Post by Scumhunter on Jul 28, 2014 15:29:35 GMT -5
Just like everyone wanting to know who AMW caught, a lot of people may want to know who gets captured from The Hunt. I've decided to dedicate a thread updating all fugitives that were aired on The Hunt that have now been caught. This is NOT a direct capture directory, so not all of these captures may be as a result of tips from airing on The Hunt (unless we note otherwise, some of these captures may have been captured for reasons other than the show). The fugitives are numbered in the order they were captured, as a result or The Hunt of otherwise. We've also included our "unofficial" direct capture number if we feel The Hunt should be credited. So far, 23 fugitives aired or scheduled to be aired on The Hunt have been captured or found deceased, with six of the 23 we feel should be credited as direct results. This number is extremely misleading towards the negative as several fugitives were captured before the Hunt had the chance to air them and/or there are some cases where The Hunt likely played at least a small role and deserves partial credit if not direct credit. Christopher Ponce and Ty & Tisa Yiyara for example are arguably direct captures which would bring the total number to at least nine. The Hunt deserves at least full credit and/or deserves at least partial credit for pretty much half or a little more than half of the fugitives captured after their airings (in our opinion).
#1: Charles Mozdir
Wanted Location: Coronado, California. June 15, 2012
Capture Location: New York City, NY. July 28th, 2014
The Hunt Description: On June 4, 2012, Charles Mozdir’s friend and his friend’s wife asked him to watch their 7‐year‐old son. The next morning, the boy told his mother that Mozdir had touched him inappropriately. Mozdir was arrested on June 8, booked into the San Diego County jail, before posting bail the next day. He was last seen in San Diego by his sister with his dog, a black lab named Lucky. On June 15, 2012, he failed to appear at his arraignment. His roommate told police that Mozdir threatened to kill himself and kill his victim's father. The Coronado Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service searched for Mozdir in California, the Mexican state of Baja California, and Georgia. On June 20, 2012, Coronado police found Mozdir's vehicle outside the coastal Georgia town of Darien. There was no sign of Mozdir nor any information on his whereabouts. Investigators believe that Mozdir may have sexually assaulted other victims in the past.
Result: Mozdir was profiled on the July 20th, 2014 episode of "The Hunt" with John Walsh. After a tip from an 8 PM repeat airing the following week he was tracked down in New York City's Greenwich Village neighborhood on July 28th, 2014. Mozdir was killed in a shootout when police attempted to arrest him. Two US Marshals and an officer were wounded but survived. Counting the three different eras of AMW, Mozdir became the first "first-ever" capture of a John Walsh hosted show to result in death.
("The Hunt" Direct Capture #1 according to amwfans.com's unofficial determination of whether or not to give The Hunt credit.)
www.cnn.com/2014/07/28/justice/the-hunt-suspect-killed/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
#2: Shane Miller
Wanted Location: Shingletown, California May 7th, 2013.
Capture Location: Petrolia, California August 3rd, 2014
US Marshals description of case: On April 20, the SCSO (Shasta County Sheriff's Office) deputies responded to a domestic dispute involving Miller and his wife Sandra at their residence in Shingletown, Calif. During the dispute, Sandra left the residence with the assistance of SCSO deputies and drove to Humboldt County, Calif. Later that day, Miller traveled to Humboldt County, located his wife at a motel and returned her to the residence.
On May 7, the SCSO dispatch received a 911 call from the Miller residence. During that call, the dispatcher heard a female sobbing and several loud banging sounds over the phone. SCSO deputies immediately responded to the location where they discovered the lifeless bodies of Miller’s five-year-old and eight-year-old daughters, and his wife. Investigators determined that the deaths were caused by gunshot wounds.
Marshals would soon charge Shane Miller in the triple homicide and placed him on their Top 15 Most Wanted list.
Result: On August 3rd, 2014, Shasta County's Sheriff confirmed that human remains found in Petrolia, California were that of Shane Franklin Miller. He had died of a single gunshot wound to the head. Although the wound is said to be consistent with suicide, exactly where and when Shane Miller died has not been explained.
As far as this site knows, the discovery of Miller's body was not a direct result of his 'Hunt' airing.
www.cnn.com/2014/08/03/us/the-hunt-suspect-dead/
#3: Kevin Stoeser
Wanted Location: Austin, Texas October 2013.
Capture Location: Austin, Texas. November 17th, 2014
US Marshals website description: In October 2013, Kevin Patrick Stoeser escaped from the Austin Transitional Center where he was serving the remainder of a 156-month sentence for four counts of child sexual assault and one count of possession of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to these charges in 2003.
Result: On Sept. 8, a Texas resident contacted the Austin Police Department and reported that his golden retriever had found a human skull. Authorities and the medical examiner responded, and they determined that the skull was that of a Caucasian man with “short blond, military cut hair and a partial ear.” Local media quickly reported on the discovery. It soon piqued the interest of investigators because of the physical similarities to Stoeser. On November 17th, 2014, the US Marshals announced the skull was indeed Stoeser's, and credited the media for keeping the public alerted to the case, along with the golden retriever.
The cause of the death of Stoeser was never determined, although it is assumed he may have drowned to death.
Although law enforcement thanked the many media outlets for keeping the Stoeser case public, The Hunt has never been directly credited for Stoeser's capture. Our feeling is partial credit should at least be given even if this wasn't a 100 percent direct result.
www.cnn.com/2014/11/17/justice/stoeser-remains-hunt-dog/index.html
#4: Genevieve Kelley & #7 Scott Kelley
Wanted Location: Whitefield, New Hampshire. November 2004
Capture Location: Genevieve Kelley: Lancaster, New Hampshire. November 17th, 2014 Scott Kelley: Atlanta, Georgia. April 15th, 2015
amwfans.com site description: Eight-year old Mary Nunes was last seen on October 22, 2004 in Whitefield, New Hampshire. Authorities say she was abducted by her mother Genevieve and her stepfather Scott. Mary suffers from arteriovenous malformations which can cause internal bleeding and can even result in death. Her parents were suspected of committing medical neglect and failed to appear for a court hearing. In the past, Genevieve had accused Mary's biological father of sexually abusing the young girl, although authorities never found evidence to prove that. Genevieve and Scott also fled with two horses, neither of which were ever located.
Result: In November of 2014, Genevieve Kelley surrendered to New Hampshire authorities after seeing her profile on The Hunt. Kelley and her lawyer claimed Mary was safe and that Scott would surrender with her before trial. Sure enough, on April 15th, 2015, Scott Kelley was arrested after taking a flight from Costa Rica to Atlanta. Mary Nunes was with him and taken by US Marshals to an undisclosed location in Colorado. Mary was expected to testify on Genevieve Kelley's behalf at trial as the former fugitive claimed Mark Nunes sexually abused her daughter and that's why she left the country with her. New Hampshire authorities maintained Mrs. Kelley's accusations were fabrications and Mr. Nunes was unfairly accused.
However, neither would get a chance to tell their side of the story in court as both Geneieve and Scott Kelley would plead guilty to misdemeanor charges of custodial interference. The plea deal calls for Genevieve Kelley to serve 10 months in jail after Scott Kelley serves five months; the sentences were staggered so their 10-year-old son will not be without a parent.
At the moment, Mary Nunes still declines to meet her father again and wants to live with Genevieve and Scott Kelley after they serve their time. Mary is the first missing child to be located after airing on The Hunt. Genevieve Kelley is the first fugitive to be captured alive after airing on The Hunt.
(Genevieve Kelley "The Hunt" Direct Capture #2 according to amwfans.com's unofficial determination of whether or not to give The Hunt credit. We currently do not credit Scott Kelley as a direct capture since he didn't surrender with Genevieve, most media articles do not credit The Hunt, and "The Hunt" airing only mentioned Genevieve.)
www.usmarshals.gov/news/chron/2014/111714a.htm
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3128690/Mom-stepdad-plead-guilty-fleeing-country-daughter.html
#5: Johnny Napier
Wanted Location: Comanche, Texas- April 4th, 2011- and Baker, Montana- August 21st, 2013
Capture Location: Springfield, Missouri November 20th, 2014.
