He was given a Christmas shopping trip as a reward for good behavior. He never came back, and more than 50 years later, he's still never been caught.
Lester Eubanks murdered 14-year-old Mary Ellen Deener in 1966. After his death sentence was commuted, he escaped custody during a supervised shopping trip in 1973 and has never been recaptured, making him one of the longest-evading fugitives in American history.
The Murder
In 1966, Eubanks, then 22, beat and shot Mary Ellen Deener twice, after what prosecutors described as an attempted sexual assault. At the time of the killing, he was already out on bond facing an earlier attempted rape charge. He confessed to the murder but unsuccessfully attempted to plead insanity at trial.
From Death Row to a Model Prisoner
Eubanks was initially sentenced to death, but his sentence was commuted to life in prison in 1972 following a broader U.S. Supreme Court ruling that temporarily struck down existing death penalty statutes. Inside Ohio State Penitentiary, he developed a reputation as a model prisoner, which earned him increasing privileges over time.
An Escape
On December 7, 1973, as part of those privileges, Eubanks was allowed to leave the prison under supervision for Christmas shopping at a local mall. He was expected to meet corrections staff at an agreed time and location. He never showed up, and has not been seen since.
A Case Left Unattended
Mary Ellen's sister, Myrtle Carter, spoke publicly about the family's distress at learning Eubanks had escaped and remained free. In the 1990s, Mansfield Police Detective Bureau head John Arcudi began looking into the case and discovered that Eubanks had never actually been formally entered into the National Crime Information Center's wanted database — meaning that for roughly two decades, no one had been actively searching for him at all.
Renewed Attention
After Arcudi's discovery, he contacted "America's Most Wanted," which featured the case and generated multiple reported sightings in North Carolina. Eubanks was subsequently added to the U.S. Marshals' Most Wanted list. The case drew further public attention after being featured on Netflix's "Unsolved Mysteries" series.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Lester Eubanks ever been found?
No. He has evaded capture since his 1973 escape, making his case one of the longest-running fugitive searches in American history.
Why wasn't he actively searched for after his escape?
Investigators discovered decades later that he had never been formally entered into the National Crime Information Center's wanted database, meaning no active search was underway for roughly 20 years.
Is Eubanks still on the U.S. Marshals' Most Wanted list?
He was added to the list following renewed public attention in the 1990s and 2000s, generated in part by "America's Most Wanted" and later "Unsolved Mysteries."