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* Meta-example: usually, when a beloved show is cancelled, you can expect a few fans on the Internet to start a petition. When ''America's Most Wanted'' was cancelled, there was a petition, alright. Not only was the [[https://www.deseret.com/1996/12/10/19281959/fox-s-new-chief-programmer-promises-to-revive-brashness petition]] signed by fans of the show, it was also signed by ''[[https://www.nytimes.com/1996/09/07/us/officials-try-to-save-tv-crime-show.html police chiefs and governors]]''.

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Putting them in a bit more chronological order. A lot of the entries has the criminals "is serving" their sentences, which gets oudated as time goes on, so changing the wording a bit.


* ''America's Most Wanted'' was responsible for its first recovery of a child in 1988, less than a year after it went on the air. Back then, Kenneth Cole, a 24-year-old Massachusetts babysitter, became obsessed with one of the children he was supposed to care for, 5-year-old Nicole Ravesi, before he did the unthinkable and kidnapped her. ''AMW'' profiled Cole and Ravesi three times and each time, police and the FBI were swamped with tips placing them all over the East Coast. Just 39 days later, one of the tips paid off as Cole and Ravesi were found in a small Florida fishing town. With the arrest of Cole and the recovery of Ravesi, ''AMW'' showed it was not just good for capturing fugitives, but also for recovering missing children and persons.
* Paul Michael Merhige was wanted for four counts of first-degree murder with a firearm and two counts of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm after he opened fire on his family on Thanksgiving 2009 in Jupiter, Florida. The monthlong manhunt came to a head after a commercial for ''AMW'' was aired during the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2, 2010, when the owners of the Edgewater Lodge in Long Key, Fla., recognized Merhige as a man who checked into their motel. Within hours, Merhige was in handcuffs and ''AMW'' capture #1,099. Merhige is currently awaiting trial and the prosecution is seeking the death penalty.
* On February 7, 1988, ''America's Most Wanted'' took to the air with the goal of capturing fugitives who had evaded justice. Law enforcement was initially skeptical that a television show could capture a wanted criminal, but those doubts were quickly erased. The show's first profiled fugitive was David James Roberts. In 1975, Roberts murdered a family of three in Whiteland, Ind., and then burned down their house. He was arrested but was let out on bail and in 1977, kidnapped a woman in Indianapolis, raped her, locked her in the trunk of her car and murdered her infant son. He was sentenced to prison but escaped in 1986 on a hospital trip. In 1987, Roberts was added to the FBI Ten Most Wanted List.\\

to:

* ''America's Most Wanted'' was responsible for its first recovery of a child in 1988, less than a year after it went on the air. Back then, Kenneth Cole, a 24-year-old Massachusetts babysitter, became obsessed with one of the children he was supposed to care for, 5-year-old Nicole Ravesi, before he did the unthinkable and kidnapped her. ''AMW'' profiled Cole and Ravesi three times and each time, police and the FBI were swamped with tips placing them all over the East Coast. Just 39 days later, one of the tips paid off as Cole and Ravesi were found in a small Florida fishing town. With the arrest of Cole and the recovery of Ravesi, ''AMW'' showed it was not just good for capturing fugitives, but also for recovering missing children and persons.
* Paul Michael Merhige was wanted for four counts of first-degree murder with a firearm and two counts of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm after he opened fire on his family on Thanksgiving 2009 in Jupiter, Florida. The monthlong manhunt came to a head after a commercial for ''AMW'' was aired during the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2, 2010, when the owners of the Edgewater Lodge in Long Key, Fla., recognized Merhige as a man who checked into their motel. Within hours, Merhige was in handcuffs and ''AMW'' capture #1,099. Merhige is currently awaiting trial and the prosecution is seeking the death penalty.
* On February 7, 1988, ''America's Most Wanted'' took to the air with the goal of capturing fugitives who had evaded justice. Law enforcement was initially skeptical that a television show could capture a wanted criminal, but those doubts were quickly erased. The show's first profiled fugitive was [[https://apnews.com/article/d5cfce52a5f3eb968a75466d999363d6 David James Roberts.Roberts]]. In 1975, Roberts murdered a family of three in Whiteland, Ind., and then burned down their house. He was arrested but was let out on bail and in 1977, kidnapped a woman in Indianapolis, raped her, locked her in the trunk of her car and murdered her infant son. He was sentenced to prison but escaped in 1986 on a hospital trip. In 1987, Roberts was added to the FBI Ten Most Wanted List.\\



* In 1996, Amy [=DeChant=] was wanted out of Las Vegas for murder after she killed her boyfriend, rich bookie Bruce Weinstein. On Jan. 3, 1998, ''AMW'' aired the case and the broadcast paid dividends as they found that one good tip to nab the so-called "Black Widow." However, it also made for one of the most bizarre captures in ''AMW'' history. Authorities caught up with [=DeChant=] at the Sunset Palms nudist resort in Florida. Clothes or no clothes, [=DeChant=] was the milestone capture #500. In Oct. 1998, [=DeChant=] was convicted, but the conviction was overturned by the Nevada Supreme Court in 2000. However, in 2001, [=DeChant=] pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and is currently serving 10 to 25 years in prison.
* It can be rightfully assumed that of all the fugitives captured by ''America's Most Wanted'' hate the show. Perhaps no one hates the show more than Stephen Tatro. In 1997, Tatro killed his business partner, Daniel Duran, with a hunting rifle. ''AMW'' profiled the story in April 2000, but six hours before it aired, Tatro was arrested thanks to tips from commercials showing him, making him capture #604. The story doesn't end there, though. While awaiting trial, Tatro faked having a heart attack and used the hospital trip as a bid for freedom. The escape was short-lived as ''AMW'' profiled him on Dec. 30, 2000, and tips came in. One tip led cops right to where Tatro was hiding, a ranch in Arizona. That made Tatro not just capture #639, but the first (and so far, only) fugitive to be captured twice by ''AMW''. In 2001, Tatro was convicted of murder and is serving 50 years in prison.
* Prince Alvarado was an aspiring DJ, but he put an end to his dreams after he was charged with four counts of attempted murder and multiple criminal weapons charges after he shot at four people outside a White Castle in Sayreville, New Jersey. On Nov. 14, 2009, Alvarado was profiled on ''AMW'' and in the early morning hours of Nov. 15, Alvarado was arrested at his Florida apartment thanks to several ''AMW'' tips. Police found Alvarado was living with his girlfriend under an alias, making a living as a telemarketer and selling shoes out of the trunk of his car. Alvarado was ''AMW'' capture #1,093 and is serving 21-25 years in prison.
* On Dec. 13, 2000, Joseph C. Garcia, Randy Ethan Halprin, Larry James Harper, Patrick Henry Murphy, Jr., Donald Keith Newbury, George Rivas and Michael Anthony Rodriguez escaped from a maximum-security prison in Texas and spent their time on the run with a trail of crime behind them. Dubbed the Texas Seven, the men committed a series of robberies to stay on the lam. The manhunt intensified on Christmas Eve after the Texas Seven murdered Aubrey Hawkins after the police officer responded to a burglary. Authorities quickly put out a reward and ''AMW'' profiled them several times. After the Jan. 20, 2001, show, a couple who owned a Colorado RV park called in after recognizing the men from ''AMW'' as a group who set up residence on their property. The tip proved to be golden as on Jan. 22, 2001, Garcia, Halprin, Rivas and Rodriguez were caught by police while Harper committed suicide as police closed in on him. On Jan. 24, Murphy and Newbury were also captured. The Texas Seven were ''AMW'' captures #642-648. All six of the surviving fugitives were sentenced to death for Hawkins' murder. Rodriguez was executed in 2008 and Rivas was put to death in 2012. Garcia, Halprin and Murphy remain on Death Row, while Newbury has been given a stay of execution.
* More often than not, nothing good comes from the murder of a child. ''America's Most Wanted'' is a great exception to the rule. In 1981, John Walsh was working as a hotel-management executive when his 6-year-old son, Adam, was abducted. Despite the efforts of the Walsh family, police and search parties, Adam's decapitated head was soon found in Hollywood, Florida (the rest of his body has never been found). Walsh turned his fury and grief into a positive as he spent the 30 years after Adam's murder successfully lobbying politicians to pass laws that better protect children and create harsher punishments for criminals. One of his greatest deeds was getting Congress to approve the establishment of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which works to rescue at-risk kids. Two made-for-TV NBC movies were made portraying Adam's death and the missing children's profiles that aired after the show resulted the in recovery of several kids, most notably Bryon Anthony [=McCain=] II, better known as Bizzy Bone from Music/BoneThugsNHarmony. In 1988, Fox approached Walsh about hosting ''America's Most Wanted'' and the rest, as they say, is history. Nearly 1,200 fugitives captured and more than 60 recovered missing persons has shown what ''America's Most Wanted'' has accomplished while adding emphasis on how important it is to track fugitives who harm children.\\

