The history, the hunts, the captures -- and the criminals still at large In 1950, the FBI officially instituted its now-legendary list of the "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" as a means of alerting the public and enlisting their aid in the apprehension of notorious felons. Over the years, it has included such infamous names as bank robber Willie Sutton, serial killer Ted Bundy, and assassin James Earl Ray -- and 447 of the 475 criminals have been apprehended, many of them thanks to tips from ordinary citizens. In this gripping and endlessly fascinating account, New York Times bestselling author Dary Matera offers readers a stunning, in-depth look at some of the most remarkable manhunts in the history of law enforcement -- and shocking profiles of the crimes and the criminals currently enshrined . . . including an elusive mass-murderer with a $27 million bounty on his head: Osama Bin Laden.

The FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives - Federal Bureau of Investigation. Includes a Chronological Listing of The FBI's “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” March 14, 1950 - March 1, 2010. Gone are the days when “Top Ten” posters could be found in post offices. Since 1996, “Top Ten” posters have appeared on the FBI's Internet site, www.fbi.gov, allowing the FBI to extend its reach across domestic and international borders and obtain worldwide public assistance tracking these fugitives. Traditional media outlets, such as radio programs, television shows, and printed publications provide additional publicity for the fugitives on the list. However, with the increased use of electronic and digital technology, the FBI has turned to some nontraditional and cutting-edge techniques to publicize the fugitives on the “Top Ten” list. Digital outdoor billboards appearing throughout the United States now feature images of these individuals. The FBI also has a Facebook page and a Twitter account where friends and followers can instantly receive information about the latest fugitives on the list. The weekly Wanted by the FBI podcast, FBI widgets, and a cell phone application all allow the public to download the latest fugitive information at the touch of a button.As technology advances, the FBI intends to keep pace and continue using it as much as possible to profile fugitives and engage the public's help in locating them.

The FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list arose from a conversation held in late 1949 between J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the FBI, and William Kinsey Hutchinson who were discussing ways to promote capture of the FBI's "toughest guys". For sixty years, the FBI has sought the public's assistance in a special way through one of our most effective and longest running publicity programs, which, since 1950, has led to the location of more than 460 of our nation's most dangerous criminals. Content: FBI's "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” Program: The Beginnings Today The Program Criteria for Placement on the List The List Removal from the List How the FBI Gets Its Men and Women: A 20-Year Study of the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” Program 1989-2009 Today's "Top Ten” List More Likely to Include Terrorist, Organized Crime Figures and Child Predators "Top Tenners” Cannot Hide for Long Many Fugitives Found far from Home "Top Ten” Fugitives Increasingly Caught Through Publicity Conclusion Project Pin Point Project Welcome Home America's Most Wanted Famous Cases: Thomas James Holden William Raymond Nesbit Isaie Beausoleil Clyde Edward Laws James Earl Ray Richard Lee Tingler, Jr. Ruth Eisemann-Schier Theodore Robert Bundy Eric Robert Rudolph Warren Jeffs Service Martyrs

Presented in chronological order, offers profiles of each criminal on the FBI's most wanted list from 1950 to August 2003, including such facts as crimes committed, date placed on the list, and vital statistics.

Specially written to take advantage of the public's fascination with true crime stories and the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List generated by national television and the publication of numerous books recounting today's notorious crimes.

Explains why and how the FBI decided to create the list of Ten Most Wanted Fugitives and how the mass media and ordinary population have become their allies in the fight against crime.

In 1949, a crime reporter looking for a way to fill a column published the nation’s ten worst criminals as classified by the FBI: two accused murderers, four escaped convicts, a bank robber, and three “confidence men.” In addition to the stark black and white photos that accompanied the article, the public was most moved by the idea that law enforcement was asking them for help. Fired up by the gesture of confidence, Americans banded together to wholeheartedly support the motion, leading to tips that helped facilitate the capture of the advertised criminals. Some of those on the list even surrendered voluntarily due to the increased publicity. The rogues’ gallery showcases fugitives such as: • William Raymond Nesbit, first on the list to be captured • James Earl Ray, assassin of Martin Luther King Jr. • Ted Bundy, ruthless serial killer • Ruth Eisemann-Schier, kidnapper and first woman to make the Top Ten • Ramzi Ahmed Yousef, 1993 World Trade Center bomber This encyclopedia includes criminals’ photographs, crime details, and “interesting fugitive facts” as well as a brief history of the list and what it has accomplished in more than fifty years.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a national agency dedicated to investigating federal crimes. Founded as a small team of special agents on July 26, 1908, the Bureau was first charged with enforcing the growing body of federal laws covering the United States as a whole. Almost from the beginning of its 100-year history, the Bureau has been the subject of legend and controversy. It has also evolved into a vast and sophisticated national law-enforcement agency. Whether as a federal crime-fighting force or a source of investigative support to local and state police forces, the modern FBI strives to embody its ideals of fidelity, bravery, and integrity. In 1952, a young man told the police where he thought they could find the notorious bank robber Willie Sutton. Sutton was on the FBI's Ten Most wanted Fugitives list, and the young man had recognized him from an FBI bulletin. This book tells the story of some of the FBI's most dramatic cases-and how ordinary citizens have often helped agents pursue and catch their quarry. From Wanted posters to TV's America's Most Wanted, the FBI has used publicity to make it harder for criminals to hide and easier for authorities to find them.

Fugitives occupy a unique place in the American criminal justice system. They can run and they can hide, but eventually each chase ends. And, in many cases, history is made along the way. John Dillinger’s capture obsessed J. Edgar Hoover and helped create the modern FBI. Violent student radicals who went on the lam in the 1960s reflected the turbulence of the era. The sixteen-year disappearance and sudden arrest of gangster James “Whitey” Bulger in 2011 captivated the nation. Fugitives have become iconic characters in American culture even as they have threatened public safety and the smooth operation of the justice system. They are always on the run, always trying to stay out of reach of the long arm of the law. Also prominent are the men and women who chase fugitives: FBI agents, federal marshals and their deputies, police officers, and bounty hunters. A significant element of the justice system is dedicated to finding those on the run, and the most-wanted posters and true-crime television shows have made fugitives seemingly ubiquitous figures of fear and fascination for the public. In On the Lam, Jerry Clark and Ed Palattella trace the history of fugitives in the United States by looking at the characters – real and fictional – who have played the roles of the hunter and the hunted. They also examine the origins of the bail system and other legal tools, such as most-wanted programs, that are designed to guard against flight.