The FBI has been at the center of some of America’s most dramatic criminal chases. Armed with new technology, interstate jurisdiction, and patient investigative work, the FBI manhunts have captured or killed some of the most infamous America’s notorious criminals in U.S. history.
1. John Dillinger (1934)
Dubbed “Public Enemy No. 1,” Dillinger’s bank robberies and daring escapes made him a celebrity outlaw. The FBI´s relentless pursuit ended outside the Biograph Theater in Chicago, where he was fatally ambushed.
2. Bonnie and Clyde (1934)
Although technically not FBI-led, the Bureau assisted in intelligence-gathering that helped Texas lawmen ambush the infamous couple. Their bloody spree across the Midwest ended in a hail of bullets.
3. Alvin “Creepy” Karpis (1936)
The last of the Depression-era “big time” gangsters, Karpis, evaded capture for years. J. Edgar Hoover personally oversaw his arrest; this marked a symbolic victory for the Bureau.
4. Charles “Lucky” Luciano (1949)
Though mainly a local and federal operation, the FBI’s investigations into organized crime led to the takedown of America’s most powerful mob boss, which created its role in fighting the mafia.
5. Frank Morris and the Anglin Brothers (1962)
The infamous Alcatraz escape triggered one of the largest FBI manhunts of the era. The escapees were never found, sparking decades of speculation about their fate.
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6. James Earl Ray (1968)
After assassinating Martin Luther King Jr., Ray fled the country with false passports. A worldwide FBI manhunt captured him in London and brought him back to face justice.
7. Patty Hearst and the SLA (1974)
The kidnapping of heiress Patty Hearst, the Symbionese Liberation Army, turned into one of the most high-profile FBI searches of the 1970s. She was eventually arrested with her captors in San Francisco.
8. Ted Bundy (1978)
Bundy escaped police custody twice before his final killing spree in Florida. The FBI coordinated a multistate search that eventually cornered the serial killer and led to his trial and execution.
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9. The Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski (1996)
For nearly two decades, the Unabomber mailed explosives nationwide. The FBI’s largest manhunt at the time ended when Kaczynski’s brother recognized his writings and tipped off authorities.
10. Eric Rudolph (1998–2003)
Responsible for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic bombing, Rudolph evaded capture in the Appalachian wilderness for five years. The FBI finally caught him near a grocery store dumpster in North Carolina.
11. Ramzi Yousef (1995)
The mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing fled overseas. The FBI tracked him to Pakistan, where he was captured after years on the run.
12. Whitey Bulger (2011)
The Boston mob boss and longtime FBI informant disappeared in 1994. After 16 years as a fugitive, he was located in Santa Monica, California, living under an alias with his girlfriend.
13. Warren Jeffs (2006)
The leader of the FLDS church and fugitive on assault charges landed on the FBI’s ten most wanted list. He was captured after a routine traffic stop in Nevada.
14. D.B. Cooper (1971)
The infamous hijacker parachuted into history with $200,000 in ransom money. While never officially solved, the FBI’s decades-long investigation became one of its most famous manhunts.
15. Osama bin Laden (2011)
After the September 11 attacks, the FBI listed bin Laden as America´s most wanted terrorist. A decade-long global manhunt ended with U.S. Navy SEALs locating him in Pakistan.
16. Timothy McVeigh (1995)
The city bomber was stopped by a state trooper for a traffic violation shortly after the blast. The FBI quickly tied him to the attack, showcasing how fast coordination can bring down a domestic terrorist.
17. Robert Hansen (1983)
The butcher-baker of Alaska killed at least 17 women. The FBI´s behavioral profilers played a key role in capturing the serial killer and ended one of Alaska´s most chilling cases.
18. Richard Jewell Case (1996)
Though wrongly accused in the Atlanta bombing, the manhunt for the “Olympic Park bomber” eventually shifted focus, leading to the true perpetrator, Eric Rudolph.
19. Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán (2016)
Though this hunt was Mexican-led, the FBI and DEA worked with local authorities in the international manhunt for the cartel kingpin, who had escaped prison multiple times.
20. Chris Dorner (2013)
The former LAPD officer’s killing spree triggered one of the largest manhunts in California history, with the FBI assisting in intelligence and logistics. Dorner died after a standoff in Big Bear.
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