U.S. Marshals Extract DNA Renewing 60-Year Lester Eubanks Manhunt

Investigators have made a significant breakthrough in the decades-old case of Lester Eubanks, who escaped custody in 1973 after being convicted for the 1965 rape and murder of 14-year-old Mary Ellen Deener in Mansfield, Ohio. U.S. Marshals successfully extracted Eubanks' DNA from clothing he wore the night of the murder, which has now been entered into the national Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) to aid in locating him or linking him to other crimes. Eubanks, who was sentenced to death later commuted to life imprisonment, vanished while on a supervised Christmas shopping trip and has been on the run for over 50 years, last seen in Southern California under an alias. The U.S. Marshals Service Cold Case Unit has been pursuing the case since 2016, with hopes that the new DNA evidence will lead to his arrest and case closure. Eubanks, now approximately 81 years old if alive, is on the U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted Fugitive list, and a reward of up to $50,000 is offered for information leading to his capture. Authorities emphasized their commitment to resolving the case, crediting the perseverance of investigators and forensic experts in recovering and analyzing the DNA evidence.