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FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, 1950s

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In the 1950s, the United States FBI began to maintain a public list of the people it regarded as the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. Following is a brief review of FBI people and events that place the 1950s decade in context, and then an historical list of individual fugitives whose names first appeared on the 10 Most Wanted list during the decade of the 1950s, under FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover.

FBI headlines in decade of 1950s

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In late 1949 the FBI helped publish an article about the "toughest guys" the Bureau was after, who remained fugitives from justice. The positive publicity from the story resulted in the birth of the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" list on March 14, 1950.

Cases of espionage against the United States and its allies were some of the prevalent investigations by the Bureau during the 1950s. Eight Nazi agents who had planned sabotage operations against American targets were arrested. Organized crime networks and families in the United States also became targets, including those headed by Sam Giancana and John Gotti.

FBI "Most Wanted Fugitives" in the 1950s

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As wanted fugitives were added, and then later removed, the FBI began to keep track of the sequence number in which each fugitive appeared on the list. Some individuals have even appeared twice, and often a sequence number was permanently assigned to an individual fugitive who was soon caught, captured, or simply removed, before his or her appearance could be published on the publicly released list. In those cases, the public would see only gaps in the number sequence reported by the FBI. For convenient reference, the wanted fugitive's sequence number and date of entry on the FBI list appear below, whenever possible.

FBI Most Wanted Fugitives added during the 1950s

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The most wanted fugitives listed in the decade of the 1950s include (in FBI list appearance sequence order):[1][2][3][4]

1950

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Name Sequence Number Date of Entry Time Listed
Thomas James Holden #1 March 14, 1950 One year
Thomas James Holden, a longtime criminal, was the first fugitive to be placed on the FBI’s newly created “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list, on March 14, 1950. Holden was arrested on June 23, 1961, in Beaverton, Oregon, following a tip from a citizen who read a wire service story in the Portland, Oregon newspaper The Oregonian and contacted the FBI.[5] He was wanted for fleeing on November 4, 1949 after he had shot to death his wife and her two brothers while drinking on June 5, 1949, in Chicago.

He was previously convicted of robbing a mail train in the late 1920s as part of the Holden-Keating gang and escaped from Leavenworth in 1930. He was alleged to be one of the "outside" crew in a sensational armed break of other prisoners from Leavenworth in December, 1931; after escape, he was caught by Special Agents and local police officers on a Kansas City, Missouri golf course on July 7, 1932. He was released from Leavenworth Prison on November 28, 1947.[6]

