Post by pakman on Feb 9, 2014 11:43:54 GMT -5
After a month-long break, AMW returned in November 2003 with a vengeance! Four great episodes aired this month, leading to the direct capture of at least six fugitives that were profiled. And as you'll see in my episode notes, the show looked a little different.
Episode #737 - November 1, 2003 (Greatest Jailbreaks Special Edition)
Larry Woods (COPS Credits) - Convicted killer wanted out of Indiana for escaping from prison. Investigators believe Woods hid in the prison garbage and was literally taken out with the trash. Still at large
Michael Brashar Capture (Full segment) - Rick Segall reports on the amazing story behind the capture of Michael Brashar, who had been on the run for 20 years in connection with two murders. AMW investigators discovered a man named "Michael Brashar" living in Alabama, and when they followed up on the information, it was indeed the fugitive. He surrendered to police and confessed to killing one of his victims.
Terrence Washington & Dan Robertson (Full segment) - Tom Morris profiles serial car thief Terrence Washington, who also gained a reputation as an escape artist. On this episode, Washington was profiled along with Dan Robertson, who helped him break out of a prison in Louisiana. After their escape, Washington led police on a high-speed chase before ditching the care and fleeing. Robertson was caught in Washington DC literally hours after his profile, making him Capture #767. Washington himself was eventually captured in March 2004 after a botched car theft. He'd later escape from prison two more times and receive additional profiles in 2007 and 2008.
(commercial break)
Cecilia Zhang (Missing Child Alert, approx. 1 minute, 30 seconds) - Police in Canada were desperately searching for any clues in the mysterious disappearance of Cecilia Zhang. Like Elizabeth Smart, Cecilia had been kidnapped from her own bedroom while she was sleeping. Unlike Elizabeth, Cecilia's story didn't have a happy ending; her body was found in June 2004, just weeks before AMW was going to give an in-depth profile of her case. A suspect, Min Chen, was eventually arrested in the case.
Unknown California Arsonists (Breaking news, approx. 2 minutes) - Ed Miller reports on the 2003 California wildfires, some of which were set deliberately. In one instance, police were able to create a sketch of a suspect, who had an unknown getaway driver help him flee the scene. In 2009, Rickie Lee Fowler was charged with arson and murder in connection with the case. He had been spotted throwing a lit flare into a brush pile, setting off the wildfire.
Ricky Sleight (Full segment) - Wanted for killing a well-loved and respected man who had let Sleight stay in his apartment for a few days. Sleight, a convicted sex offender, had gotten into some type of dispute with the man, which led to the man's death. Sleight was captured the very next day, though it had nothing to do with this profile. He has also been featured on I (Almost) Got Away With It.
(commercial break)
Pete Marron (Hotline Alert) - Charged with killing a man simply because he was a fan of the rival team that Marron was a fan of. One good tip said Marron had been seen at a restaurant in Sacramento, California. It may have been accurate, since Marron was captured in California about a month after this airing; he was Capture #777.
John Stoneman & Patricia Kelley (Hotline Alert) - Wanted for the rape of a disabled four-year-old girl. Tips were pointing to the New York/Canadian border, and specifically the Niagara Falls area. Given Stoneman and Kelley were captured in Canada, I'm willing to bet those tips were pointing in the right direction. They became Capture #s 782 and 783 in March 2004.
Douglas Aigen (Hotline Alert) - New Jersey fugitive wanted for assaulting a police officer and leading troopers on a high-speed chase down the New Jersey Turnpike. A number of tips pointed to Aigen hiding out in Bradenton and Fort Myers, Florida. Aigen was caught in New York, but the tips could have been accurate, given multiple tips were pointing to two separate cities. He was Capture #789.
Jose Salaz (Escapee Roundup) - Texas fugitive wanted for escaping from prison by climbing over several barbed-wire fences. He was serving time for getting into a shootout with a police officer, which nearly led to the officer's death. Salaz was captured indirectly around 2011/2012.
Glen Godwin (Escapee Roundup) - FBI Top Tenner wanted for escaping from Folsom State Prison in California. Godwin had been serving time for killing a former friend and then blowing up the man's body to hide the evidence. He also escaped from a prison in Mexico after allegedly killing an inmate there. Still at large
Dennis Lilly (Escapee Roundup) - Wanted out of Kansas City for escaping from the Missouri State Penitentiary. Lilly was known as the "Jailhouse Houdini" because he had escaped from prison four times. Tips led investigators to Mexico, but it turns out Lilly was actually hiding further north. In early 2014 it was discovered Lilly had died in 2012 while living under an assumed name, and was buried in his own backyard.
Scott Hornick (Escapee Roundup) - U.S. Marshals were on the hunt for Scott Hornick, a career criminal who escaped from a jail in New Jersey by picking a lock and crawling through the air ducts. When police tracked him down, Hornick jumped out of a third-story window and ran off. Hornick was caught in August 2007 after he tried scamming an elderly man who caught on to his scheme.
(commercial break)
Marcellus Henderson & Terron Vernon (Breaking news, approx. 2 minutes) - Duo of would-be bank robbers wanted out of Georgia for killing a bank employee during a botched robbery. She was killed because she apparently didn't know the combination of the safe. Both were captured the following day after a brief police chase. Although initially counted as indirect, in December the show reclassified Henderson and Vernon as direct captures, making them Capture #s 772 and 773.
