Frank Freshwaters

Frank Freshwaters aka "Reon" (born April 18, 1936) is an American criminal and former fugitive. Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, Freshwaters was arrested in 1957 for the death of Eugene Flynt, whom he struck and killed while speeding. He pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and, after a brief sentence at the infamous Ohio State Reformatory, he escaped from an honor farm in 1959. In the intervening years, Freshwaters lived under an assumed name and sought work as a truck driver. He was nearly apprehended in 1975 while living in West Virginia, but then-Governor Arch A. Moore Jr. refused to return him to Ohio officials because of his positive reputation.

Biography Freshwaters was born on April 18, 1936, in Akron, Ohio. On July 3, 1957, Freshwaters was speeding when he struck and killed Army veteran Eugene Flynt in Akron. He pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 120 years in prison. Soon, his sentence was suspended and he was given a five-year probation term. After violating the terms of the agreement, he was sentenced again to 20 years at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield on February 19, 1959.

Arrest and release In early 2015, the Marshals Service set up a cold case unit in northern Ohio, reopening an active search for Freshwaters. He soon confessed and was arrested without incident. At the time of his arrest, he was the object of the longest capture in the history of the U.S. Marshals.

He was extradited back to Ohio, and served at the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. According to Gallop, "more than 2,000 people from half a dozen states wrote in to the parole board to support him." On February 25, 2016, the Ohio Adult Parole Authority voted to release Freshwaters after his attorney argued he had caused no harm in his years evading officials. He was placed on parole with five years supervision. He was released June 15, 2016.