Kriti Mehrotra
‘Unsolved Mysteries Volume 2: Death Row Fugitive’ details the case of Lester Edward Eubanks, a serial sex offender and child murderer, who has been on the run since 1973. He killed 14-year-old Mary Ellen Deener after attempting to assault her on November 14, 1965, but within 24 hours, he had been charged and arrested. He confessed, went to court, and was sentenced to death.
Despite that, he managed to get away because of the death penalty’s abolishment and his smooth-talking ways. In this episode, Mary’s sister, Myrtle Carter, comes forward to share her story in an attempt to bring justice to the little girl who never got to live her life. So, let’s find out more about her.
Who Is Myrtle Carter?
Myrtle Carter was one of Mary Ellen’s six siblings. Talking about her childhood in Mansfield, Ohio, in the 50s and 60s, she explained that because seven of them lived under the same roof, they all contributed and ran errands for their mother. While the boys went to the markets, took out the trash, and did the handiwork, the girls cleaned, made the beds, and did the laundry, all the while taking turns so that none of them were burdened.
She recalled always feeling safe in her area, never having to look over her shoulder in worry of something terrible happening to her. So when Mary was killed in such a brutal way, she was shocked. Myrtle could never have imagined something like it happening, especially to her sister, who was almost always happy and giggling. After that night, Myrtle and her family were never the same. She was 18 and already married when it happened.
However, she’d never experienced death before, so the pain of losing a sister was tenfold. Brenda, her other sister, who was with Mary the day she died, couldn’t get over the tragic experience, not until she herself passed away in 2014. Apparently, she sought counseling throughout her life. And their mother, she became clinically depressed as time went on. So, when the time came for Lester, Mary’s killer, to go to court in 1966, Myrtle went alone.
She wanted to show him that there was somebody who cared, who remembered Mary, and who was not ready to forgive and forget – not that it mattered because Lester made no move to apologize or show any remorse. Therefore, when Lester was sentenced to death, Myrtle felt as if it was a victory for her sister and her family. But little did she know that in less than eight years, that would be taken away from her as well.
Where Is Myrtle Carter Now?
Myrtle Carter still resides in Mansfield, Ohio, the place which has been her home since she was 3-years-old. In her 70s now, she knows everything about the area, especially as she has been living in the same house on the west side for about 40 years. The mother of three, two of whom are married, is now happily retired, but she did use to work at the Ohio Health Mansfield Hospital and the United Telephone/Sprint Telephone Company for a while.
As for what she feels towards Lester Eubanks, Myrtle wants him caught and apprehended. Believing that he is alive, she hopes for justice for not only Mary but for Brenda and her mother as well. She wants to see to it that Lester has been punished for the life he took and the void he created. “It [finding Lester] would mean that my sister didn’t die in vain,” she said. “My mother’s and my sister’s souls could rest in peace…and I could be happy. It’s been long enough.”
Read More: How Did Mary Ellen Deener Die?
