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''America's Most Wanted'' (often abbreviated as ''AMW'') is an American television program whose first run was produced by
20th Television 20th Television, Inc. (formerly known as TCF Television Productions, Inc., 20th Century-Fox Television and 20th Century Fox Television) is the television studio arm of 20th Century Studios, owned by Disney Television Studios, a division of the Di ...
, and second run is under the Fox Alternative Entertainment division of
Fox Corporation Fox Corporation (commonly referred to as Fox Corp or simply Fox) is an American multinational mass media company headquartered at 1211 Avenue of the Americas, 1211 Avenue of the Americas in Midtown Manhattan, with offices also in Burbank, Cali ...
. At the time of its cancellation by the Fox television network in June 2011, it was the longest-running program in the network's history (24 seasons), a mark since surpassed by ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
'', although the program was revived ten years later. The show started off as a half-hour program on February 7, 1988. In 1990, the show's format was changed from 30 minutes to 60 minutes. The show's format was reverted to 30 minutes in 1995, and then back to 60 minutes in 1996. A short-lived syndicated spinoff titled ''America's Most Wanted: Final Justice'' aired during the 1995–96 season. The September following the initial 2011 cancellation, the show's host, John Walsh, announced that it would resume later that year on the cable network Lifetime, where it ran until its March 28, 2013, cancellation. This was reportedly due to low ratings and the level of royalty payments to Fox which holds the trademark and copyright. It was succeeded by ''John Walsh Investigates'', a one-off special on Lifetime. The show featured reenactments of dangerous fugitives that are portrayed by actors, interspersed with on-camera interviews, with Walsh in a voiceover narration. Each episode also featured photographs of dangerous fugitives, as well as a toll-free hotline number where viewers could give information at 1-800-CRIME-TV (1-800-274-6388), and they were allowed to remain anonymous. On May 2, 2008, the program's website announced its 1,000th capture. Many of the series' cases have some connection outside the United States or have not taken place in the United States at all. The series' first international capture was in
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
in 1989. With Walsh at the helm, ''America's Most Wanted'' began to broaden its scope. In addition to the regular segments narrated by Walsh, the show expanded its segments and correspondents. The first two-hour quarterly special aired on Saturday, October 29, 2011, on Fox. The second two-hour special aired on Saturday, December 17, 2011, the third two-hour special aired on Saturday, February 11, 2012, and the fourth and final two-hour special aired on Saturday, April 21, 2012. On July 13, 2014, a successor premiered on
CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
called '' The Hunt with John Walsh'', which added more international stories to its predecessor. The series ran until the end of its fourth season on November 19, 2017. From 2019 to 2022, Walsh hosted the
Investigation Discovery Investigation Discovery (stylized and branded on-air as ID since 2008) is an American multinational pay television network dedicated to true crime documentaries, similar to corporate sibling HLN. It is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery's netw ...
series ''In Pursuit with John Walsh''. In January 2020, Fox announced plans to revive ''America's Most Wanted''. The revival premiered on March 15, 2021, and was hosted by Elizabeth Vargas. In November 2023, after a two-year hiatus, Fox announced a second season. The following month, it was announced that Walsh would be returning as host, along with his son Callahan serving as co-host. The second season premiered on January 22, 2024. On March 25, 2025, it was announced that the show was renewed for a third season, which premiered on April 21, 2025.


