U.S. Marshals' Most Wanted fugitive on the run 16 years found dead in South Carolina home
Frederick McLean was on the run for nearly two decades and using the name "James Fitzgerald."
Frederick McLean was on the run for nearly two decades and using the name "James Fitzgerald."
Frederick McLean was on the run for nearly two decades and using the name "James Fitzgerald."
One of the U.S. Marshals 15 most-wanted has been found dead in South Carolina.
Frederick Cecil McLean, 70, who had been on the run for more than 16 years, was found dead in Seneca after a neighbor went to check on him.
U.S. Marshals said the neighbor found a decomposing body in the home on Jennifer Lane on Nov. 6 and called authorities.
“He seemed really nice -that’s what’s so scary," said Lynn Ellison, who said her husband found their neighbor. “We knew Jim - he went by Jim at this time - we didn’t know he had any aliases. Talk about being nervous...I’m still nervous. It’s kind of eerie.”
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On Nov. 15, an autopsy was done and a fingerprint was obtained and compared to the known fingerprints on file for McLean.
A positive identification was confirmed based on the fingerprint analysis, U.S. Marshals said.
No foul play is suspected in McLean’s death, U.S. Marshals said.
“The discovery of Frederick McLean’s body marks an end to the manhunt, but the investigation continues,” said U.S. Marshals Service Director Ronald Davis. “I want to personally thank the men and women of the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office and the Oconee County Coroner’s Office who dedicated hundreds of man-hours helping the Marshals identify the body and gather evidence allowing us to gain a better picture of McLean’s life as a fugitive.”
U.S. Marshals said McLean was wanted by the San Diego Sheriff’s Department in California on multiple counts of sexual assault on a child and was deemed a high risk for sexually assaulting young girls.
“He had asked us then if we knew any young boys that wanted to help out - we think he was redoing the inside of his home - that could get into tight spaces, and what not and my husband and I exchanged an odd glance, like 'Somethings up with this guy'," Jessika Faulkenberry, a neighbor and mother of three who said her family didn't know him well, only saw him walking in the neighborhood.
According to U.S. Marshals, one victim, now an adult, reported McLean assaulted her more than 100 times, starting when she was 5 and ending about seven years later.
An arrest warrant was issued for him in 2005 and he was added to the U.S. Marshals Service 15 Most Wanted fugitive list in 2006.
U.S. Marshals say McLean lived in the Seneca home where his body was found for 15 years and was going by the alias “James Fitzgerald.”
“We wish McLean’s fate had been determined by a court of law 15 years ago,” said U.S. Marshal Steve Stafford of the Southern District of California. “The investigators working on this case never gave up. We hope McLean’s death brings some sense of closure for the victims and their families, especially knowing he can never hurt another child.”
The U.S. Marshals and local authorities continue to investigate the case to determine if McLean received any help to avoid capture.
“During his years on the run, McLean used numerous aliases and also lived in Poughkeepsie, New York, and Anderson, South Carolina,” said Stafford. “Because of his alleged crimes, we are concerned there may be other victims out there.”
Anyone with information related to this case should contact the nearest U.S. Marshals Service office, or local law enforcement authority.
Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found at www.usmarshals.gov.