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Man convicted of killing mother back behind bars in Niagara County after serving time in Canada

Posted at 6:08 PM, Jan 21, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-22 18:35:57-05

LOCKPORT, N.Y. (WKBW) — More than 22 years after William Shrubsall faked his own death and escaped the county while on trial for sex abuse in 1996, he is back in Niagara County Sheriff's Office custody.

47-year-old William Shrubsall, also known as Ethan Macleod has been in Canadian custody since 1998 for variouus sex crimes and other violent crimes against women in Canada.

After serving 20 years behind bars in Canada, the Canadian Parole Board decided to send Shrubsall back to Niagara County knowing he had outstanding warrants here.

The Niagara County Sheriff's Office says Shrubsall is being held on three separate warrants for first degree sodomy, first degree sexual abuse, unlawfully dealing with a child, bail jumping and criminal contempt.

Shrubsall left the U.S. to avoid a 1996 conviction on sex abuse charges. He had already served time behind bars for killing his mother with a baseball bat in Niagara Falls in 1988.

While Shrubsall was in Canada, he was sentenced in absence to two and a half to seven years behind bars for the 1996 sex abuse case in Niagara Falls.

Shrubsall was arraigned Tuesday in Niagara County on the bail jumping charge, and pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could face another seven years behind bars. He is now beginning to serve the two and a half to seven years in New York State prison for the sex abuse charge.