History


Conception and early airing

The concept for ''America's Most Wanted'' originally came from a German show, '' Aktenzeichen XY… ungelöst'' (
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
for ''File Reference XY ... Unsolved''), that first aired in 1967, and the British show ''
Crimewatch ''Crimewatch'' (formerly ''Crimewatch UK'') is a British television programme produced by the BBC, that reconstructs major unsolved crimes in order to gain information from the public which may assist in solving the case. The programme was or ...
'', first aired in 1984, with the US version conceived by Fox executive Stephen Chao and Executive Producer Michael Linder in the summer of 1987. Even earlier, however,
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
aired a three-month half-hour similar series hosted by Walter McGraw in the 1955–1956 season titled ''Wanted''. While Linder was shooting the pilot episode in Indiana, Chao and Fox attorney Tom Herwitz conducted a hurried search for a host. Chao's first choice was former police officer and best-selling author Joseph Wambaugh, but Wambaugh refused, saying he did not believe a national dragnet would work in the United States. Chao also considered asking then-recently resigned U.S. Attorney (and future New York City mayor)
Rudolph Giuliani Rudolph William Louis Giuliani ( , ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and disbarred lawyer who served as the 107th mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney General fr ...
, former Virginia governor
Chuck Robb Charles Spittal Robb (born June 26, 1939) is an American former U.S. Marine Corps officer and politician who served as the 64th governor of Virginia from 1982 to 1986 and a United States senator representing Virginia from 1989 until 2001. A me ...
and former Nebraska governor
Bob Kerrey Joseph Robert Kerrey (born August 27, 1943) is an American politician who served as the 35th governor of Nebraska from 1983 to 1987 and as a United States Senator from Nebraska from 1989 to 2001. Before entering politics, he served in the Vietn ...
before deciding a politician might use the show as a platform for personal political ambitions. Other potential candidates included former
Marine Corps Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included raiding ashore (often in supp ...
Commandant General P. X. Kelly, journalists Linda Ellerbee and
Bob Woodward Robert Upshur Woodward (born March 26, 1943) is an American investigative journalist. He started working for ''The Washington Post'' as a reporter in 1971 and now holds the honorific title of associate editor though the Post no longer employs ...
, and victims' advocate Theresa Saldana. Then, during a marathon telephone conference call, Herwitz suggested John Walsh. Walsh had gained publicity after his six-year-old son,
Adam Adam is the name given in Genesis 1–5 to the first human. Adam is the first human-being aware of God, and features as such in various belief systems (including Judaism, Christianity, Gnosticism and Islam). According to Christianity, Adam ...
, was kidnapped and murdered in 1981. The crime had been the subject of the 1983 television film ''
Adam Adam is the name given in Genesis 1–5 to the first human. Adam is the first human-being aware of God, and features as such in various belief systems (including Judaism, Christianity, Gnosticism and Islam). According to Christianity, Adam ...
'', and Walsh's later advocacy had resulted in new legislation to protect missing children, as well as the creation of the
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is a private, nonprofit organization established in 1984 by the United States Congress. In September 2013, the United States House of Representatives, United States Senate, and the Pre ...
. After lengthy discussions, Walsh agreed to host the pilot episode. ''America's Most Wanted'' debuted as a half-hour program on February 7, 1988, on the then-seven Fox
owned and operated station In the broadcasting industry, an owned-and-operated station (frequently abbreviated as an O&O) usually refers to a television or radio station owned by the network with which it is associated. This distinguishes such a station from an affiliate ...
s, located in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
;
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
;
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
;
Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
;
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
;
Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
; and
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
. Within four days of the first broadcast, FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive David James Roberts was captured as a direct result. He was a convicted killer who had recently escaped from prison by digging his way out with a small axe. This demonstrated the effectiveness of the show's "Watch Television, Catch Criminals" premise to skeptical law enforcement agencies. Ten weeks later, the program premiered nationwide on the Fox network and became the fledgling network's first hit series. In 1990, the show's format was changed from 30 minutes to 60 minutes. The show was cut back to 30 minutes in 1995, and back to 60 minutes in 1996. In 1994, an international version of the series aired on various international markets under the title ''Manhunter''. From 1995 to 1996, a short-lived syndicated spinoff titled ''America's Most Wanted: Final Justice'' aired. The announcer heard on the show from 2004 until his death in 2008 was well-known voice-over artist
Don LaFontaine Donald LeRoy LaFontaine (August 26, 1940 – September 1, 2008) was an American voice actor who recorded more than 5,000 film trailers and hundreds of thousands of television advertisements, network promotions, and video game trailers over fou ...
. The first new episode aired after his death was dedicated to him. He was replaced by voice actor
Wes Johnson Wes Johnson (born June 6, 1961) is an American actor, cartoonist, comedian and voice artist, who has appeared in such films as ''A Dirty Shame'', ''Head of State (2003 film), Head of State'', ''The Invasion (film), The Invasion'', ''For Richer ...
, who served in the role until end of the show's run. Notable writers have included Peter Koper and Greg Scott.


