California fugitive Frederick McLean's decomposing body found in South Carolina home after 16 years on the run
The U.S. Marshals Service found fugitive Frederick McLean's decomposing body in a South Carolina home on Nov. 6 after the criminal had been on the run for 16 years.
A neighbor had conducted a welfare check on the 70-year-old man who had been living under the name James Fitzgerald and discovered his body inside his home in Seneca, South Carolina, before contacting authorities, U.S. Marshals said Friday.
"The discovery of Frederick McLean’s body marks an end to the manhunt, but the investigation continues," U.S. Marshals Service Director Ronald Davis said in a statement Friday. "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."
McLean was wanted by the San Diego Sheriff’s Department on multiple counts of sexual assault on a child.
One accuser, who is now an adult, said McLean had assaulted her more than 100 times between the ages of 5 and 12, U.S. Marshals said.
Location of home
Authorities issued an arrest warrant for McLean in 2005, and U.S. Marshals added him to their 15 Most Wanted fugitive list in 2006. He had been living in the South Carolina home, where his body was discovered on Nov. 6, for 15 years.
McLean had "numerous aliases" and also lived in Poughkeepsie, New York, and Anderson, South Carolina, U.S. Marshal Steve Stafford of the Southern District of California said in a statement, adding that there "may be other victims out there."
"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."
Authorities are still investigating the ongoing case. Anyone with information related to McLean is asked to contact the nearest U.S. Marshals Service office or local law enforcement office.