Lester Eubanks, 30 at the time, disappeared from Columbus, Ohio, on December 7, 1973. He was on a temporary unsupervised furlough from the Ohio State Penitentiary to go Christmas shopping at the Great Southern Shopping Mall. Eubanks failed to return when the other inmates did, and his absence triggered a manhunt that has continued for decades.

Eubanks had been serving a life sentence for the 1965 murder of 14-year-old Mary Ellen Deener; his death sentence was commuted to life in 1972. Investigators at the time believed his escape was likely planned: he reportedly had an unusual increase in visitors in the weeks before the mall trip. Reports say he later traveled through Michigan to Los Angeles, lived for a time under the alias Victor Young, and may have worked as a janitor in Lynwood, California. Numerous unconfirmed sightings have been reported in several states.

The U.S. Marshals Service took over the case in 2016, added Eubanks to its 15 Most Wanted list, created age-progressed images, obtained DNA evidence, and is offering a reward for information. Does anyone have verifiable information about Eubanks’ whereabouts after December 1973?