Unknown David Stack Killer (Full segment) - John Turchin reports on a suspicious murder investigation involving a man named David Stack. An avid hunter, he had gone turkey hunting one day, but when he failed to return home his family went looking for him. They found him dead in the woods, and police believe that he had been shot and killed. As of this episode, police were still trying to figure out if it had been a hunting accident or if somebody had killed David Stack on purpose. As of 2011, the case was still unsolved.
(commercial break)
Jessica Shores (Break-Four Tease) - Police were looking for 15-year-old Jessica Shores, who ran away from home in the company of Stephen Recker, a much older man. Jessica was located safely about a month later and Recker was arrested. Oddly enough, while amw.com did put "recovered" and "captured" stamps on their faces, no official recovery or capture report was published on the site.
Episode notes:
- This was the first episode to feature AMW's "safecracker" layout. The show begins with a bar turning blue that says "loading" and leads to a scrambled AMW logo that unscrambles and "opens" the safe. Don LaFontaine says, "The manhunt for (date) is now in progress! To date, you have been responsible for ### captures! After the logo comes up, the camera runs through a computer-generated "warehouse" while Don says, "And now, join the manhunt with John Walsh!" The show also got a new, electric-guitar-heavy theme song. Even though this era of the show was the start of predominantly using green screens, I'm a big fan of this layout. It would last until the 20th season premiere in September 2006.
- Interestingly, despite the completely revamped layout and theme music, the "Break Four Tease" music remained the same. This would change by the following week.
- AMW introduced a new feature known as "Hotline Alerts" in this episode, which featured Don LaFontaine updating viewers on three recent cases that the show had received great tips on. The segment itself was about a minute and the fugitive profiles were about 10-15 seconds. While a great idea (I always love fugitive updates) the show only aired two more times in this format and once more in a modified format before being discontinued in early 2004.
- This episode was dedicated to the memory of Sgt. Boyd Smith, the lead detective on the Michael Brashar case. About two weeks before this episode aired, Sgt. Smith was found dead at his desk of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. I'm unsure if he ever left a suicide note, but I remember at the time how shocked everybody was. I even refused to believe he had killed himself, even though it was obvious that he had committed suicide. His interview with AMW was very likely the last interview he ever gave.
- During the part of Terrence Washington's reenactment where Tom Morris describes the chase, it appears that Washington was alone in the car. However, according to the archived profile at amw.com, Washington actually did have a passenger with him (which police believe may have been Robertson, but they couldn't be absolutely sure). In fact, if you look closely at the scene where Washington bails from the car, you can see the passenger-side door open as someone quickly disappears off-screen.
- The "escapee roundup" was actually a modified All-Points Bulletin, featuring profiles that were about the same length you'd see in that feature. The show would do a similar feature the following week, but I'll get to that in the next episode.
Episode #740 - November 8, 2003 (Shootouts and Border Protection Special Edition)
Buddy Beavers (COPS Credits) - Former police officer and firefighter in Connecticut wanted for burning down his mother's house while she was still inside, killing her. Beavers was released on bond and disappeared, and in 2003 was named to the U.S. Marshals' 15 Most Wanted List. He was captured the following day after AMW tips led investigators to a boardwalk in Florida where Beavers was apparently living. He was Capture #768.
Jose Quinones (Full segment) - Investigators in Puerto Rico were seeking Jose Quinones, who was serving life in prison for two brutal murders he committed when he was a teenager. However, after 10 years he escaped while out on furlough, and when an investigator tried to arrest him in 1999, Quinones and his associates began shooting at the man. The man survived without injury. As a result of this segment, Quinones was captured just a few days later after police received tips saying he was working in Chicago. He was arrested Monday morning when he came in for work, making him Capture #770.
John Walsh briefly mentions Immigration & Customs Enforcement, and asks viewers to be on the lookout for three of their Most Wanted fugitives.
Calvin Inswood (ICE Roundup) - Jamaican national wanted for committing a series of violent crimes in America, including robbery, murder and assault. He disappeared before he could be deported back to his homeland. He was captured in 2009 in the U.S., and every article I read about him claimed it was an AMW tip that led to his arrest. However, not only was he never credited as a direct capture, but AMW also never uploaded his capture report to the site.
Jorge Campos-Espinoza (ICE Roundup) - Former Nicaraguan soldier who was convicted of gang-raping a woman in America. As with other ICE fugitives, he failed to show up for his immigration hearing. Campos-Espinoza was apparently found deceased not long after this episode aired, but I've never been able to find any details on what happened. No official capture report was written, and ICE never sent out a press release. The only reason I know it happened was because of a "deceased" stamp on his amw.com photo.
(commercial break)
Scott Eizember (Full segment) - Oklahoma police were looking for Scott Eizember, wanted for a violent crime spree. He killed an elderly couple then tried to kill both his ex-girlfriend's mother and son, all as ways of trying to get back at his ex-girlfriend for breaking up with him. Eizember was captured after he carjacked a couple and during the abduction they shot at him. Now serving life in prison, Eizember was featured on I (Almost) Got Away With It.
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Aaron Anderson (Breaking news, approx. 30 seconds) - Wanted out of Florida for shooting and killing a pastor during a Bible study class. Anderson believed his estranged wife was cheating on him with the pastor. Captured in January 2004.
