March 14 (UPI) — On Friday, the FBI marked the 75th anniversary of its “10 Most Wanted Fugitives List,” which has led to the discovery and capture of some of the more notorious people wanted for crimes in recent history.
According to an FBI press release, the list was first launched in March 1950 after a journalist requested information about the “toughest guys” being sought by the organization at that time. The reporter received a list of 10 fugitives, and the resulting story gained national attention. Then-FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover saw how public involvement could be an asset and formalized the list into what is still used today, albeit now adapted to appear via modern media and digital platforms.
Since its inception, 496 of the overall 535 listed fugitives have been captured or located, with the list evolving from a focus on murder suspects and bank robbers to include child predators, cyber criminals, white-collar criminals and organized crime suspects, with a scope that expands beyond American borders.
Some of the especially infamous suspects who once appeared on the Most Wanted List include Osama bin Laden, James “Whitey” Bulger and James Earl Ray.
“The 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list is an invaluable investigative publicity tool the FBI has leveraged for 75 years to ensure the most odious criminals are brought to justice,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The capture rate of the subjects on the list demonstrates the enormous assistance the public provides, as well as the FBI’s unwavering commitment to apprehending these criminals.”