Logos

The show's first logo ran from 1988 to 1990, which consisted of an
eagle Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...
sitting on a tree branch in a
circle A circle is a shape consisting of all point (geometry), points in a plane (mathematics), plane that are at a given distance from a given point, the Centre (geometry), centre. The distance between any point of the circle and the centre is cal ...
, with lines, stars, and zigzags below, and it has "AMERICA'S MOST WANTED" written on it. The show's second and final logo ran from 1990 to 2012, which would be used for the rest of the show's run. In 1996, the show was retitled ''America's Most Wanted: America Fights Back'', which ran until 2003. The 2021 logo utilizes the popular motif of utilizing the Stars and Stripes of the
American flag The national flag of the United States, often referred to as the American flag or the U.S. flag, consists of thirteen horizontal Bar (heraldry), stripes, Variation of the field, alternating red and white, with a blue rectangle in the Canton ( ...
as the "E" in "America's".


1996 cancellation and revival

The program was canceled for a month and a half in the fall of 1996, per a decision made the previous spring in the wake of high production costs. In its place, Fox moved '' Married... with Children'' (then entering what soon became its final season) to 9/8c, with the new sitcom '' Love and Marriage'' following it at 9:30. ''Cops'' remained in its hour-long 8/7c block. However, protests from the public, law enforcement, and government officials, including the governors of 37 states, encouraged Fox to bring the show back, though low ratings for ''Married...'' and ''Love and Marriage'' ultimately sealed the return of ''AMW''. ''Love and Marriage'' was canceled, and ''Married...'' was moved back to Sundays. On November 9, 1996, the show was retitled ''America's Most Wanted: America Fights Back'', which ran until 2003. The change was overseen by Fox executive Peter Roth, who promised to bring the show back. For the next 15 years afterward, the ''America's Most Wanted''/'' COPS'' combination made Saturday evening Fox's most stable night, along with the longest unchanged primetime schedule on American television as of 2011. On March 6, 2010, Fox aired the 1,000th episode of ''America's Most Wanted'', and Walsh interviewed then
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
at the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...
. In the interview, they discussed the
Obama Administration Barack Obama's tenure as the 44th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2009, and ended on January 20, 2017. Obama, a Democrat from Illinois, took office following his victory over Republican nomine ...
's crime-fighting initiatives, as well as the impact the show has had on law enforcement and crime prevention.


Covering criminals in the War on Terrorism

The show expanded its focus so it could also cover criminals in the War on Terrorism when, on October 12, 2001, an episode which featured 22 most-wanted
al-Qaeda , image = Flag of Jihad.svg , caption = Jihadist flag, Flag used by various al-Qaeda factions , founder = Osama bin Laden{{Assassinated, Killing of Osama bin Laden , leaders = {{Plainlist, * Osama bin Lad ...
operatives was aired. The show was put together due to a request by White House aides after the same list of men had been released to the nation two days earlier. However, the first show that focused mainly on
terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...
aired after the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
and was two hours long.