Eduardo Rodriguez (Shooters Roundup) - A member of the Los Angeles-based TVR street gang, Rodriguez is wanted for at least four murders. At one point, the gang got into a shootout with LAPD officers who were pursuing a gang member. Rodriguez was captured in November 2014 after a detective recognized him in a photo posted on Facebook by one of Rodriguez's family members.
Jason McVean (Shooters Roundup) - Anti-government activist who killed a police officer that was pursuing McVean and his accomplices after they stole a water truck. After abandoning the truck, the trio disappeared into the desert. His accomplices were found dead, and so was McVean during the summer of 2007 when a man looking for a lost dog found McVean's remains not far from where he was last seen.
Oscar Cabrera (Shooters Roundup) - Los Angeles fugitive wanted for shooting and killing a man, then shooting at police officers who tried to arrested him. Still at large
(commercial break)
Marquis Jobes (Missing Child Alert; approx. 1 minute, 30 seconds) - A young boy from Virginia was discovered missing while both his mother and stepfather were found dead in their home. Weeks later, Marquis' body was found, and in mid-2004 a man was arrested and charged with killing all three. Turns out one of the family members was involved in a drug deal gone bad.
Costa Rican Child Prostitutes Feature (Full segment) - As a lead-in to Arthur Kanev's capture report, AMW aired an abbreviated version of a feature story they aired in June 2002 about the child prostitute epidemic in Costa Rica. The original version featured the unsolved murders of two child prostitutes, but other than brief footage of one of the victims, no mention is made of the murders.
Arthur Kanev Capture (Full segment) - American dentist wanted for sexually assaulting children in Costa Rica. After his June 2002 profile, AMW got a tip that Kanev was in Florida. With the help of the Broward County Fugitive Squad, Kanev was tracked down and arrested; his capture was caught on video by AMW cameras. A rather humorous moment happened when Kanev, surprised by the investigators, urinated in his pants.
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Phillip Williams (Break-Four Tease) - Wanted for stabbing his ex-girlfriend to death in the parking lot of the casino where she worked. He was captured in 2005 after AMW give him a full-length profile, making him Capture #844.
Episode notes:
- This episode was filmed in the California desert, not far from the U.S./Mexico border. It also had a rare dual-focus, that being shootouts and protecting the borders, though most of the episode focused on shootouts.
Episode #741 - November 15, 2003
Dean Maust (COPS Credits) - Wanted out of Indiana for killing his ex-wife's new boyfriend. He was captured in Louisiana a couple weeks later after someone overheard him saying he was a wanted fugitive.
Dino Smith & Troy Smith (Full segment) - Brothers wanted for pulling off the largest jewelry store heist in San Francisco history. The pair broke into a restaurant next to the jewelry store then drilled through the wall to get to the diamonds. Dino Smith was captured in June 2004 in New York, and Troy Smith surrendered to police in early 2006.
(commercial break)
Unknown Sok Ung & Vouthy Tho Killer (Full segment) - Iraq war veteran Sok Ung was shot and killed in his own backyard during a family barbeque, along with his friend Vouthy Tho. The suspect simply walked behind a fence in the backyard, fired several shots and ran off. Still unsolved
(commercial break)
Scott Eizember (Update; approx. 2 minutes) - Accused Oklahoma murder suspect Scott Eizember was still being sought by police. The week before, investigators thought they had him when a man jumped out of his car and ran away from a police checkpoint. Turns out it was a look-a-like who also had a warrant. Captured a couple weeks later.
Randolph Dial & Bobbi Parker (Full segment) - Tip Tracker Rick Segall follows a number of great tips on escaped killer Randolph Dial and missing woman Bobbi Parker after the duo's profile in May. Several clues called in focused on the random clue "Delta" that Dial gave to an author that wrote a book about him, while other tips spotted Dial look-a-likes. One man mistaken for Dial was actually a window painter from Wisconsin, while another was a fugitive wanted out of Canada for obstruction of justice. The real Dial was captured in early 2005 thanks to an amw.com tip, making him Capture #835; Bobbi herself was recovered at the same time.
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Amanda Berry (Missing Child Alert, approx. 1 minute) - Ohio police were seeking a teenager who went missing after leaving her job at Burger King. A few months later, Gina DeJesus also went missing under similar circumstances. In 2013, Amanda and Gina (along with a third abducted teen) were found alive after being kept as sex slaves for a decade. Their abductor, Ariel Castro, committed suicide in prison.
Mickey Wright (Full segment) - A code enforcement officer in Tennessee, Mickey Wright went missing while he was supposed to be working. His truck was found torched in an off-road area and his badge was found in a riverbed, but he was nowhere to be found. Although his body has never been located, in 2011 a man pleaded guilty to charges related to the death of Mickey Wright. Police say it was a hate crime; Mickey was black and the killer is white.
(commercial break)
Jean-Marie Jean-Francois (Break-Four Tease) - Wanted out of Florida for killing his girlfriend then tying up her daughter and leaving her alone in the same house. Still at large
Episode notes:
- This was the first episode to be filmed almost entirely in front of a green screen. While this soon-to-be commonplace practice started off fine, it later was done to death, especially during the last few seasons on Fox.
