In 1949, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) published a news story about fugitives they wanted to capture. Surprisingly, it was received by a lot of positive publicity that the FBI made it an official program. Since then, hundreds of criminals have been added and removed from this list. With regard to success, nearly three-quarters of the people who have appeared on the list have been arrested as a result of tips or information from the public. Today, we’ll highlight some of the most prominent cases of people featured in the FBI’s most wanted persons list.
1. Thomas Holden
Thomas Holden will be remembered as the first person to make it on the FBI’s most-wanted list. In 1949, as Holden was having drinks with his wife and three brothers, an argument ensued, leading to the convict killing the four.
The culprit was added to the FBI’s most wanted list in 1950, which eventually started a new trend. Within a short period, the authorities had received tips from the public about Holden’s sighting in Oregon. As it turned out, this wasn’t his first crime; Thomas Holden had robbed a mail train and had escaped from Leavenworth Penitentiary before.
2. Ruth Eisemann Schier
Ruth Schier was the first woman to make it to the FBI’s most wanted list. In 1968, Ruth and her boyfriend Gary Steven Krist kidnapped Barbara Jane Mackle, who was the daughter of a rich land developer in Florida. They placed her in an underground box and asked for a ransom of $500,000. Fortunately, the victim was found alive by the police after being held captive for three days straight and was rushed to hospital.
3. Leslie Rogge
Leslie Rogge was a criminal who specialized in car theft and bank robbery. He had done some time at Leavenworth Penitentiary but escaped after bribing a prison warden, a move that led to his name and picture being posted on the FBI’s most wanted list. Someone recognized Leslie Rogge from the FBI website and tipped the US Embassy in Guatemala. The culprit handed himself over to the authorities on May 19, 1996.
4. James Earl Ray
James Earl Rays was on the FBIs most wanted list twice. The first time was after he allegedly killed Martin Luther King and fled the country. He was captured at Heathrow Airport and was sent to Tennessee penitentiary. However, he escaped prison and was placed on the list again. He was re-captured three days later.
5. Victor Manuel Gerena
While working for Wells Fargo, a popular logistics company, Victor Gerena made away with 7 million dollars. He was transporting the money with two other workers before he turned on them, tied them, and disappeared into thin air with the loot. He is one of the few criminals who have been on the FBIs most wanted list for the longest time.
6. Billie Bryant
After being caught for a bank robbery, Billie Bryant escaped from custody and killed the two FBI agents who were interrogating him. He entered a nearby house and hid in the attic. Upon hearing strange noises coming from the roof, the owner of the house Billie Bryant was hiding in called the police. This happened in a span of just two hours, which was enough to have him on the FBI’s most-wanted list.
7. William Bradford Bishop
In 1976, William Bradford Bishop beat and killed his children, mother, and wife before fleeing the country. Funny enough, Bishop was added to the FBI’s most wanted list in 2014, years after he had committed these atrocities. There are reports that he has been spotted overseas numerous times, but he remains at large.
8. Ted Bundy
Arguably the most infamous serial killer of all time, Ted Bundy, was on the FBI’s most wanted list twice. The first time was in 1977, when he escaped the courthouse while he was being tried for murder. Six days later, he was caught and sent to prison. Later that year, he escaped again and was added to the list for the second time. Ted Bundy committed more murders before he was caught again.
9. Osama Bin Laden
Being one of the FBIs most wanted criminals, Osama Bin Laden was on this list for a long time. He is remembered for serious acts of terror, such as planning the 9/11 tragedy, the first attack on the World Trade Center, the Mogadishu bombing that killed 18 Americans, and the attack on US embassies and military bases across the world.
10. Ramzi Yousef
Working alongside Bin Laden, Ramzi Yousef orchestrated the first attack on the World Trade Center in 1993. This terror strike claimed the lives of 6 people and left many others injured. He fled the United States the same day and was added to the FBI’s most-wanted list.
While in hiding, Yousef plotted the assassination of Pope John Paul II and attacks on 11 planes destined for the US. One of his colleagues shared information about his whereabouts with the police before he was arrested and extradited to the United States.
11. Jason Derek Brown
Before people learned about Derek Brown’s devious schemes, many thought he was a wealthy businessman. He entered the FBIs most wanted list after attacking an armored car outside a movie theater in 2004. Brown is also associated with the killing of a guard before fleeing. Rumors of the culprit’s sighting have been reported around the country. Authorities believe he is hiding in Salt Lake City but haven’t made any significant breakthrough past that. Jason Brown remains at large.
12. Eric Rudolph
Eric Rudolph is an anti-abortion militant who killed many people during his campaigns. During the 1996 Summer Olympics, Rudolph bombed the Centennial Olympic Park before attacking a lesbian bar and two abortion clinics. From there, he went into hiding in the Appalachian wilderness.
In 2003, Eric Rudolph was arrested in Murphy, North Carolina, and was removed from the list. Even while in custody, Eric Rudolph is not remorseful for the things he did – he has written many articles praising violence.
13. Warren Jeffs
Warren Jeffs is remembered as president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. His journey to controversy started when he took over the church and married all of his father’s wives. He then began arranging marriages between older men and young women. The FBI placed Warren Jeffs on this list for four months before he was arrested at a traffic stop. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.