Saturday marks the 60th anniversary of the FBI’s famous and wildly successful Ten Most Wanted Fugitive program, which has helped capture hundreds of suspects since its inception.
The Imperial Valley News reports that the program’s roots reach back to 1949, when a reporter for the International News Service wrote a story based on his request for a list of the FBI’s “toughest guys.” The FBI handed hi ma list of 10 fugitives, and the story was a sensation.
On March 14, 1950, then-Director J. Edgar Hoover created the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives program.
Since then, 473 of the 503 ho appeared on the list were apprehended to located.
Imperial Valley News wrote:
As the nature of crime and FBI priorities has evolved over the years, the makeup of the Top Ten list has also changed. While the list began by featuring bank robbers and murder suspects fleeing state jurisdiction, it has evolved into a tool to search for major organized crime figures, cyber criminals, child predators, and white-collar criminals. The list also reflects the international scope of crime which emphasizes the importance of strong global partnerships in the search for violent criminals who know no boundaries and pose a significant danger to all.
For more on the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives program, visit the FBI’s website at www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten.
