Complete AMW Episode Guide - 2004

I love these!

Heather Tallchief was released from prison in June of 2010 after serving five years.

She had always claimed Solis brainwashed her and she turned herself in for the sake of her 10-year old son. I know a lot of fugitives always try to say the right thing as lip service, but in my opinion she was truly remorseful for her role in the crime. Regardless she paid her debt to society and seems to be living a quiet and law-abiding life at the moment.

www.thestar.com/news/world/2010/12/15/thief_sought_after_15_million_in_chips_stolen_from_las_vegas_casino.html

I'm very happy that you're doing 2004 as well Pakman! Nothing specific I can comment on for this month but hopefully I can say something about February.

Off-topic but did you visit the crime museum when you were in D.C. ?

Thanks for another excellent episode guide Pakman!

The one thing I noticed and wanted to point out that's weird is that Ismael Zambada-Garcia and Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman-Loera were never aired on the same episode, despite at the time, being the leaders of the same Mexican Drug Cartel.

EDIT: Also aside from a bunch of cold case fugitives being aired in 2005 after not being profiled in several years, I noticed a lot of those types of fugitives were also aired in 2004. Aside from Gerald Hemp, there was Wilfred Cotaya, Juan Jimenez and Bao Luong (I would suspect he was aired in the 90s), that were also last aired in 2004. I found that to be slightly interesting as well.

Time once again for my update to the Complete AMW Episode Guide for 2004! Because April 2004 only had three episodes (one of them being a rerun) I decided to analyze two months' worth of episodes instead of one.

Also, let me know what you think of the new way I'm listing multi-part cases. Instead of just analyzing the case, I've decided to analyze what was discussed in each part. This way you'll see how the segment ended up playing out. Let me know if this is good or if I should go back to the old way

Episode #755 - March 6, 2004
Gianni Gugliatto Capture and Argelio Aguayo (Full segment) - The case of drug runner Argelio Aguayo is updated to reflect the surrender of his girlfriend and getaway driver, Gianni Gugliatto. Within two weeks of her profile, Gugliatto, who drove Aguayo's car during a high-speed chase with federal agents, saw herself on AMW and decided to surrender, making her Capture #781. The lead agent told AMW that he believed Aguayo would surrender once he saw that Gugliatto had turned herself in, but AMW aired him because they weren't counting on that happening. Turns out, the agent was right; Aguayo surrendered just days after this profile, making him Capture #784.

John Walsh reveals that Gugliatto wasn't the only AMW case to see a resolution. He reveals one big case from the previous week's show, among others, had been solved.

Ernest Hargon (Capture roundup) - An update in the case of a family of three that disappeared in Mississippi. Ernest Hargon, the cousin of one of the victims, was arrested and charged with killing his cousin, Michael Hargon, as well as his wife Rebecca Hargon and young son James Hargon. The motive was greed; Ernest Hargon's adoptive father died and didn't leave anything to his son, but left land to his nephew.

Thomas Evered Capture and Internet John Doe #3 (Capture roundup) - Less than a month after AMW first profiled two suspected internet pedophiles, both were identified and located by tipsters. Within a week of Internet John Doe #1's second profile, he surrended to federal agents in Montana. His sister saw him on the show, called their mother, and their mother told Thomas Evered to surrender.
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Sofia Juarez (Missing child alert) - More than a year after she disappeared, AMW once again profiles missing child Sofia Juarez. She disappeared from her home in Washington state the day before her birthday. Still missing

Unknown Midtown Jane Doe Killer (Full segment) - Construction workers in Midtown Manhattan discovered human bones while they were demolishing an old building. Using sciencea and a number of clues, investigators discovered the victim was a white female, possibly in her late teens or early 20s, may have been brought up in a middle class family, and was likely murdered sometime in the mid-to-late 80s. Police theorize she was a runaway who became a prostitute and was murdered by either a pimp or a client. In 2024, DNA identified Jane Doe as Patricia McGlone, and realized that much of the information police believed about her was almost certainly inaccurate.

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Terrence Washington (Full segment) - Tom Morris features career car thief Terrence Washington, who has also developed a reputation as a career jail escapee. First he escaped from a jail in Arkansas in 1999 and was captured in 2002. More than a year later, Washington and another inmate, Dan Robertson, broke out of jail in Louisiana. He also led Maryland police on a high-speed chase where he rammed a squad car that was pursuing him before escaping. Washington was captured indirectly within 48 hours of this airing after he stole an SUV in Ohio.

