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ATTORNEY GENERAL STATEMENT ON THE RETURN

WASHINGTON, DC Attorney General John Ashcroft today issued the following statement regarding the return of Ira Einhorn to the United States:

• "I am very pleased that early this morning, after more than 20 years as a fugitive, Ira Einhorn was extradited to the United States from France. Einhorn is wanted in connection with the 1977 murder in Philadelphia of his ex-girlfriend, Holly Maddux. He was finally located in France in 1997, and remained there fighting extradition until his surrender earlier today."

• "I would like to offer my sincere thanks to French authorities for their assistance and cooperation in bringing this long term fugitive to justice. I would also like to commend the outstanding work of the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office, the Philadelphia Police Department, the United States Embassy in Paris, the United States State Department, the United States Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Justice's Department's Office of International Affairs. This case clearly demonstrates that, with persistence and effective cooperation, neither time nor international borders will stand in the way of justice."

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