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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 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 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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* 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 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 "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''.

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* 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.

to:

* 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. glasses.
** Also the fact that List was a fan of the show and told his friends to watch it? [[HoistByHisOwnPetard Classic]].
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Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,198 captured fugitives and 62 recovered children and persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.

to:

Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,198 1,200 captured fugitives and 62 recovered children and persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.




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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 . 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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Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,197 captured fugitives and 62 recovered children and persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.

to:

Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,197 1,198 captured fugitives and 62 recovered children and persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
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* On Feb. 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 Feb. 11, 1987, ''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.

to:

* On Feb. 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 Feb. February 11, 1987, 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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* 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, N.J, . 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.

to:

* 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, N.J, .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.



* 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, Fla. (The rest of his body has never been found). John 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 Walsh's death and the missing children's profiles that aired after the show resulted the 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 John 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 Walsh's murder, which went unsolved for 27 years. John Walsh and authorities always had their suspicions and in Dec. 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 John 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, Calif., 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.
* 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 Feb. 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:

* 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, Fla. (The Florida (the rest of his body has never been found). John 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 Walsh's Adam's death and the missing children's profiles that aired after the show resulted the 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 John 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 Walsh's Adam's murder, which went unsolved for 27 years. John Walsh and authorities always had their suspicions and in Dec. 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. murders (Toole died in prison in 1996 while serving a life sentence that had been commuted from the death penalty.) penalty). Toole was long-believed by John 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, Calif., 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.
* 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 Feb. 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''.



* Meta-example: usually, when a beloved show is cancelled, you can expect a few fans on the Internet to grouse and maybe start a petition. When America's Most Wanted was cancelled, there was a petition, alright - but instead of being signed by forumgoers or fans on the Internet, it was signed by police chiefs and governors. When's the last time elected officials fought in earnest to save a TV show?

to:

* Meta-example: usually, when a beloved show is cancelled, you can expect a few fans on the Internet to grouse and maybe start a petition. When America's ''America's Most Wanted Wanted'' was cancelled, there was a petition, alright - but instead of being alright. Not only was the petition signed by forumgoers or fans on of the Internet, show, it was also signed by police ''police chiefs and governors. When's the last time elected officials fought in earnest to save a TV show?
governors''.
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Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,196 captured fugitives and 62 recovered children and persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.

to:

Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,196 1,197 captured fugitives and 62 recovered children and persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,192 captured fugitives and 62 recovered children and persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.

to:

Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,192 1,196 captured fugitives and 62 recovered children and persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,188 captured fugitives and 62 recovered children and persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.

to:

Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,188 1,192 captured fugitives and 62 recovered children and persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None



to:

* Meta-example: usually, when a beloved show is cancelled, you can expect a few fans on the Internet to grouse and maybe start a petition. When America's Most Wanted was cancelled, there was a petition, alright - but instead of being signed by forumgoers or fans on the Internet, it was signed by police chiefs and governors. When's the last time elected officials fought in earnest to save a TV show?
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,188 captured fugitives and 61 recovered children and persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.

to:

Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,188 captured fugitives and 61 62 recovered children and persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,186 captured fugitives and 61 recovered children and persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.

to:

Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,186 1,188 captured fugitives and 61 recovered children and persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
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to:

* 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.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,185 captured fugitives and 61 recovered children and persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.

to:

Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,185 1,186 captured fugitives and 61 recovered children and persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,184 captured fugitives and 61 recovered children and persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.

to:

Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,184 1,185 captured fugitives and 61 recovered children and persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,182 captured fugitives and 61 recovered children persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.

to:

Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,182 1,184 captured fugitives and 61 recovered children and persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,181 captured fugitives and 61 recovered children persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.

to:

Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,181 1,182 captured fugitives and 61 recovered children persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
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Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,179 captured fugitives and 61 recovered children persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.

to:

Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,179 1,181 captured fugitives and 61 recovered children persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.
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* On Dec. 13, 2000, Joseph C. Garcia, Randy Ethan Halprin, 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.

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* 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.
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Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,178 captured fugitives and 61 recovered children persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.

to:

Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,178 1,179 captured fugitives and 61 recovered children persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.
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Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,177 captured fugitives and 61 recovered children persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.

to:

Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,177 1,178 captured fugitives and 61 recovered children persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.
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* 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 Feb. 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 the show, who relayed the information to police. 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''.

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* 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 Feb. 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 the show, who relayed the information to police.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''.
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* 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 Oct. 2002, ''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 the show, who relayed the information to police. 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''.

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* 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 Oct. 2002, Feb. 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 the show, who relayed the information to police. 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''.
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* 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 Oct. 2002, ''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 the show, who relayed the information to police. 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 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 Oct. 2002, ''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 the show, who relayed the information to police. 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''.
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 Oct. 2002, ''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 the show, who relayed the information to police. 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 who he believed 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 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 Oct. 2002, ''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 the show, who relayed the information to police. 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 who he 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 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''.
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[[CatchPhrase Remember, you ''can'' make a difference.]]

to:

[[CatchPhrase Remember, you ''can'' CAN make a difference.]]
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* 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 Oct. 2002, ''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 the show, who relayed the information to police. 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 who he believed 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 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 Oct. 2002, ''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 the show, who relayed the information to police. 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 who he believed 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 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''.Wanted''.

[[CatchPhrase Remember, you ''can'' make a difference.]]

Added: 1985

Changed: 74

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Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,175 captured fugitives and 61 recovered children persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.

to:

Because when a TV show brings justice to those who have been affected by crime, it definitely qualifies as a Crowning Moment of Awesome. All 1,175 1,177 captured fugitives and 61 recovered children persons definitely count as a CMOA. Here are some of the more notable ones.



* On Dec. 13, 2000, Joseph C. Garcia, Randy Ethan Halprin, 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 and in 2008, Rodriguez was executed. Garcia, Halprin, Murphy and Rivas remain on Death Row, while Newbury has been given a stay of execution.

to:

* On Dec. 13, 2000, Joseph C. Garcia, Randy Ethan Halprin, 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 and in 2008, murder. Rodriguez was executed. Garcia, Halprin, Murphy 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.



* In 1993, police in Sacramento, Calif., 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.

to:

* In 1993, police in Sacramento, Calif., 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.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 Oct. 2002, ''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 the show, who relayed the information to police. 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 who he believed 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 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''.

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