Smiling John (Part 6 by Smiling John)
“Smiling John” Eastlack escaped from prison and was featured on America’s Most Wanted. He was sentenced to death for the murders he describes. When it was discovered that he has fetal alcohol syndrome, his sentence was reduced to life in prison without parole.
Part 5 left off with Smiling John on the run in Texas, finding out he is about to be featured on America’s Most Wanted.
On 09-10-89 Sunday night at 6:00pm, I got a call from Paul at Fort Bliss. He told me my story was going to be featured nationwide at 7:00pm local time on America’s Most Wanted, and that I’d made number 7 on the FBI’s 10 most wanted list. I was wanted for murders in two states. Sources had spotted me everywhere from Hawaii to Miami.
At that second, Patty showed up with Lucy and Lucy’s boyfriend, Mario. We were all going to see Pet Cemetery, the new Stephen King movie.
I played it cool, keeping track of the time, planning my next move. For the past 9 days I’d been fooling myself thinking I could live the dream again.
After the movie, Patty took Lucy home, and Mario and I went to meet Hilda – a University of Texas at El Paso sorority girl and cheerleader – at T.G.I. Friday's for drinks, then to a pool hall. Eventually Mario crashed out and Hilda had her way with me in the truck, on the truck and the truck bed.
After we dropped Mario off at 4:00am, I asked Hilda if she could take me into Mexico and even down to Hermosillo.
Hilda was wild. She had an evil streak and loved living on the edge. I’d only known her for 6 hours, yet she detected I was on the run and wanted to run with me.
On 09-11-89 at approximately 08:00 hours, Hilda and I crossed back into Mexico after stopping at the Embassy Suites to get my tote and kit bag, and her UTEP sorority house.
At 2:00pm, we reached the city of Hermosillo and checked into the Azteca Hotel for 2 days.
Hilda called Mario and found out that the FBI and FIST (Fugitive International Swat Team) had raided the Embassy Suites, Patty’s house, Bonny’s house and Mario’s house all at once on 09-11-89 at 10:45am, El Paso local time.
Everyone now knew who John Eastlack was, and America’s Most Wanted had really played up the murders by making them look like assassinations because the first two victims were Lester and Kathryn Sherrill – white, Mormon, millionaires, including a superior court judge from Pima Country in Tucson, Arizona.
I had no idea, not that it would have mattered one way or another.
Now that she knew it would make her an accessory after the fact, I convinced Hilda not to toss her life away.
Hilda wanted to know who I really was and why I was in prison, so I told her. An army brat, grew up in California, Minnesota and Arizona. My mother was a doctor and father an army colonel. Grew up playing soccer and swimming, joined the army out of high school. Got out and went to prison for fraud in 1987 and escaped 2 weeks ago. She knew the rest.
She started crying, took off her Virgin Mary necklace, put it around my neck, kissed me on the lips and wished me good luck and safety, then walked out the door.
I never heard from Hilda again except for a postcard when I got off death row in 1997.
As soon as Hilda walked out the door I packed, and went out the back window 5 minutes later.
I trusted Hilda but did not want her coming back. Unlike Patty, Hilda had everything, she was just searching for something else.
I knew I couldn't take care of myself to follow a simple plan. In high school, sports, the military, prison, I had a structured environment, so I did well, excelled even. But my marriage, and relationships were all disasters. On leave I would mess up, getting involved in scams, robberies, cons or even murders. So I was far from having my shit together. I just acted like it.
I took a cab to Hermosillo Airport and charted a Cessna to fly me to San Carlos on the coast.
Click here for Part 5.
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Shaun P. Attwood
You've got to admit, while this is making a good read, it#s starting to sound a little dilusional.
ReplyDeleteAll the random sexual encounters, the $000's of dollars he had access to, the freaky people he's coming accross, the massive list of weapons he was given by a friend.... It's more like a movie or a book than someone's story.
I'm not doubting that he killed the people, had the learning difficulty etc... but in his adoptive Mother's own words he used to make story's and imaginary lives up for himself, even at a young age. I think the base story is true and it's been embelished by the Smiling One.
I can't be the only person thinking it.
Chris H
oh my! my look at how fetal alcohol syndrome has messed up my life! Waaaa-waaaa waaaaa!
ReplyDeletewheater it is 100% real or not it def makes for a good read
ReplyDeletean earlier comment from another blog watcher stands true - "still fuck this guy"
ReplyDeleteHey my friend...could we have an intermission from this to hear how you are doing? Thanks. I have to sort of agree with other readers. As action packed as this seems to be, it doesn't make for as interesting reading as people you actually care about.
ReplyDeleteSomeone should have just shanked this guy long ago and gotten it over with. I'm done reading this bullshit.
ReplyDeleteThere's one more installment then back to business as usual.
ReplyDeleteI am still on the fence with this one. While I have been reading all parts of the posts and the comments, I chose to refrain from commenting because as observers have stated, for such as smart young man who was raised by a military father and pardon me if I am incorrect, a mother who was a nurse, he seemed to have been raised in a good upbringing. Plus, his education, military experience, and just how calculated he planned his moves, it baffles me how he can slip up and go back into the U.S. when he could have had gainful employment in any South American country or in Mexico. You don't need six figures to live a comfartable life in Mexico now, and you sure as heck didn't need it in the late 80's/early 90's. So why?
ReplyDeleteAlso, he acknowledged he is a fugutive on the run plastered all around the headlines, so he is fully aware he couldn't trust ANYONE. Not even those he figured he could have. Receiving a phone call after 18 months from a "trusted friend" ahould have been a red flag.
There are just too many variables to this guest blogger and there isn't much confirmation that one can attest to like in prison, where if actions take place, no matter how embelished, can be verified by numerous sources.
So I tend to agree with Chris and the "F**k this guy" poster. I always state that no matter what, you need to take responsibilities for your actions. The FAS has played a part in his ability to process, but it didn't play a part in his ability to react so cunningly and calculated nor did it have an impact on his military career. If it was prison politics, I can definitely put a finger on it, but with this guy, it just seems a bit exaggerated. Anyhow, keep us posted on the regular fellas. Thanks -Jose in San Diego.