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* One of the most amazing captures was #50, that of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_List_(murderer) John Emil List]]. On November 9, 1971, List shot his entire family, including his wife, three children, and his elderly mother, and left their bodies to rot. He left a note confessing to the brutal slaughter (claiming he wanted to save his family from being "corrupted"), and took off, managing to evade justice for seventeen years. Enter ''AMW'' in May 1989, who used a new technique to find him. They hired a forensic artist to make a sculpture of what List would look like as an elderly man, even adding a pair of thick, dark glasses they found at a flea market. More than two hundred tips came in, and one ended up leading them directly to List, who had been living in Richmond, Virginia under the alias Robert Clark. It took the FBI eleven days to track him down. The best part? The bust used looked ''exactly'' like List. The bust was even wearing the exact same make of glasses.
** Also the fact that List was a fan of the show and told his friends to watch it? [[HoistByHisOwnPetard Classic]].
* ''America's Most Wanted'' was responsible for its first recovery of a child in 1990. Back then, Kenneth Cole, a 24-year-old Massachusetts babysitter, became obsessed with one of the children he was supposed to care for, 5-year-old Nicole Ravesi, before he did the unthinkable and kidnapped her. ''AMW'' profiled Cole and Ravesi three times between April 8 and April 29, 1990, and each time, police and the FBI were swamped with tips placing them all over the East Coast. Just 39 days later in [[https://www.upi.com/Archives/1990/05/11/Kidnapped-girl-thought-she-was-on-vacation/4830642398400/ May 1990]], one of the tips paid off as Cole and Ravesi were found in a small Florida fishing town. With the arrest of Cole and the recovery of Ravesi, ''AMW'' showed it was not just good for capturing fugitives, but also for recovering missing children and persons.
* In 1996, Amy [=DeChant=] was wanted out of Las Vegas for murder after she killed her boyfriend, rich bookie [[https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1998/01/29/show-leads-to-arrest-in-vegas-murder-case/ Bruce Weinstein.Weinstein]]. On Jan. 3, 1998, ''AMW'' aired the case and the broadcast paid dividends as they found that one good tip to nab the so-called "Black Widow." However, it also made for one of the most bizarre captures in ''AMW'' history. Authorities caught up with [=DeChant=] at the Sunset Palms nudist resort in Florida. Clothes or no clothes, [=DeChant=] was the milestone capture #500. In Oct. 1998, [=DeChant=] was convicted, but the conviction was overturned by the Nevada Supreme Court in 2000. However, in 2001, [=DeChant=] pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and is currently serving was sentenced to serve 10 to 25 years in prison.
* It can be rightfully assumed that of all the fugitives captured by ''America's Most Wanted'' hate the show. Perhaps no one hates the show more than Stephen Tatro. In 1997, Tatro killed his business partner, Daniel Duran, with a hunting rifle. ''AMW'' profiled the story in April 2000, but six hours before it aired, Tatro was arrested thanks to tips from commercials showing him, making him capture #604. The story doesn't end there, though. While awaiting trial, Tatro faked having a heart attack and used the hospital trip as a bid for freedom. The escape was short-lived as ''AMW'' profiled him on Dec. 30, 2000, and tips came in. One tip led cops right to where Tatro was hiding, a ranch in Arizona. That made Tatro not just capture #639, but the first (and so far, only) fugitive to be captured twice by ''AMW''. In 2001, Tatro was convicted of murder and is serving sentenced to serve 50 years in prison.
* Prince Alvarado was an aspiring DJ, but he put an end to his dreams after he was charged with four counts of attempted murder and multiple criminal weapons charges after he shot at four people outside a White Castle in Sayreville, New Jersey. On Nov. 14, 2009, Alvarado was profiled on ''AMW'' and in the early morning hours of Nov. 15, Alvarado was arrested at his Florida apartment thanks to several ''AMW'' tips. Police found Alvarado was living with his girlfriend under an alias, making a living as a telemarketer and selling shoes out of the trunk of his car. Alvarado was ''AMW'' capture #1,093 and is serving 21-25 years in prison.
* On Dec. 13, 2000, Joseph C. Garcia, Randy Ethan Halprin, Larry James Harper, Patrick Henry Murphy, Jr., Donald Keith Newbury, George Rivas and Michael Anthony Rodriguez escaped from a maximum-security prison in Texas and spent their time on the run with a trail of crime behind them. Dubbed the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Seven Texas Seven, Seven]], the men committed a series of robberies to stay on the lam. The manhunt intensified on Christmas Eve after the Texas Seven murdered Aubrey Hawkins after the police officer responded to a burglary. Authorities quickly put out a reward and ''AMW'' profiled them several times. After the Jan. 20, 2001, show, a couple who owned a Colorado RV park called in after recognizing the men from ''AMW'' as a group who set up residence on their property. The tip proved to be golden as on Jan. 22, 2001, Garcia, Halprin, Rivas and Rodriguez were caught by police while Harper committed suicide as police closed in on him. On Jan. 24, Murphy and Newbury were also captured. The Texas Seven were ''AMW'' captures #642-648. All six of the surviving fugitives were sentenced to death for Hawkins' murder. Rodriguez was executed in 2008 and Rivas was put to death in 2012. Garcia, Halprin and Murphy remain on Death Row, while Newbury has been given a stay of execution.
* More often than not, nothing good comes from Perhaps the murder biggest feather in the cap of a child. ''America's Most Wanted'' is a great exception to was the rule. In 1981, John Walsh [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Smart Elizabeth Smart]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidnapping_of_Elizabeth_Smart kidnapping case]]. On June 5, 2002, Elizabeth Smart, who was working as a hotel-management executive when his 6-year-old son, Adam, 14 at the time, was abducted. Despite abducted from her bedroom in Salt Lake City. The case garnered widespread media coverage across the efforts country, hundreds of the Walsh family, police candlelight vigils and search parties, Adam's decapitated head was soon found in Hollywood, Florida (the rest of his body has never been found). Walsh turned his fury and grief into a positive as he spent the 30 years after Adam's murder successfully lobbying politicians to pass laws $250,000 reward, but tips came up empty for months. In February 2003, ''AMW'' began reporting that better protect children and create harsher punishments for criminals. One of his greatest deeds was getting Congress to approve the establishment of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which works to rescue at-risk kids. Two made-for-TV NBC movies were made portraying Adam's death and the missing children's profiles that aired after the show resulted the in recovery of several kids, most notably Bryon Anthony [=McCain=] II, better a former Smart handyman simply known as Bizzy Bone from Music/BoneThugsNHarmony. In 1988, Fox approached Walsh about hosting ''America's Most Wanted'' Emmanuel was a person of interest and the rest, as they say, is history. Nearly 1,200 fugitives captured and more than 60 recovered missing persons has shown what ''America's Most Wanted'' has accomplished while adding emphasis had his composite picture plastered on how important it is to track fugitives who harm children.TV.\\



