ROSS COUNTY, Ohio — April of this year marked the tragic anniversary of a crime that shocked a community and captured the attention of a nation.
In April of 2001, two fishermen along the Scioto River in Ross County discovered a 2-year-old toddler sitting alone, strapped in a car seat at the end of a dirt trail. The temperature that day was chilly, and according to law enforcement, the child had spent the entire night outside in those cold conditions.
Officials with the Ross County Sheriff’s Office investigated the scene when they discovered a blood trail leading to the banks of the rivers.
It was at the end of that trail where deputies made a gruesome discovery: the body of 21-year-old Stephanie Evans was found in the water, under some rocks, and partially submerged, reports said. She was the mother of the child.
According to the Montgomery County Coroner, Evans died from blunt force trauma to the head.
Detectives with the Sheriff’s Office said that Evans was found bound with her hands tied behind her back and was only partially clothed. The Sheriff at the time, Ron Nichols, said, “It was very difficult for the officers to get down to where the victim was.”
The 2-year-old boy was taken by EMS to Adena Regional Medical Center where he was treated for shock exposure and hypothermia.
Deputies, along with agents from the Bureau of Criminal Investigations continued to canvas the scene looking for any evidence or clues to help them find the person responsible for Evan’s death.
Those who knew Stephanie thought of her highly. According to her youth pastor, “Stephanie was always a sweet girl, who never really said much.”
A vehicle belonging to Evans was located in Columbus by police. The interior of the vehicle had been set on fire, according to reports, but DNA and fingerprints were still able to be obtained.
After several months of waiting, the Sheriff received DNA test results that linked Thomas James McCray to the murder and rape of Evans. It was at that time a hunt began by law enforcement to bring the killer to justice.
“He is kind of like Osama Bin Laden”, Former-Sheriff Ron Nichols said during an interview with media at the time. “We have a whole army of law enforcement looking for him.”
Officials said McCray had skipped town with a group called “The Rainbow Association” that was train hopping across the country.
For a year McCray had been spotted in several states.
A year had passed since the grisly murder of Evans, and law enforcement was no closer to finding McCray than when they started. That all changed when the TV show “America’s Most Wanted” aired a special episode in 2002.
America’s Most Wanted (AMW) was a television program that featured reenactments of fugitive cases, interviews, as well as a hotline number where viewers could submit tips. According to AMW, they have helped find over 1,000 fugitives.
It was a tip from McCray’s girlfriend who had watched the show’s episode and contacted police. Law enforcement discovered he was being held in a Canadian prison on theft and breaking and entering charges. Canadian government officials said McCray was going by the name Jason Williams at the time.
Law enforcement, along with officials from the U.S. State Department contacted the Canadian government who agreed to extradite McCray after he finished his sentence in Canada.
He was originally charged with aggravated murder, child endangering, rape, kidnapping, and aggravated robbery. He was also the primary suspect in another local homicide case.
Ella Mae Grant, 83, was a well-known and well-loved real estate agent in Ross County. Grant was found shot to death in what police called an attempted burglary in 2001. Her body was discovered by her friends when they showed up at her home to take her to church.
Law enforcement has been unsuccessful in linking McCray to the Grant murder and her case remains unsolved, but detectives say he remains a person of interest in the case.
According to court records obtained by the Guardian, McCray first appeared in a Ross County courtroom four years after the murder of Evans. His court battle lasted over a year, and in December 2006, he pled guilty to an amended charge of involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to a total of 20 years in prison.
McCray filed a petition for Judicial Release in 2020 but that petition was denied by a local judge.
The convicted killer is set to be released in August of 2025. He will have completed his 20-year sentence.
Many questions still remain regarding McCray. Is he the killer of Ella Mae Grant? How will the community react when a man convicted of one of the most heinous crimes in Ross County history is walking the streets a free man?
Only time will tell those answers. Until then, Thomas McCray will remain in his cell at Madison Correctional Institution in London, far from the family of his victim, and far from the community, he shook to its core.
