Friday marks the 75th anniversary of the FBI's “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list. This is the famous Rogue's Gallery that has captivated Hollywood and true crime buffs for decades.
Since its founding in 1950, the list is “a valuable promotional tool” that helps ensure that the most lewd criminals go to trial, FBI director Kash Patel said in a statement.
Mugshots of more than 500 fugitives have earned positions in the agency's most notorious crime hall of fame, including Ted Bundy and Osama Bin Laden.
FBI founding director J. Edgar Hoover sent the first version of the list to United Press International Wire Agency. It was intended to inspire public interest in law enforcement and help attract the “stricken people” of the FBI.
The list soon captured the imagination of the American people in countless novels, comic books, films and television shows, including the hit series FBI: Most Wanted.
“The list started by featuring suspected bank robbers and murder suspects fleeing state jurisdiction, but it has evolved into a tool for searching for major organized crime figures, cybercriminals, child predators, and white-colored criminals,” the agency said in a statement released Friday along with a special logo that was made specifically for the era.
The current top ten list includes Bulgarian con artist Ruja Ignatava, the only woman in the infamous rank.
Also, accused murderer Omar Alexander Cardenas ($250,000), accused drug trafficker Faustro Meza Flores ($5 million), and Haitian crime boss Vitel Hom Innocent wanted the 17 American missionaries to be invited in 2021 (bounty: $2 million).