Morley Vernon King #2 March 15, 1950 Two years
Morley Vernon King was wanted for strangling his wife, Helen, with a scarf and leaving her body in a closet for six days. He then put her body in a steamer trunk, placing it under the back porch of a motel where he worked at in San Luis Obispo, California, on July 9, 1947.[7] He had fled from police July 8, 1947. He was apprehended on October 31, 1951 in a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, restaurant, due to an FBI investigation.
William Raymond Nesbit #3 March 16, 1950 Three days
William Nesbit was wanted for multiple murders and jewel thefts. In 1936, Nesbit and a crew of jewel thieves, consisting of three other man and one of their girlfriends, fled to South Dakota where they all got into a fight. The girlfriend attempted to break up the fight, but was struck with a hammer by Nesbit and shot by another crew member. She was dragged to a powder house where another crew member by the name of Harold Baker, laid unconscious. Nesbit then lit a fuse, setting off 3,500 pounds of dynamite and 7,000 pounds of black powder, killing Baker while the girlfriend managed to crawl away. On February 26, 1937, he was arrested in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He received a sentence of life in prison, but after 20 years, he was allowed to leave the prison for work activities. However, on September 4, 1946, he never returned and was wanted for fleeing. He was arrested on March 18, 1950 in St. Paul, Minnesota, by local police following a wire service story in the St. Paul Dispatch, with the help of a 14 year old boy and his friends who said he had become friends with a man named "Ray" who lived in a cave in the nearby Mississippi River bank.[8]
Henry Randolph Mitchell #4 March 17, 1950 Eight years
Henry Randolph Mitchell FBI Most Wanted Poster
Henry Randolph Mitchell, a longtime criminal, was wanted for robbing a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation bank in Williston, Florida on January 21, 1948 shortly after being released from Florida State Penitentiary. His criminal career dated back to 1924 and he had been previously convicted in the states of Kentucky, Georgia, New York and Florida for crimes including grand larceny, violation of narcotics laws, breaking and entering, and forgery.[9] Mitchell was placed on the list three days after its inception and was the only one of the original members still at large when the process against him was dismissed in Tallahassee, Florida on July 18, 1958.
Omar August Pinson #5 March 18, 1950 Five months
Omar August Pinson was wanted for murder and burglary. On April 25, 1947, Pinson, after just finishing a burglary, was approached by a state officer when the officer saw him was holding a large amount of guns. After failing to come up with an excuse, he pulled out a pistol, shooting and killing the officer. He had apparently been on a 6 month burglary spree in throughout Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. He was convicted for the murder and burglaries, and attempted to escape prison multiple times, thereafter. On May 30, 1949, he managed to saw through his prison bars and escape with another inmate, then immediately went back to burglarizing homes.[10] He was arrested on August 28, 1950 in Pierre, South Dakota, by local police while applying for his driver’s license, due to an FBI investigation,.
Lee Emory Downs #6 March 20, 1950 One month
Lee Emory Downs FBI Most Wanted Poster
Lee Emory Downs, an expert safecracker and longtime criminal, was wanted for robbing a telephone company in San Jose, California with an accomplice.[11] He was a part of a loose gang of holdup men and robbers from several states. He was arrested by the FBI in Daytona Beach, Florida, on April 7, 1950, outside his trailer home, due to an FBI investigation. At the time of the arrest, Downs was working on his 1949 Lincoln automobile. A search of the trailer revealed two pistols, six rifles, nine sticks of dynamite, twelve electric detonating fuses, and two leather briefcases filled with ammunition. He was convicted, but in 1968, while on parole, he attempted to burglarize the Colombian consulate in San Francisco and was returned to prison.[12]
Orba Elmer Jackson #7 March 21, 1950 Two days
Orba Elmer Jackson, a longtime criminal, was wanted for escaping prison when he walked away from a work duty. He was serving time for robbing a store that happen to have a post office in the back making it a federal crime, therefore making him a federal prisoner, sending him to Leavenworth Prison.[13] He was apprehended without incident on March 23, 1950 in Aloha, Oregon. A citizen saw Jackson’s Identification Order in an Oregon post office and recognized him as a farm hand.
Glen Roy Wright #8 March 22, 1950 Nine months
Glen Roy Wright FBI Most Wanted Poster
Glen Roy Wright, a longtime criminal, dubbed, "The Old Man of the Mountains", was wanted for escaping prison, where he was serving a life sentence for hijacking an auction with an accomplice. He was captured by accident when the FBI were looking for two kidnappers of a St. Paul banker. He was also wanted for questioning in the murder of a Tulsa attorney. After an escape attempt in 1940 where he was wounded, on September 14, 1948, he was able to successfully escape when he faked having an ill mother and disappeared when visiting her. While on the run, he committed numerous crimes including robbery. He was arrested on December 13, 1950 in Salina, Kansas, by the FBI, due to an FBI investigation. He then became a model prisoner before dying of a heart attack in prison on July 5, 1954.[14]
Henry Harland Shelton #9 March 23, 1950 Three months
Henry Harland Shelton FBI Most Wanted Poster
