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.