Fascinating Facts About The Groundbreaking TV Show America’s Most Wanted

The Show Aided The FBI In Apprehending 17 Of Their “Most Wanted” Criminals

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During its 25 seasons on the air, America’s Most Wanted helped the FBI in a major way. In fact, 17 criminals on the agency’s “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list were apprehended as a direct result of the program. The first was Roberts in the show’s premiere episode.

The FBI notes on its official website: “To date, seventeen ‘Ten Most Wanted Fugitives’ have been located as a direct result of tips provided by viewers of this program.” The agency’s most wanted list first appeared in the 1950s. The FBI has used television, radio and the internet to spread the word about dangerous criminals.

America’s Most Wanted almost helped capture a celebrity’s killer, as we’ll read in just a bit.