Ask Mike: The FBI’s first wanted man
Hey Guys,
Monday marked the 60th anniversary of the Federal Bureau of Investigation‘s “Top 10 Most Wanted” list. Over the years, the list has hosted hundreds of dangerous criminals, from armed robbers to terrorists to murderers. But, who was the first bad guy to ever make the list? Was he caught? Was it even a “he”?
I visited the FBI’s official site, found a section on the agency’s history, and began my search. While the FBI is over 100 years old, the Most Wanted list didn’t start until 1950, after a reporter asked for “the names and descriptions of the ‘toughest guys’ the Bureau would like to capture.” The story created a lot of attention. Soon enough FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover started the official “Most Wanted” list. It’s very first member: Thomas James Holden.
Mr. Holden was indeed a very bad guy and well deserving of the FBI’s full attention. Wanted by law enforcement for the murders of his wife, her brother, and her stepbrother, Holden had also made a reputation for himself as half of the Holden-Keating gang from the 1920s and 1930s.
According to Time magazine, he was caught in 1951 in Oregon. Wikipedia mentions that he was nabbed thanks to a tipster who had read the article on the “toughest guys.” Holden died in prison in 1953.
The Most Wanted List is still remarkebly successful. Since 1950, 494 fugitives have been placed on the list. 463 of them have been caught or located. That’s a success rate of around 94%. Not too shabby. And not all of them were men. Vanity Fair reports that eight infamous women have made the list over the years.
The current “Most Wanted” list is available here. You don’t need government clearance to check it out for yourself. And, yes, showing the list to citizens really does work. 152 of the 463 arrests came as a “direct result of citizen cooperation.” Go get ‘em.
Thanks for reading,
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