Ira Einhorn(1940-2020)

Born in 1940, Ira Einhorn was a political activist in the 1960s and 1970s, mainly in the ecological and anti-Vietnam war areas. He was a friend and associate of famous 1960s activists Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman . Einhorn was instrumental in creating ecological awareness in the public during the 1970s, and was one of the driving forces behind the formation of what has come to be known as Earth Day. During his studies at the University of Pennsylvnia, Einhorn began a relationship with a fellow student, Holly Maddux. It lasted five years, until 1977, when she broke up with him and moved to New York City. When he found out where she was, he called and persuaded her to move back to Philadelphia with him. She did, on September 9, but shortly thereafter disappeared. Einhorn said she left to make a phone call and never returned, but police didn't believe him and began an investigation to determine his involvement in her disappearance. Eighteen months later, neighbors in Einhorn's building called police to complain about a foul stench coming from his apartment. After a short search, they found Holly Maddux's decomposing body stuffed in a trunk and hidden in a closet. Einhorn was arrested and charged with her murder. In 1981, only a few days before his trial was to start, he jumped bail and fled to Europe, where he stayed for the next 16 years. Meanwhile, the state of Pennsylvania convicted him in absentia of Holly Maddux's murder and sentenced him to life in prison with no parole. He was eventually found in the town of Champagne-Mouton, France, where he had married and was living under the name of Eugene Mallon. In 2001 he was extradited to the U.S. and is serving his sentence in Houtzdale State Penitentiary in Pennsylvania.