FBI Archive Description: While living in Comanche, Texas, Napier allegedly molested a young girl in his neighborhood. On approximately June 17, 2010, the Comanche Police Department in Comanche County, Texas, obtained a state arrest warrant for Johnny Benjamin Napier for the offense of indecency with a child by contact. After being charged with this crime, Napier left town. On April 4, 2011, a state arrest warrant was issued by the District Court of Comanche County, Texas, for failure to appear on the previous charges of indecency with a child by contact. On August 2, 2011, another state arrest warrant was issued by the District Court of Comanche County, Texas, for judgment nisi - failure to appear. Finally, on October 27, 2011, a state arrest warrant was issued by the District Court of Comanche County, Texas, after Napier jumped bail.
It is also alleged that Napier, while living in Baker, Montana, from May 1, 2011 to August 20, 2013, under the fake identity of Sean Denning, repeatedly molested a young child. After learning of an investigation into these crimes, Napier left town, leaving all of his possessions at his residence. He was seen in Miles City, Montana, on August 20, 2013, and has not been seen since. On approximately August 21, 2013, the Baker Police Department obtained a state arrest warrant for the unknown subject who used the name Sean Denning. After identifying the subject as Napier, the Montana Sixteenth Judicial District Court, Fallon County, Montana, issued a new state arrest warrant based on Napier's charges of two counts of sexual intercourse without consent.
Result: Before The Hunt could even air the case during their second season, Napier was recognized from a social media post about the case and a tip was called in. On November 20th, 2014, Napier was arrested at a trailer park in Springfield, Missouri after a three-hour stand-off. Despite Napier being captured and it not appearing to be a direct result of the show, The Hunt decided to air the case anyway.
Napier is the first fugitive ever to be aired on The Hunt to be captured before his airing.
www.cnn.com/2015/07/31/us/johnny-napier-the-hunt-john-walsh/index.html
#6: Victor Barnard
Wanted Location: Pine City, Minnesota. April 2014
Capture Location: Pipa, Brazil February 27th, 2015
The Hunt description: In the 1990s, Victor Barnard started a religious sect called the River Road Fellowship in Finlayson, Minnesota, about 100 miles north of Minneapolis. Years later, the charismatic religious leader allegedly convinced his some members of his congregation to hand over their firstborn daughters to live with him in a secluded campsite.
He called the group of 10 girls “the Maidens.” After years of alleged sexual abuse, two of the girls left the sect and alerted authorities who launched a criminal investigation. Lindsay Tornambe -- one of the two girls, now in her late 20s – told CNN that Barnard first molested her after he preached to her that he represented Jesus Christ in the flesh. She told investigators that she estimated that Barnard sexually assaulted her one to three times a month until she left in 2010.
In April 2014, prosecutors charged Barnard with 59 counts of criminal sexual conduct with the two young girls while they were members of his church, and a nationwide manhunt ensued.
Barnard -- who was last seen in Spokane, Washington, according to state police there -- was nowhere to be found.
Result: On February 27th, 2015, three months after being put on the US Marshals 15 Most Wanted list, Barnard was tracked to Pipa, Brazil. When he was arrested, he was discovered to be living with a woman that was said to be a member of his cult. The Hunt's updated airings describe her as Barnard's "favorite" maiden. Barnard still currently sits in a Brazilian prison awaiting extradition to the United States.
Barnard is the first fugitive from The Hunt to be captured in a foreign country.
As far as this site knows, Barnard's capture is a result of being the Marshals Most Wanted list and not a direct result of "The Hunt."
www.cnn.com/2015/03/01/us/victor-barnard-brazil-caught/
#8: Alexander Hill Jr.
Wanted Location: Petersburg, Virginia. April 19th, 2014
Capture Location: Buffalo, New York April 23rd, 2015
Brief Description: During the weekend of Easter 2014, 48-year old Alexander Hill Jr. was accused of killing two family members by assault and then setting the house on fire, killing two others, including a 2-year-old, in Petersburg, Virginia.
Those killed were Pauline Wilkins, 67, Vicki Chavis-Ansar, 46, Tanique Chavis, 22, and Delvair Chavis, 2. A former girlfriend of Hill’s lived in the home but was not there at the time of the slayings.
Result: A year after the tragic killings, Hill was caught before he could even be aired on The Hunt's second season living at a homeless shelter in Buffalo. The US Marshals sent out a press release about the 1-year anniversary of the crime and several local news outlets did segments on it. The Hunt aired the case anyway and suggested it was possible the tipster recognized Hill from a local Buffalo news broadcast, where Hill appeared on camera talking about the shelter while still on the run from the Marshals. (This capture obviously was not a direct result of The Hunt)
www.cnn.com/2015/08/31/us/the-hunt-alexander-roosevelt-hill-jr/index.html
#9: Matthew Dion
Wanted Location: Manchester, New Hampshire. March 2014.
Capture Location: Orange Park, Florida. June 3rd, 2015.
Brief Description: Matthew Dion was wanted for allegedly killing his elderly parents, Robert and Constance Dion, in March 2014 and setting their New Hampshire home on fire. On Sept. 3, 2014, the Manchester Police Department charged Dion with two counts of second-degree murder and arson. These criminal charges were in addition to an April 4, 2014, child pornography charge Dion was facing. On Nov. 22, 2014, Dion was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, which eventually led to his placement on the U.S. Marshals Top 15 Most Wanted list.
Result: After being spotted in Florida, the U.S. Marshals performed a media blitz to local news stations in the states of Florida and Georgia which eventually led to Dion's arrest at an Orange Park, Florida motel. He plead guilty to charges of murder and arson in Manchester as part of a plea bargain on December 2, 2015. He was sentenced to 60 years in prison.
Dion was captured before his scheduled airing on the November 19th, 2017 episode of The Hunt, so this is not a direct result. (It can be assumed he would have been aired much earlier had he still been at large).
#10: Megan Everett
Wanted Location: Sunrise, Florida May 13th, 2014.
Capture Location: Palatka, Florida August 3rd, 2015
FBI Wanted Poster Description: Megan Elizabeth Everett is wanted for allegedly kidnapping her two-year-old daughter, Lilly Abigail Baumann (Everett), from Sunrise, Florida. On May 13, 2014, Everett failed to return her daughter to the girl’s father as directed in their custody agreement. Everett had moved out of her previous residence, taking her daughter with her, and has not made contact since.
On May 19, 2014, a local arrest warrant was issued for Everett in the Circuit Court of the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, Broward County, Florida, for kidnapping, interference with custody, and concealing minors contrary to a court order. Everett was charged federally for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution on June 12, 2014, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Result: On August 3rd, 2015, the morning after the case aired on the previous night's episode of "The Hunt", federal agents tracked Megan Everett to Palatka, Florida (near Gainesville). There, they also recovered Lily Baumann. John Walsh tweeted that the capture/recovery was the direct result of a tip to the show's hotline.
Everett pleaded no contest in September 2016 to charges of interfering with child custody and removing a child from the state contrary to a court order. She was sentenced to two years of house arrest and three years of probation, with the Judge agreeing to withhold adjudication if she meets the terms of her sentence.
Robert Baumann (the birth father Megan took Lilly from) now has full custody of Lilly. It is for the moment up to him as to if he wants to allow Megan to see her and under what circumstances.
(Megan Everett is "The Hunt" Direct Capture #3 according to amwfans.com's unofficial determination of whether or not to give The Hunt credit.)
www.cnn.com/2015/08/03/us/megan-everett-captured-the-hunt-john-walsh/index.html
#11: Paul Jackson
Wanted Location: Portland/Hillsboro, Oregon February 1991.
Capture Location: Guadalajara, Mexico September 28th, 2015.
Brief Description: Jackson along with his brother Vance Roberts allegedly kidnapped, raped, and tortured at least two prostitutes off the streets of Portland, Oregon in the late 1980's and early 1990's. They disappeared before their trial in 1991. In 2006, Vance Roberts turned himself in out of nowhere, and was subsequently sentence to 108 years in prison, however, Jackson remained at large. Police also wanted to arrest Jackson and question him in connection to other cases involving sexual assaults in the Portland area.