The one case that was never profiled on the show, however, was Adam's murder, which went unsolved for 27 years. Walsh and authorities always had their suspicions and in December 2008, police in Florida gave the Walsh family some overdue closure as a Christmas present in finally naming Adam's killer. The man they determined who was the killer was Ottis Toole, a serial killer responsible by his own admission to more than 200 murders (Toole died in prison in 1996 while serving a life sentence that had been commuted from the death penalty). Toole was long-believed by Walsh and cops to be Adam's killer and they finally had the proof, closing the case for good. Just because Toole was implicated didn't mean that Walsh was done with the manhunt and the show continues to air to this day.
* In 1993, police in Sacramento, California, charged Odis James Williams with sexual conduct with a child, oral copulation with a child under 14 and unlawful sexual intercourse with a child after he abused young girls for 10 years. Williams had managed to elude the law for 16 years before ''AMW'' profiled his case. On the first airing, on Dec. 12, 2009, a tip came in that was right on the money and Williams was booked just hours after the show as capture #1,097. Williams was convicted in 2010 and after his sentencing in 2011, he is serving 32 years to life in prison.
* Perhaps the biggest feather in the cap of ''America's Most Wanted'' was the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping case. On June 5, 2002, Elizabeth Smart, who was 14 at the time, was abducted from her bedroom in Salt Lake City. The case garnered widespread media coverage across the country, hundreds of candlelight vigils and a $250,000 reward, but tips came up empty for months. In February 2003, ''AMW'' began reporting that a former Smart handyman simply known as Emmanuel was a person of interest and had his composite picture plastered on TV.\\
\\



* One of the most amazing captures was #50, that of John Emil List. On November 9, 1971, List shot his entire family, including his wife, three children, and his elderly mother, and left their bodies to rot. He left a note confessing to the brutal slaughter (claiming he wanted to save his family from being "corrupted"), and took off, managing to evade justice for seventeen years. Enter ''AMW'', who used a new technique to find him. They hired a forensic artist to make a sculpture of what List would look like as an elderly man, even adding a pair of thick, dark glasses they found at a flea market. More than two hundred tips came in, and one ended up leading them directly to List, who had been living in Richmond, Virginia under the alias Robert Clark. It took the FBI eleven days to track him down. The best part? The bust used looked ''exactly'' like List. The bust was even wearing the exact same make of glasses.
** Also the fact that List was a fan of the show and told his friends to watch it? [[HoistByHisOwnPetard Classic]].
* Meta-example: usually, when a beloved show is cancelled, you can expect a few fans on the Internet to start a petition. When ''America's Most Wanted'' was cancelled, there was a petition, alright. Not only was the petition signed by fans of the show, it was also signed by ''police chiefs and governors''.
* The road to 1,200 captures was completed with captures on back-to-back days. First was Zane Kiel Mason, who was wanted out of Fort Mohave, Ariz., for second degree murder after killing a 51-year-old man in an argument on Aug. 22, 2011. More than a year later, Mason's life on the run came to a halt on Oct. 21, 2012, when police apprehended him in Sacramento, Calif. The U.S. Marshals Service, who made the arrest, credited a tip to ''AMW'' for the capture, making Mason Capture No. 1,199. The next day in St. Petersburg, Fla., John Thomas Reardon became the next fugitive to face justice ''AMW'' style. Reardon had been wanted out of Charlotte, N.C., for failure to appear and possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute, on top of police wanting to talk to him about the disappearance of his girlfriend, Emily Gregoriev. An alert ''AMW'' viewer spotted Reardon and the USMS took him down, making Reardon the 1,200th capture linked to the show. As a bonus, Gregoriev was found alive and well in St. Petersburg, too.
* Less than two weeks after the revival's premiere on March 15th, 2021, they managed to catch Phillip Dent who had been featured in an episode, making him capture #1187.

to:

