Ernest B. Vanzile Gravesite

Ernest Benjamin Banzile's mother was Mary Lou VanZile. His father was Clifford "Kip" VanZile. He had two sisters, one of whom was Lisa. He also had two stepsisters from his mother's previous marriage. Ernest's parents split up when he was a young teen. Ernest was a suspected murderer who was jailed in Steuben County, New York and had escaped from their newly constructed jail on September 6, 1995. He was recaptured and subsequently hung himself in jail. His death was ruled consistent with suicide by strangulation. He was accused of the beating death of an 89-year-old woman in Addison, New York. Other accusations involving the crime included sexual abuse and attempted arson. He had plead "not guilty" in court. He had previously been sent to state prison at least 3 times: for burglary, for car theft and for being involved in the shooting of an Addison marijuana farmer (who was shot by another man). He was was out on bail but was sent back to jail for violating parole. In 1996, Ernest's mother filed suit in a claim against the County. "The key thing she is interested in is getting corrective measures" said Mrs. VanZile's fiancée, Ronald McCracken of Addison. The mother says "he was tortured because he escaped from the jail on September 6." She was not seeking a specific monetary reward. Ernest Benjamin Vanzile is buried alongside Clifford or "Kip" Vanzile, born in 1941, who also died in 1995.