- Around the time this episode aired, there was a serial killer from Indiana in the news by the name of David Maust. He was completely unrelated to fugitive Dean Maust (though it was really strange to have two people named D. Maust wanted for murder out of Indiana) and later committed suicide in his prison cell.
- John Walsh really seemed to take the murder of Sok Ung personally. He even said at the end of the segment, "If you know who killed him and you don't pick up the phone, you're an even bigger coward than the person who did this."
- On a related note, amw.com referred to this case as the "Unknown Sok Ung Killer," and only mentioned in passing that Vouthy Tho was also killed. I understand that, being an Iraq veteran, Sok Ung was more "prominent," but it seems like Vouthy Tho is always forgotten.
Episode #742 - November 22, 2003 (Bad Girls Special Edition)
Uyen Nguyen Capture & Hai Thanh Le (Full segment) - Ed Miller updates viewers on the case of a woman who started a fight that led to a NYPD officer getting paralyzed; thanks to AMW tips, Uyen "Wendy" Nguyen was captured in California. Police believe she was getting ready to flee the country, but investigators caught her just in time. Her brother, Hai Thanh Le, was still wanted by police as the only suspect who hadn't been caught. Still at large
David Garcia (Full segment) - Exactly a week before this profile, David Garcia allegedly shot and killed a rookie police officer who pulled Garcia over for a traffic stop. Garcia himself was nabbed mere days after this incident, though AMW played no role in the capture.
Natia Johnson (Full segment) - Wanted out of Florida for arranging the botched robbery of a woman who had won the jackpot at a local bingo hall. Johnson was also playing bingo and wanted the money for herself. The crew fled after the victim was shot and left with nothing. Though Johnson had gotten away, AMW tips led to her mother's house which in turn led to Johnson's arrest, making her Capture #771.
(commercial break)
Unknown Clown Bandit (Brief, approx 1 minute, 30 seconds) - Federal investigators were seeking an unidentified woman who robbed a bank while wearing a clown outfit, complete with makeup and a red nose. After the robbery she fled the scene in a taxi, the driver unaware that her fare had just pulled off a robbery. Still at large, and I'd be astonished if the FBI were still looking for her, as the statute of limitations has likely expired.
Carmen Cabrera (All-Points Bulletin) - Wanted for shooting and killing her lover/boss in Los Angeles after he decided to break off their relationship. Cabrera fled the scene and hasn't been seen since 1998. Still at large.
Desiree Lingo-Perkins (All-Points Bulletin) - Texas fugitive wanted for her role in the kidnapping and murder of the 19-year-old son of a local businessman. Thanks in part to this profile, Lingo-Perkins was located in Mexico and brought back to the U.S., making her Capture #811.
Greisy Valencia (All-Points Bulletin) - California police are seeking Greisy Valencia for allegedly torturing her own daughter. The girl was found walking the streets alone and was rescued by concerned social workers. Valencia fled, and although AMW got great tips on her, none of them panned out. Still at large
(commercial break)
Las Vegas Backyard Body Feature (Full segment) - Tom Morris discusses a Las Vegas case that's strange even by Sin City standards; a man discovered a dead body in the backyard of a woman he had been staying with. The woman admitted to killing the man, but refused to tell his identity in the hopes that she could get a plea deal in exchange for a lighter sentence. AMW asked viewers to help ID the man, and that's exactly what happened. A woman watching the show called the hotline and said the description matched that of her uncle, Cecil Wilson. DNA confirmed that the man was in fact Wilson.
(commercial break)
Dan Robertson Capture & Terrence Washington (Hotline Alert) - AMW viewers learn their tips led to the capture of prison escapee Dan Robertson in Washington DC. His accomplice, Terrence Washington, was still at large, and tips were pointing to the East Coast. Washington was captured in Ohio in early 2004.
Jose Salaz (Hotline Alert) - The latest tips on prison escapee Jose Salaz were leading to south Texas. Salaz was eventually captured in 2012, though not via an AMW tip.
Scott Eizember (Hotline Alert) - Tips continued to come in on accused killer Scott Eizember. Investigators believe he may have stopped off in Utah, though we eventually learn he never left Oklahoma. He was captured within a week of this profile after he carjacked an Oklahoma couple.
Aaron Anderson (Full segment) - AMW profiles the case of Aaron Anderson, who killed a pastor in Florida while the man was conducting a Bible study class. Anderson accused the pastor and several church parishioners of having relationships with his estranged wife. He was captured in January 2004 after he was found sleeping in his car.
John Stoneman & Patricia Kelley (Full segment) - Ohio couple accused of raping a four-year-old girl who suffers from spina bifada. Kelley, a licensed nurse, was supposed to take car of the child, but she and Stoneman, her boyfriend, instead raped the little girl and videotaped the whole crime. AMW received a tip from a convenience store clerk saying Kelley visited her store and acted very strangely when asked to provide ID, but police could never confirm if it was Kelley. The duo was captured in Canada in March 2004 as a result of AMW, making them Capture #s 782 and 783.
(commercial break)
Helen Schlapak (Break-Four Tease) - Hawaiian fugitive wanted for running a scam in the 90s that defrauded $67 million out of 5,000 victims. Schlapak was one of the only people involved to get away, taking $8 million with her. Still at large
Episode notes: Like most "Bad Girls" episodes, this one was filmed in Las Vegas. Also, for some reason Ed Miller refers to Wendy Nguyen as Wendy Nguyen Le during her capture report, even though most other stories credit her as just "Wendy Nguyen."