* One [[https://www.nj.com/news/local/2009/11/tips_lead_police_to_florida_ap.html Prince Alvarado]] was an aspiring DJ, but he put an end to his dreams after he was charged with four counts of attempted murder and multiple criminal weapons charges after he shot at four people outside a White Castle in Sayreville, New Jersey. On Nov. 14, 2009, Alvarado was profiled on ''AMW'' and in the early morning hours of Nov. 15, Alvarado was arrested at his Florida apartment thanks to several ''AMW'' tips. Police found Alvarado was living with his girlfriend under an alias, making a living as a telemarketer and selling shoes out of the most amazing captures trunk of his car. Alvarado was #50, that of John Emil List. On November 9, 1971, List shot his entire family, including his wife, three children, ''AMW'' capture #1,093 and his elderly mother, and left their bodies sentenced to rot. He left a note confessing to the brutal slaughter (claiming he 21-25 years in prison.
* Paul Michael Merhige was
wanted to save for four counts of first-degree murder with a firearm and two counts of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm after he opened fire on his family from being "corrupted"), and took off, managing to evade justice for seventeen years. Enter ''AMW'', who used a new technique to find him. They hired a forensic artist to make a sculpture of what List would look like as an elderly man, even adding a pair of thick, dark glasses they found at a flea market. More than two hundred tips on Thanksgiving 2009 in Jupiter, Florida. The month long manhunt came in, to a head after a commercial for ''AMW'' was aired during the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2, 2010, when the owners of the Edgewater Lodge in Long Key, Fla., recognized Merhige as a man who checked into their motel. Within hours, Merhige was in handcuffs and one ended up leading them directly ''AMW'' capture #1,099. Merhige was sentenced to List, who seven life terms (there had been living discussion about the death penalty), despite the [[https://www.cnn.com/2011/10/27/justice/florida-thanksgiving-killings Sittons' pleas]] to the judge.
* In 1993, police
in Richmond, Virginia Sacramento, California, charged [[https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1951726_1951715_1951616,00.html Odis James Williams]] with sexual conduct with a child, oral copulation with a child under 14 and unlawful sexual intercourse with a child after he abused young girls for 10 years. Williams had managed to elude the alias Robert Clark. It took law for 16 years before ''AMW'' profiled his case. On the FBI eleven days first airing, on Dec. 12, 2009, a tip came in that was right on the money and Williams was booked just hours after the show as capture #1,097. Williams was convicted in 2010 and after his sentencing in 2011, he was sentenced 32 years to life in prison.
* More often than not, nothing good comes from the murder of a child. ''America's Most Wanted'' is a great exception to the rule. In 1981, John Walsh was working as a hotel-management executive when his 6-year-old son, Adam, was abducted. Despite the efforts of the Walsh family, police and search parties, Adam's decapitated head was soon found in Hollywood, Florida (the rest of his body has never been found). Walsh turned his fury and grief into a positive as he spent the 30 years after Adam's murder successfully lobbying politicians to pass laws that better protect children and create harsher punishments for criminals. One of his greatest deeds was getting Congress to approve the establishment of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which works to rescue at-risk kids. Two made-for-TV NBC movies were made portraying Adam's death and the missing children's profiles that aired after the show resulted the in recovery of several kids, most notably Bryon Anthony [=McCain=] II, better known as Bizzy Bone from Music/BoneThugsNHarmony. In 1988, Fox approached Walsh about hosting ''America's Most Wanted'' and the rest, as they say, is history. Nearly 1,200 fugitives captured and more than 60 recovered missing persons has shown what ''America's Most Wanted'' has accomplished while adding emphasis on how important it is
to track him down. fugitives who harm children.\\
\\
The best part? The bust used looked ''exactly'' like List. The bust was even wearing the exact same make of glasses.
** Also the fact
one case that List was never profiled on the show, however, was [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Adam_Walsh Adam's murder]], which went unsolved for 27 years. Walsh and authorities always had their suspicions and in December 2008, police in Florida gave the Walsh family some overdue closure as a fan of Christmas present in finally naming Adam's killer. The man they determined who was the killer was [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottis_Toole Ottis Toole]], a serial killer responsible by his own admission to more than 200 murders (Toole died in prison in 1996 while serving a life sentence that had been commuted from the death penalty). Toole was long-believed by Walsh and cops to be Adam's killer and they finally had the proof, closing the case for good. Just because Toole was implicated didn't mean that Walsh was done with the manhunt and the show and told his friends continues to watch it? [[HoistByHisOwnPetard Classic]].
air to this day.
* Meta-example: usually, when a beloved show is cancelled, you can expect a few fans on the Internet to start a petition. When ''America's Most Wanted'' was cancelled, there was a petition, alright. Not only was the petition [[https://www.deseret.com/1996/12/10/19281959/fox-s-new-chief-programmer-promises-to-revive-brashness petition]] signed by fans of the show, it was also signed by ''police ''[[https://www.nytimes.com/1996/09/07/us/officials-try-to-save-tv-crime-show.html police chiefs and governors''.
governors]]''.
* The road to 1,200 captures was completed with captures on back-to-back days. First was [[https://www.kcra.com/article/america-s-most-wanted-fugitive-snagged-in-sacramento/6399820 Zane Kiel Mason, Mason]], who was wanted out of Fort Mohave, Ariz., for second degree murder after killing a 51-year-old man in an argument on Aug. 22, 2011. More than a year later, Mason's life on the run came to a halt on Oct. 21, 2012, when police apprehended him in Sacramento, Calif. The U.S. Marshals Service, who made the arrest, credited a tip to ''AMW'' for the capture, making Mason Capture No. 1,199. The next day in St. Petersburg, Fla., [[https://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/suspect-featured-on-americas-most-wanted-captured-in-st-petersburg/1257976/ John Thomas Reardon Reardon]] became the next fugitive to face justice ''AMW'' style. Reardon had been wanted out of Charlotte, N.C., for failure to appear and possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute, on top of police wanting to talk to him about the disappearance of his girlfriend, Emily Gregoriev. An alert ''AMW'' viewer spotted Reardon and the USMS took him down, making Reardon the 1,200th capture linked to the show. As a bonus, Gregoriev was found alive and well in St. Petersburg, too.
* Less than two weeks after the revival's premiere on March 15th, 2021, they managed to catch [[https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/americas-most-wanted-1187th-capture-exclusive-1234937141/ Phillip Dent Dent]] who had been featured in an episode, making him capture #1187.
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* The show had a revival on March 15th, 2021. Less then two weeks after they managed to catch Phillip Dent who had been shown on the show, making him capture #1187.

to:

* The show had a revival on March 15th, 2021. Less then than two weeks after the revival's premiere on March 15th, 2021, they managed to catch Phillip Dent who had been shown on the show, featured in an episode, making him capture #1187.
#1187.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
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* The show had a revival on March 15th,2021. Less then two weeks after they managed to catch Phillip Dent who had been shown on the show, making him capture #1187.

to:

* The show had a revival on March 15th,2021.15th, 2021. Less then two weeks after they managed to catch Phillip Dent who had been shown on the show, making him capture #1187.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
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to:

* The show had a revival on March 15th,2021. Less then two weeks after they managed to catch Phillip Dent who had been shown on the show, making him capture #1187.
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* More often than not, nothing good comes from the murder of a child. ''America's Most Wanted'' is a great exception to the rule. In 1981, John Walsh was working as a hotel-management executive when his 6-year-old son, Adam, was abducted. Despite the efforts of the Walsh family, police and search parties, Adam's decapitated head was soon found in Hollywood, Florida (the rest of his body has never been found). Walsh turned his fury and grief into a positive as he spent the 30 years after Adam's murder successfully lobbying politicians to pass laws that better protect children and create harsher punishments for criminals. One of his greatest deeds was getting Congress to approve the establishment of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which works to rescue at-risk kids. Two made-for-TV NBC movies were made portraying Adam's death and the missing children's profiles that aired after the show resulted the in recovery of several kids, most notably Bryon Anthony [=McCain=] II, better known as Bizzy Bone from Music/BoneThugsNHarmony. In 1988, Fox approached approached Walsh about hosting ''America's Most Wanted'' and the rest, as they say, is history. Nearly 1,200 fugitives captured and more than 60 recovered missing persons has shown what ''America's Most Wanted'' has accomplished while adding emphasis on how important it is to track fugitives who harm children.\\

to:

