The family tragedy that led double murder suspect and white supremacist 'Evil Evan' into a life of crime and the parents who fought to end his 'bad streak'

By Katie Davies

PUBLISHED: 15:09 EST, 24 March 2013 | UPDATED: 16:47 EST, 24 March 2013

The parents of a white supremacist gang member, who died in a shoot-out while wanted in connection to two murders on Thursday, desperately tried to correct his ways, it has emerged.

28-year-old Evan Spencer Ebel, who allegedly signed his name Evil Evan, was gunned down in north Texas after he shot and wounded a sheriff's deputy and led police on a dramatic 100mph chase.

Police have now named him as the gunman in the slaying of Colorado's state prisons chief Tom Clements at his home in Colorado Springs on Tuesday, March 19, and of a pizza delivery man Nathan Leon in Golden, Colorado, two days before.

Suspect: Detectives are investigating whether Evan Spencer Ebel, 28, (left) a member of the Colorado prison gang '211 Crew' was responsible for the murder of state prisons chief Tom Clements (right)

Father and son: Jack Ebel, pictured with his son, raised Evan Ebel in a middle-class Denver suburb. However, Evan fell into crime despite his efforts to put him on the straight and narrow

'Over-the-edge: Ebel's Mother Jody Mangue said it was the death of his sister Marin, pictured with her brother,  that pushed her son into a life of crime. She also said solitary confinement altered him psychologically

But rather than a family history of crime, violence and racist teachings, Ebel was raised in a middle class Denver suburb by loving parents Jack Ebel and Jody Mangue.

It has emerged the couple fought for years to keep him off his 'bad streak' sending him to behavioral programs in Jamaica, Samoa, Mexico and Utah.

They did so against a backdrop of overwhelming grief after losing their youngest daughter Marin in a car accident in 2004.

According to friends, it was that tragedy that pushed Ebel into a life of crime, racism and possibly murder.

On Friday, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, who appointed Clements, revealed in a chilling coincidence that he is friends with Jack Ebel, a well-regarded gas and oil attorney.

He put out a statement explaining his friend's struggles over the years with his wayward son.  

'Every killer has a mother and father, usually with broken hearts,' he said.

'I met Jack Ebel some 30 years ago when working for an oil company soon after moving to Colorado. Jack is one of the most kind and generous people I know. His son had a bad streak that I know he tried desperately to correct.'

Shot dead: Emergency personnel carried Ebel away on a stretcher after he was shot in the head following the 100mph police chase

Wrecked: The suspect's black Cadillac, which matches the description of the car seen fleeing the home of murdered Colorado prisons chief Tom Clements, is seen after it collided during a police chase

Fiery wreck: Ebel's Cadillac burst into flames when it struck a tractor trailer rig during a high speed chase with officers

Evan Ebel's black Cadillac sedan matched the description of the car seen fleeing the Monument home of Clements, who was shot dead when he answered his front door.

Investigators are also looking into Ebel's connection to the murder of pizza deliveryman Leon, 27, a father-of-three who was found shot dead after going missing on an afternoon of deliveries.

Ebel had been imprisoned numerous times over the years for a variety of charges from assault to robbery and had previously violated his probation.

He was a member of the '211 Crew,' also known as the Brotherhood of Aryan Alliance, which was founded at Colorado's Denver County Jail in 1995.

The white supremacist prison gang has been responsible for numerous high-profile crimes in Colorado.

Ebel was most recently on parole after serving four years for assault on a correctional officer inside the Colorado State Penitentiary.

His mother Ms Mangue, who separated from Ebel's father before their daughter's death, documented much of their work to help and support their son via a blog set up in Marin's memory.

Heartbroken: Leon, who had worked for Domino's Pizza, leaves behind a wife (pictured left) and three daughters

Innocent victim: Leon went missing Sunday while making deliveries, and his bullet-riddled body was discovered later that day near a recycling center

The website is directed to her late daughter, but over the years includes letters to Evan in prison and speaks of her hope for a better future for him on his release.