Episode #737 - November 1, 2003 (Greatest Jailbreaks Special Edition)
Larry Woods (COPS Credits) - Convicted killer wanted out of Indiana for escaping from prison. Investigators believe Woods hid in the prison garbage and was literally taken out with the trash. Still at large
Michael Brashar Capture (Full segment) - Rick Segall reports on the amazing story behind the capture of Michael Brashar, who had been on the run for 20 years in connection with two murders. AMW investigators discovered a man named "Michael Brashar" living in Alabama, and when they followed up on the information, it was indeed the fugitive. He surrendered to police and confessed to killing one of his victims.
Terrence Washington & Dan Robertson (Full segment) - Tom Morris profiles serial car thief Terrence Washington, who also gained a reputation as an escape artist. On this episode, Washington was profiled along with Dan Robertson, who helped him break out of a prison in Louisiana. After their escape, Washington led police on a high-speed chase before ditching the care and fleeing. Robertson was caught in Washington DC literally hours after his profile, making him Capture #767. Washington himself was eventually captured in March 2004 after a botched car theft. He'd later escape from prison two more times and receive additional profiles in 2007 and 2008.
(commercial break)
Cecilia Zhang (Missing Child Alert, approx. 1 minute, 30 seconds) - Police in Canada were desperately searching for any clues in the mysterious disappearance of Cecilia Zhang. Like Elizabeth Smart, Cecilia had been kidnapped from her own bedroom while she was sleeping. Unlike Elizabeth, Cecilia's story didn't have a happy ending; her body was found in June 2004, just weeks before AMW was going to give an in-depth profile of her case. A suspect, Min Chen, was eventually arrested in the case.
Unknown California Arsonists (Breaking news, approx. 2 minutes) - Ed Miller reports on the 2003 California wildfires, some of which were set deliberately. In one instance, police were able to create a sketch of a suspect, who had an unknown getaway driver help him flee the scene. In 2009, Rickie Lee Fowler was charged with arson and murder in connection with the case. He had been spotted throwing a lit flare into a brush pile, setting off the wildfire.
Ricky Sleight (Full segment) - Wanted for killing a well-loved and respected man who had let Sleight stay in his apartment for a few days. Sleight, a convicted sex offender, had gotten into some type of dispute with the man, which led to the man's death. Sleight was captured the very next day, though it had nothing to do with this profile. He has also been featured on I (Almost) Got Away With It.
(commercial break)
Pete Marron (Hotline Alert) - Charged with killing a man simply because he was a fan of the rival team that Marron was a fan of. One good tip said Marron had been seen at a restaurant in Sacramento, California. It may have been accurate, since Marron was captured in California about a month after this airing; he was Capture #777.
John Stoneman & Patricia Kelley (Hotline Alert) - Wanted for the rape of a disabled four-year-old girl. Tips were pointing to the New York/Canadian border, and specifically the Niagara Falls area. Given Stoneman and Kelley were captured in Canada, I'm willing to bet those tips were pointing in the right direction. They became Capture #s 782 and 783 in March 2004.
Douglas Aigen (Hotline Alert) - New Jersey fugitive wanted for assaulting a police officer and leading troopers on a high-speed chase down the New Jersey Turnpike. A number of tips pointed to Aigen hiding out in Bradenton and Fort Myers, Florida. Aigen was caught in New York, but the tips could have been accurate, given multiple tips were pointing to two separate cities. He was Capture #789.
Jose Salaz (Escapee Roundup) - Texas fugitive wanted for escaping from prison by climbing over several barbed-wire fences. He was serving time for getting into a shootout with a police officer, which nearly led to the officer's death. Salaz was captured indirectly around 2011/2012.
Glen Godwin (Escapee Roundup) - FBI Top Tenner wanted for escaping from Folsom State Prison in California. Godwin had been serving time for killing a former friend and then blowing up the man's body to hide the evidence. He also escaped from a prison in Mexico after allegedly killing an inmate there. Still at large
Dennis Lilly (Escapee Roundup) - Wanted out of Kansas City for escaping from the Missouri State Penitentiary. Lilly was known as the "Jailhouse Houdini" because he had escaped from prison four times. Tips led investigators to Mexico, but it turns out Lilly was actually hiding further north. In early 2014 it was discovered Lilly had died in 2012 while living under an assumed name, and was buried in his own backyard.
Scott Hornick (Escapee Roundup) - U.S. Marshals were on the hunt for Scott Hornick, a career criminal who escaped from a jail in New Jersey by picking a lock and crawling through the air ducts. When police tracked him down, Hornick jumped out of a third-story window and ran off. Hornick was caught in August 2007 after he tried scamming an elderly man who caught on to his scheme.
(commercial break)
Marcellus Henderson & Terron Vernon (Breaking news, approx. 2 minutes) - Duo of would-be bank robbers wanted out of Georgia for killing a bank employee during a botched robbery. She was killed because she apparently didn't know the combination of the safe. Both were captured the following day after a brief police chase. Although initially counted as indirect, in December the show reclassified Henderson and Vernon as direct captures, making them Capture #s 772 and 773.
