Woman who killed four sons re-sentenced to life in prison without parole

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A woman who was convicted of four counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to death in 1999 has been re-sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.

Susan Eubanks, 60, killed her four sons who ranged in age from 4 to 14 years old on October 26, 1997, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release Friday. She shot all of them in the head and then shot herself in the stomach.

Eubanks was found guilty on all four counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to death during deliberations in 1999. However, due to capital punishment now not being allowed to be carried out in California, Eubanks on Friday was resentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

In January of 2020, Eubanks’ attorney filed a petition claiming that her trial attorneys committed ineffective assistance of counsel, according to prosecutors. She also filed a petition challenging her conviction and sentence, as well as an appeal with the 4th District Court of Appeal.

“After careful consideration by a team of experienced prosecutors and weighing the possible outcomes, the District Attorney’s Office moved forward in the interests of justice with prosecutor-initiated resentencing to ensure the defendant will never be released from prison. This decision will also conclude the petitions in Federal Court and in the Court of Appeal bringing much-needed finality to this case,” the DA said.

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