jouben and Watertown shop owner Douglas Berry. Evans described acting alone in Jouben’s murder and supplied investigators with details about the planning, shooting, robbery, and disposal of evidence.
Evans was arrested and faced multiple murder prosecutions. On August 12, 1998, he was indicted in Rensselaer County on charges connected to the deaths of three other victims. The following day, he was arraigned on a murder charge in Little Falls for killing Jouben. His confession gave authorities their first definitive suspect and effectively solved a homicide that had remained open for nearly seven years.
Jouben’s case never reached trial. On August 14, 1998, while being transported in a police van, Evans used a concealed handcuff key to free himself, broke through a vehicle window, and escaped near the Troy-Menands Bridge. Pursued by officers, he climbed over the bridge railing and plunged toward the Hudson River, striking the shallow riverbed below and suffering fatal injuries. His death was ruled a suicide. Because Evans died before he could be tried, there was no conviction or sentence for Jouben’s murder, although his detailed confession and the supporting investigation led authorities to identify him as Jouben’s killer.
