NIAGARA COUNTY, N.Y. (WKBW) — A notorious killer with a history of violent crimes, on both sides of the border, faced a judge in Niagara County on Thursday.
William Shrubsall, now legally known as Ethan MacLeod, pleaded guilty to bail jumping and criminal contempt in his pending indictment.
“From the moment I learned that this defendant was being deported from Canada for the heinous crimes he committed there, I made it a top priority to hold Mr. Shrubsall, as we all know him, responsible for his acts in absconding from the consequences of the crimes he committed here in Niagara County,” District Attorney Caroline Wojtaszek stated. “I gave this defendant no other option than to plead guilty to all counts in his indictment, which he chose to do in Court today,” she continued. “I did everything in my power as District Attorney to ensure that this dangerous offender remain behind bars for as long as possible.”
Shrubsall was convicted in the 1988 murder of his mother in Niagara Falls. Several years later, he faked his own death and fled to Nova Scotia while facing a sex abuse case. He was charged in Canada with various sex crimes and spent 20 years in prison.
Last year, Shrubsall was brought back to the United States.
“I felt very strongly that we pursue that case to the fullest so we can keep Mr. Shrubsall in jail as long as possible given his violent history. So, he will get this sentence in addition to the one he is serving,” says Wojtaszek.
Shrubsall is expected to be sentenced on March 26, 2020. He could face another two to six years in prison.