* More often than not, nothing good comes from the murder of a child. ''America's Most Wanted'' is a great exception to the rule. In 1981, John Walsh was working as a hotel-management executive when his 6-year-old son, Adam, was abducted. Despite the efforts of the Walsh family, police and search parties, Adam's decapitated head was soon found in Hollywood, Florida (the rest of his body has never been found). Walsh turned his fury and grief into a positive as he spent the 30 years after Adam's murder successfully lobbying politicians to pass laws that better protect children and create harsher punishments for criminals. One of his greatest deeds was getting Congress to approve the establishment of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which works to rescue at-risk kids. Two made-for-TV NBC movies were made portraying Adam's death and the missing children's profiles that aired after the show resulted the in recovery of several kids, most notably Bryon Anthony [=McCain=] II, better known as Bizzy Bone from Music/BoneThugsNHarmony. In 1988, Fox approached approached Walsh about hosting ''America's Most Wanted'' and the rest, as they say, is history. Nearly 1,200 fugitives captured and more than 60 recovered missing persons has shown what ''America's Most Wanted'' has accomplished while adding emphasis on how important it is to track fugitives who harm children.\\



* In 1993, police in Sacramento, California, charged Odis James Williams with sexual conduct with a child, oral copulation with a child under 14 and unlawful sexual intercourse with a child after abused young girls for 10 years. Williams had managed to elude the law for 16 years before ''AMW'' profiled his case. On the first airing, on Dec. 12, 2009, a tip came in that was right on the money and Williams was booked just hours after the show as capture #1,097. Williams was convicted in 2010 and after his sentencing in 2011, he is serving 32 years to life in prison.

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* In 1993, police in Sacramento, California, charged Odis James Williams with sexual conduct with a child, oral copulation with a child under 14 and unlawful sexual intercourse with a child after he abused young girls for 10 years. Williams had managed to elude the law for 16 years before ''AMW'' profiled his case. On the first airing, on Dec. 12, 2009, a tip came in that was right on the money and Williams was booked just hours after the show as capture #1,097. Williams was convicted in 2010 and after his sentencing in 2011, he is serving 32 years to life in prison.



* The road to 1,200 captures was completed with captures on back-to-back days. First was Zane Kiel Mason, who was wanted out of Fort Mohave, Ariz., for second degree murder after killing a 51-year-old man in an argument on Aug. 22, 2011 . More than a year later, Mason's life on the run came to a halt on Oct. 21, 2012, when police apprehended him in Sacramento, Calif. The U.S. Marshals Service, who made the arrest, credited a tip to ''AMW'' for the capture, making Mason Capture No. 1,199. The next day in St. Petersburg, Fla., John Thomas Reardon became the next fugitive to face justice ''AMW'' style. Reardon had been wanted out of Charlotte, N.C., for failure to appear and possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute, on top of police wanting to talk to him about the disappearance of his girlfriend, Emily Gregoriev. An alert ''AMW'' viewer spotted Reardon and the USMS took him down, making Reardon the 1,200th capture linked to the show. As a bonus, Gregoriev was found alive and well in St. Petersburg, too.

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* The road to 1,200 captures was completed with captures on back-to-back days. First was Zane Kiel Mason, who was wanted out of Fort Mohave, Ariz., for second degree murder after killing a 51-year-old man in an argument on Aug. 22, 2011 .2011. More than a year later, Mason's life on the run came to a halt on Oct. 21, 2012, when police apprehended him in Sacramento, Calif. The U.S. Marshals Service, who made the arrest, credited a tip to ''AMW'' for the capture, making Mason Capture No. 1,199. The next day in St. Petersburg, Fla., John Thomas Reardon became the next fugitive to face justice ''AMW'' style. Reardon had been wanted out of Charlotte, N.C., for failure to appear and possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute, on top of police wanting to talk to him about the disappearance of his girlfriend, Emily Gregoriev. An alert ''AMW'' viewer spotted Reardon and the USMS took him down, making Reardon the 1,200th capture linked to the show. As a bonus, Gregoriev was found alive and well in St. Petersburg, too.

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* On February 7, 1988, ''America's Most Wanted'' took to the air with the goal of capturing fugitives who had evaded justice. Law enforcement was initially skeptical that a television show could capture a wanted criminal, but those doubts were quickly erased. The show's first profiled fugitive was David James Roberts. In 1975, Roberts murdered a family of three in Whiteland, Ind., and then burned down their house. He was arrested but was let out on bail and in 1977, kidnapped a woman in Indianapolis, raped her, locked her in the trunk of her car and murdered her infant son. He was sentenced to prison but escaped in 1986 on a hospital trip. In 1987, Roberts was added to the FBI Ten Most Wanted List. Enter ''AMW'' a year later. Immediately, tips poured in and one identified Roberts as the director of a New York homeless shelter living under an alias. His girlfriend told police he was in the hospital at the time, but he ran before he could be arrested. On February 11, 1988, ''AMW'' showed its effectiveness with the apprehension of Roberts in New York. That's right, the show's first fugitive was also its #1 capture, a Top 10 Fugitive arrested just four days after the show aired. Roberts is serving six consecutive life sentences for his initial crimes plus an additional 20 years for the escape and is ineligible for parole.

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* On February 7, 1988, ''America's Most Wanted'' took to the air with the goal of capturing fugitives who had evaded justice. Law enforcement was initially skeptical that a television show could capture a wanted criminal, but those doubts were quickly erased. The show's first profiled fugitive was David James Roberts. In 1975, Roberts murdered a family of three in Whiteland, Ind., and then burned down their house. He was arrested but was let out on bail and in 1977, kidnapped a woman in Indianapolis, raped her, locked her in the trunk of her car and murdered her infant son. He was sentenced to prison but escaped in 1986 on a hospital trip. In 1987, Roberts was added to the FBI Ten Most Wanted List. \\
\\
Enter ''AMW'' a year later. Immediately, tips poured in and one identified Roberts as the director of a New York homeless shelter living under an alias. His girlfriend told police he was in the hospital at the time, but he ran before he could be arrested. On February 11, 1988, ''AMW'' showed its effectiveness with the apprehension of Roberts in New York. That's right, the show's first fugitive was also its #1 capture, a Top 10 Fugitive arrested just four days after the show aired. Roberts is serving six consecutive life sentences for his initial crimes plus an additional 20 years for the escape and is ineligible for parole.



