Manhunt For Most Wanted Fugitive Who Escaped In 1973 Underway In Los Angeles

An active manhunt for a child killer tagged as one of America's most wanted fugitives, who escaped prison in 1973, is underway in Los Angeles.

The convicted murderer was serving a life sentence in Ohio before the jailbreak incident and has been on the lam for nearly 50 years now.

The most wanted fugitive that the federal authorities are closing in on is Lester Eubanks, who is now 77 years old. He is believed to be located in the Los Angeles area, according to a statement from the U.S. Marshals Service that was given to NBC Los Angeles Saturday.

The case of Eubanks started to garner revitalized attention when it became the focus of an episode of a true-crime documentary series from Netflix called "Unsolved Mysteries," which aired in October 2020.

Eubanks was sentenced to the death penalty after he was convicted of the 1965 attempted rape and the murder of Mary Ellen Deener, a 14-year-old girl. In 1972, his death sentence was turned into a life sentence in prison without parole.

In December 1973, Eubanks was on a temporary honor furlough so he could go shopping for Christmas. This shopping trip led to him sneaking away from the Ohio Department of Corrections’ custody, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.

The U.S. Marshals’ 15 most wanted fugitives list has Eubanks in it, and there is a reward of $50,000 offered by authorities for any information that will lead to them.

According to officials, Eubanks could be hiding under the alias Victor Young to disguise himself from those looking for him.

A report from NBC Los Angeles states the investigation revealed that the search has been narrowed down to Los Angeles after they obtained photographs of Eubanks in Los Angeles County.

Authorities think that Eubanks may have lived in North Hollywood, Long Beach, South Los Angeles and Gardena at different points.

David Siler, a deputy U.S. Marshal, reportedly said officials suspect that Eubanks used to be a janitor at Lynwood’s St. Francis Hospital from the late 1980s to the early 1990s.

The U.S. Marshals believe Eubanks hasn’t left Los Angeles ever since he escaped. Authorities know Eubanks has a footprint in the area and thus intend to talk to associates he can possibly communicate with.