By: Joann Loviglio, Associated Press Writer (AP) After two decades on the lam, the return of fugitive and convicted killer Ira Einhorn has brought jubilation to his victim's family and satisfaction to police and prosecutors.
But they're not the only ones celebrating.
The extradition of the Age of Aquarius counterculture guru has brought glee to newspapers, which printed "Welcome Home Ira" messages and a sing-along editorial to mark the return of the native son Philadelphians love to hate.
"We've gone over the top -- characteristically,"
Philadelphia Daily News Editor Zack Stalberg said.
Einhorn, 61, jumped bail in 1981 on the eve of his trial for the bludgeoning death of his girlfriend, Holly Maddux, whose mummified remains were found stuffed in a trunk at his home. He was convicted in absentia in 1993 and sentenced to life in prison.
He was found living in France in 1997 and fiercely battled his extradition until July 20, when he was returned to Pennsylvania, where officials have promised to hold another trial if he requests it.
"Ira became for many Philadelphians a symbol of someone who gets away with it," Stalberg said.
Einhorn hobnobbed with 1960s icons Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin and was master of ceremonies at Philadelphia's first Earth Day in 1970. His tireless self-promotion and youth culture expertise led to work as a business consultant for big-money companies.
While on the run, he seemed to flaunt his freedom. He posed nude for an
Esquire magazine article -- eating strawberries in the garden of his French country home -- and told police and the Maddux family through the media that he'd never return.
"The job of a newspaper, and particularly the editorial page, is to capture the mood of the community and that's what we were trying to do,"
The Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial Page Editor Chris Satullo said of a July 20 editorial written to the tune of "Hello, Dolly."
The editorial said "it's so nice to send you just where you deserve," then ended with an exultant claim that Einhorn would never sip French wine again. Some took offense that the typically restrained
Inquirer would run such a piece but most readers approved of it, Satullo said.
The
Daily News announced its second annual "killer tomato contest." Judges for the Aug. 23 event will pick the tomato that "best fits the characteristics" of Einhorn -- "seedy, plump, tough-skinned, ripe-smelling, and hard to pick."
The winning gardener gets a trip for two to Alcatraz. (Last year, when Einhorn was still fighting extradition, the winners went to France.) The losing tomatoes get hurled at a billboard-sized picture of Einhorn.
Stalberg said the antics don't mean the paper will make Einhorn a running joke. "We'll cover this straight, too, but we'll also try to make his life as miserable as possible," he said.
Einhorn's lawyer Norris E. Gelman declined to comment other than to say, "I haven't seen any of it. I really don't resort to reading that kind of media."
On the Net:
The Philadelphia Inquirer: http://inq.philly.com
Philadelphia Daily News: http://dailynews.philly.com
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