Frequently Asked Questions



What is the purpose of the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” Program?

The “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” program is a publicity program founded by the FBI in March of 1950 in conjunction with the nation’s news media. It is designed to publicize particularly dangerous fugitives who might not otherwise merit nationwide attention. The FBI recognizes the need for public assistance in tracking fugitives. One hundred and sixty-two of the “Ten Most Wanted Fugitive” apprehensions have been the result of citizen recognition of “Ten Most Wanted Fugitive” publicity.

How many fugitives have been captured due to public assistance?

One hundred and sixty-two of the “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” have been apprehended due to public assistance.

When was the Program started?

It was founded on March 14, 1950, by the FBI in association with the nation’s news media.

Who actually decides which fugitives go on the list?

The Criminal Investigative Division (CID) at FBI Headquarters calls upon all 56 Field Offices to submit candidates for the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list. The nominees received are reviewed by Special Agents in the CID and the Office of Public Affairs. The selection of the “proposed” candidate(s) is then forwarded to FBI Executive Management for final approval.

On what criteria is that decision made?

First, the individual must have a lengthy record of committing serious crimes and/or be considered a particularly dangerous menace to society due to current criminal charges.

Second, it must be believed that the nationwide publicity afforded by the program can be of assistance in apprehending the fugitive, who, in turn, should not already be notorious due to other publicity.

Are members of the “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list ranked?

No.

When are fugitives removed from the list?

“Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” are only removed from the list when they meet one of the following conditions:

First, they are captured.

Second, the federal process pending against the individual is dismissed—this is not an FBI decision.

Third, they no longer fit “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” criteria.

In the ten cases where fugitives were removed for the third reason, it was determined that each fugitive was no longer considered to be a “particularly dangerous menace to society.” When a fugitive is removed from the list, another is added to take his or her place.

How many women have been on the “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list?

Ten. The first, Ruth Eisemann-Schier, was added in 1968 for kidnapping, extortion, and other crimes.

Has the makeup of the fugitives on the “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list changed over the years?

Most definitely, just as the priorities of the FBI have changed. Through the 1950s, the list was primarily comprised of bank robbers, burglars, and car thieves. Once into the radical 1960s, the list reflected the revolutionaries of the times with destruction of Government property, sabotage, and kidnapping dominating the list. During the 1970s, with the FBI’s concentration on organized crime and terrorism, the “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” included many fugitives with organized crime ties or links to terrorist groups. In the 1980s and 1990s, the list included sexual predators, international terrorists, and drug traffickers. This emphasis, along with crimes against children, white collar crime, and gang violence, continues today.

How many fugitives have been on the list?

As of August 26, 2020, there have been 523 fugitives on the “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list. Four hundred and ninety individuals appearing on the list have been located, 162 of them as a direct result of citizen cooperation.

Has the publicity generated by the program changed over the years?

Just as the composition of the list of “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” has changed over the years, the media outlets available for publicizing these fugitives have also changed. Traditionally, newspapers and magazines captured the attention of the domestic reader with profiles and photographs of America’s fugitives. Nine of the first 20 “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” were arrested due to citizen cooperation, including the very first “Ten Most Wanted Fugitive,” Thomas Holden, who was arrested after a citizen recognized his photograph in an Oregon newspaper. Today, editors and news directors want the local angle, which is not always present in a story. Therefore, the program relies heavily on publicity from coast to coast. “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” have been apprehended in every state except Alaska, Maine, and Delaware.

Currently, the FBI is also using television and radio to attract public attention to the “Ten Most Wanted Fugitive” list. Networks are airing television programs on FBI fugitives, and ABC Radio Network broadcasts the weekly series “FBI, This Week.” As a result of the first episode of “America’s Most Wanted,” David James Roberts was captured. To date, seventeen “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” have been located as a direct result of tips provided by viewers of this program.

In addition to television and radio, the FBI has begun to use cyberspace to inform the public. Postings on the FBI’s Internet website, www.fbi.gov, have led to the apprehension of three of the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives.”

How many “special additions” have been made to the “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list?

Ramzi Ahmed Yousef made the thirteenth fugitive to become a “special addition.” The first “special addition” was Richard Laurence Marquette who was wanted for murder. The second was James Earl Ray, wanted for the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Are there rewards offered for “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives"?

At a minimum, a reward of up to $100,000 is offered by the FBI for information which leads directly to the arrest of a “Ten Most Wanted Fugitive". In some instances, the reward amount offered is more than $100,000.

Did the FBI ever have a “Ten Most Wanted Public Enemies” Program before the “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” Program began?

No. The FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice made use of the term, “Public Enemy,” in the 1930s, an era in which the term was synonymous with “fugitive” or “notorious gangster.” It was used in speeches, books, press releases, and internal memoranda. However, neither the FBI nor the Department had any type of publicity program which concentrated on a “Public Enemy” number 1, number 2, etc.

The origin of the name, “Public Enemy,” has been traced to the Chicago Crime Commission, which invented the term around 1930. “Public Enemy” caught national attention, and the Commission maintained lists of its “Public Enemies” which were released through the news media. In addition, the term was popularized by a 1931 movie, “The Public Enemy,” in which James Cagney portrayed a gangster.

Common usage of the name, “Public Enemy,” died out during the World War II period.

What commercial uses of the “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” are allowed?

None. Commercial use is strictly prohibited. Descriptions and pictures of the “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” are provided for the sole purpose of eliciting public assistance in tracking fugitives.