From Fox to Lifetime

On May 16, 2011, Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly announced that after 23 years, ''America's Most Wanted'', in its weekly format, would be canceled. The final weekly episode aired on June 18, 2011, though Reilly said four two-hour specials would air on Fox in the fall 2011 television season. However, Walsh said he was looking to other networks to keep the show going, saying he had "many, many offers" from other networks.
Fox News Channel The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American multinational conservative news and political commentary television channel and website based in New York City, U.S. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is ow ...
confirmed that its chairman
Roger Ailes Roger Eugene Ailes (May 15, 1940 – May 18, 2017) was an American television executive and media consultant. He was the chairman and CEO of Fox News, Fox Television Stations and 20th Television. Ailes was a media consultant for Republic ...
had been in preliminary discussions with Walsh about bringing the show to Fox News, but said "nothing has been decided." On the final Fox episode, Walsh promised to continue the show elsewhere and told the ''
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
'': "I want to catch bad guys and find missing children—and we're not done." During the 2010–2011 season, the show averaged an audience of five million. Within hours of Fox's announcement of the show's cancellation, campaigns to save the show were started by fans through
Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
and
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
, among other social networking sites. In September 2011, it was announced that Lifetime had picked up ''America's Most Wanted'' from Fox and it began airing on the former on December 2, 2011. On March 13, 2012, Lifetime ordered an additional 20 episodes. However, on March 28, 2013, it was announced that Lifetime had cancelled ''America's Most Wanted''.


2021 revival

In January 2021, Fox announced that it would revive ''America's Most Wanted'', with a new host Elizabeth Vargas, with the full endorsement of John Walsh, who could appear if contractual requirements with
Discovery Discovery may refer to: * Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown * Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown * Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence Discovery, The Discovery ...
for his series ''In Pursuit'' are relaxed. The revival premiered on March 15, 2021, and included
augmented reality Augmented reality (AR), also known as mixed reality (MR), is a technology that overlays real-time 3D computer graphics, 3D-rendered computer graphics onto a portion of the real world through a display, such as a handheld device or head-mounted ...
components to show a person's profile in full, including a full-body render of suspects or missing children, as they were last seen or artificially aged, along with identifying features such as scars and tattoos. The toll-free number for tips changed to 833-3AMWTIP (833-326-9847) and the website changed to AMWTips.com, as opposed to AMW.com; though the latter domain has remained under Fox's control since 1997. Tipsters' identities were anonymous and, as always, were eligible for a cash reward for information leading to the apprehension of criminal(s) involved. An extension series hosted by
Nancy Grace Nancy Ann Grace (born October 23, 1959) is an American legal pundit, commentator and television journalist. She hosted ''Nancy Grace (TV program), Nancy Grace'', a nightly celebrity news and current affairs (news format), current affairs show ...
, ''America's Most Wanted Overtime'', was also carried on the Fox Nation streaming service. It was announced in December 2023 that John Walsh would return as host of ''America's Most Wanted,'' with his son Callahan Walsh serving as co-host. The second season premiered on January 22, 2024 to 2.16 million viewers. Elizabeth Smart, whose 2002 kidnapping was broadcast on the original show, appeared as a guest to discuss child abduction. On March 25, 2025, it was announced that the show was renewed for a third season, which premiered on April 21, 2025.