Result: On July 26th, 2015, The Hunt aired the case of Paul Jackson, who was also previous aired on America's Most Wanted as one of John Walsh's "Dirty Dozen" Most Wanted fugitives. On Monday, September 28th, 2015, Jackson was arrested in Guadalajara, Mexico. A U.S. Marshal credited a tip after The Hunt's July 26th airing as what started the process to capture Jackson.
("The Hunt" Direct Capture #4 according to amwfans.com's unofficial determination of whether or not to give The Hunt credit).
www.cnn.com/2015/07/22/us/paul-jackson-the-hunt-john-walsh/index.html
#12: Paul Winklebleck
Wanted Location: Portland, Oregon. March 4th, 2010
Capture Location: Marion County, Oregon. December 2014. (Confirmed Dead October 15th, 2015.)
Brief Description: On March 4th, 2010, Paul Winklebleck approached two teenage girls who had just attended a Snoop Dogg concert in Portland, Oregon. He claimed to be a spotter for the Portland Police Department, and that police were on the lookout for people driving drunk from the concert. He offered the girls to drive their car for them. They accepted the offer, only for him to hold them captive in the hopes of sexually assaulting them. The girls fought Winklebleck off, and Winklebleck drove off in their car.
Result: At the end of 2014, remains were found near Turner, Oregon, in Marion County, that were believed to be those of Paul Winklebleck. The Hunt aired the case anyway, stressing he was believed deceased but DNA tests were pending. On October 14th, 2015, authorities announced the DNA was a positive match and the remains were Winklebleck's. A cause of death was not released and does not appear to be known, although it is speculated Winklebleck possibly drowned to death.
Winklebleck's discovered death obviously does not appear to be a direct result of The Hunt, since his remains were found before he was aired.
www.cnn.com/2015/08/14/us/paul-winklebleck-the-hunt-john-walsh/index.html
bnonews.com/news/index.php/news/id2171
#13 & #14: Juan Reyes & Eric Santiago
Wanted Location: Wyoming, Michigan. September 29th, 2007.
Capture Location: Guadalajara, Mexico. November, 2015.
Brief description: On Sep 29, 2007, authorities say Eric Santiago got involved in a shootout at a Wyoming, Michigan gas station in which no one was injured. Later the following morning at 2AM, Santiago and his brother Juan Reyes drove to a party that was being held. Reyes got an assault rifle and opened fire on the crowd of people, killing 22-year old Douglas Pollok and wounding another man named Jesse McDowell. The brothers incorrectly assumed that Douglas was a neighbor whom they had a grudge with and were chasing throughout Grand Rapids the previous day. The two then fled with their mother.
Result: In November of 2015, Mexican authorities arrested Reyes and Santiago and extradited them to the United States after tips from viewers of a local "West Michigan's Most Wanted" segment. In March of 2016, a Grand Rapids jury convicted Juan Reyes of second degree murder in the 2007 shooting death of 22-year-old Ryan Pollok. The jury also found Reyes guilty of a charge of assault with intent to murder and a felony firearm possession. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Eric Reyes Santiago pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to a felony. He testified against his brother. Santiago was sentenced to one year in prison and five years probation.
This obviously was not a direct result of 'The Hunt' since the two brothers were captured before the show had a chance to air the case.
#15: Arthur Crabtree
Wanted Location: Los Angeles, California. April 2012.
Capture Location: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. April 2016.
Brief Description: Arthur Crabtree was a former police officer who was suspected of failing to appear in court on charges of child molestation and parole violation. The Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles issued a warrant in April 2012, charging him with one count of child molestation. A federal arrest warrant was then issued by the U.S. District Court, Central District of California in July 2012 after he was federally charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
Result: Arthur Crabtree was tracked down to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and arrested around April 22nd, 2016. In April of 2017, Crabtree was sentenced to 214 days in jail and three years’ probation for failing to register as a sex offender. We currently do not know about the child molestation charges and if he still faces them. Crabtree was captured before his scheduled airing on the October 22nd, 2017 episode of The Hunt, so this is not a direct result.
#16: Christopher Ponce
Wanted Location: Tampa, Florida. May 9th, 2013.
Capture Location: Almeria, Andalusia, Spain. August 8th, 2016.
Brief description: On July 19, 2012, Christopher Ponce, a repeat DUI offender, was traveling south in the northbound lanes of I-275 in Tampa, Florida. Ponce's vehicle collided with another, killing the driver, 20-year old William Angel, and seriously injuring his two friends who were also in the car with him. Ponce was arrested for DUI and later charged with DUI Manslaughter, vehicular homicide, DUI with serious bodily injury, and reckless driving.
In May of 2013, however, Ponce, who somehow received bond despite his previous track record, cut off his ankle bracelet and disappeared before his trial. Since then, the case became national news even before "The Hunt" decided to air it on August 3rd, 2014, with a large social media presence put forth from friends and family of William Angel in an effort to catch Ponce.
Result: In the end, despite the numerous Hunt airings and social media postings, Ponce went down in very mundane fashion: as a suspicious person at a bus stop in Spain. A patrol unit in the city of Almeria in the Andalusia region of Spain became suspicious after Ponce attempted to sidle away towards the toilets as they entered the bus station on the evening of August 8th, 2016. On requesting his ID card, he presented a travel card in one name and a fake Mexican passport in another, so officers took him down the station for formal identification. Finger prints revealed he was a fugitive on Interpol’s wanted list, and Ponce was promptly arrested. The extradition process is expected to take several months.
Although the Hunt's aired capture update stated renewed attention to the Ponce case generated a tip that he could be in Spain and was the reason he had an Interpol warrant, the wording of the statement makes whether or not this is a direct capture up for debate. At the moment, this website's unofficial determination is this is not a direct capture since the actual tip was from the findchrisponce.com website run by the Angel family. However, if the Hunt's website ever edits their article on Ponce to take credit, we will change this to a direct capture. We can all agree The Hunt had at the very least some impact, and deserves at the very least partial credit, and that Ponce's capture is great news.
#17: Daniel James Heinrich (Unknown Jacob Wetterling Abductor)
Wanted Location: St. Joseph, Minnesota. October 22nd, 1989
Capture Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota. September 6th, 2016.
Brief Description: On October 22nd, 1989, a then unknown suspect approached a group of boys who had went to a convenience store to rent a videotape. He produced a handgun and took 11-year old Jacob Wetterling, who remained missing for 27 years.
Result: In 2015, Daniel James Heinrich was arrested by Minnesota authorities on child pornography charges and subsequently named a suspect in the Jacob Wetterling case. On September 2nd, 2016, it was announced that Jacob Wetterling's remains were found and that Daniel Heinrich had led authorities to his body. On September 6th, 2016, Heinrich finally officially admitted to being Jacob Wetterling's abductor and killer in a Minneapolis courtroom. Despite the confession, because of a plea deal, Heinrich faces no additional charges in regards to the death of Jacob Wetterling. Heinrich did plead guilty in court to one child pornography charge and faces a maximum of 20 years in prison plus civil confinement in Minnesota's sex offender program once he is released from prison.
Although The Hunt airing and renewed publicity from it was what inspired the FBI to re-review the case and focus on Heinrich, this website's unofficial determination currently doesn't count him as a Hunt direct capture since despite everything, he technically wasn't charged in Jacob's case and it was not a specific tip from The Hunt but the FBI review that led to Heinrich. It can still be argued of course the FBI would have never re-reviewed the case in the first place if not for the Hunt airing, so we would say that the show does deserve partial credit.
#18: Robert Van Wisse
Wanted Location: Austin, Texas. October 3rd, 1996.
Capture Location: Laredo, Texas. January 26th, 2017.
Brief Description (via Wikipedia):
On September 19, 1983, Laurie Stout, who owned a janitorial service in Austin with her husband, went into a building which she was hired to clean. Her body was found at 8:30 am the following morning in the second floor men's bathroom where she was working. She had been sexually assaulted and murdered. The Austin Police Department later ruled Stout’s death was a homicide due to strangulation and asphyxia.
Everyone who was in the building that evening was questioned, including 18-year-old Van Wisse, who was late registering for a class at the University of Texas at the time. He was given fingerprinting and DNA testing, and ruled out as a suspect at the time due to the under developed DNA technology in 1983.