* More often than not, nothing good comes from the murder of a child. ''America's Most Wanted'' is a great exception to the rule. In 1981, John Walsh was working as a hotel-management executive when his 6-year-old son, Adam, was abducted. Despite the efforts of the Walsh family, police and search parties, Adam's decapitated head was soon found in Hollywood, Florida (the rest of his body has never been found). Walsh turned his fury and grief into a positive as he spent the 30 years after Adam's murder successfully lobbying politicians to pass laws that better protect children and create harsher punishments for criminals. One of his greatest deeds was getting Congress to approve the establishment of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which works to rescue at-risk kids. Two made-for-TV NBC movies were made portraying Adam's death and the missing children's profiles that aired after the show resulted the in recovery of several kids, most notably Bryon Anthony [=McCain=] II, better known as Bizzy Bone from Music/BoneThugsNHarmony. In 1988, Fox approached approached Walsh about hosting ''America's Most Wanted'' and the rest, as they say, is history. Nearly 1,200 fugitives captured and more than 60 recovered missing persons has shown what ''America's Most Wanted'' has accomplished while adding emphasis on how important it is to track fugitives who harm children. The one case that was never profiled on the show, however, was Adam's murder, which went unsolved for 27 years. Walsh and authorities always had their suspicions and in December 2008, police in Florida gave the Walsh family some overdue closure as a Christmas present in finally naming Adam's killer. The man they determined who was the killer was Ottis Toole, a serial killer responsible by his own admission to more than 200 murders (Toole died in prison in 1996 while serving a life sentence that had been commuted from the death penalty). Toole was long-believed by Walsh and cops to be Adam's killer and they finally had the proof, closing the case for good. Just because Toole was implicated didn't mean that Walsh was done with the manhunt and the show continues to air to this day.

to:

* More often than not, nothing good comes from the murder of a child. ''America's Most Wanted'' is a great exception to the rule. In 1981, John Walsh was working as a hotel-management executive when his 6-year-old son, Adam, was abducted. Despite the efforts of the Walsh family, police and search parties, Adam's decapitated head was soon found in Hollywood, Florida (the rest of his body has never been found). Walsh turned his fury and grief into a positive as he spent the 30 years after Adam's murder successfully lobbying politicians to pass laws that better protect children and create harsher punishments for criminals. One of his greatest deeds was getting Congress to approve the establishment of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which works to rescue at-risk kids. Two made-for-TV NBC movies were made portraying Adam's death and the missing children's profiles that aired after the show resulted the in recovery of several kids, most notably Bryon Anthony [=McCain=] II, better known as Bizzy Bone from Music/BoneThugsNHarmony. In 1988, Fox approached approached Walsh about hosting ''America's Most Wanted'' and the rest, as they say, is history. Nearly 1,200 fugitives captured and more than 60 recovered missing persons has shown what ''America's Most Wanted'' has accomplished while adding emphasis on how important it is to track fugitives who harm children. \\
\\
The one case that was never profiled on the show, however, was Adam's murder, which went unsolved for 27 years. Walsh and authorities always had their suspicions and in December 2008, police in Florida gave the Walsh family some overdue closure as a Christmas present in finally naming Adam's killer. The man they determined who was the killer was Ottis Toole, a serial killer responsible by his own admission to more than 200 murders (Toole died in prison in 1996 while serving a life sentence that had been commuted from the death penalty). Toole was long-believed by Walsh and cops to be Adam's killer and they finally had the proof, closing the case for good. Just because Toole was implicated didn't mean that Walsh was done with the manhunt and the show continues to air to this day.



* Perhaps the biggest feather in the cap of ''America's Most Wanted'' was the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping case. On June 5, 2002, Elizabeth Smart, who was 14 at the time, was abducted from her bedroom in Salt Lake City. The case garnered widespread media coverage across the country, hundreds of candlelight vigils and a $250,000 reward, but tips came up empty for months. In February 2003, ''AMW'' began reporting that a former Smart handyman simply known as Emmanuel was a person of interest and had his composite picture plastered on TV. On March 12, 2003, a couple recognized Emmanuel, who was with a woman and a girl who were both covered in cloth, in suburban Salt Lake City and called police, mentioning they remembered him from ''AMW''. Cops immediately spring to action and found that the clothed girl was indeed Elizabeth Smart. While apprehending Emmanuel and the clothed woman, police found that "Emmanuel" was actually Brian David Mitchell, a sexually sadistic pedophile who considered himself the Messiah and believed he was told by God to take Elizabeth as a second wife, while the clothed woman was his wife, Wanda Barzee, who acted as an accomplice to the abduction. Mitchell and Barzee were capture #748 and 749, while Smart was recovery #36. Barzee was convicted and is serving 15 years in prison for aggravated kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault and aggravated burglary. After many delays over his mental competency and if he was fit to stand trial, Mitchell was convicted in 2010 and sentenced to life in prison for a laundry list of charges that included kidnapping. In the years since, though, Elizabeth Smart is seemingly doing well for someone who was kidnapped, drugged and sexually assaulted. She has since went to Paris as a Mormon missionary, graduated from Brigham Young University with a harp performance major, works for ABC News as a corespondent for child abduction stories, wrote an autobiography and even got married and started a family. The case may certainly be the brightest moment in the long history of ''America's Most Wanted''.

to:

* Perhaps the biggest feather in the cap of ''America's Most Wanted'' was the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping case. On June 5, 2002, Elizabeth Smart, who was 14 at the time, was abducted from her bedroom in Salt Lake City. The case garnered widespread media coverage across the country, hundreds of candlelight vigils and a $250,000 reward, but tips came up empty for months. In February 2003, ''AMW'' began reporting that a former Smart handyman simply known as Emmanuel was a person of interest and had his composite picture plastered on TV. \\
\\
On March 12, 2003, a couple recognized Emmanuel, who was with a woman and a girl who were both covered in cloth, in suburban Salt Lake City and called police, mentioning they remembered him from ''AMW''. Cops immediately spring to action and found that the clothed girl was indeed Elizabeth Smart. While apprehending Emmanuel and the clothed woman, police found that "Emmanuel" was actually Brian David Mitchell, a sexually sadistic pedophile who considered himself the Messiah and believed he was told by God to take Elizabeth as a second wife, while the clothed woman was his wife, Wanda Barzee, who acted as an accomplice to the abduction. Mitchell and Barzee were capture #748 and 749, while Smart was recovery #36. \\
\\
Barzee was convicted and is serving 15 years in prison for aggravated kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault and aggravated burglary. After many delays over his mental competency and if he was fit to stand trial, Mitchell was convicted in 2010 and sentenced to life in prison for a laundry list of charges that included kidnapping. In the years since, though, Elizabeth Smart is seemingly doing well for someone who was kidnapped, drugged and sexually assaulted. She has since went to Paris as a Mormon missionary, graduated from Brigham Young University with a harp performance major, works for ABC News as a corespondent for child abduction stories, wrote an autobiography and even got married and started a family. The case may certainly be the brightest moment in the long history of ''America's Most Wanted''.
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* Paul Michael Merhige was wanted for four counts of first-degree murder with a firearm and two counts of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm after he opened fire on his family on Thanksgiving 2009 in Jupiter, Florida. The monthlong manhunt came to a head during a commercial for ''AMW'' during the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2, 2010, when the owners of the Edgewater Lodge in Long Key, Fla., recognized Merhige as a man who checked into their motel. Within hours, Merhige was in handcuffs and ''AMW'' capture #1,099. Merhige is currently awaiting trial and the prosecution is seeking the death penalty.