''AMW'' Dirty Dozen

The ''AMW'' Dirty Dozen was John Walsh's list of notorious fugitives who had been profiled on the show who were at that time, still at large. It was similar in function, though not identical with, the
FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives The FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives is a most wanted list maintained by the United States's Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The list arose from a conversation held in late 1949 between J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the FBI, and William ...
list; four of the Dirty Dozen were on the FBI's list. These are the Dirty Dozen, as of January 8, 2013. Currently, there are 8 fugitives still wanted despite the idea of the list being John Walsh's 12 personal most wanted. The eleventh, Andre Neverson was arrested in 2018. Paul Jackson was arrested in 2015. Resort killer Beacher Ferrel Hackney was removed after his body was discovered in September 2012. Alleged murderer William Joseph Greer has also been removed from Walsh's Dirty Dozen before despite him seemingly still on the run. * Jason Derek Brown is wanted for the murder of an armored car driver and robbery of $56,000 in front of a movie theater in
Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...
, on November 29, 2004. He is charged in Phoenix with first-degree murder and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. He is believed to be in either
British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
, or Mexico. On December 8, 2007, Brown was added to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List. On September 7, 2022, he was removed from the Ten Most Wanted list without being captured, but he is still wanted. * Jose Fernando Corona is wanted out of Lewisville, TX for brutally murdering his wife with a chainsaw on April 26, 2010. The murder has shaken the quiet community to the core, particularly his daughter with whom he was close. Despite no
criminal record A criminal record (not to be confused with a police record or arrest record) is a record of a person's criminal Conviction, convictions history. The information included in a criminal record, and the existence of a criminal record, varies betwe ...
, the otherwise mild-mannered father of six had a
nervous breakdown A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is ...
and carried out this grisly act that was considered atypical of his character. Corona has since been on the run from the law, possibly being hidden by friends. * Berny Figueroa is wanted for the murder of two-year-old Alexia Lopez in
Brenham, Texas Brenham ( ) is a city in east-central Texas, United States, and the county seat of Washington County, with a population of 17,369 according to the 2020 U.S. census. Brenham is also known for its annual German heritage festival that takes pl ...
. On March 11, 2008, Figueroa punched Lopez in the stomach, separating her large and small intestines at the daycare facility where she worked. * Robert Fisher is wanted for the murder of his wife, Mary, and his children, Brittany and Bobby Jr. in
Scottsdale, Arizona Scottsdale is a city in eastern Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, and is part of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Named Scottsdale in 1894 after its founder Winfield Scott (chaplain), Winfield Scott, a retired Chaplain Corps (United States ...
, on April 10, 2001, and then burning down their house to try to cover up the crime. He was also on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List (until his removal in November 2021) and is considered to be AMW's Public Enemy Number 1. * Alexis Flores is wanted for the kidnapping and murder of five-year-old Iriana DeJesus in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, in July 2000. The DNA Match returned in March 2007. Flores was also placed on the
FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives The FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives is a most wanted list maintained by the United States's Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The list arose from a conversation held in late 1949 between J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the FBI, and William ...
list on June 2, 2007. On March 6, 2025, he was removed from the Ten Most Wanted list without being captured, but he is still wanted. * Francisco Javier Lopez Gonzalez is wanted for the murder of his step son. * Elby Hars was wanted for sexually abusing young girls in
Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-mo ...
. He had previously served time for sexually abusing his own daughter, Terri Hars. When he was released, he found young girls to abuse, leading to him going to prison. * Daniel Hiers is wanted for the murder of his wife, Ludimila Hiers, in
Goose Creek, South Carolina Goose Creek is the most populous city in Berkeley County, South Carolina, Berkeley County in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 45,946 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in South ...
, in March 2005. He is also wanted for sexually abusing a child in
Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...
, shortly before. Hiers, a former police officer, is on the U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted List, and they are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to his capture. Hiers was arrested in 2018 in Shanghai, China after being on the run for 13 years. *Paul Erven Jackson and sibling Vance Roberts were believed by police to have lured teenage girls to a homemade sex-torture chamber they built in the residence they once shared in
Hillsboro, Oregon Hillsboro ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County, Oregon, Washington County. Situated in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city hosts many High tech, high-te ...
. While Roberts turned himself in and was sentenced to 108 years in prison, Jackson escaped in June 1990 and was on the run until September 2015. On September 28, 2015, he was arrested by immigration officials in
Guadalajara Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...
, Mexico, where Jackson appeared to have been living for years using an alias. He was transported back to the U.S. and is currently awaiting trial on kidnapping charges in Hillsboro. * Andre Neverson is wanted for the murders of his sister, Patricia Neverson, and his ex-girlfriend, Donna Davis, both in
Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, in July 2002. He is also on the U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted list. Neverson was captured on September 4, 2018. *
Yaser Abdel Said Yaser Abdel Said (; born January 27, 1957) is an Egyptian-American convicted murderer. For 12 years, Said evaded arrest for the January 1, 2008, fatal shootings of his two daughters, whose bodies were found in his abandoned taxi cab in Irving, T ...
was wanted for shooting his two teenage daughters to death in an "
honor killing An honor killing (American English), ''honour killing'' (Commonwealth English), or ''shame killing'' is a type of murder in which a person, usually a woman or girl, is killed by or at the behest of male members of their family or their male ...
" on January 1, 2008, in
Irving, Texas Irving is a city in Dallas County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and is an Inner suburb, inner city suburb of Dallas. Irving is noted for its #Demographics, racial and ethnic diver ...
. He was also wanted for questioning in the girls' sexual abuse nearly a decade prior. He was added to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List on December 4, 2014. On August 26, 2020, Said was captured in
Justin, Texas Justin is a city in Denton County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,409 in 2020. It is also an outer ring suburb of Fort Worth. History In 1848, approximately 70 followers of the French utopian socialist Étienne Cabet arrived in ...
.