Result (via Wikipedia):
In 1992, an investigator was hired to reopen the cold case. She found that the 1983 testing of Van Wisse's DNA was misleading due to outdated technology, and after reevaluation he was determined to be the prime suspect.
On October 3, 1996, a state arrest warrant was issued for Van Wisse in Travis County, Texas, after he was charged in Stout's murder. On March 6, 1997, Van Wisse was also charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution and a Federal arrest warrant was issued for Van Wisse by the United States District Court in Austin. On December 13, 2016, Van Wisse became the 511th person added to the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, with a $100,000 reward. On January 26, 2017, he surrendered to U.S. officials in Laredo, Texas at the Mexican border.
On March 28, 2017, Van Wisse pled guilty to murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. His attorney said that plea deal negotiations were started before Van Wisse turned himself in.
(Van Wisse would be aired on the September 17th, 2017 episode of "The Hunt". His surrender is not a direct result of the show as he turned himself in after his addition to the FBI's Top 10 list before the Hunt had a chance to profile him)
#19: Dino Curcio
Wanted Location: Ames, Iowa & Boulder, Colorado- (Latest warrant April 20th, 2012)
Capture Location: Deer Park, Illinois. August 3rd, 2017.
Brief Description: In the mid-2000's, a foreign exchange student from Sweden was sent to Boulder, Colorado to live with Dino Curcio, a friend of her mother. The student, Elisabeth, who bravely appeared on camera for the Season 4 debut of The Hunt on their new network, HLN, described the alleged horrific details of sexual abuse that would happen to her in the United States, where as an underage youth, Curcio would allegedly repeatedly rape her and later allegedly forced her to marry him in Las Vegas. Elisabeth stated she finally was free from Curcio in 2012 when she ran away from him after a violent domestic assault in Ames, Iowa (where the two had eventually moved). Curcio was charged with domestic assault but later bonded out. He would later face sexual assault of a minor charges in Boulder, Colorado. He was last seen in Washington State.
Result: After the July 30th, 2017 season 4 debut episode of "The Hunt" with John Walsh on the show's new network, HLN, more than a dozen tips came into the show's hotline. Two of the tips placed Curcio in Deer Park Illinois (a town just outside of Chicago) prompting the Denver Marshal's Office to request help from the agency's Great Lakes Regional Task Force.
Police responded to an address in Deer Park and took Curcio into custody on August 3rd, 2017 . He is being held at the Lake County jail in anticipation of his extradition to Boulder County.
("The Hunt" direct capture #5 according to amwfans.com's unofficial determination of whether or not to give The Hunt credit. Curcio is also The Hunt's first ever HLN fugitive and The Hunt's overall first season debut fugitive to be captured as a direct result of the show (according to this website's unofficial determinations)
9/23/2019 Update: In 2018, Curcio was sentenced to 16 years in a Colorado State Prison. He won't be eligible for parole until 2025, and his maximum release date year is in 2033.
#20: Luis Macedo
Wanted Location: Chicago, Illinois. May 1st, 2009
Capture Location: Guadalajara, Mexico. August 26th, 2017.
Brief Description: Luis Macedo was wanted for his alleged involvement in the death of 15-year-old Alex Arellano in Chicago, Illinois, on May 1, 2009. Arellano was brutally beaten, shot, and set on fire by several alleged Latin Kings street gang members, after the teen refused to show a gang sign. Macedo allegedly initiated the attack.
Result: Macedo was placed on the FBI's Top 10 list and tracked down to Guadalajara, Mexico on August 26th, 2017. Macedo was captured before his scheduled airing on the October 15th, 2017 episode of The Hunt, so this is not a direct result of the show.
#21: Maria Cabrera-Gutierrez
Wanted Location: St. Lawrence, Pennsylvania. November 24th, 2014.
Capture Location: Raymond, Washington. September 18th, 2017.
Brief Description: Maria Cabrera-Gutierrez allegedly abducted her then 2 year-old son, Daniel Markus, from his St. Lawrence, Pennsylvania home in November of 2014. She also took a son from a previous relationship with her. She had been in a few contentious court battles regarding Daniel regarding a custody battle between her and the child's father, Guy Markus. On "The Hunt" airing, Maria's oldest daughter from the relationship before Markus', said that she had started to change her behavior. According to the daughter on the show, Maria would constantly criticize and belittle and falsely accuse Guy Markus of hurting her kids. After the two were separated, the daughter stated that Maria started acted even more erratically and began talking to herself and pulling her hair on one occasion. Concerned both for the welfare of the children and the mental state of Maria Cabrera-Gutierrez, the Hunt decided to take the case in the hopes of reuniting Daniel with his family.
Result: After the Hunt profiled the case on September 17th, 2017, two tips came into the show placing Maria Cabrera-Gutierrez in the suburban town of Raymond in Washington state. Just hours after the show first aired, Maria was arrested and Daniel was placed in protective custody, scheduled to soon be reunited with his father. Ivan, Maria's other son who she did have custody of, was found safe as well.
("The Hunt" direct capture #6 according to amwfans.com's unofficial determination of whether or not to give the credit. Daniel Markus is the third missing child to be recovered alive since the start of The Hunt).
#22 & #23: Ty & Tisa Yiyara
Wanted Location: Los Angeles, California. Circa 2000.
Capture Location: Plantation, Florida. October 18th, 2017.
Brief Description: Ty & Tisa Yiyara, whose real names were Joseph Horace Green and Channell Nicola Warren, started the "Enlightened Minds" charter school for underserved children in Los Angeles in the late 1990's. After the start of 2000, rumors spread that a 16 year-old female student had slept in their room during a field trip. The Yiyaras were eventually officially charged with sexual assault charges but soon fled.
Result: The Yiyaras, who also bad brief profiles on America's Most Wanted, were aired on the September 24th, 2017 episode of "The Hunt." Soon after that, law enforcement began working on the case and were able to track down the Yiyaras to Plantation, Florida using facial recognition technology.
Our unofficial determination on whether or not to give the 'Hunt' credit is that is not a definitive direct capture, it was advanced technology that ultimately located the Yiyaras, but the show still deserves at the very least partial credit as law enforcement credited them with reinvigorating the case and giving them better resources to work with. (If you think about partial credit for two fugitives combined pretty much equals a full capture anyway!).
#24: William Joseph Greer
Wanted Location: Harris County, Texas. March 2007.
Capture Location: Taxco, Tabasco, Mexico. November 28th, 2017.
Brief Description (from Marshals wanted poster): Greer was waanted by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office for allegedly murdering his girlfriend, Tammy Marie Esquivel, Dec. 19, 2006. His crime, however, was not discovered until days later after authorities found him wandering naked and intoxicated in Cleveland, Texas, Dec. 22, 2006. During the odd encounter with police, Greer allegedly confessed to using drugs and “accidentally” killing his girlfriend. Although he was arrested for public intoxication, authorities had no evidence of the confessed crime and released him the next day. A week later, Greer’s drunken confession became evidence in the Esquivel homicide investigation when his sons, ages 9 and 13, came forward and told authorities they heard Greer and the victim arguing the morning of Dec. 19 followed by gunshots. Police searched the couple’s home and found evidence of the crime, but did not find Esquivel’s body. Authorities also learned that Greer left the state on the day he was released from jail.
A murder warrant was issued for Greer in January 2007. He was indicted for Esquivel’s death in March 2007.
Result: William Greer was nearly captured twice by fans of John Walsh's previous show, America's Most Wanted, after he was sighted in New Orleans and Kentucky. In 2016, he would be added to the US Marshals Top 15 Most Wanted list while becoming the debut fugitive for season 3 of The Hunt with John Walsh on June 19th, 2016. On November 28th, 2017, Greer was tracked down to a small town in the Mexican state of Tabasco, where it's believed he had been living for at least four years with a woman and her two children. He was arrested while waiting to pick the children up from school. Greer's missing toe on his right foot, a much discussed physical characteristic of his, helped identify him. He is now back in the Houston area where he's been officially charged with Tammy Esquivel's presumed murder.
