Former Child Star Now Man Wanted For Murder

 View Larger

Mark Everett made many appearances in television shows, commercials and motion pictures as a child.

From the age of 9 to 18, an ordinary kid named Manuel Benitez transformed into Hollywood child star, Mark Everett.  

Everett appeared to have it all.  He starred in commercials, television shows like "Highway to Heaven" and "Trapper John, MD," and even motion pictures like "Pee Wee's Big Adventure," and "Stand and Deliver." 

But like so many young, successful actors, according to police, Everett's blockbuster dreams were overshadowed by his increasingly chronic drug habit.

Cops: Everett Expert At Keeping Secrets

 View Larger

Eventually, Everett and Stephanie moved in together and Stephanie gave birth to their son, Benjamin.

In 1996, Everett was 26 years old and trying to put his failed acting career behind him when he met Stephanie Spears.  Eventually, the two moved in together and Stephanie gave birth to their son, Benjamin. 

Though Everett and Stephanie were close, there were secrets lurking beneath the surface. Everett never even told Stephanie or her family about his child star status.

His theatrical past was not the only thing Everett had to hide. Cops say Everett was a drug dealer who showed no signs of stopping. 

While Stephanie was excelling in college and winning scholarships, cops say Everett was becoming more and more involved in selling dope. 

Cops say the two were clearly headed in different directions.  When Stephanie decided she couldn't take it any longer, cops say Everett made a decision of his own.

A Deadly Father's Day

 View Larger

Though Everett and Stephanie were close, there were secrets lurking beneath the surface. Everett never even told Stephanie or her family about his child star status.

Cops report Stephanie ended things with Everett on Father's Day 2004. Based on crime scene evidence, police were able to piece together the scenario: that night, Everett waited until Stephanie was asleep in their home in Hawthorne, Calif., before he tried to grab Benjamin.  

Cops say Stephanie woke up and confronted Everett.

According to police, an enraged Everett picked up a dumbbell and began beating Stephanie to death with it. Once she was dead, they say the former child star took off with his child.  There have been no confirmed sightings of Everett since but cops believe he may have now fled to a Spanish-speaking country. 

Authorities say Everett's mother, Elizabeth Velasco is likely traveling with Mark Everett and she is known to have ties in Cuba and Mexico. 

Police are seriously concerned about the safety of Benjamin, citing Everett's violent nature and his penchant for living in squalor. Benjamin is bi-racial with brown hair and brown eyes.

In June 2007, the FBI announced that the reward amount for information leading to Everett's arrest has been increased to $20,000.

On Dec. 23, 2008, Mark Everett was killed during a police standoff in El Monte, Calif. 

Wanted For:

• Murder , Hawthorne , CA ; Jun 21, 2004

(Information valid as of October 23, 2009)

Associated Persons:

Benjamin Everett
Police say Everett abducted his son, Benjamin, after killing the boy's mother, Stephanie Spears.
Missing Child
»More information

Television Airings:

• »March 21, 2009
• »August 16, 2008
• »April 5, 2008
• »December 22, 2007
• »January 27, 2006
• »June 11, 2005
• »February 26, 2005
• »December 18, 2004
• »October 2, 2004

AMW Radio:

• »August 14 2008
• »January 10 2008
• »June 26 2007
• »July 07 2006
• »September 07 2005
• »December 25 2004
• »October 04 2004

Child Star Turned Fugitive Killed During Standoff

The hunt for one of AMW's Dirty Dozen came to an abrupt end in a strip mall in the Los Angeles suburb of El Monte, Calif. on Dec. 23, 2008.   It's there that former child star turned fugitive Mark Everett made his last stand hours after police received a call about a suspicious man with a child.

The FBI tells AMW that the first call came in around 3 p.m.  A short time later, cops arrived at a shopping center at 3580 Santa Anita Ave. to conduct a welfare check. 

Both police and witnesses say they saw a man holding a gun and dragging a boy into a Mexican eatery then a Chinese restaurant.  Investigators say that Everett was barely recognizable -- looking thin and gaunt, with salt and pepper hair. 

The FBI reports that Everett, dressed in a bomber jacket and armed with a revolver and another handgun, barricaded himself in the restaurant bathroom with his son, 7-year-old Benjamin. 

Investigators say that Everett seemed to be lucid at times but also made threats that he may harm Benjamin.  The hostage standoff lasted two hours before police tossed in a flash-bang grenade in an attempt to rescue Benjamin and arrest Everett. 

When a crisis team attempted to enter the bathroom, shots were exchanged injuring young Benjamin and killing Everett. 

Authorities carried Benjamin out of the restaurant and rushed him to a nearby hospital.  The FBI says that the 7-year-old is recuperating and has been reunited with his maternal grandmother in time for Christmas. 

Investigators say that the boy looked to have multiple scrapes and may not have been living in the best conditions for the last few years.  The Everetts' prior locations have not been ascertained just yet, authorities say. 

Meanwhile, the FBI says that Everett's mother, Elizabeth Velasco, has not been located.  Velasco disappeared with her son after the 2004 murder of Stephanie Spears, Benjamin's mother.