Susan Eubanks is a woman from California who was sentenced to death for the murders of her four children
Susan Eubanks was involved in an argument with her boyfriend which would end tragically. Eubanks who would slash the tires of her boyfriend’s vehicle and would refuse to allow him back into the home.
Susan Eubanks would than grab a gun and fatally shoot her four children whose ages spanned from four to fourteen years old. A neighbors child was in the home at the time but unharmed. Susan Eubanks would than shoot herself in the stomach
Susan Eubanks would be arrested, convicted of all four murders and sentenced to death
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Where Is Susan Eubanks Now
Susan Eubanks is currently incarcerated at the Central California Women’s Facility
Susan Eubanks Court Case
On October 26, 1999, Susan Eubanks of San Marcos, California took the lives of her four sons. The boys, ranging in age from 4-14, were all shot in the head. She then turned the gun and shot herself in the stomach. According to her defense lawyers, she shot herself as a result of an attempted suicide.
Only one other person was in the home at the time of the killings, Ms. Eubank’s 5-year-old nephew, who was found unharmed.After spending the day drinking with her boyfriend and taking Valium, they began to fight.
Once home, Eubanks then slashed 2 tires on his car and refused to let him in the home. He called the police and they then escorted him to the home, where he removed some belongings and left. According to her defense team, this was the catalyst of the killings. They claimed that it was then that she lost control of her mind and body.
After warning one of the boys’ fathers, as to her diminished mental state (The boyfriend told the father that she “Talked about killing herself and the boys”), the father then called the police department. He asked the Sheriffs Department to check on the children. When the deputies arrived at the home, they heard sobbing, and inside, found the three older boys dead from gunshot wounds to the head.
The youngest was not yet dead, so an ambulance was called to the scene.The four year old boys was still was then rushed by ambulance to the hospital, where he would later die. They then found the 5th child, her nephew unharmed. They also found Susan Eubanks sobbing and suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. She was also sent to the hospital.
After 5 days, Eubanks was charged with 4 counts of first-degree murder.The trail began in August of 1999 and the prosecuting attorneys alleged that Susan Eubanks had killed her sons as a result of rage. The rage was a result of anger felt toward their fathers and the boyfriend, whom had all chosen to leave her. It was claimed that she felt the desire to seek revenge for the failure of the relationships; that she had wanted the fathers to also know the pain of loosing those that had been loved.
The defense lawyers claimed that the murders took place as a result of “blacking” out; that as a result of a diminished state of mind, she was not in control of her actions. It was claimed that after spending the day drinking and using prescription drugs, along with past heartaches and current domestic disturbance, that she then became a “robot” and did what she thought would remove her pain.During the trial, it was noted that there had been allegations of child abuse and talk of revenge prior to the murders.
Prosecutors claimed that she was not suffering from a “black out” because she had to load her weapon twice before she had finished; thus giving her ample time to realize what she was doing and stop. It was also noted that while she had killed her sons “execution style”, she had only shot herself in the stomach to. It was noted that she surely would know how to kill herself, after murdering 4 others.
Prosecuting attorneys believed that Susan Eubanks had shot herself to increase her chances of a lesser charge, or possibly to frame someone else for the murders.In August of 1999, after just 2 hours of deliberation, the jury found her guilty on all four counts of first-degree murder. After 2 days, they returned with the sentence of death. The judge agreed with the sentence in October of 1999 and Susan Eubanks was then transferred to the Central California’s Women’s Facility, where she now remains on death row.
