Susan Eubanks, a name that evokes a chilling tale of tragedy and darkness. Let me share the harrowing story of Susan Eubanks, a woman whose actions would forever stain her name in infamy. On that fateful day, October 27, 1996, in San Marcos, California, Susan was ensnared in a web of despair, fueled by alcohol and Valium. Her relationship with her boyfriend, Rene Dodson, had reached its breaking point. The argument escalated, and Rene declared that he was ending their relationship and moving out. Susan, in a fit of rage, slashed his car tires. But this was merely the prelude to a far more horrifying act. Later that day, Rene returned to Susan's home accompanied by two police officers. He had come to collect his belongings after their brief two-month relationship. Susan's life was a chaotic mess: a collapsed marriage, staggering debt, unemployment, and alcoholism. Her problems spilled over onto her children: Austin (7 years old), Brigham (6 years old), Matthew (4 years old), and Brandon (14 years old). Brandon, torn between loyalty to his half-brothers and the desire to escape Susan's cruelty, grappled with a difficult decision. Susan's verbal abuse, physical cruelty, and neglect were a daily reality for her children. She would keep them out of school and football practice so she could indulge in her vices. The chaos in the Eubanks home was anything but normal.
And then, on that ominous day, Susan made a choice that would forever alter the course of her life. Consumed by revenge, she took the lives of her innocent sons. The details are chilling: four young lives extinguished, their futures snuffed out by their own mother's hands. Susan Eubanks was convicted of filicide, the murder of her own children. On October 13, 1999, she was sentenced to death in California. Her actions were driven by depression, exacerbated by alcohol and drugs. She survived a suicide attempt after the killings, a gunshot wound to the stomach that left her on death row – a place where only a handful of women reside. In the annals of true crime, Susan Eubanks remains a haunting figure – a stark reminder of the depths to which human darkness can descend.
S. D. Eubanks. Lot of 2 Autographed Cards, Signed. Handwritten, Baronial #7 (5.25 × 7.25 envelope). Fresno, CA. Pmks: December 13, 2023 & December 5, 2024. Content unknown. SEALED.
Classification: Murderer
Characteristics: Parricide – Rage (result of anger felt toward their fathers and the boyfriend, whom had all chosen to leave her)
Number of victims: 4
Date of murders: October 27, 1996
Date of arrest: Same day (suicide attempt)
Date of birth: June 26, 1964
Victims profile: Her four sons, Brandon, 14; Austin, 7; Brigham, 6; and Matthew, 4
Method of murder: Shooting (.38-caliber revolver)
Location: San Marcos, San Diego County, California, USA
Status: Sentenced to death on October 13, 1999
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, she 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 sobbing and suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. She was also sent to the hospital. After 5 days, Ms. Eubanks was charged with 4 counts of first-degree murder.
The trial 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 losing 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 she 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 she was then transferred to the Central California's Women's Facility, where she now remains on death row.i
VIDEO: The Mother Sentenced To DEATH… | https://youtu.be/BKpNK7lK4BA
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iBlanco, J. I. (no date) Susan Eubanks: Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers, Susan Eubanks | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers. Available at: https://murderpedia.org/female.E/e/eubanks-susan.htm (Accessed: 18 December 2023).