Unknown David Stack Killer (Full segment) - John Turchin reports on a suspicious murder investigation involving a man named David Stack. An avid hunter, he had gone turkey hunting one day, but when he failed to return home his family went looking for him. They found him dead in the woods, and police believe that he had been shot and killed. As of this episode, police were still trying to figure out if it had been a hunting accident or if somebody had killed David Stack on purpose. As of 2011, the case was still unsolved.
(commercial break)
Jessica Shores (Break-Four Tease) - Police were looking for 15-year-old Jessica Shores, who ran away from home in the company of Stephen Recker, a much older man. Jessica was located safely about a month later and Recker was arrested. Oddly enough, while amw.com did put "recovered" and "captured" stamps on their faces, no official recovery or capture report was published on the site.
Episode notes:
- This was the first episode to feature AMW's "safecracker" layout. The show begins with a bar turning blue that says "loading" and leads to a scrambled AMW logo that unscrambles and "opens" the safe. Don LaFontaine says, "The manhunt for (date) is now in progress! To date, you have been responsible for ### captures! After the logo comes up, the camera runs through a computer-generated "warehouse" while Don says, "And now, join the manhunt with John Walsh!" The show also got a new, electric-guitar-heavy theme song. Even though this era of the show was the start of predominantly using green screens, I'm a big fan of this layout. It would last until the 20th season premiere in September 2006.
- Interestingly, despite the completely revamped layout and theme music, the "Break Four Tease" music remained the same. This would change by the following week.
- AMW introduced a new feature known as "Hotline Alerts" in this episode, which featured Don LaFontaine updating viewers on three recent cases that the show had received great tips on. The segment itself was about a minute and the fugitive profiles were about 10-15 seconds. While a great idea (I always love fugitive updates) the show only aired two more times in this format and once more in a modified format before being discontinued in early 2004.
- This episode was dedicated to the memory of Sgt. Boyd Smith, the lead detective on the Michael Brashar case. About two weeks before this episode aired, Sgt. Smith was found dead at his desk of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. I'm unsure if he ever left a suicide note, but I remember at the time how shocked everybody was. I even refused to believe he had killed himself, even though it was obvious that he had committed suicide. His interview with AMW was very likely the last interview he ever gave.
- During the part of Terrence Washington's reenactment where Tom Morris describes the chase, it appears that Washington was alone in the car. However, according to the archived profile at amw.com, Washington actually did have a passenger with him (which police believe may have been Robertson, but they couldn't be absolutely sure). In fact, if you look closely at the scene where Washington bails from the car, you can see the passenger-side door open as someone quickly disappears off-screen.
- The "escapee roundup" was actually a modified All-Points Bulletin, featuring profiles that were about the same length you'd see in that feature. The show would do a similar feature the following week, but I'll get to that in the next episode.
Episode #740 - November 8, 2003 (Shootouts and Border Protection Special Edition)
Buddy Beavers (COPS Credits) - Former police officer and firefighter in Connecticut wanted for burning down his mother's house while she was still inside, killing her. Beavers was released on bond and disappeared, and in 2003 was named to the U.S. Marshals' 15 Most Wanted List. He was captured the following day after AMW tips led investigators to a boardwalk in Florida where Beavers was apparently living. He was Capture #768.
Jose Quinones (Full segment) - Investigators in Puerto Rico were seeking Jose Quinones, who was serving life in prison for two brutal murders he committed when he was a teenager. However, after 10 years he escaped while out on furlough, and when an investigator tried to arrest him in 1999, Quinones and his associates began shooting at the man. The man survived without injury. As a result of this segment, Quinones was captured just a few days later after police received tips saying he was working in Chicago. He was arrested Monday morning when he came in for work, making him Capture #770.
John Walsh briefly mentions Immigration & Customs Enforcement, and asks viewers to be on the lookout for three of their Most Wanted fugitives.
Recepp Ahmedoff (ICE Roundup) - Bulgarian wanted for shooting and killing a man in a bar back in the 80s. After serving his time he was supposed to return to Bulgaria, but failed to show up for his deportation hearing. He appears to be still at large.
Calvin Inswood (ICE Roundup) - Jamaican national wanted for committing a series of violent crimes in America, including robbery, murder and assault. He disappeared before he could be deported back to his homeland. He was captured in 2009 in the U.S., and every article I read about him claimed it was an AMW tip that led to his arrest. However, not only was he never credited as a direct capture, but AMW also never uploaded his capture report to the site.
Jorge Campos-Espinoza (ICE Roundup) - Former Nicaraguan soldier who was convicted of gang-raping a woman in America. As with other ICE fugitives, he failed to show up for his immigration hearing. Campos-Espinoza was apparently found deceased not long after this episode aired, but I've never been able to find any details on what happened. No official capture report was written, and ICE never sent out a press release. The only reason I know it happened was because of a "deceased" stamp on his amw.com photo.
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Scott Eizember (Full segment) - Oklahoma police were looking for Scott Eizember, wanted for a violent crime spree. He killed an elderly couple then tried to kill both his ex-girlfriend's mother and son, all as ways of trying to get back at his ex-girlfriend for breaking up with him. Eizember was captured after he carjacked a couple and during the abduction they shot at him. Now serving life in prison, Eizember was featured on I (Almost) Got Away With It.
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Aaron Anderson (Breaking news, approx. 30 seconds) - Wanted out of Florida for shooting and killing a pastor during a Bible study class. Anderson believed his estranged wife was cheating on him with the pastor. Captured in January 2004.
