Ohio

‘A lifetime of victims’: U.S. Marshal reflects on 20 years of chasing Northeast Ohio fugitives

Published

2 years ago

December 27, 2022

‘A lifetime of victims’: U.S. Marshal reflects on 20 years of chasing Northeast Ohio fugitives

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Scavenging by way of rubbish on a tree garden, U.S. Marshals picked by way of scraps of paper that had been put by way of a shredder. After months of connecting the puzzle of items of paper, officers discovered an electronic mail written on a snippet of a doc that allowed them to trace down their suspect.

The discarded paper path led officers to Mexico and a significant arrest.

“We received him,” U.S. Marshal Peter Elliott mentioned.

Thomas Longo was arrested in 2006 after detectives discovered a cache of weapons in his home years earlier whereas investigating a sexual assault case. A former lawyer, prosecutor and judicial candidate, Longo died in jail in 2008.

Longo joined practically 52,000 individuals have been arrested by the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Activity Pressure since its inception in 2003, Elliott mentioned. Of these, 2,037 accused of homicide. The unit marks its 20-year milestone subsequent summer time. In that point, it has turn into a mannequin for departments throughout the nation.

“There’s all the time extra victims than you understand … a lifetime of victims,” Elliott mentioned. “And once we remedy a case, it’s nice as a result of we’re bringing closure. However we by no means rejoice; we’re by no means leaping for pleasure. It’s simply time to maneuver on to the subsequent case.”

Listed below are among the most notable fugitives the unit has tracked:

Longest manhunt

In 1969, a younger financial institution teller left his job at Society Nationwide Financial institution with $215,000 in stolen money. Theodore Conrad, who was 20 on the time, pulled off one of many largest financial institution heists in Cleveland historical past and subsequently one of many longest manhunts the U.S. Marshals Service has dealt with.

Final yr, Elliott discovered {that a} man named Thomas Randele had handed away within the Boston space. The obituary included key particulars of the person’s life. Earlier than he died, Randele admitted that he was Ted Conrad. Elliott interviewed Randele’s spouse, and he or she confirmed it.

“The obituary gave info that we knew was very acquainted to Ted Conrad,” Elliott mentioned.

Elliott mentioned fixing the thriller his father John had investigated many years in the past as a deputy marshal was rewarding. John Elliott handed away in 2020.

“He used to speak about this case across the dinner desk. To him, it was private,” he mentioned. “It means loads that he was in a position to get credit score for it.”

Longest unsolved case

In December 1973, Lester Eubanks walked away from the custody of the Ohio Division of Rehabilitation and Correction whereas on a short lived honor furlough to go Christmas purchasing in Columbus.

On the time of his escape, Eubanks was serving a life sentence for the November 1965 homicide and tried rape of 14-year-old Mary Ellen Deener. Eubanks had been sentenced to the loss of life penalty, however his sentence was commuted to life in jail with out parole in 1972.

Marshals are providing a $50,000 reward for info that results in the arrest of Eubanks.

“You must have the perspective of ‘we’re going to catch you,’ ” mentioned Anne Murphy, the primary girl to oversee the duty pressure. “We’re operating as exhausting as we are able to to meet up with fugitives earlier than they get too far-off, or we’re closing their world down so there’s nowhere to go.”

On Eubanks, Elliott mentioned, “We’re following up on leads, and we’re going to seize him.”

The Shawshank fugitive

Frank Freshwaters eluded legislation enforcement for practically six many years.

Freshwaters, then of Akron, on July 3, 1957, hit and killed an Akron husband and father whereas driving greater than 50 miles per hour in a 35-zone on South Arlington Street. Freshwaters was sentenced April 25,1958, to 5 years of probation after pleading responsible to second-degree manslaughter.

He violated his probation, and a decide sentenced him to twenty years in jail. He started serving his sentence on the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, the jail the place the film “The Shawshank Redemption” was filmed years later.

He escaped from the Sandusky Honor Farm Sept. 30,1959, and he was dubbed “The Shawshank Fugitive.”

Freshwaters was arrested in 2015 after confessing his id to officers at his trailer in Melbourne, Florida.

“They confirmed him a jail picture of himself from 56 years in the past,” Elliott mentioned. “The officers requested if he knew the particular person within the picture, and he mentioned, ‘I haven’t seen him in a very long time.’ “

Fb killer

On Easter 2017, Robert Godwin Jr., a 74-year-old father of 9 and grandfather of 14 – walked into the trail of a gunman about 2 p.m. on East 93rd Road, simply south of Interstate 90 in Cleveland’s Glenville neighborhood.