to:

* Paul Michael Merhige was wanted for four counts of first-degree murder with a firearm and two counts of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm after he opened fire on his family on Thanksgiving 2009 in Jupiter, Florida. The monthlong manhunt came to a head during after a commercial for ''AMW'' was aired during the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2, 2010, when the owners of the Edgewater Lodge in Long Key, Fla., recognized Merhige as a man who checked into their motel. Within hours, Merhige was in handcuffs and ''AMW'' capture #1,099. Merhige is currently awaiting trial and the prosecution is seeking the death penalty.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* Perhaps the biggest feather in the cap of ''America's Most Wanted'' was the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping case. On June 5, 2002, Elizabeth Smart, who was 14 at the time, was abducted from her bedroom in Salt Lake City. The case garnered widespread media coverage across the country, hundreds of candlelight vigils and a $250,000 reward, but tips came up empty for months. In February 2003, ''AMW'' began reporting that a former Smart handyman simply known as Emmanuel was a person of interest and had his composite picture plastered on TV. On March 12, 2003, a couple recognized Emmanuel, who was with a woman and a girl who covered in cloth, in suburban Salt Lake City and called police, mentioning they remembered him from ''AMW''. Cops immediately spring to action and found that the clothed girl was indeed Elizabeth Smart. While apprehending Emmanuel and the clothed woman, police found that "Emmanuel" was actually Brian David Mitchell, a sexually sadistic pedophile who considered himself the Messiah and believed he was told by God to take Elizabeth as a second wife, while the clothed woman was his wife, Wanda Barzee, who acted as an accomplice to the abduction. Mitchell and Barzee were capture #748 and 749, while Smart was recovery #36. Barzee was convicted and is serving 15 years in prison for aggravated kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault and aggravated burglary. After many delays over his mental competency and if he was fit to stand trial, Mitchell was convicted in 2010 and sentenced to life in prison for a laundry list of charges that included kidnapping. In the years since, though, Elizabeth Smart is seemingly doing well for someone who was kidnapped, drugged and sexually assaulted. She has since went to Paris as a Mormon missionary, graduated from Brigham Young University with a harp performance major, works for ABC News as a corespondent for child abduction stories and recently got married. The case may certainly be the brightest moment in the long history of ''America's Most Wanted''.

to:

* Perhaps the biggest feather in the cap of ''America's Most Wanted'' was the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping case. On June 5, 2002, Elizabeth Smart, who was 14 at the time, was abducted from her bedroom in Salt Lake City. The case garnered widespread media coverage across the country, hundreds of candlelight vigils and a $250,000 reward, but tips came up empty for months. In February 2003, ''AMW'' began reporting that a former Smart handyman simply known as Emmanuel was a person of interest and had his composite picture plastered on TV. On March 12, 2003, a couple recognized Emmanuel, who was with a woman and a girl who were both covered in cloth, in suburban Salt Lake City and called police, mentioning they remembered him from ''AMW''. Cops immediately spring to action and found that the clothed girl was indeed Elizabeth Smart. While apprehending Emmanuel and the clothed woman, police found that "Emmanuel" was actually Brian David Mitchell, a sexually sadistic pedophile who considered himself the Messiah and believed he was told by God to take Elizabeth as a second wife, while the clothed woman was his wife, Wanda Barzee, who acted as an accomplice to the abduction. Mitchell and Barzee were capture #748 and 749, while Smart was recovery #36. Barzee was convicted and is serving 15 years in prison for aggravated kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault and aggravated burglary. After many delays over his mental competency and if he was fit to stand trial, Mitchell was convicted in 2010 and sentenced to life in prison for a laundry list of charges that included kidnapping. In the years since, though, Elizabeth Smart is seemingly doing well for someone who was kidnapped, drugged and sexually assaulted. She has since went to Paris as a Mormon missionary, graduated from Brigham Young University with a harp performance major, works for ABC News as a corespondent for child abduction stories stories, wrote an autobiography and recently even got married.married and started a family. The case may certainly be the brightest moment in the long history of ''America's Most Wanted''.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* More often than not, nothing good comes from the murder of a child. ''America's Most Wanted'' is a great exception to the rule. In 1981, John Walsh was working as a hotel-management executive when his 6-year-old son, Adam, was abducted. Despite the efforts of the Walsh family, police and search parties, Adam's decapitated head was soon found in Hollywood, Florida (the rest of his body has never been found). Walsh turned his fury and grief into a positive as he spent the 30 years after Adam's murder successfully lobbying politicians to pass laws that better protect children and create harsher punishments for criminals. One of his greatest deeds was getting Congress to approve the establishment of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which works to rescue at-risk kids. Two made-for-TV NBC movies were made portraying Adam's death and the missing children's profiles that aired after the show resulted the in recovery of several kids, most notably Bryon Anthony [=McCain=] II, better known as Bizzy Bone from Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. In 1988, Fox approached approached Walsh about hosting ''America's Most Wanted'' and the rest, as they say, is history. Nearly 1,200 fugitives captured and more than 60 recovered missing persons has shown what ''America's Most Wanted'' has accomplished while adding emphasis on how important it is to track fugitives who harm children. The one case that was never profiled on the show, however, was Adam's murder, which went unsolved for 27 years. Walsh and authorities always had their suspicions and in December 2008, police in Florida gave the Walsh family some overdue closure as a Christmas present in finally naming Adam's killer. The man they determined who was the killer was Ottis Toole, a serial killer responsible by his own admission to more than 200 murders (Toole died in prison in 1996 while serving a life sentence that had been commuted from the death penalty). Toole was long-believed by Walsh and cops to be Adam's killer and they finally had the proof, closing the case for good. Just because Toole was implicated didn't mean that Walsh was done with the manhunt and the show continues to air to this day.

to:

* More often than not, nothing good comes from the murder of a child. ''America's Most Wanted'' is a great exception to the rule. In 1981, John Walsh was working as a hotel-management executive when his 6-year-old son, Adam, was abducted. Despite the efforts of the Walsh family, police and search parties, Adam's decapitated head was soon found in Hollywood, Florida (the rest of his body has never been found). Walsh turned his fury and grief into a positive as he spent the 30 years after Adam's murder successfully lobbying politicians to pass laws that better protect children and create harsher punishments for criminals. One of his greatest deeds was getting Congress to approve the establishment of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which works to rescue at-risk kids. Two made-for-TV NBC movies were made portraying Adam's death and the missing children's profiles that aired after the show resulted the in recovery of several kids, most notably Bryon Anthony [=McCain=] II, better known as Bizzy Bone from Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.Music/BoneThugsNHarmony. In 1988, Fox approached approached Walsh about hosting ''America's Most Wanted'' and the rest, as they say, is history. Nearly 1,200 fugitives captured and more than 60 recovered missing persons has shown what ''America's Most Wanted'' has accomplished while adding emphasis on how important it is to track fugitives who harm children. The one case that was never profiled on the show, however, was Adam's murder, which went unsolved for 27 years. Walsh and authorities always had their suspicions and in December 2008, police in Florida gave the Walsh family some overdue closure as a Christmas present in finally naming Adam's killer. The man they determined who was the killer was Ottis Toole, a serial killer responsible by his own admission to more than 200 murders (Toole died in prison in 1996 while serving a life sentence that had been commuted from the death penalty). Toole was long-believed by Walsh and cops to be Adam's killer and they finally had the proof, closing the case for good. Just because Toole was implicated didn't mean that Walsh was done with the manhunt and the show continues to air to this day.