Eduardo Rodriguez (Shooters Roundup) - A member of the Los Angeles-based TVR street gang, Rodriguez is wanted for at least four murders. At one point, the gang got into a shootout with LAPD officers who were pursuing a gang member. Rodriguez was captured in November 2014 after a detective recognized him in a photo posted on Facebook by one of Rodriguez's family members.
Jason McVean (Shooters Roundup) - Anti-government activist who killed a police officer that was pursuing McVean and his accomplices after they stole a water truck. After abandoning the truck, the trio disappeared into the desert. His accomplices were found dead, and so was McVean during the summer of 2007 when a man looking for a lost dog found McVean's remains not far from where he was last seen.
Oscar Cabrera (Shooters Roundup) - Los Angeles fugitive wanted for shooting and killing a man, then shooting at police officers who tried to arrested him. Still at large
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Marquis Jobes (Missing Child Alert; approx. 1 minute, 30 seconds) - A young boy from Virginia was discovered missing while both his mother and stepfather were found dead in their home. Weeks later, Marquis' body was found, and in mid-2004 a man was arrested and charged with killing all three. Turns out one of the family members was involved in a drug deal gone bad.
Costa Rican Child Prostitutes Feature (Full segment) - As a lead-in to Arthur Kanev's capture report, AMW aired an abbreviated version of a feature story they aired in June 2002 about the child prostitute epidemic in Costa Rica. The original version featured the unsolved murders of two child prostitutes, but other than brief footage of one of the victims, no mention is made of the murders.
Arthur Kanev Capture (Full segment) - American dentist wanted for sexually assaulting children in Costa Rica. After his June 2002 profile, AMW got a tip that Kanev was in Florida. With the help of the Broward County Fugitive Squad, Kanev was tracked down and arrested; his capture was caught on video by AMW cameras. A rather humorous moment happened when Kanev, surprised by the investigators, urinated in his pants.
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Phillip Williams (Break-Four Tease) - Wanted for stabbing his ex-girlfriend to death in the parking lot of the casino where she worked. He was captured in 2005 after AMW give him a full-length profile, making him Capture #844.
Episode notes:
- This episode was filmed in the California desert, not far from the U.S./Mexico border. It also had a rare dual-focus, that being shootouts and protecting the borders, though most of the episode focused on shootouts.
Episode #741 - November 15, 2003
Dean Maust (COPS Credits) - Wanted out of Indiana for killing his ex-wife's new boyfriend. He was captured in Louisiana a couple weeks later after someone overheard him saying he was a wanted fugitive.
Dino Smith & Troy Smith (Full segment) - Brothers wanted for pulling off the largest jewelry store heist in San Francisco history. The pair broke into a restaurant next to the jewelry store then drilled through the wall to get to the diamonds. Dino Smith was captured in June 2004 in New York, and Troy Smith surrendered to police in early 2006.
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Unknown Sok Ung & Vouthy Tho Killer (Full segment) - Iraq war veteran Sok Ung was shot and killed in his own backyard during a family barbeque, along with his friend Vouthy Tho. The suspect simply walked behind a fence in the backyard, fired several shots and ran off. Still unsolved
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Scott Eizember (Update; approx. 2 minutes) - Accused Oklahoma murder suspect Scott Eizember was still being sought by police. The week before, investigators thought they had him when a man jumped out of his car and ran away from a police checkpoint. Turns out it was a look-a-like who also had a warrant. Captured a couple weeks later.
Randolph Dial & Bobbi Parker (Full segment) - Tip Tracker Rick Segall follows a number of great tips on escaped killer Randolph Dial and missing woman Bobbi Parker after the duo's profile in May. Several clues called in focused on the random clue "Delta" that Dial gave to an author that wrote a book about him, while other tips spotted Dial look-a-likes. One man mistaken for Dial was actually a window painter from Wisconsin, while another was a fugitive wanted out of Canada for obstruction of justice. The real Dial was captured in early 2005 thanks to an amw.com tip, making him Capture #835; Bobbi herself was recovered at the same time.
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Amanda Berry (Missing Child Alert, approx. 1 minute) - Ohio police were seeking a teenager who went missing after leaving her job at Burger King. A few months later, Gina DeJesus also went missing under similar circumstances. In 2013, Amanda and Gina (along with a third abducted teen) were found alive after being kept as sex slaves for a decade. Their abductor, Ariel Castro, committed suicide in prison.
Mickey Wright (Full segment) - A code enforcement officer in Tennessee, Mickey Wright went missing while he was supposed to be working. His truck was found torched in an off-road area and his badge was found in a riverbed, but he was nowhere to be found. Although his body has never been located, in 2011 a man pleaded guilty to charges related to the death of Mickey Wright. Police say it was a hate crime; Mickey was black and the killer is white.
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Jean-Marie Jean-Francois (Break-Four Tease) - Wanted out of Florida for killing his girlfriend then tying up her daughter and leaving her alone in the same house. Still at large
Episode notes:
- This was the first episode to be filmed almost entirely in front of a green screen. While this soon-to-be commonplace practice started off fine, it later was done to death, especially during the last few seasons on Fox.
- Around the time this episode aired, there was a serial killer from Indiana in the news by the name of David Maust. He was completely unrelated to fugitive Dean Maust (though it was really strange to have two people named D. Maust wanted for murder out of Indiana) and later committed suicide in his prison cell.