Earlier within the day, 37-year-old Steve Stephens, ranted in a video on Fb about his depressing life and threatened to movie himself taking pictures somebody and submit it to his Fb web page.

Afterward, Stephens bolted from Cleveland after the slaying. Marshals and police tracked him to Erie, Pennsylvania, the place he died by suicide.

A group’s affect

Murphy mentioned certainly one of her extra memorable circumstances concerned the assistance of residents.

In 2018, a federal warrant was issued for a 27-year-old Mansfield man in reference to Fb posts threatening to shoot then-President Donald Trump, a district lawyer in Pennsylvania and a police chief.

Shawn Christy despatched officers on a weeklong search by way of woods after abandoning a stolen truck and fleeing.

Authorities, together with marshals and police, discovered Christy hiding in a cabin at a 183-acre camp in Mansfield, Murphy mentioned.

She mentioned residents introduced socks and different dry clothes to legislation enforcement officers throughout the search as they have been compelled to traipse by way of mud for days in search of Christy. She mentioned she was grateful for the group’s affect within the arrest.

Source link

Ohio

8 states will raise flags to full-staff for Trump, Vance Inauguration. What will Ohio do?

Published

1 hour ago

January 16, 2025

Press Room

8 states will raise flags to full-staff for Trump, Vance Inauguration. What will Ohio do?

Flags at the U.S. Capitol and in multiple states will now be flown at full-staff on Inauguration Day, despite a nationwide mandate for flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of former President Jimmy Carter.

House Speaker Mike Johnson announced today that he has suspended the 30-day mourning period and will allow flags to be displayed at full-staff for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. Flags in eight states, including Texas, Alabama, Tennessee and Florida, will also be raised on Monday.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine ordered U.S. and state flags to fly at half-staff following Carter’s death, but will he reverse the order for the state of Ohio? Here’s what we know.

Will Gov. Mike DeWine raise Ohio flags for Donald Trump’s Inauguration?

Flags in Ohio will remain at half-staff on Inauguration Day, according to Dan Tierney, a spokesperson for DeWine.

“Ohio hasn’t made any changes and does not anticipate making any changes to the flags,” Tierney told the Columbus Dispatch.

Which states will raise their flag on Inauguration Day?

So far, governors from at least eight states have announced plans to raise the U.S. flag on Jan. 20th:

Source link

Ohio

No matter who wins between Notre Dame, Ohio State, this bettor’s positioned to profit

Published

9 hours ago

January 16, 2025

Press Room

No matter who wins between Notre Dame, Ohio State, this bettor’s positioned to profit

LAS VEGAS — Notre Dame and Ohio State winning their semifinal playoff games meant the wisdom of Tom Petty, once again, rang true.

“Even the losers / Get lucky sometimes.”

Sometimes, fortune smiles upon minnow bettors whose stacks of losing tickets provide so many bookmarks, coasters and, yes, even novel wrapping paper.

On Dec. 12, I studied the new 12-team College Football Playoff with a keen eye to newly released title-game exacta odds.

My college-pigskin rudder is points-per-play, ratios available at TeamRankings.com. The tale of teams is contained in those fractions.

On offense and defense, and overall margins, Notre Dame had sparkled since early October. “Past three games” reveals how teams are currently running.

I applied those figures to project each playoff game, best squad moving on. I played out the tournament, producing the finale exacta. I aimed to go into the championship game with a sweet ticket on both teams, guaranteeing profit.

That exercise compelled me to obtain South Point tickets on Notre Dame over Ohio State, 30-to-1 odds, and Ohio State over Notre Dame, at 25-1. Alas, the Buckeyes and Irish play for the national title Monday night.

“That’s awesome!!!” Long Island handicapper Tom Barton wrote in a text message.

“Looks like you played it 100% correct,” Southern California professional bettor Tommy Lorenzo told me. “Bull’s-eye, well done. TeamRankings is a great tool. I use a lot of its info for my power rankings.

“You’re sitting pretty, my friend.”

The two best teams

Barton entered the week 3-0 in this new playoff, and he sounded as if he’d be fine taking a pass on the championship game.

Unless the point spread ekes up to 10 somewhere. It mostly opened around 9 to 9.5 points in favor of Ohio State. Last Sunday night, it got shaved to 8. Monday afternoon, it hit 7.5 before pumping back to 8.5 by Wednesday.