The capture of Greer was not a direct result of The Hunt with John Walsh (by our unofficial determination) but rather as a result of the U.S. Marshals most wanted list resources and additional international law enforcement cooperation. However, the near captures from America's Most Wanted perhaps inspired his addition to the list in the first place, while The Hunt airings helped to continue the pressure and manhunt.
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The above completes captures that happened while "The Hunt with John Walsh" was on the air. In 2018, it was announced that John Walsh and his production company would be leaving "The Hunt" to start a new show on the ID channel called "In Pursuit". As a result, the capture directory has been technically discontinued (or at least keeping numbered track will be discontinued), but for anyone interested in captures that happened after the fact and/or 2018 or afterwards please follow this link:
amwfans.com/post/34285
#1: Charles Mozdir
Wanted Location: Coronado, California. June 15, 2012
Capture Location: New York City, NY. July 28th, 2014
The Hunt Description: On June 4, 2012, Charles Mozdir’s friend and his friend’s wife asked him to watch their 7‐year‐old son. The next morning, the boy told his mother that Mozdir had touched him inappropriately. Mozdir was arrested on June 8, booked into the San Diego County jail, before posting bail the next day. He was last seen in San Diego by his sister with his dog, a black lab named Lucky. On June 15, 2012, he failed to appear at his arraignment. His roommate told police that Mozdir threatened to kill himself and kill his victim's father. The Coronado Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service searched for Mozdir in California, the Mexican state of Baja California, and Georgia. On June 20, 2012, Coronado police found Mozdir's vehicle outside the coastal Georgia town of Darien. There was no sign of Mozdir nor any information on his whereabouts. Investigators believe that Mozdir may have sexually assaulted other victims in the past.
Result: Mozdir was profiled on the July 20th, 2014 episode of "The Hunt" with John Walsh. After a tip from an 8 PM repeat airing the following week he was tracked down in New York City's Greenwich Village neighborhood on July 28th, 2014. Mozdir was killed in a shootout when police attempted to arrest him. Two US Marshals and an officer were wounded but survived. Counting the three different eras of AMW, Mozdir became the first "first-ever" capture of a John Walsh hosted show to result in death.
("The Hunt" Direct Capture #1 according to amwfans.com's unofficial determination of whether or not to give The Hunt credit.)
www.cnn.com/2014/07/28/justice/the-hunt-suspect-killed/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
#2: Shane Miller
Wanted Location: Shingletown, California May 7th, 2013.
Capture Location: Petrolia, California August 3rd, 2014
US Marshals description of case: On April 20, the SCSO (Shasta County Sheriff's Office) deputies responded to a domestic dispute involving Miller and his wife Sandra at their residence in Shingletown, Calif. During the dispute, Sandra left the residence with the assistance of SCSO deputies and drove to Humboldt County, Calif. Later that day, Miller traveled to Humboldt County, located his wife at a motel and returned her to the residence.
On May 7, the SCSO dispatch received a 911 call from the Miller residence. During that call, the dispatcher heard a female sobbing and several loud banging sounds over the phone. SCSO deputies immediately responded to the location where they discovered the lifeless bodies of Miller’s five-year-old and eight-year-old daughters, and his wife. Investigators determined that the deaths were caused by gunshot wounds.
Marshals would soon charge Shane Miller in the triple homicide and placed him on their Top 15 Most Wanted list.
Result: On August 3rd, 2014, Shasta County's Sheriff confirmed that human remains found in Petrolia, California were that of Shane Franklin Miller. He had died of a single gunshot wound to the head. Although the wound is said to be consistent with suicide, exactly where and when Shane Miller died has not been explained.
As far as this site knows, the discovery of Miller's body was not a direct result of his 'Hunt' airing.
www.cnn.com/2014/08/03/us/the-hunt-suspect-dead/
#3: Kevin Stoeser
Wanted Location: Austin, Texas October 2013.
Capture Location: Austin, Texas. November 17th, 2014
US Marshals website description: In October 2013, Kevin Patrick Stoeser escaped from the Austin Transitional Center where he was serving the remainder of a 156-month sentence for four counts of child sexual assault and one count of possession of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to these charges in 2003.
Result: On Sept. 8, a Texas resident contacted the Austin Police Department and reported that his golden retriever had found a human skull. Authorities and the medical examiner responded, and they determined that the skull was that of a Caucasian man with “short blond, military cut hair and a partial ear.” Local media quickly reported on the discovery. It soon piqued the interest of investigators because of the physical similarities to Stoeser. On November 17th, 2014, the US Marshals announced the skull was indeed Stoeser's, and credited the media for keeping the public alerted to the case, along with the golden retriever.
The cause of the death of Stoeser was never determined, although it is assumed he may have drowned to death.
Although law enforcement thanked the many media outlets for keeping the Stoeser case public, The Hunt has never been directly credited for Stoeser's capture. Our feeling is partial credit should at least be given even if this wasn't a 100 percent direct result.
www.cnn.com/2014/11/17/justice/stoeser-remains-hunt-dog/index.html
#4: Genevieve Kelley & #7 Scott Kelley
Wanted Location: Whitefield, New Hampshire. November 2004
Capture Location: Genevieve Kelley: Lancaster, New Hampshire. November 17th, 2014 Scott Kelley: Atlanta, Georgia. April 15th, 2015
amwfans.com site description: Eight-year old Mary Nunes was last seen on October 22, 2004 in Whitefield, New Hampshire. Authorities say she was abducted by her mother Genevieve and her stepfather Scott. Mary suffers from arteriovenous malformations which can cause internal bleeding and can even result in death. Her parents were suspected of committing medical neglect and failed to appear for a court hearing. In the past, Genevieve had accused Mary's biological father of sexually abusing the young girl, although authorities never found evidence to prove that. Genevieve and Scott also fled with two horses, neither of which were ever located.
Result: In November of 2014, Genevieve Kelley surrendered to New Hampshire authorities after seeing her profile on The Hunt. Kelley and her lawyer claimed Mary was safe and that Scott would surrender with her before trial. Sure enough, on April 15th, 2015, Scott Kelley was arrested after taking a flight from Costa Rica to Atlanta. Mary Nunes was with him and taken by US Marshals to an undisclosed location in Colorado. Mary was expected to testify on Genevieve Kelley's behalf at trial as the former fugitive claimed Mark Nunes sexually abused her daughter and that's why she left the country with her. New Hampshire authorities maintained Mrs. Kelley's accusations were fabrications and Mr. Nunes was unfairly accused.
However, neither would get a chance to tell their side of the story in court as both Geneieve and Scott Kelley would plead guilty to misdemeanor charges of custodial interference. The plea deal calls for Genevieve Kelley to serve 10 months in jail after Scott Kelley serves five months; the sentences were staggered so their 10-year-old son will not be without a parent.
At the moment, Mary Nunes still declines to meet her father again and wants to live with Genevieve and Scott Kelley after they serve their time. Mary is the first missing child to be located after airing on The Hunt. Genevieve Kelley is the first fugitive to be captured alive after airing on The Hunt.
(Genevieve Kelley "The Hunt" Direct Capture #2 according to amwfans.com's unofficial determination of whether or not to give The Hunt credit. We currently do not credit Scott Kelley as a direct capture since he didn't surrender with Genevieve, most media articles do not credit The Hunt, and "The Hunt" airing only mentioned Genevieve.)
www.usmarshals.gov/news/chron/2014/111714a.htm
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3128690/Mom-stepdad-plead-guilty-fleeing-country-daughter.html
#5: Johnny Napier
Wanted Location: Comanche, Texas- April 4th, 2011- and Baker, Montana- August 21st, 2013
Capture Location: Springfield, Missouri November 20th, 2014.
FBI Archive Description: While living in Comanche, Texas, Napier allegedly molested a young girl in his neighborhood. On approximately June 17, 2010, the Comanche Police Department in Comanche County, Texas, obtained a state arrest warrant for Johnny Benjamin Napier for the offense of indecency with a child by contact. After being charged with this crime, Napier left town. On April 4, 2011, a state arrest warrant was issued by the District Court of Comanche County, Texas, for failure to appear on the previous charges of indecency with a child by contact. On August 2, 2011, another state arrest warrant was issued by the District Court of Comanche County, Texas, for judgment nisi - failure to appear. Finally, on October 27, 2011, a state arrest warrant was issued by the District Court of Comanche County, Texas, after Napier jumped bail.