Henry Harland Shelton was wanted for escaping prison. On September 17, 1949, Shelton and accomplice kidnapped an electrical worker and forced him to drive them across several states at knife point. They then abandoned the car the repeated the process three more times. Shelton's accomplice was captured during a holdup while Shelton managed to escape the police. Three months later, the FBI were able to ascertain his location as he frequented a local bar. He was arrested on June 23, 1950 in Indianapolis, Indiana, by FBI agents while armed with a .45 caliber automatic weapon which he drew it during the arrest in an attempt to shoot the arresting FBI agent. Agents shot and wounded him. He pled guilty to charges of federal kidnapping and the interstate transportation of stolen motor vehicles. He received a sentence of 45 years on the kidnapping charge and five years on the car theft charge, sentences to run concurrently.[15]
Morris Guralnick #10 March 24, 1950 Nine months
Morris Guralnick FBI Most Wanted Poster
Morris Guralnick was wanted escaping custody while awaiting trial for stabbing his ex-girlfriend in April, 1948. In order to escape, Guralnick and four other inmates broke the plumbing fixtures and violently assaulted two guard with broken pipes where one guard was hospitalized with sever head injuries. He was considered extremely dangerous as during his first arrest for the assault, he bit off the finger of an arresting officer. In December of 1950, Guralnick was arrested by an FBI agent and a local police officer at a clothing store where he was working as a night clerk in Madison, Wisconsin. He was located as a result of a citizen seeing his picture in the Coronet magazine and then contacting authorities.[16]
Willie Sutton #11 March 20, 1950 Two years
William Francis Sutton, a.k.a. “The Actor” or “Slick Willie,” was wanted for escaping prison where he was serving time for multiple bank robberies. He was considered a gentlemen when robbing banks with one victim stating it was like being in a movie where the usher had a gun. He would usually put on elaborate disguises in order to rob them in broad daylight. He would go on to make several escapes from prisons. While serving a sentence of life imprisonment as a fourth time offender, Sutton was transferred to the Philadelphia County Prison, in Homesburg, Pennsylvania. On February 10, 1947, Sutton and other prisoners dressed as prison guards and carried two ladders across the prison yard to the wall after dark. When the prison’s searchlights hit him, Sutton yelled, “It’s okay,” and no one stopped him. Because of his love for expensive clothes, his photograph was given to tailors as well as the police. Arnold Schuster recognized Sutton on a New York subway on February 18, 1952, leading to his arrest. He was sentenced to 30 years on top of the one life sentence and 105 years he was already serving before his escape. However, in 1969, he was released from prison since he had emphysema and was preparing for major surgery. On November 2, 1980, Willie Sutton died in Spring Hill, Florida, at the age of 79.[17]
Stephen William Davenport #12 April 4, 1950 One month
Stephen William Davenport FBI Most Wanted Poster
Stephen William Davenport, a longtime criminal, was wanted for fleeing after he was arrested for stealing a car while out on parole. He was originally in Leavenworth Prison for killing a detective sergeant while committing an armed burglary.[18] To escape, he broke a bar in the shower room of the correctional facility he was at and using blankets slid out a window to the ground floor.[19] He was arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada, by local police, due to an FBI investigation.
Henry Clay Tollett #13 April 11, 1950 One year
Henry Clay Tollett FBI Most Wanted Poster
Henry Clay Tollett, a longtime criminal, was wanted for escaping prison where he was serving a 25 year long sentence for bank robbery. He hid in a truck that was picking up prison made office furniture before jumping out of the truck and disappearing in Tacoma, Washington. he was known to have a gun in a secret pocket in his left sleeve and was a notorious alcoholic.[20] He was fatally wounded by a California Highway Patrol officer during the attempt to apprehend him on June 4, 1951. He was in a stolen car in Redding, California.
Frederick J. Tenuto #14 May 24, 1950 Fourteen years
Frederick J. Tenuto FBI Most Wanted Poster
Frederick J. Tenuto, a.k.a. "The Angel", a longtime criminal, was wanted for escaping prison with Willie Sutton (#11) in 1947, where he was serving time for murder. Placed on the Top Ten list on May 24, 1950, federal process against Tenuto was dismissed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by a U.S. District Judge. It was alleged by Joe Valachi that Tenuto was killed by Albert Anastasia to get rid of loose ends in a hit he ordered on Arnold Schuster.[21]
Thomas Kling #15 July 17, 1950 Two years
Thomas Kling FBI Most Wanted Poster
Thomas Kling, a longtime criminal, was wanted for armed robbery when he entered a bar and fired a gun in the air. He then smashed a barkeeper over the head with a stool and robbed the place. All this took place while out on parole. Starting his criminal career at the age of ten he was in and out of prison for a multitude of crimes including, multiple robberies, assaults, bank robberies, breaking and entering, carjacking, and more.[22] He was arrested on February 20, 1952 in New York, New York, by local police after following an address book they found in Willie Sutton's (#11) apartment.[23]
Meyer Dembin #16 September 5, 1950 One year
Meyer Dembin FBI Most Wanted Poster
Meyer Dembin was wanted robbing a bank with three others in under five minutes, armed with revolvers and a shotgun. They then jumped into a stolen sedan. Over the course of the next decade, his accomplices would be arrested and given lengthy prison sentences.[24] He surrendered to the U.S. Attorney on November 26, 1951 in New York, New York.