Presumption of innocence

Given that a significant number of the fugitives on ''America's Most Wanted'' had yet to face trial in a criminal court, the show adhered to the
presumption of innocence The presumption of innocence is a legal principle that every person Accused (law), accused of any crime is considered innocent until proven guilt (law), guilty. Under the presumption of innocence, the legal burden of proof is thus on the Prosecut ...
as afforded under the law. For this reason, in the cases where fugitives had not yet been convicted, John Walsh would always precede his narrative of the crime with either the terms "Police say...", "According to police...", or other such similar terms followed by a description of the crime to which the person had allegedly committed. In a handful of rare cases, ''America's Most Wanted'' profiled persons who were involved in controversial cases or who had fled to avoid prosecution on what they believed to be unfair or even framed charges. One female fugitive, who had fled to Canada, later had charges against her dismissed even after being profiled on the show. In another case, a judge ordered a change of venue for a suspected child murderer after learning that nearly the entire county had seen the suspect profiled on ''America's Most Wanted'' and believed him guilty. During its entire run, Walsh refused to ever issue a retraction, and never updated viewers on any fugitives who were later found not guilty of the crimes to which they had been profiled.


Timeline

*1988: ''America's Most Wanted'' debuted as a half-hour program on Fox, with David James Roberts as the show's first fugitive. This first year the show made possible the location and capture of Denice Stumpner, one of the killers of Margaret Anderson. *1989: The show marks its first international capture from
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
. *1990: The 100th episode of ''America's Most Wanted'' airs. The show moved to Friday nights at 9:00e/8:00c. The show introduced a brand new logo, and the format changed from 30 minutes to 60 minutes. Original executive producer Michael Linder leaves the show, and Lance Heflin became executive producer. *1992: The 200th episode of ''America's Most Wanted'' airs. *1994: The 300th episode of ''America's Most Wanted'' airs. The show moved to Saturday nights at 9:00e/8:00c. *1995: The show's format changed back to 30 minutes. ''America's Most Wanted: Final Justice'' debuts in first-run syndication. *1996: The 400th episode of ''America's Most Wanted'' airs. ''America's Most Wanted: Final Justice'' ends. The show's format changed back to 60 minutes, and was retitled ''America's Most Wanted: America Fights Back'', which stayed until 2003. *1998: The 500th episode of ''America's Most Wanted'' airs. *2000: The 600th episode of ''America's Most Wanted'' airs. *2002: The 700th episode of ''America's Most Wanted'' airs. *2003: The show was reverted to ''America's Most Wanted'', which would be used for the rest of the show's run. *2005: The 800th episode of ''America's Most Wanted'' airs. *2006: The 900th episode of ''America's Most Wanted'' airs. *2010: The 1,000th episode of ''America's Most Wanted'' airs. *2011: The last episode of ''America's Most Wanted'' airs on Fox. The show moved from Fox to Lifetime on Friday nights, which stayed until the end of the series in 2012. *2021: The first episode of the revival series, hosted by investigative journalist Elizabeth Vargas, debuts on Fox. *2024: John Walsh returned as host in the second season of the reboot on Fox and Fox Nation, alongside his son, Callahan, joining as co-host. *2025: The 1,100th episode of ''America’s Most Wanted'' airs.


