A man on the U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted list died four months ago in Seneca, South Carolina almost 16 years after being placed on the list, The Associated Press reported Friday.
Frederick Cecil McLean reportedly died of natural causes at the age of 70 in July, and his body was found Nov. 6 after police were called by a neighbor because they hadn't seen him for a while, according to Oconee County Coroner Karl Addis.
A fingerprint confirmed to be McLean's was obtained from the body during an autopsy performed Nov. 15
In 2005, the San Diego Sheriff's Department issued arrest warrants for McLean because of sexual assaults on children, determining he was a high-risk to continue attacking young girls, leading to his addition to the Most Wanted list a year later.
According to his Most Wanted poster, McLean was a Jehovah's Witness who met his at least eight known victims over the course of 25 years through his connections in the church. One girl was allegedly assaulted over 100 times between the ages of five and 12.
McLean was living in South Carolina for the last 15 years under the name of James Fitzgerald.
"We wish McLean's fate had been determined by a court of law 15 years ago," said U.S. Marshal Steve Stafford of the Southern District of California according to WYFF in South Carolina. "The investigators working on this case never gave up. We hope McLean's death brings some sense of closure for the victims and their families, especially knowing he can never hurt another child."
While foul play isn't currently suspected in McLean's death, the investigation will continue to determine if he had any assistance evading authorities over the past 15 years.
U.S. Marshals and local authorities are encouraging anyone with information on McLean and any other potential victims to contact them.
For more reporting from The Associated Press, see below.
"The discovery of Frederick McLean's body marks an end to the manhunt, but the investigation continues," said U.S. Marshals Service Director Ronald Davis.
They have determined he used several other aliases and also lived in Anderson, South Carolina, and Poughkeepsie, New York.
"Because of his alleged crimes, we are concerned there may be other victims out there," Stafford said.
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