1951

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Name Sequence Number Date of Entry Time Listed
Courtney Townshend Taylor #17 January 8, 1951 One month
Courtney Townsend Taylor FBI Most Wanted Poster
Courtney Townshend Taylor was wanted for passing bad checks. He was apprehended in Mobile, Alabama, in 1951 after a jeweler recognized him from a Wanted Flyer. Sending his clerk to follow Taylor, the jeweler called the FBI and police. Within 25 minutes, Taylor was in custody. Upon his arrest, he was frisked and pulled out a black fountain pen and stated "This is the only gun I need,".[25]
Joseph Franklin Bent #18 January 9, 1951 Two years
Joseph Franklin Bent FBI Most Wanted Poster
Joseph Franklin Bent, a longtime criminal and former army soldier, was wanted for multiple robberies and attempted murder. On July 23, 1949, he wrapped his face in tape and robbed a grocery store in San Diego, California. After fleeing in a getaway car driven by an accomplice, they were chased by a motorcycle officer. A gun battle ensued where Bent shot at the officer with a shotgun out of the moving car where they managed to get away. While on the run, in May of 1950, he robbed another grocery store in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and was arrested after hiding under a house. He managed to escape from the infirmary with a broken jaw and stole two vehicles in succession to escape. He then fled to Riverdale, North Dakota and committed another robbery.[26] He was arrested in Texas City, Texas, after a citizen recognized his photo in Pageant magazine. He was shot and wounded during the arrest when he attempted to draw his weapon.
Harry H. Burton #19 March 9, 1951 One year
Harry H. Burton FBI Most Wanted Poster
Harry H. Burton, a longtime criminal, was wanted for murder. On October 1, 1947, a wealthy liquor store owner who was reported to have large sums of cash on him and in his, home was robbed while his wife and three visitors were inside. A mailman arrived with a package at the front door and drew a pistol forcing the wife inside, having all four people lie face down on the kitchen floor. Others then entered and ransacked the home. Robert Crane adjusted himself while lying down and was subsequently shot in the head by the intruder after which he shooter and the robbers fled the home. The package initially used to gain entry to the home was left behind which had the latent fingerprints of Burton and stuffed inside was a sticker with Burton's father's name and address. Further investigating turned up evidence that implicated Burton.[27] He was arrested in Cody, Wyoming, in 1952, by the local sheriff and FBI. His arrest is attributed to the True Detective Mysteries radio broadcast. however, he was later acquitted when a witness testified that he was at him dying mothers bedside at the time of the murder.[28]
Joseph Paul Cato #20 June 27, 1951 Surrendered before publication
Joseph Paul Cato FBI Most Wanted Poster
Joseph Paul Cato, a one time gangster, was wanted for the murder of his girlfriend who he was having an affair with unbeknownst to her husband. The motive was believed to be jealously as she was meeting another man. He broke down her door, chased her upstairs, and shot her in the head.[29] He surrendered to the FBI in Cleveland, Ohio, in June of 1951, after seeing his own Identification Order. Although approved to be placed on the “Top Ten” list, he surrendered prior to the press release date.
Anthony Brancato #21 June 27, 1951 Two days
Anthony Brancato FBI Most Wanted Poster
Anthony Brancato was wanted for robbing the Flamingo Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, which had ties to the Mafia, alongside Tony Trombino as part of duo robbers commonly known as "The Two Tonys".[30] He surrendered to the FBI on June 29, 1951 in San Francisco, California, after seeing an International News Service story in the San Francisco Call-Bulletin.