In popular culture

''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
'' season 1 finale "
Some Enchanted Evening "Some Enchanted Evening" is a show tune from the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical '' South Pacific''. It has been described as "the single biggest popular hit to come out of any Rodgers and Hammerstein show." Mast, Gerald''Can't Help Sing ...
" featured a parody of ''America's Most Wanted'' called "America's Most Armed and Dangerous", which featured a profile of Ms. Botz (real name: Lucille Botzcowski), the Simpson's babysitter, who is nicknamed the Babysitter Bandit. In season six of ''The Simpsons,'' John Walsh appeared as the host of '' Springfield's Most Wanted,'' a fictitious version of ''America's Most Wanted'' which was designed to serve as a lead-in to the resolution to the " Who Shot Mr. Burns?" cliffhanger from the end of season six. It was also referenced during the episode Lisa's Rival, in which the name of the character Millhouse van Houten is mentioned because he is going to be featured on the show. This event is reinforced by armed men who chase him multiple times in the episode. In season six of ''
The Golden Girls ''The Golden Girls'' is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. The show's ensemble cast stars Beatrice Arthur, Betty ...
'', the fictitious mobster The Cheese Man boasts that his most recent appearance on ''America's Most Wanted'' was the highest-rated episode ever. In the 2019 science fiction action film '' Terminator: Dark Fate'', Sarah Connor reveals that she was featured in an entire episode of ''America's Most Wanted'' and is wanted in fifty American states, due to escaping Pescadero State Hospital, destroying Cyberdyne Systems and allegedly killing Miles Dyson 25 years earlier. In an episode of the sitcom ''
30 Rock ''30 Rock'' is an American satire, satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live' ...
'', Liz Lemon mentions that she once appeared on America's Most Wanted, playing a woman who was strangled on the toilet.


See also

* '' Aktenzeichen XY... ungelöst'', a similar program in
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
,
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
and
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
. * '' Australia's Most Wanted'', an inspired program in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. * ''
Crimewatch ''Crimewatch'' (formerly ''Crimewatch UK'') is a British television programme produced by the BBC, that reconstructs major unsolved crimes in order to gain information from the public which may assist in solving the case. The programme was or ...
'', a similar program in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. * '' Cops'', usually aired back-to-back with ''America's Most Wanted'' on Fox. * '' Efterlyst'', a similar program in
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
. * '' India's Most Wanted'', an inspired program in
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. * ''
Linha Direta ''Linha Direta'' (lit. ''Direct Line'') is a Brazilian television program broadcast by Globo Network. Similar in style and loosely based on the United States program, ''America's Most Wanted'', this program has helped the Brazilian authorities ...
'', a similar program in
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
. * '' Ten 7 Aotearoa'', a similar program in
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
. * ''
Police Report In legal terminology, a complaint is any formal legal document that sets out the facts and legal reasons (see: cause of action) that the filing party or parties (the plaintiff(s)) believes are sufficient to support a claim against the party ...
'', a similar program in
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
. * '' The Hunt with John Walsh'', a similar program which Walsh also hosts. * ''
Unsolved Mysteries ''Unsolved Mysteries'' is an American mystery documentary television series, created by John Cosgrove and Terry Dunn Meurer. Documenting cold cases and paranormal phenomena, it began as a series of seven specials, presented by Raymond Burr, Kar ...
'', a similar program.


References


External links

* * * * * {{Lifetime Shows 1988 American television series debuts 2012 American television series endings 2021 American television series debuts 1980s American television news shows 1990s American television news shows 2000s American television news shows 2010s American television news shows 2020s American television news shows 1980s American reality television series 1990s American reality television series 2000s American reality television series 2010s American reality television series 2020s American reality television series American television series revived after cancellation American English-language television shows Fox Broadcasting Company reality television shows Law enforcement in the United States Lifetime (TV channel) original programming Television series by 20th Century Fox Television Television series by Fox Entertainment Television series featuring reenactments True crime television series