by Alice Scarsi
Frank Freshwaters, accused of manslaughter, has been found by the authorities in his caravan in Florida after over half a century on the run
A man charged with manslaughter has finally been found by authorities after over 50 years on the run – in his caravan.
Frank Freshwaters, 79, who killed a young father in a car accident in 1957, had managed to avoid finishing his prison sentence up until now, instead living as a fugitive for 56 years, after escaping from prison twice. Freshwaters assumed multiple identities during his time spent on the run and lived in several different states in the US to remain off radar, prior to pitching up in a caravan where he was found.
The killer’s escape sat dormant since the last time the authorities had been tipped off about his whereabouts in 1975, until last February when a cold case squad caught wind of the case.
“There was no ‘one tip.’ I just started a cold case squad, and I assigned a full-time deputy to it, who was a fresh set of eyes on these old cases,” U.S. Marshal Pete Elliot told Newsweek.
“Back in the ’60s and ’70s, we had a number of escapes out of Ohio. These individuals were never caught.”
The cold case team was able to track Freshwaters, who was living under the alias of William Harold Cox in his caravan, to Melbourne in Florida. Arresting the fugitive was then an easy job: “He gave it up right away, admitted who he was. He said his time was up,” said Elliott.
Indeed, after a 56-year-run, Freshwaters must have been tired of hiding. His life as a fugitive can be traced back to 1957, soon after being sentenced for manslaughter. Following violating his probation, he was later sentenced to 20 years in the Ohio State Reformatory – the same prison where The Shawshank Redemption was filmed – where he was able to plan his escape after gaining the trust of prison guards. Unlike the movie, however, no spoons were used during the escape. Caught again in 1975 in West Virginia, the inmate managed to escape his way out of prison once again, and had been on the run ever since.
It seems as though the case of the man hiding in a caravan has had more of an effect than previously thought, with Elliott adding: “With this new Cold Case Unit at work, we are reopening many old fugitive files with the hope that we will continue to have the success that we have seen in these last few months,” he said.
Justice has finally been served. Or has it? Do you think searching for a 79-year-old man was a waste of money and resources, or does he deserve to finish off the rest of his twilight years in prison? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