It is also alleged that Napier, while living in Baker, Montana, from May 1, 2011 to August 20, 2013, under the fake identity of Sean Denning, repeatedly molested a young child. After learning of an investigation into these crimes, Napier left town, leaving all of his possessions at his residence. He was seen in Miles City, Montana, on August 20, 2013, and has not been seen since. On approximately August 21, 2013, the Baker Police Department obtained a state arrest warrant for the unknown subject who used the name Sean Denning. After identifying the subject as Napier, the Montana Sixteenth Judicial District Court, Fallon County, Montana, issued a new state arrest warrant based on Napier's charges of two counts of sexual intercourse without consent.
Result: Before The Hunt could even air the case during their second season, Napier was recognized from a social media post about the case and a tip was called in. On November 20th, 2014, Napier was arrested at a trailer park in Springfield, Missouri after a three-hour stand-off. Despite Napier being captured and it not appearing to be a direct result of the show, The Hunt decided to air the case anyway.
Napier is the first fugitive ever to be aired on The Hunt to be captured before his airing.
www.cnn.com/2015/07/31/us/johnny-napier-the-hunt-john-walsh/index.html
#6: Victor Barnard
Wanted Location: Pine City, Minnesota. April 2014
Capture Location: Pipa, Brazil February 27th, 2015
The Hunt description: In the 1990s, Victor Barnard started a religious sect called the River Road Fellowship in Finlayson, Minnesota, about 100 miles north of Minneapolis. Years later, the charismatic religious leader allegedly convinced his some members of his congregation to hand over their firstborn daughters to live with him in a secluded campsite.
He called the group of 10 girls “the Maidens.” After years of alleged sexual abuse, two of the girls left the sect and alerted authorities who launched a criminal investigation. Lindsay Tornambe -- one of the two girls, now in her late 20s – told CNN that Barnard first molested her after he preached to her that he represented Jesus Christ in the flesh. She told investigators that she estimated that Barnard sexually assaulted her one to three times a month until she left in 2010.
In April 2014, prosecutors charged Barnard with 59 counts of criminal sexual conduct with the two young girls while they were members of his church, and a nationwide manhunt ensued.
Barnard -- who was last seen in Spokane, Washington, according to state police there -- was nowhere to be found.
Result: On February 27th, 2015, three months after being put on the US Marshals 15 Most Wanted list, Barnard was tracked to Pipa, Brazil. When he was arrested, he was discovered to be living with a woman that was said to be a member of his cult. The Hunt's updated airings describe her as Barnard's "favorite" maiden. Barnard still currently sits in a Brazilian prison awaiting extradition to the United States.
Barnard is the first fugitive from The Hunt to be captured in a foreign country.
As far as this site knows, Barnard's capture is a result of being the Marshals Most Wanted list and not a direct result of "The Hunt."
www.cnn.com/2015/03/01/us/victor-barnard-brazil-caught/
#8: Alexander Hill Jr.
Wanted Location: Petersburg, Virginia. April 19th, 2014
Capture Location: Buffalo, New York April 23rd, 2015
Brief Description: During the weekend of Easter 2014, 48-year old Alexander Hill Jr. was accused of killing two family members by assault and then setting the house on fire, killing two others, including a 2-year-old, in Petersburg, Virginia.
Those killed were Pauline Wilkins, 67, Vicki Chavis-Ansar, 46, Tanique Chavis, 22, and Delvair Chavis, 2. A former girlfriend of Hill’s lived in the home but was not there at the time of the slayings.
Result: A year after the tragic killings, Hill was caught before he could even be aired on The Hunt's second season living at a homeless shelter in Buffalo. The US Marshals sent out a press release about the 1-year anniversary of the crime and several local news outlets did segments on it. The Hunt aired the case anyway and suggested it was possible the tipster recognized Hill from a local Buffalo news broadcast, where Hill appeared on camera talking about the shelter while still on the run from the Marshals. (This capture obviously was not a direct result of The Hunt)
www.cnn.com/2015/08/31/us/the-hunt-alexander-roosevelt-hill-jr/index.html
#9: Matthew Dion
Wanted Location: Manchester, New Hampshire. March 2014.
Capture Location: Orange Park, Florida. June 3rd, 2015.
Brief Description: Matthew Dion was wanted for allegedly killing his elderly parents, Robert and Constance Dion, in March 2014 and setting their New Hampshire home on fire. On Sept. 3, 2014, the Manchester Police Department charged Dion with two counts of second-degree murder and arson. These criminal charges were in addition to an April 4, 2014, child pornography charge Dion was facing. On Nov. 22, 2014, Dion was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, which eventually led to his placement on the U.S. Marshals Top 15 Most Wanted list.
Result: After being spotted in Florida, the U.S. Marshals performed a media blitz to local news stations in the states of Florida and Georgia which eventually led to Dion's arrest at an Orange Park, Florida motel. He plead guilty to charges of murder and arson in Manchester as part of a plea bargain on December 2, 2015. He was sentenced to 60 years in prison.
Dion was captured before his scheduled airing on the November 19th, 2017 episode of The Hunt, so this is not a direct result. (It can be assumed he would have been aired much earlier had he still been at large).
#10: Megan Everett
Wanted Location: Sunrise, Florida May 13th, 2014.
Capture Location: Palatka, Florida August 3rd, 2015
FBI Wanted Poster Description: Megan Elizabeth Everett is wanted for allegedly kidnapping her two-year-old daughter, Lilly Abigail Baumann (Everett), from Sunrise, Florida. On May 13, 2014, Everett failed to return her daughter to the girl’s father as directed in their custody agreement. Everett had moved out of her previous residence, taking her daughter with her, and has not made contact since.
On May 19, 2014, a local arrest warrant was issued for Everett in the Circuit Court of the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, Broward County, Florida, for kidnapping, interference with custody, and concealing minors contrary to a court order. Everett was charged federally for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution on June 12, 2014, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Result: On August 3rd, 2015, the morning after the case aired on the previous night's episode of "The Hunt", federal agents tracked Megan Everett to Palatka, Florida (near Gainesville). There, they also recovered Lily Baumann. John Walsh tweeted that the capture/recovery was the direct result of a tip to the show's hotline.
Everett pleaded no contest in September 2016 to charges of interfering with child custody and removing a child from the state contrary to a court order. She was sentenced to two years of house arrest and three years of probation, with the Judge agreeing to withhold adjudication if she meets the terms of her sentence.
Robert Baumann (the birth father Megan took Lilly from) now has full custody of Lilly. It is for the moment up to him as to if he wants to allow Megan to see her and under what circumstances.
(Megan Everett is "The Hunt" Direct Capture #3 according to amwfans.com's unofficial determination of whether or not to give The Hunt credit.)
www.cnn.com/2015/08/03/us/megan-everett-captured-the-hunt-john-walsh/index.html
#11: Paul Jackson
Wanted Location: Portland/Hillsboro, Oregon February 1991.
Capture Location: Guadalajara, Mexico September 28th, 2015.
Brief Description: Jackson along with his brother Vance Roberts allegedly kidnapped, raped, and tortured at least two prostitutes off the streets of Portland, Oregon in the late 1980's and early 1990's. They disappeared before their trial in 1991. In 2006, Vance Roberts turned himself in out of nowhere, and was subsequently sentence to 108 years in prison, however, Jackson remained at large. Police also wanted to arrest Jackson and question him in connection to other cases involving sexual assaults in the Portland area.
Result: On July 26th, 2015, The Hunt aired the case of Paul Jackson, who was also previous aired on America's Most Wanted as one of John Walsh's "Dirty Dozen" Most Wanted fugitives. On Monday, September 28th, 2015, Jackson was arrested in Guadalajara, Mexico. A U.S. Marshal credited a tip after The Hunt's July 26th airing as what started the process to capture Jackson.
("The Hunt" Direct Capture #4 according to amwfans.com's unofficial determination of whether or not to give The Hunt credit).
www.cnn.com/2015/07/22/us/paul-jackson-the-hunt-john-walsh/index.html
#12: Paul Winklebleck
Wanted Location: Portland, Oregon. March 4th, 2010
Capture Location: Marion County, Oregon. December 2014. (Confirmed Dead October 15th, 2015.)