Changed: 41

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* Paul Michael Merhige was wanted for four counts of first-degree murder with a firearm and two counts of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm after he opened fire on his family on Thanksgiving 2009 in Jupiter, Fla. The monthlong manhunt came to a head during a commercial for ''AMW'' during the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2, 2010, when the owners of the Edgewater Lodge in Long Key, Fla., recognized Merhige as a man who checked into their motel. Within hours, Merhige was in handcuffs and ''AMW'' capture #1,099. Merhige is currently awaiting trial and the prosecution is seeking the death penalty.

to:

* Paul Michael Merhige was wanted for four counts of first-degree murder with a firearm and two counts of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm after he opened fire on his family on Thanksgiving 2009 in Jupiter, Fla.Florida. The monthlong manhunt came to a head during a commercial for ''AMW'' during the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2, 2010, when the owners of the Edgewater Lodge in Long Key, Fla., recognized Merhige as a man who checked into their motel. Within hours, Merhige was in handcuffs and ''AMW'' capture #1,099. Merhige is currently awaiting trial and the prosecution is seeking the death penalty.



* It can be rightfully assumed that of all the fugitives captured by ''America's Most Wanted'', perhaps no other hates the show more than Stephen Tatro. In 1997, Tatro killed his business partner, Daniel Duran, with a hunting rifle. ''AMW'' profiled the story in April 2000, but six hours before it aired, Tatro was arrested thanks to tips from commercials showing him, making him capture #604. The story doesn't end there, though. While awaiting trial, Tatro faked having a heart attack and used the hospital trip as a bid for freedom. The escape was short-lived as ''AMW'' profiled him on Dec. 30, 2000, and tips came in. One tip led cops right to where Tatro was hiding, a ranch in Arizona. That made Tatro not just capture #639, but the first (and so far, only) fugitive to be captured twice by ''AMW''. In 2001, Tatro was convicted of murder and is serving 50 years in prison.

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* It can be rightfully assumed that of all the fugitives captured by ''America's Most Wanted'', perhaps Wanted'' hate the show. Perhaps no other one hates the show more than Stephen Tatro. In 1997, Tatro killed his business partner, Daniel Duran, with a hunting rifle. ''AMW'' profiled the story in April 2000, but six hours before it aired, Tatro was arrested thanks to tips from commercials showing him, making him capture #604. The story doesn't end there, though. While awaiting trial, Tatro faked having a heart attack and used the hospital trip as a bid for freedom. The escape was short-lived as ''AMW'' profiled him on Dec. 30, 2000, and tips came in. One tip led cops right to where Tatro was hiding, a ranch in Arizona. That made Tatro not just capture #639, but the first (and so far, only) fugitive to be captured twice by ''AMW''. In 2001, Tatro was convicted of murder and is serving 50 years in prison.



* More often than not, nothing good comes from the murder of a child. ''America's Most Wanted'' is a great exception to the rule. In 1981, John Walsh was working as a hotel-management executive when his 6-year-old son, Adam, was abducted. Despite the efforts of the Walsh family, police and search parties, Adam's decapitated head was soon found in Hollywood, Florida (the rest of his body has never been found). Walsh turned his fury and grief into a positive as he spent the 30 years after Adam's murder successfully lobbying politicians to pass laws that better protect children and create harsher punishments for criminals. One of his greatest deeds was getting Congress to approve the establishment of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which works to rescue at-risk kids. Two made-for-TV NBC movies were made portraying Adam's death and the missing children's profiles that aired after the show resulted the in recovery of several kids, most notably being Bryon Anthony [=McCain=] II, now known as Bizzy Bone from Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. In 1988, Fox approached approached Walsh about hosting ''America's Most Wanted'' and the rest, as they say, is history. Nearly 1,200 fugitives captured and more than 60 recovered missing persons has shown what ''America's Most Wanted'' has accomplished while adding emphasis on how important it is to track fugitives who harm children. The one case that was never profiled on the show, however, was Adam's murder, which went unsolved for 27 years. Walsh and authorities always had their suspicions and in December 2008, police in Florida gave the Walsh family some overdue closure as a Christmas present in finally naming Adam's killer. The man they determined who was the killer was Ottis Toole, a serial killer responsible by his own admission to more than 200 murders (Toole died in prison in 1996 while serving a life sentence that had been commuted from the death penalty). Toole was long-believed by Walsh and cops to be Adam's killer and they finally had the proof, closing the case for good. Just because Toole was implicated didn't mean that Walsh was done with the manhunt and the show continues to air to this day.

to:

* More often than not, nothing good comes from the murder of a child. ''America's Most Wanted'' is a great exception to the rule. In 1981, John Walsh was working as a hotel-management executive when his 6-year-old son, Adam, was abducted. Despite the efforts of the Walsh family, police and search parties, Adam's decapitated head was soon found in Hollywood, Florida (the rest of his body has never been found). Walsh turned his fury and grief into a positive as he spent the 30 years after Adam's murder successfully lobbying politicians to pass laws that better protect children and create harsher punishments for criminals. One of his greatest deeds was getting Congress to approve the establishment of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which works to rescue at-risk kids. Two made-for-TV NBC movies were made portraying Adam's death and the missing children's profiles that aired after the show resulted the in recovery of several kids, most notably being Bryon Anthony [=McCain=] II, now better known as Bizzy Bone from Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. In 1988, Fox approached approached Walsh about hosting ''America's Most Wanted'' and the rest, as they say, is history. Nearly 1,200 fugitives captured and more than 60 recovered missing persons has shown what ''America's Most Wanted'' has accomplished while adding emphasis on how important it is to track fugitives who harm children. The one case that was never profiled on the show, however, was Adam's murder, which went unsolved for 27 years. Walsh and authorities always had their suspicions and in December 2008, police in Florida gave the Walsh family some overdue closure as a Christmas present in finally naming Adam's killer. The man they determined who was the killer was Ottis Toole, a serial killer responsible by his own admission to more than 200 murders (Toole died in prison in 1996 while serving a life sentence that had been commuted from the death penalty). Toole was long-believed by Walsh and cops to be Adam's killer and they finally had the proof, closing the case for good. Just because Toole was implicated didn't mean that Walsh was done with the manhunt and the show continues to air to this day.

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