Frederick Emerson Peters #22 July 2, 1951 Seven months
Frederick Emerson Peters FBI Most Wanted Poster
Frederick Emerson Peters, a serial imposter, was wanted for writing bad check. He would travel around the U.S. pretending to be government officials and relatives of famous people getting others to cash bad checks for him. He amassed around 130 aliases by 1948.[31] He was arrested on January 15, 1952 in a Washington, D.C., hotel lobby after two FBI agents recognized him from an Identification Order.
Ernest Tait #23 July 11, 1951 One day
Ernest Tait FBI Most Wanted Poster
Ernest Tait, a career robber, was wanted for robbing a safe in New Castle, Indiana with an accomplice. They were caught in the act and had a shootout with police in which his partner was shot and killed.[32] He was arrested on July 12, 1951 in Miami, Florida, by the FBI as a direct result of an Associated Press story published in the Miami Herald and the Miami Daily News. After being apprehended, Tait said he had intended to shoot it out with the police, but he had read the AP story about himself stating he had been added to the “Top Ten” list and decided not to try to shoot it out with the FBI. Tait is also #133 on the list.
Ollie Gene Embry #24 July 25, 1951 One month
Ollie Gene Embry FBI Most Wanted Poster
Ollie Gene Embry was wanted for robbing Monroe National Bank in Columbia, Illinois with three others on February 7, 1951. The four planned to meet up later to divide the stolen cash but Embry spotted a detective during the sting operation set up to capture them and Embry fled while his accomplices were arrested.[33] A citizen saw Embry’s Identification Order in the post office and recognized him as a local filling station attendant. He was arrested by FBI agents in August 1951 while he was in the process of fixing the radiator of the arresting agents’ car in Kansas City, Missouri.
Giachino Anthony Baccolla #25 August 20, 1951 Four months
Giachino Anthony Baccolla FBI Most Wanted Poster
Giachino Anthony Baccolla was wanted for the murder of a Detroit jeweler that was shot in his car at his home on May 17, 1951. The jeweler and Baccolla were acquaintances as former criminals. It is possible that he killed him after the jeweler became a government witness in a robbery case in 1950.[34] He was arrested in New York, New York in December 1951, due to an FBI investigation.
Raymond Edward Young #26 November 12, 1951 Four days
Raymond Edward Young FBI Most Wanted Poster
Raymond Edward Young, a longtime robber, was wanted for escaping a California prison when he ran away from fighting a fire as part of a convict gang of firefighters. While on the run, he got married and got a job escorting funeral processions on a motorcycle, making friends with local motorcycle cops.[35] He was arrested in Denver, Colorado, in November of 1951, due to an FBI investigation. Young worked nights at a bakery and was apprehended while loading bread trucks.
John Thomas Hill #27 December 10, 1951 One year
John Thomas Hill FBI Most Wanted Poster
John Thomas Hill was wanted for murder. He was arrested in August of 1952, in Hamtramck, Michigan, after a citizen recognized him from a Wanted Flyer. Due to an FBI investigation, agents raided his home finding Hill in bed, fast asleep. He offered no resistance.[36]
George Arthur Heroux #28 December 19, 1951 Seven months
George Arthur Heroux FBI Most Wanted Poster
George Arthur Heroux was wanted for robbing the Johnson County National Bank and Trust Company in Prairie Village, Kansas with machine guns alongside Gerhard Arthur Puff (#30) on November 23, 1951.[37] He was arrested on July 25, 1952 in El Portal, Florida, by local police following a police department investigation.