“I haven’t finished my homework on the championship game,” Barton said. “I tend to lean with the points. The over looks interesting, too, but I’m not sure if I’ll play anything.”

Monday, DraftKings posted a 45.5 total. Wednesday, it hit 46.5, -108 over (or risk $108 to win $100), -112 under. Odds subject to change.

Lorenzo said he felt fortunate to be holding a title ticket on Notre Dame, at 11-1, plus Ohio State at +340.

They represented the two top teams in his power ratings, “so I pulled the trigger.” He added, “I do kick myself, however, for not attacking the championship exacta on those two, given my conviction on those two being the best teams overall.”

More maneuvering

I have more work to do, since I’ve been on Notre Dame since the summer. I’m bullish on Irish coach Marcus Freeman, so I bought a 22-1 Irish title ticket Aug. 31.

It lost early to Northern Illinois but has won 13 in a row, and I nabbed a 30-1 ducat on the Irish on Nov. 21 at the Westgate -SuperBook. So I reap more profit with a Notre Dame victory.

To even that out, I’ll stake positions with Ohio State, likely via in-game maneuvering.

Should the Irish tally an early touchdown, say, the Bucks’ moneyline will shrink closer to even (from around -380), providing an optimal situation to bet on Ohio State and ensure my dividends will be nearly equal, no matter who wins.

I did scramble for a +560 Penn State ticket on New Year’s Eve, just in case, among other moves. I had already bought into the Nittany Lions, at 24-1, on Aug. 31 at William Hill.

There are other debits, and credits. For the semifinals, I played a moneyline parlay of Ohio State to Notre Dame, turning two units into five. In sum, I’ll likely net around 55 units of playoff profit.

Howard’s Will

A lifelong Notre Dame supporter, Lorenzo said he ultimately believes Ohio State will get the victory; the figures back up that outcome.

Ohio State boasts a 0.617 points-per-play ratio over its last three games; Notre Dame’s offense, at 0.374, has been faltering.

Turnovers might be an equalizer, though, as the Irish’s ball-hawking defenders snatched an NCAA-best 32 combined fumbles and interceptions this season. Senior free safety Xavier Watts yanked down six of those picks.

All of which funnels into this column’s final words from Paul Stone, arguably the country’s finest purveyor of college-pigskin prognostications.

He noted the game opening Ohio State -10.5 at Circa Sports, which drew early action on underdog Notre Dame. Wednesday, Vegas had the Buckeyes as consensus 8-point favorites.

From East Texas, Stone said he respected those early waves of cash on the Irish, but he views Ohio State as the “more-complete team” and will back the Buckeyes on the point spread.

“They have found another gear in the playoffs and have too much firepower for Notre Dame, in my opinion,” he said. “Ohio State defeated a talented trifecta of teams — Tennessee, Oregon and Texas — all by 14 points or more.

“The Buckeyes have averaged 7.5 yards per play in those victories, while allowing only 4.2 yards per play.”

The key is Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, the 6-4, 237-pound senior who left Kansas State for Columbus.

“If [he] takes care of the ball and the Irish don’t post a defensive or special-teams touchdown,” Stone said, “I think the Buckeyes win by double digits.”

Source link

Ohio

Notre Dame vs. Ohio State: Championship history and stats

Published

17 hours ago

January 15, 2025

Press Room

Notre Dame vs. Ohio State: Championship history and stats

Jan 15, 2025, 05:27 PM ET

Notre Dame and Ohio State will be facing off in the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship game. How did each team get here? Notre Dame — coming off playoff wins against Indiana, Georgia and Penn State — is riding a 13-game winning streak. But the Irish are a heavy underdog in the title game matchup. Ohio State — which went through Tennessee, Oregon and Texas in the playoffs — brings its top-ranked defense in a quest to capture its ninth national championship. This will be the first time Notre Dame reaches the title game in the CFP era after falling in the semifinal in the 2018-19 and 2020-21 seasons. The Buckeyes will be playing in their third CFP title game since winning the inaugural game in 2014.

Here’s a tale of the tape between the two squads ahead of Monday’s CFP National Championship game.

Established: 1890

Conference: Big Ten

Stadium: Ohio Stadium (102,780 capacity)

Head coach: Ryan Day (2019-present)

2024 season record: 13-2

2024 season leaders:

2024 AP Top 25 final ranking: No. 6