What qualifies someone to make the FBI's ten most wanted list?

[isabeau]

I heard on the news earlier tonight that one of the FBI's ten most wanted people has been captured...and i was pondering over this...what makes someone get on that list? what crimes? was Ted Bundy on that list? Charles Manson? What qualifications are necessary to make the ten most wanted fugitives in the US?

 

[Mastertank1]

These days

competence is all it takes; a quality in VERY short supply among Federal Government officials these past few years!

Seriously, there are several factors;
How difficult you are to capture
How likely you are to commit further crimes
How many people are likely to be affected by your crimes, and how negatively they will be affected
How likely you are to endanger federal officials, plans or property (in that order)
How badly you have embarrassed or annoyed the FBI or other federal officials
How much fun it would be to punish you by prolongued tickling in bondage (that last one is just wishfulk thinking on my part).

 

[unclebill]

Hmmm.... I was late on a couple library books last week. Would that qualify me??? If so, I`m headed to West Virginia, with my puppy and hide out in your mansion, Melanie.

 

[steph]

If it's a religion/possibly hate/race crime (like the church that was set on fire by my house recently) the FBI gets called in.

If you're committing crimes in more than one state they do as well.
That's all I can report with 100% certainty for now...

XOXO

 

[Headsnap]

I had a look into this and apparently the answer is "less than you might think".

http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten/fugitives/fugitives.htm

That's your current FBI top ten most wanted, I was expecting a rogue's gallery of people who had committed Die Hard-style acts of terrorism, murder and mayhem. However, two of them are wanted for sexual offences against kids and the rest are pretty bog-standard psychos. Aside from Bin Laden, that is.

 

[isabeau]

thanks all for answering...o so Bin Laden is on the list?

Unclebill tsk tsk tsk...

 

[Headsnap]

Yep Bin Laden is on there. It says if anyone has info concerning Bin Laden they should contact the nearest FBI office. I'm not a US citizen but I still wouldn't mind contacting my nearest bureau to let them know that, after 5 and a bit years, Osama probably isn't in Afghanistan anymore.

 

[Illtcklu]

I heard on the news earlier tonight that one of the FBI's ten most wanted people has been captured...and i was pondering over this...what makes someone get on that list? what crimes? was Ted Bundy on that list? Charles Manson? What qualifications are necessary to make the ten most wanted fugitives in the US?

Charles Manson was captured too fast to make the list, but he would qualify.

If you're committing crimes in more than one state they do as well.
That's all I can report with 100% certainty for now...

What? More than one state?! Um................... gotta go!