Police close in on escaped child killer who’s been on the run for almost 50 years

Investigators believe child killer has been hiding in plain sight in LA since 1970s

Police believe they are closing in on a convicted child killer who escaped from an Ohio prison during Christmastime parole in 1973, hoping to end an almost 50-year-long manhunt.

Lester Eubanks, then 22 years old, was convicted of the murder of Mary Ellen Deener in 1966. She was 14. Authorities also alleged that he tried to rape her.

He was initially sentenced to death, but his sentence was commuted to life in prison after the Supreme Court ruled against the death penalty in 1972. The death penalty was reinstated in 1976 under a “model of guided discretion.” 

The US Marshalls have posted their highest reward in history, $50,000, for information leading to his arrest.

Newly found photos of people who are known to have worked and socialized with Mr Eubanks in the mid-70s have police hoping that they're close to finding him.

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Mr Eubanks was rewarded for his good behaviour in prison by being allowed to go Christmas shopping unsupervised. He simply walked off and has eluded police ever since.

After his escape from Ohio State Penitentiary in 1973, Mr Eubanks lived in LA under the name "Victor Young". Investigators believed that he lived on and off with a woman named Kay Eubanks between 1975 and 1996, ABC7 reported.

Deputy US Marshal David Siler told the local TV station: "We believe that he may have never left the Greater Los Angeles area."

It's believed that Mr Eubanks worked as a janitor at St Francis Hospital in Lynwood during the late 80s or early 90s.

Mr Siler added: "We know that he has a footprint there, we know that he has associates throughout the area, we just need to talk to those people."

During the first few years after escaping from prison, Mr Eubanks worked at a waterbed factory in Gardena in southern LA.

Joy Springer who ran the factory, told ABC7 that he was hired "right in the beginning of the waterbed era and we were going big guns," adding that if "you had a heartbeat, we'd hire you and put you to work".

Ms Springer said Mr Eubanks worked hard, kept to himself, and rode a bike to the factory. She said she would offer him a ride when it rained.

"He wore a lot of cologne and it would give me a migraine. It was overwhelming," she said.

She added that they would take the whole team out to lunch at a pizza place.

"One of my business partners, she took pictures of everybody, everything. And he was not in any of them, not one," said Ms Springer.

Mr Siler added: "One person that we have a name as a possible girlfriend, her name is Renee and she went by 'Sherm'."

Speaking to the TV station, Mr Siler said: "We're hoping that the viewers in Los Angeles are able to identify some of these people. I mean they're not in trouble, whatsoever.

"Any information that can get us to that front door, get him in custody. We'll be more than happy to provide them with that $50,000 reward."

According to Fox 11, Mr Siler said: "Fugitives on the run as long as Eubanks tend to use that time to change their appearance, use aliases, and even start new lives. He literally could be hiding in plain sight. This is why we are asking citizens to be vigilant and contact us with any information they believe will help us apprehend him."

The US Marshals are asking anyone with useful information to call 1-877-WANTED2 (926-8332).