Brief Description: On March 4th, 2010, Paul Winklebleck approached two teenage girls who had just attended a Snoop Dogg concert in Portland, Oregon. He claimed to be a spotter for the Portland Police Department, and that police were on the lookout for people driving drunk from the concert. He offered the girls to drive their car for them. They accepted the offer, only for him to hold them captive in the hopes of sexually assaulting them. The girls fought Winklebleck off, and Winklebleck drove off in their car.
Result: At the end of 2014, remains were found near Turner, Oregon, in Marion County, that were believed to be those of Paul Winklebleck. The Hunt aired the case anyway, stressing he was believed deceased but DNA tests were pending. On October 14th, 2015, authorities announced the DNA was a positive match and the remains were Winklebleck's. A cause of death was not released and does not appear to be known, although it is speculated Winklebleck possibly drowned to death.
Winklebleck's discovered death obviously does not appear to be a direct result of The Hunt, since his remains were found before he was aired.
www.cnn.com/2015/08/14/us/paul-winklebleck-the-hunt-john-walsh/index.html
bnonews.com/news/index.php/news/id2171
#13 & #14: Juan Reyes & Eric Santiago
Wanted Location: Wyoming, Michigan. September 29th, 2007.
Capture Location: Guadalajara, Mexico. November, 2015.
Brief description: On Sep 29, 2007, authorities say Eric Santiago got involved in a shootout at a Wyoming, Michigan gas station in which no one was injured. Later the following morning at 2AM, Santiago and his brother Juan Reyes drove to a party that was being held. Reyes got an assault rifle and opened fire on the crowd of people, killing 22-year old Douglas Pollok and wounding another man named Jesse McDowell. The brothers incorrectly assumed that Douglas was a neighbor whom they had a grudge with and were chasing throughout Grand Rapids the previous day. The two then fled with their mother.
Result: In November of 2015, Mexican authorities arrested Reyes and Santiago and extradited them to the United States after tips from viewers of a local "West Michigan's Most Wanted" segment. In March of 2016, a Grand Rapids jury convicted Juan Reyes of second degree murder in the 2007 shooting death of 22-year-old Ryan Pollok. The jury also found Reyes guilty of a charge of assault with intent to murder and a felony firearm possession. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Eric Reyes Santiago pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to a felony. He testified against his brother. Santiago was sentenced to one year in prison and five years probation.
This obviously was not a direct result of 'The Hunt' since the two brothers were captured before the show had a chance to air the case.
#15: Arthur Crabtree
Wanted Location: Los Angeles, California. April 2012.
Capture Location: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. April 2016.
Brief Description: Arthur Crabtree was a former police officer who was suspected of failing to appear in court on charges of child molestation and parole violation. The Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles issued a warrant in April 2012, charging him with one count of child molestation. A federal arrest warrant was then issued by the U.S. District Court, Central District of California in July 2012 after he was federally charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
Result: Arthur Crabtree was tracked down to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and arrested around April 22nd, 2016. In April of 2017, Crabtree was sentenced to 214 days in jail and three years’ probation for failing to register as a sex offender. We currently do not know about the child molestation charges and if he still faces them. Crabtree was captured before his scheduled airing on the October 22nd, 2017 episode of The Hunt, so this is not a direct result.
#16: Christopher Ponce
Wanted Location: Tampa, Florida. May 9th, 2013.
Capture Location: Almeria, Andalusia, Spain. August 8th, 2016.
Brief description: On July 19, 2012, Christopher Ponce, a repeat DUI offender, was traveling south in the northbound lanes of I-275 in Tampa, Florida. Ponce's vehicle collided with another, killing the driver, 20-year old William Angel, and seriously injuring his two friends who were also in the car with him. Ponce was arrested for DUI and later charged with DUI Manslaughter, vehicular homicide, DUI with serious bodily injury, and reckless driving.
In May of 2013, however, Ponce, who somehow received bond despite his previous track record, cut off his ankle bracelet and disappeared before his trial. Since then, the case became national news even before "The Hunt" decided to air it on August 3rd, 2014, with a large social media presence put forth from friends and family of William Angel in an effort to catch Ponce.
Result: In the end, despite the numerous Hunt airings and social media postings, Ponce went down in very mundane fashion: as a suspicious person at a bus stop in Spain. A patrol unit in the city of Almeria in the Andalusia region of Spain became suspicious after Ponce attempted to sidle away towards the toilets as they entered the bus station on the evening of August 8th, 2016. On requesting his ID card, he presented a travel card in one name and a fake Mexican passport in another, so officers took him down the station for formal identification. Finger prints revealed he was a fugitive on Interpol’s wanted list, and Ponce was promptly arrested. The extradition process is expected to take several months.
Although the Hunt's aired capture update stated renewed attention to the Ponce case generated a tip that he could be in Spain and was the reason he had an Interpol warrant, the wording of the statement makes whether or not this is a direct capture up for debate. At the moment, this website's unofficial determination is this is not a direct capture since the actual tip was from the findchrisponce.com website run by the Angel family. However, if the Hunt's website ever edits their article on Ponce to take credit, we will change this to a direct capture. We can all agree The Hunt had at the very least some impact, and deserves at the very least partial credit, and that Ponce's capture is great news.
#17: Daniel James Heinrich (Unknown Jacob Wetterling Abductor)
Wanted Location: St. Joseph, Minnesota. October 22nd, 1989
Capture Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota. September 6th, 2016.
Brief Description: On October 22nd, 1989, a then unknown suspect approached a group of boys who had went to a convenience store to rent a videotape. He produced a handgun and took 11-year old Jacob Wetterling, who remained missing for 27 years.
Result: In 2015, Daniel James Heinrich was arrested by Minnesota authorities on child pornography charges and subsequently named a suspect in the Jacob Wetterling case. On September 2nd, 2016, it was announced that Jacob Wetterling's remains were found and that Daniel Heinrich had led authorities to his body. On September 6th, 2016, Heinrich finally officially admitted to being Jacob Wetterling's abductor and killer in a Minneapolis courtroom. Despite the confession, because of a plea deal, Heinrich faces no additional charges in regards to the death of Jacob Wetterling. Heinrich did plead guilty in court to one child pornography charge and faces a maximum of 20 years in prison plus civil confinement in Minnesota's sex offender program once he is released from prison.
Although The Hunt airing and renewed publicity from it was what inspired the FBI to re-review the case and focus on Heinrich, this website's unofficial determination currently doesn't count him as a Hunt direct capture since despite everything, he technically wasn't charged in Jacob's case and it was not a specific tip from The Hunt but the FBI review that led to Heinrich. It can still be argued of course the FBI would have never re-reviewed the case in the first place if not for the Hunt airing, so we would say that the show does deserve partial credit.
#18: Robert Van Wisse
Wanted Location: Austin, Texas. October 3rd, 1996.
Capture Location: Laredo, Texas. January 26th, 2017.
Brief Description (via Wikipedia):
On September 19, 1983, Laurie Stout, who owned a janitorial service in Austin with her husband, went into a building which she was hired to clean. Her body was found at 8:30 am the following morning in the second floor men's bathroom where she was working. She had been sexually assaulted and murdered. The Austin Police Department later ruled Stout’s death was a homicide due to strangulation and asphyxia.
Everyone who was in the building that evening was questioned, including 18-year-old Van Wisse, who was late registering for a class at the University of Texas at the time. He was given fingerprinting and DNA testing, and ruled out as a suspect at the time due to the under developed DNA technology in 1983.
Result (via Wikipedia):
In 1992, an investigator was hired to reopen the cold case. She found that the 1983 testing of Van Wisse's DNA was misleading due to outdated technology, and after reevaluation he was determined to be the prime suspect.
On October 3, 1996, a state arrest warrant was issued for Van Wisse in Travis County, Texas, after he was charged in Stout's murder. On March 6, 1997, Van Wisse was also charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution and a Federal arrest warrant was issued for Van Wisse by the United States District Court in Austin. On December 13, 2016, Van Wisse became the 511th person added to the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, with a $100,000 reward. On January 26, 2017, he surrendered to U.S. officials in Laredo, Texas at the Mexican border.
