Susan Eubanks California Death Row

On October 26, 1997, Susan Eubanks of San Marcos California shot her four sons, ranging in age from 4 – 14, in the head. She turned the gun on herself, shooting herself in the stomach. Her 5-year-old nephew remained in the house, unharmed.

Susan spent the day drinking and taking valium with her boyfriend. They fought and she slashed 2 tires on his car. Dodson gathered his possession and as he was leaving Eric Eubanks showed up. They left together in Eric’s car. Dodson told Eubanks as they were driving that Susan had said she was going to shoot the boys and herself. They went to the North Bar, where they spent several hours.

Th evening at the bar, Eric Eubanks received a page, alerting him to a voice-mail message. He listened to it, and called 911. His estranged wife had recorded two words on his telephone answering machine: “Say goodbye.” Brandon was shot in the living room as he watched TV; the others were in their bedroom, on a bunk bed, playing Nintendo.

Five days after the murders, Susan was charged with four counts of first degree murder. During her trial there were allegations of child abuse and talk of revenge against her ex-husband prior to the murders. After being convicted of four counts of first degree murder, Susan Eubanks was sentenced to the death penalty. At her sentencing a month later, she said she loved her children but felt they would be better off dead. She said she killed her boys as a final act of love in what was an attempted murder-suicide. Factors that influenced her actions, she said at the sentencing, included alcoholic parents, her depression and poor mental-health treatment.

She was sent to Central California’s Women’s facility where she awaits her execution on death row Markers in the local cemetery are organized with. A Eubanks” is on the left, “B Eubanks” in the middle, then “M Eubanks.” Austin was 7, Brigham, 6, and Matthew, 4. Their half brother, Brandon Armstrong, 14, also killed by their mother, is buried in Texas and memorialized with a headstone there.The house where the murders happened was torched by firefighters in a training exercise.

Eric Eubanks has never publicly spoken about the slayings. He wasn't in the courtroom when the jury read the verdict at the 1999 trial of the boys’ mother, Susan Dianne Eubanks.

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