The 1960s Most Notorious: Inside the FBI’s Most Wanted List

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) launched its most wanted fugitives list in the spring of 1950. Those on the list must have committed serious crimes and/or be considered dangerous to society. The goal of the program is to draw the public's attention to fugitives on the list in the hopes of helping law enforcement capture the criminals. Some criminals have appeared on the list for only a short time, such as Billy Austin Bryant who was on the list for two hours in 1969. However, others have been on the list for years. (These are the most wanted criminals of the 1950s.)

24/7 Tempo reviewed FBI data on over 500 current and former listees to identify the FBI's most wanted fugitives of the 1960s. We defined "most wanted" as those on the list the longest without being caught. The FBI sometimes removes criminals without arrest, like if charges are dropped, they're deemed no longer a high danger, or they died. John Gibson Dillon was removed after being found dead at the bottom of a well, wired to 400 pounds of drilling gear, ending his three years on the list.

Here are the FBI's most wanted fugitives of the 1960s:

• Added to the list: Feb. 19, 1962
• Years on the list: 1
• Charged with: Robbery, bail-jumping
• Arrested or removed from list: Jan. 26, 1963 (arrested)

• Added to the list: April 6, 1961
• Years on the list: 1
• Charged with: Armed robbery, jailbreak
• Arrested or removed from list: April 30, 1962 (arrested)

• Added to the list: April 12, 1963
• Years on the list: 1
• Charged with: Robbery
• Arrested or removed from list: April 6, 1964 (arrested)

• Added to the list: Nov. 27, 1963
• Years on the list: 1
• Charged with: Armed robbery, safecracking
• Arrested or removed from list: Dec. 23, 1964 (arrested)

• Added to the list: March 8, 1965
• Years on the list: 1
• Charged with: N/A
• Arrested or removed from list: Feb. 3, 1966 (arrested)

• Added to the list: Sept. 21, 1965
• Years on the list: 1
• Charged with: Bank robbery
• Arrested or removed from list: Dec. 2, 1966 (arrested)

• Added to the list: April 11, 1966
• Years on the list: 1
• Charged with: Breaking and entering, jailbreak
• Arrested or removed from list: May 2, 1967 (arrested)

• Added to the list: Feb. 17, 1967
• Years on the list: 1
• Charged with: Murder
• Arrested or removed from list: Jan. 30, 1968 (removed)

• Added to the list: June 9, 1967
• Years on the list: 1
• Charged with: Murder
• Arrested or removed from list: Dec. 23, 1968 (arrested)

• Added to the list: March 28, 1968
• Years on the list: 1
• Charged with: Armed robbery, interstate flight
• Arrested or removed from list: May 27, 1969 (arrested)

• Added to the list: Jan. 4, 1963
• Years on the list: 2
• Charged with: Murder, interstate flight
• Arrested or removed from list: Jan. 14, 1965 (removed)

• Added to the list: May 29, 1969
• Years on the list: 2
• Charged with: Murder, jailbreak
• Arrested or removed from list: Dec. 22, 1971 (arrested)

• Added to the list: April 13, 1967
• Years on the list: 2
• Charged with: Robbery
• Arrested or removed from list: June 7, 1969 (arrested)

• Added to the list: March 11, 1969
• Years on the list: 2
• Charged with: Murder
• Arrested or removed from list: April 14, 1971 (arrested)

• Added to the list: Nov. 22, 1960
• Years on the list: 3
• Charged with: Murder, jailbreak
• Arrested or removed from list: Nov. 6, 1963 (arrested)

• Added to the list: Sept. 1, 1961
• Years on the list: 3
• Charged with: Drug trafficking, bail-jumping
• Arrested or removed from list: March 2, 1964 (removed)

• Added to the list: May 14, 1964
• Years on the list: 3
• Charged with: N/A
• Arrested or removed from list: March 30, 1967 (removed)

• Added to the list: July 9, 1964
• Years on the list: 3
• Charged with: Kidnapping, molestation, interstate flight
• Arrested or removed from list: Oct. 28, 1967 (arrested)

• Added to the list: May 10, 1969
• Years on the list: 4
• Charged with: Rape, murder
• Arrested or removed from list:

• Added to the list: July 5, 1968
• Years on the list: 4
• Charged with: Murder, arson
• Arrested or removed from list: Oct. 2, 1972 (arrested)

• Added to the list: Oct. 6, 1960
• Years on the list: 5
• Charged with: Rape, assault
• Arrested or removed from list: Nov. 26, 1965 (removed)

• Added to the list: June 15, 1962
• Years on the list: 5
• Charged with: Murder, arson
• Arrested or removed from list: Dec. 1, 1967 (removed)

• Added to the list: April 15, 1969
• Years on the list: 6
• Charged with: Sabotage
• Arrested or removed from list: March 12, 1975 (arrested)

• Added to the list: Jan. 7, 1965
• Years on the list: 7
• Charged with: Kidnapping, robbery, aggravated assault
• Arrested or removed from list: Aug. 1, 1972 (removed)

• Added to the list: June 10, 1969
• Years on the list: 8
• Charged with: Bank robbery, jailbreak
• Arrested or removed from list: May 5, 1977 (removed)