On March 28, 2017, Van Wisse pled guilty to murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. His attorney said that plea deal negotiations were started before Van Wisse turned himself in.
(Van Wisse would be aired on the September 17th, 2017 episode of "The Hunt". His surrender is not a direct result of the show as he turned himself in after his addition to the FBI's Top 10 list before the Hunt had a chance to profile him)
#19: Dino Curcio
Wanted Location: Ames, Iowa & Boulder, Colorado- (Latest warrant April 20th, 2012)
Capture Location: Deer Park, Illinois. August 3rd, 2017.
Brief Description: In the mid-2000's, a foreign exchange student from Sweden was sent to Boulder, Colorado to live with Dino Curcio, a friend of her mother. The student, Elisabeth, who bravely appeared on camera for the Season 4 debut of The Hunt on their new network, HLN, described the alleged horrific details of sexual abuse that would happen to her in the United States, where as an underage youth, Curcio would allegedly repeatedly rape her and later allegedly forced her to marry him in Las Vegas. Elisabeth stated she finally was free from Curcio in 2012 when she ran away from him after a violent domestic assault in Ames, Iowa (where the two had eventually moved). Curcio was charged with domestic assault but later bonded out. He would later face sexual assault of a minor charges in Boulder, Colorado. He was last seen in Washington State.
Result: After the July 30th, 2017 season 4 debut episode of "The Hunt" with John Walsh on the show's new network, HLN, more than a dozen tips came into the show's hotline. Two of the tips placed Curcio in Deer Park Illinois (a town just outside of Chicago) prompting the Denver Marshal's Office to request help from the agency's Great Lakes Regional Task Force.
Police responded to an address in Deer Park and took Curcio into custody on August 3rd, 2017 . He is being held at the Lake County jail in anticipation of his extradition to Boulder County.
("The Hunt" direct capture #5 according to amwfans.com's unofficial determination of whether or not to give The Hunt credit. Curcio is also The Hunt's first ever HLN fugitive and The Hunt's overall first season debut fugitive to be captured as a direct result of the show (according to this website's unofficial determinations)
9/23/2019 Update: In 2018, Curcio was sentenced to 16 years in a Colorado State Prison. He won't be eligible for parole until 2025, and his maximum release date year is in 2033.
#20: Luis Macedo
Wanted Location: Chicago, Illinois. May 1st, 2009
Capture Location: Guadalajara, Mexico. August 26th, 2017.
Brief Description: Luis Macedo was wanted for his alleged involvement in the death of 15-year-old Alex Arellano in Chicago, Illinois, on May 1, 2009. Arellano was brutally beaten, shot, and set on fire by several alleged Latin Kings street gang members, after the teen refused to show a gang sign. Macedo allegedly initiated the attack.
Result: Macedo was placed on the FBI's Top 10 list and tracked down to Guadalajara, Mexico on August 26th, 2017. Macedo was captured before his scheduled airing on the October 15th, 2017 episode of The Hunt, so this is not a direct result of the show.
#21: Maria Cabrera-Gutierrez
Wanted Location: St. Lawrence, Pennsylvania. November 24th, 2014.
Capture Location: Raymond, Washington. September 18th, 2017.
Brief Description: Maria Cabrera-Gutierrez allegedly abducted her then 2 year-old son, Daniel Markus, from his St. Lawrence, Pennsylvania home in November of 2014. She also took a son from a previous relationship with her. She had been in a few contentious court battles regarding Daniel regarding a custody battle between her and the child's father, Guy Markus. On "The Hunt" airing, Maria's oldest daughter from the relationship before Markus', said that she had started to change her behavior. According to the daughter on the show, Maria would constantly criticize and belittle and falsely accuse Guy Markus of hurting her kids. After the two were separated, the daughter stated that Maria started acted even more erratically and began talking to herself and pulling her hair on one occasion. Concerned both for the welfare of the children and the mental state of Maria Cabrera-Gutierrez, the Hunt decided to take the case in the hopes of reuniting Daniel with his family.
Result: After the Hunt profiled the case on September 17th, 2017, two tips came into the show placing Maria Cabrera-Gutierrez in the suburban town of Raymond in Washington state. Just hours after the show first aired, Maria was arrested and Daniel was placed in protective custody, scheduled to soon be reunited with his father. Ivan, Maria's other son who she did have custody of, was found safe as well.
("The Hunt" direct capture #6 according to amwfans.com's unofficial determination of whether or not to give the credit. Daniel Markus is the third missing child to be recovered alive since the start of The Hunt).
#22 & #23: Ty & Tisa Yiyara
Wanted Location: Los Angeles, California. Circa 2000.
Capture Location: Plantation, Florida. October 18th, 2017.
Brief Description: Ty & Tisa Yiyara, whose real names were Joseph Horace Green and Channell Nicola Warren, started the "Enlightened Minds" charter school for underserved children in Los Angeles in the late 1990's. After the start of 2000, rumors spread that a 16 year-old female student had slept in their room during a field trip. The Yiyaras were eventually officially charged with sexual assault charges but soon fled.
Result: The Yiyaras, who also bad brief profiles on America's Most Wanted, were aired on the September 24th, 2017 episode of "The Hunt." Soon after that, law enforcement began working on the case and were able to track down the Yiyaras to Plantation, Florida using facial recognition technology.
Our unofficial determination on whether or not to give the 'Hunt' credit is that is not a definitive direct capture, it was advanced technology that ultimately located the Yiyaras, but the show still deserves at the very least partial credit as law enforcement credited them with reinvigorating the case and giving them better resources to work with. (If you think about partial credit for two fugitives combined pretty much equals a full capture anyway!).
#24: William Joseph Greer
Wanted Location: Harris County, Texas. March 2007.
Capture Location: Taxco, Tabasco, Mexico. November 28th, 2017.
Brief Description (from Marshals wanted poster): Greer was waanted by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office for allegedly murdering his girlfriend, Tammy Marie Esquivel, Dec. 19, 2006. His crime, however, was not discovered until days later after authorities found him wandering naked and intoxicated in Cleveland, Texas, Dec. 22, 2006. During the odd encounter with police, Greer allegedly confessed to using drugs and “accidentally” killing his girlfriend. Although he was arrested for public intoxication, authorities had no evidence of the confessed crime and released him the next day. A week later, Greer’s drunken confession became evidence in the Esquivel homicide investigation when his sons, ages 9 and 13, came forward and told authorities they heard Greer and the victim arguing the morning of Dec. 19 followed by gunshots. Police searched the couple’s home and found evidence of the crime, but did not find Esquivel’s body. Authorities also learned that Greer left the state on the day he was released from jail.
A murder warrant was issued for Greer in January 2007. He was indicted for Esquivel’s death in March 2007.
Result: William Greer was nearly captured twice by fans of John Walsh's previous show, America's Most Wanted, after he was sighted in New Orleans and Kentucky. In 2016, he would be added to the US Marshals Top 15 Most Wanted list while becoming the debut fugitive for season 3 of The Hunt with John Walsh on June 19th, 2016. On November 28th, 2017, Greer was tracked down to a small town in the Mexican state of Tabasco, where it's believed he had been living for at least four years with a woman and her two children. He was arrested while waiting to pick the children up from school. Greer's missing toe on his right foot, a much discussed physical characteristic of his, helped identify him. He is now back in the Houston area where he's been officially charged with Tammy Esquivel's presumed murder.
The capture of Greer was not a direct result of The Hunt with John Walsh (by our unofficial determination) but rather as a result of the U.S. Marshals most wanted list resources and additional international law enforcement cooperation. However, the near captures from America's Most Wanted perhaps inspired his addition to the list in the first place, while The Hunt airings helped to continue the pressure and manhunt.
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The above completes captures that happened while "The Hunt with John Walsh" was on the air. In 2018, it was announced that John Walsh and his production company would be leaving "The Hunt" to start a new show on the ID channel called "In Pursuit". As a result, the capture directory has been technically discontinued (or at least keeping numbered track will be discontinued), but for anyone interested in captures that happened after the fact and/or 2018 or afterwards please follow this link:
amwfans.com/post/34285