Anthony Castleman, 37, is accused of stabbing his 72-year-old grandmother, Bernice D. Eubanks, to death in her Indiana home, according to authorities. He remains on the lam. (Huntington County Sheriff’s Office)
A 72-year-old woman is dead and her grandson is wanted for killing her with a sharp force object, according to authorities in Indiana.
Deputies from the Huntington County Sheriff’s Office around 6 p.m. Sunday found Bernice D. Eubanks stabbed to death at her home near Markle, about 30 miles south of Fort Wayne. Her family called deputies after she hadn’t been heard from in the last several days. Investigators believe she had been dead for “a period of time” before her discovery.
Citing an arrest report, local affiliate WTPA said Eubanks’ grandson Anthony Castleman, 37, had been living with her. Eubanks’ daughter went to the home and found a rug with a piece cut out. She called deputies, and they found her mother’s body outside near a barn under a carpet and several pieces of lattice.
The Huntington County Coroner determined her cause of death to be from multiple sharp force injuries and the manner as a homicide. Investigators quickly identified Castleman as the suspect.
An investigation revealed Castleman allegedly went to his cousin’s house on Saturday, the day before her body was found, and asked for bleach to clean up a mess, saying he was “going to prison for a long time,” the documents reportedly said. He arrived at the cousin’s house in Eubanks’ car and was using her cellphone, police said.
A manhunt ensued for Castleman, who officials believe fled the area.
“Throughout the early part of the investigation, officers learned that he had fled Huntington County and trying to get out of the state,” the agency said in a press release.
There was some inaccurate and misleading information circulating on social media sites about investigators searching for a white car, but they are “not looking for any vehicles at this point,” the press release said. Huntington City police, Indiana State Police and the U.S. Marshals are among those aiding in the search. Deputies did not give a motive for the killing. Investigators spoke with Castleman on the phone Sunday evening and he allegedly told them he was in Lexington, Kentucky.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to not approach him. Call 911 or contact Detective Captain Malcom Jones, Detective Dylan Lagonegro with the Huntington County Sheriff’s Office or Detective Matt Teusch with the Indiana State Police at 260-356-2520.
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