In her latest post she addresses her son's death: 'After Marin died at age 16 and a half, Evan drifted into a dark period, he was struggling prior, but that event threw him over the edge, they were three years apart.

'He was the protective big brother and in this case, was unable to protect her. His life deteriorated after that and he just became numb and lost his direction altogether, between using drugs and commiting crimes, he was soon put in prison for 8 long years...Like others, I am trying to make sense of what has occurred in our lives. We did not see this coming, but had great hope.

'Our son, Evan was very loved and cherished and although there have been so much negative and depraved references to him, these do not define the person he was to his family and friends from many walks of life who he reached out for and found help.

'But the years of solitary and surviving some brutal treatment while in prison both psychologically and physically, did absolutely take its toll.'

Jack Ebel, said in a statement yesterday that he was 'profoundly saddened by the recent events involving my son'.

He also testified before a Colorado Legislature committee in March 2011 against the use of solitary confinement.

'What I've seen over six years is he has become increasingly ... he has a high level of paranoia and [is] extremely anxious. So when he gets out to visit me, and he gets out of his cell to talk to me, I mean he is so agitated that it will take an hour to an hour-and-half before we can actually talk,' he told lawmakers.

Shattered family: Clements is survived by his wife, Lisa, far right, and two daughters

Witness: Lisa Clements, left, was home at the time of her husband's deadly shooting but said she did not see the gunman

Ironically it appears Hickenlooper and Clements were moved by that testimony to ease the use of the technique in state jails.

Clements didn't know Ebel or his son, who went on to kill him, but felt compelled to make the reforms. Police are looking for possible motives.

Ebel dropped out of school after being put on a special education program for 'severely impacted students' following his sister's death.

Friends said that's when he 'lost it'.

'He was depressed a lot,' Ryan Arici, told the broadcaster. 'And he was a dark person. His walls were painted black and his windows were blacked out.'

The police chase in which Ebel died on Thursday was the result of a routine drug stop - it is not known why the 28-year-old was in Texas.

He fired multiple times at police and shell casings reportedly matched those found at Clements' home.

Montague County sheriff's deputy James Boyd was shot three times by Ebel, twice in the chest and once in the head.

He was saved by his bulletproof vest and is still in hospital.

'He didn't plan on being taken alive,' said Decatur Police Chief Rex Hoskins said of Ebel's death.

Crime scene: Clements was found dead from a gunshot wound to the chest at his wooded home in Monument, Colorado (pictured)

Cordoned off: A police vehicle blocks the road to the home of the head of Colorado's prison system, who was shot and killed in Monument

Items found in Ebel's car believed to include a Domino's pizza uniform jacket and a cardboard pizza box, have led authorities to investigate links to the murder of Leon.

His bullet-riddled body was discovered in Golden, Colorado, and Ebel has now officially been declared a suspect in both cases.

'211 Crew,' named after the California penal code for armed robbery, recruits its members in prison.

According to reports when released, they join up with the gang's drug and gun running operations on the outside.

Hickenlooper, who appointed Clements to his post in January 2011, said he was horrified by Ebel's possible connection to the death of the 'dedicated public servant' but was also forced to make clear he hadn't had a hand with helping Evan Ebel get parole.

'Although Jack loved his son, he never asked me to intervene on his behalf and I never asked for any special treatment for his son,' he said.

'Based on information we received today, we understand that Evan Ebel served every day of his original sentence and was released on mandatory parole at the end of the time he was ordered to be incarcerated.'

“The events of the past few days have been devastating for all involved. I am in shock and disbelief about how everything seems connected in this case. It makes no sense. Tom’s death at the hands of someone hell-bent on causing evil was tragic in every way. It also now appears Tom’s killer may have had another victim. Our hearts and prayers are with Nathan Leon’s family as well.'

Clements is survived by his wife, Lisa, who is director of the state Office of Behavioral Health, and their two daughters, Rachel and Sara.

Somber: Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper appeared emotional  during a press conference about Clements' shooting. In a chilling coincidence he was also friends with Jack Ebel - the suspect killer's father