1952

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Name Sequence Number Date of Entry Time Listed
Sydney Gordon Martin #29 January 7, 1952 Two years
Sydney Gordon Martin FBI Most Wanted Poster
Sydney Gordon Martin was wanted for robbing, shooting, and beating a farmer with a rock near Belchertown, Massachusetts when he faked needing help with his stalled car. He then fled in the farmers truck before being arrested in Northampton, Massachusetts. Four months later he scaled a barbed wire fence and escaped jail.[38] He was arrested without incident on November 27, 1953 in Corpus Christi, Texas, by the FBI following publicity in the Saturday Evening Post.
Gerhard Arthur Puff #30 January 28, 1952 Six months
Gerhard Arthur Puff FBI Most Wanted Poster
Gerhard Arthur Puff, a longtime criminal, was wanted for robbing the Johnson County National Bank and Trust Company of Prairie Village, Kansas, alongside George Arthur Heroux (#28) at gun point. He and Heroux had met in jail while Puff awaited trial for armed robbery. On July 26, 1952, Puff was arrested in a hotel lobby in New York, New York, after he shot and killed FBI Special Agent Joseph J. Brock. Puff himself was shot and wounded before he was arrested. He was later executed by electric chair.[37]
Thomas Edward Young #31 February 21, 1952 Seven months
Thomas Edward Young FBI Most Wanted Poster
Thomas Edward Young, a longtime criminal and jail escape artist, had fled while out on bond for burglary. He then met up with his wife who was recovering from a car accident. They then both went on the run through several states. Later, a friend of Thomas was getting out of jail, so they picked him up with another couple. They were stopped by federal agents in which Thomas tried to run, armed with a pistol. They were all subsequently arrested. On August 18, 1951, Thomas overpowered a guard, stole his keys, released his wife and another prisoner, and fled. During their time on the run, they committed multiple burglaries and robberies. They were later arrested and entered guilty pleas in October of 1951. Then on December 28, 1951, Thomas and his wife escaped custody again and fled, committing multiple burglaries and five bank robberies.[39] He was arrested on September 23, 1952 in the Boise National Forest, without incident following an investigation of citizen reports recognizing his photograph on Identification Orders and in newspaper articles.
Kenneth Lee Maurer #32 February 27, 1952 Eleven months
Kenneth Lee Maurer FBI Most Wanted Poster
Kenneth Lee Maurer was wanted for the murders of his mother and 11-year-old sister.[40] The mother was stabbed 36 times and bludgeoned while the sister was stabbed four times. A bloody axe and hunters knife was found at the scene.[41] He was arrested while working at a local cabinet shop on January 8, 1953 in Miami, Florida, after several customers saw his published photograph and contacted the FBI. Because of Maurer’s fear of flying, he was allowed to return to Detroit by train to face murder charges.
Isaie Aldy Beausoleil #33 March 3, 1952 One year
Isaie Aldy Beausoleil FBI Most Wanted Poster
Isaie Aldy Beausoleil was wanted in connection for the bludgeoning death of his female companion in Des Moise, Idaho who was found in a ditch.[42] At the time of his arrest on June 25, 1953, Beausoleil was dressed as a woman. The arrest occurred in Chicago, Illinois, when Beausoleil was spotted acting suspiciously in a women’s restroom. A park policewoman responded and made the arrest.
Leonard Joseph Zalutsky #34 August 5, 1952 One month
Leonard Joseph Zalutsky FBI Most Wanted Poster
Leonard Joseph Zalutsky, a.k.a. "Bad Eye" because he was half blind, was wanted for the escaping a Florida prison where he was serving a life sentence for murdering a Miami police officer.[43] He was arrested by local police on September 8, 1952 in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, after being recognized by two citizens who saw his FBI Wanted Poster in a post office.
William Merle Martin #35 August 11, 1952 Three weeks
William Merle Martin FBI Most Wanted Poster
William Merle Martin and an accomplice robbed a house in Overland Park, Kansas on June 22, 1952, then attempted to steal a car in a nearby neighborhood just after midnight the next day. At the time deputies had already been in the area searching for the two men. Deputies Willard Carver and Floyd Gaunt upon going to a call about an attempt to steal a car drove down a street and saw a vehicle in a ditch which contained a Luger pistol and random items. Martin and his accomplice then approached in a truck. When told to put their hands up, they immediately opened fire, killing deputy Carver.[44] He was arrested in on August 30, 1952 in St. Louis, Missouri, by local police due to a police investigation. He was executed in July of 1954.[45]
James Eddie Diggs #36 August 27, 1952 Nine years
James Eddie Diggs FBI Most Wanted Poster
James Eddie Diggs was wanted for the shooting murders of his wife and two sons. Five days later, he was in a car that was pulled over with three other men. Instead of identifying himself, he drew a revolver and shot a police officer in the mouth. The four men then drove away, where three of them later surrendered and told police that Diggs had kidnapped them at gunpoint to drive to Hamlet. However, he got out of the car before reaching his destination and stated he was going to "take to the woods" and was never seen again.[46] Federal process against Diggs was dismissed in Norfolk, Virginia in 1961.
Nick George Montos #37 September 8, 1952 Two years
Nick George Montos FBI Most Wanted Poster
Nick George Montos, a criminal since 14-years-old and later mafia member, was wanted for escaping prison multiple times where he was serving time for robbery. He had beat a 74-year-old man and the man's sister with a gun with three others.[47] He was arrested in his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee, after being recognized by a citizen. He was also #94 on the list being the first person to be added twice.
Theodore Richard Byrd Jr. #38 September 10, 1952 Six months
Theodore Richard Byrd, Jr. FBI Most Wanted Poster
Theodore Richard Byrd Jr., a Navy deserter and longtime criminal, was wanted for interstate transportation of stolen property. Under a fake name, he set up an account with a fake company called McGee Petroleum Co., hired a local stenographer, and had her write bogus checks as employee payrolls. He then continued the operation in multiple states, under multiple identities.[48] He was arrested on February 21, 1953 in El Reno, Oklahoma, after an off-duty FBI clerk recognized him from a Wanted Flyer and notified the local police.
Harden Collins Kemper #39 September 17, 1952 Four months
Harden Collins Kemper FBI Most Wanted Poster
Harden Collins Kemper, a longtime criminal, was wanted for failing to appear for court for vehicle theft. He was as the leader for a ring of car thieves that stole 58 vehicles at the time.[49] He was arrested in Glendale, Arizona, after an Arizona Highway Patrolman recognized him from an Identification Order.
John Joseph Brennan #40 October 6, 1952 Four months
John Joseph Brennan FBI Most Wanted Poster
John Joseph Brennan was wanted for bank robbery. He was arrested on January 23, 1953 in Chicago, Illinois, as a result of a tip from an FBI informant.[50]

