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Two San Quentin Prison escapees were cleared last night of the kidnaping of a 58-year-old Reno woman when she was released unharmed and iden tified her abductors as two parolees from Arkansas State Penitentiary. The victim, Eddith Grisham, credit manager of Harold’s Club, told authorities a bizarre tale of being taken at gunpoint from the street in front of the casino after work Monday and being kept under close guard by the men, who did not molest her but bought stuffed animals for her grandchildren. The pair, wanted for ques tioning in connection with two murders in Michigan and believ ed possibly headed for California in Mrs. Grisham's car, were identified as William Banks, 23, and Robert Gawne, 28. Their identification cleared Ernest Edgar Little, 38, and Richard Henry Smith, 28, who walked away from the San Quentin ranch dormitory. Smith, serving a six months-to-15 year sentence for burglary, and Lit tle, serving a similar term for bad checks, are still at large. Just what was the kidnaping’s purpose remains a mystery. Mrs. Grisham was released yesterday in southern Nevada after riding with her abductors into the Sacramento area and back during two days of gun point captivity The small, thin woman was bedraggled and exhausted, but unharmed The FBI said it would file complaints against Banks and Gawne, described as “extremely dangerous.” A woman also was involved in the kidnaping, the FBI said, but declined to say how or to identi fy her. The two men were being sought for questioning in the killings of two Detroit-area women — both found slain after disappearances of several days. One was Janet Stewart, 23, of Dearborn, Mich., whose body was found in a gully Nov. 28 off a country road near Dry Ridge, Ky., 10 days after she vanished from her home. Mrs. Stewart had been strangled. The other was Eileen Marie Alex, 19, of Allen Park, Mich. whose body was found Nov. 18 by a bird hunter in a field 10 miles south of South Bend, Ind. She was shot twice in the head. Miss Alex had vanished three days earlier in her father’s car, found abandoned near Indi anapolis. Dean Elson, special agent in charge of the Nevada FBI of fice, said the pair and their woman companion might still be in Nevada or California. They were believed to be using Mrs. Grisham's car. ~ Elson said there appeared to be no good reason for the kid naping. “We just can’t make any sense out of it,” he said. *] don’t think Mrs. Grisham is going to be able to help us ei ther. It just doesn't make sense.” The kidnapers bought stuffed animals for Mrs. Grisham's two grandchildren, Michael McDon ald. 6, and Kathy McDonald. 8, before her release, said Harold Smith Jr. of Harolds Club, where Mrs. Grisham has been employed as credit manager for 25 years.
Newspaper Details
San Rafael Daily Independent Journal
San Rafael, California, US
Thu, Dec 22, 1966
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 16 Jul 2026
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