- John Walsh really seemed to take the murder of Sok Ung personally. He even said at the end of the segment, "If you know who killed him and you don't pick up the phone, you're an even bigger coward than the person who did this."
- On a related note, amw.com referred to this case as the "Unknown Sok Ung Killer," and only mentioned in passing that Vouthy Tho was also killed. I understand that, being an Iraq veteran, Sok Ung was more "prominent," but it seems like Vouthy Tho is always forgotten.
Episode #742 - November 22, 2003 (Bad Girls Special Edition)
Uyen Nguyen Capture & Hai Thanh Le (Full segment) - Ed Miller updates viewers on the case of a woman who started a fight that led to a NYPD officer getting paralyzed; thanks to AMW tips, Uyen "Wendy" Nguyen was captured in California. Police believe she was getting ready to flee the country, but investigators caught her just in time. Her brother, Hai Thanh Le, was still wanted by police as the only suspect who hadn't been caught. Still at large
David Garcia (Full segment) - Exactly a week before this profile, David Garcia allegedly shot and killed a rookie police officer who pulled Garcia over for a traffic stop. Garcia himself was nabbed mere days after this incident, though AMW played no role in the capture.
Natia Johnson (Full segment) - Wanted out of Florida for arranging the botched robbery of a woman who had won the jackpot at a local bingo hall. Johnson was also playing bingo and wanted the money for herself. The crew fled after the victim was shot and left with nothing. Though Johnson had gotten away, AMW tips led to her mother's house which in turn led to Johnson's arrest, making her Capture #771.
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Unknown Clown Bandit (Brief, approx 1 minute, 30 seconds) - Federal investigators were seeking an unidentified woman who robbed a bank while wearing a clown outfit, complete with makeup and a red nose. After the robbery she fled the scene in a taxi, the driver unaware that her fare had just pulled off a robbery. Still at large, and I'd be astonished if the FBI were still looking for her, as the statute of limitations has likely expired.
Carmen Cabrera (All-Points Bulletin) - Wanted for shooting and killing her lover/boss in Los Angeles after he decided to break off their relationship. Cabrera fled the scene and hasn't been seen since 1998. Still at large.
Desiree Lingo-Perkins (All-Points Bulletin) - Texas fugitive wanted for her role in the kidnapping and murder of the 19-year-old son of a local businessman. Thanks in part to this profile, Lingo-Perkins was located in Mexico and brought back to the U.S., making her Capture #811.
Greisy Valencia (All-Points Bulletin) - California police are seeking Greisy Valencia for allegedly torturing her own daughter. The girl was found walking the streets alone and was rescued by concerned social workers. Valencia fled, and although AMW got great tips on her, none of them panned out. Still at large
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Las Vegas Backyard Body Feature (Full segment) - Tom Morris discusses a Las Vegas case that's strange even by Sin City standards; a man discovered a dead body in the backyard of a woman he had been staying with. The woman admitted to killing the man, but refused to tell his identity in the hopes that she could get a plea deal in exchange for a lighter sentence. AMW asked viewers to help ID the man, and that's exactly what happened. A woman watching the show called the hotline and said the description matched that of her uncle, Cecil Wilson. DNA confirmed that the man was in fact Wilson.
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Dan Robertson Capture & Terrence Washington (Hotline Alert) - AMW viewers learn their tips led to the capture of prison escapee Dan Robertson in Washington DC. His accomplice, Terrence Washington, was still at large, and tips were pointing to the East Coast. Washington was captured in Ohio in early 2004.
Jose Salaz (Hotline Alert) - The latest tips on prison escapee Jose Salaz were leading to south Texas. Salaz was eventually captured in 2012, though not via an AMW tip.
Scott Eizember (Hotline Alert) - Tips continued to come in on accused killer Scott Eizember. Investigators believe he may have stopped off in Utah, though we eventually learn he never left Oklahoma. He was captured within a week of this profile after he carjacked an Oklahoma couple.
Aaron Anderson (Full segment) - AMW profiles the case of Aaron Anderson, who killed a pastor in Florida while the man was conducting a Bible study class. Anderson accused the pastor and several church parishioners of having relationships with his estranged wife. He was captured in January 2004 after he was found sleeping in his car.
John Stoneman & Patricia Kelley (Full segment) - Ohio couple accused of raping a four-year-old girl who suffers from spina bifada. Kelley, a licensed nurse, was supposed to take car of the child, but she and Stoneman, her boyfriend, instead raped the little girl and videotaped the whole crime. AMW received a tip from a convenience store clerk saying Kelley visited her store and acted very strangely when asked to provide ID, but police could never confirm if it was Kelley. The duo was captured in Canada in March 2004 as a result of AMW, making them Capture #s 782 and 783.
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Helen Schlapak (Break-Four Tease) - Hawaiian fugitive wanted for running a scam in the 90s that defrauded $67 million out of 5,000 victims. Schlapak was one of the only people involved to get away, taking $8 million with her. Still at large
Episode notes: Like most "Bad Girls" episodes, this one was filmed in Las Vegas. Also, for some reason Ed Miller refers to Wendy Nguyen as Wendy Nguyen Le during her capture report, even though most other stories credit her as just "Wendy Nguyen."