Year 1953

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Year 1954

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Year 1955

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Year 1956

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Year 1957

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Year 1958

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Year 1959

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End of the decade

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By the end of the decade, the following fugitives were remaining at large on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list:

Name Sequence number Date of entry
Frederick J. Tenuto #14 1950
James Eddie Diggs #36 1952
David Daniel Keegan #78 1954
Eugene Francis Newman #97 1956
Angelo Luigi Pero #107 1958
Charles Everett Hughes #364 1978
Edwin Sanford Garrison #112 1959

FBI directors in the 1950s

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References

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  1. ^ Federal Bureau of Investigation (2000). FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives Program: 50th Anniversary 1950-2000. K&D Limited, Inc.
  2. ^ "A Chronological Listing of the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" March 14, 1950 – January 1, 2000" (PDF). Federal Bureau of Investigation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2002-01-27. Retrieved 2009-03-02.
  3. ^ "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives FAQ — FBI". www.fbi.gov. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
  4. ^ "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives 1 to 100". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
  5. ^ Denson, Bryan (March 13, 2010). "Oregon has starring role as FBI's Most Wanted list turns 60". The Oregonian. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
  6. ^ Perry, Douglas (2020-02-12). "The FBI's famous '10 Most Wanted Fugitives' list launched 70 years ago – and led agents to Beaverton". oregonlive. Archived from the original on Nov 30, 2024. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
  7. ^ "Morley King". The Miami News. 1951-06-20. p. 26. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
  8. ^ Federal Bureau of Investigation (2010). FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives 60th Anniversary. U.S. Department of Justice. pp. 16–17.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  9. ^ Dary Matera, FBI's Ten Most Wanted, (New York: HarperCollins, 2003), pg. 27.
  10. ^ "FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin - September 1950". FBI: Law Enforcement Bulletin. Sep 1950. pp. 26–27. Archived from the original on Jan 7, 2025. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
  11. ^ "Richmond News Leader 8 April 1950 — Virginia Chronicle: Digital Newspaper Archive". virginiachronicle.com. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
  12. ^ "Lee Emory Downs.jpg - 381x613". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
  13. ^ Martinazzi, Loyce (September 2014). "1950: Number 7 on the F.B.I's Most Wanted List" (PDF). Tualatin Life. Retrieved Feb 7, 2025.
  14. ^ "'Last of the Oklahoma Badmen': Glenn Roy Wright Dies as He Lived, in Prison". digitalcollections.tulsalibrary.org. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
  15. ^ "Henry Harland Shelton.jpg - 655x360". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
  16. ^ "Morris Guralnick.jpg - 449x587". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
  17. ^ "Willie Sutton". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Archived from the original on Jan 28, 2025. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
  18. ^ "FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives: Who has been caught in Nevada?". Las Vegas Review-Journal. 2023-03-14. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
  19. ^ "FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin - January 1950". FBI: Law Enforcement Bulletin. January 1950. p. 24. Archived from the original on Jan 7, 2025. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
  20. ^ Lee, James (1950-04-15). "Henry Clay Tollett Added to Criminal List". Delaware County Daily Times. p. 12. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
  21. ^ "Frederick "the Angel" Tenuto Reported Dead (Aug. 1963)". Philadelphia Daily News. 1963-08-07. p. 3. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
  22. ^ "FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin - November 1950". FBI: Law Enforcement Bulletin. November 1950. p. 26. Archived from the original on Feb 2, 2025. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
  23. ^ "CRIME: The Actor & the Bulls". Time. 1952-03-03. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
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