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Andre Neverson (Full segment) - The same week Andre Neverson was added to the U.S. Marshals' 15 Most Wanted List, Rick Segall gives an update on the man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and his sister. Police received a great tip on Neverson saying he was committing a gas scam in Brooklyn. With the help of two car dealership employees, agents were able to find the car and intercepted it. While they did find the car, it was not Neverson. However, investigators said the man could have been Neverson's twin brother, because even they were convinced it was the murder suspect. Neverson was caught in 2018.

Ronnie Drane ("Tacked on" profile) - John Walsh reveals that Neverson isn't the only new name on the U.S. Marshals' 15 Most Wanted List. The second is Ronnie Drane, wanted for killing two family members and trying to kill another family member who witnessed the crime. Drane was captured thanks to AMW tipsters within a week of this profile, making him Capture #786.

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Vernon Coleman (Break-Four Tease) - Kansas fugitive wanted for molesting a young child in the mid-90s. Coleman was captured indirectly in 2011.

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Daniel San Diego (Full profile) - Wanted out of San Francisco for bombing two bio-tech companies that he believed were testing their products on animals. When San Diego realized investigators were onto him, he went underground. Still at large

Episode notes:
- Within the first 10 seconds of the episode, there is an error made by John Walsh. He kicks off the show by saying, "Already, two fugitives from last week's show turned themselves in!" as clips of Thomas Evered and Gianni Gugliatto are shown. However, Gugliatto was actually profiled two weeks earlier, not the previous week.

- Although Dan Robertson is mentioned during Terrence Washington's profile, the fact that the accomplice was captured is not mentioned. At the same time, every reference to Robertson being on the run is also cut out of the episode. Robertson was previously reported as being captured during a November 2003 Hotline Alert.

- John Walsh says that Andre Neverson has been profiled five times as of this episode. However, this statement is incorrect. This profile was Neverson's seventh.

- This profile of Daniel San Diego features the infamous retraction from AMW regarding Shaklee and the fact they don't test their products on animals. The retraction came from John Walsh after the profile (which didn't mention Shaklee at all). For the next several profiles, the Shaklee bombing isn't even mentioned by AMW. If I'm remembering correctly, the next time that bombing was mentioned was in 2007.

Episode #756 - March 13, 2004
John Stoneman & Patricia Kelley Capture (Full segment) - Five months after their first profile, the most disgusting couple in AMW history has finally been captured. AMW received a tip that suspected child rapists John Stoneman and Patricia Kelley were in Canada; their car was found at a pawn shop in Toronto. Kelley had pawned it for extra cash. Thanks to the pawn shop employees and their former landlord, the duo was tracked down, making them Capture #s 782 and 783.

Argelio Aguayo Capture (Full segment) - A case AMW had been featuring for a month was solved for good after suspected drug runner Argelio Aguayo turned himself in. Aguayo was a cigarette boat salesman wanted for trafficking drugs. His girlfriend and getaway driver, Gianni Gugliatto, had surrendered a couple weeks earlier, making her Capture #781. Aguayo was Capture #784.

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Colleen Perris (Full segment, part 1) - AMW investigator Joe Matthews joins the search for missing 18-year-old Colleen Perris, who disappeared four years earlier after leaving her home and promising she'd come back. Police were at a dead-end, and Matthews decided to start the investigation over from square one. He discovered that Perris was living a double-life as a partier and drug-user. Her friends tell Matthews that Perris' uncle, an amateur actor, who had previously made sexual comments about his niece, may have somehow been involved. Her boyfriend even claims that Perris' uncle flat-out asked his niece if she wanted to make a porn film.

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Colleen Perris (Full segment, part 2) - In the days and weeks before her disappearance, Colleen Perris was acting extremely out-of-character and her behavior worried her friends. One friend, in an effort to find answers, discovered that Perris' uncle had left two voicemails on her phone the day she disappeared, but had accidentally been deleted. Investigator Joe Matthews interviewed Perris' uncle, who denied any wrongdoing in the case, but did admit he's been prone to make comments that have gotten him in trouble, and also admitted mentioning a lingerie photo shoot to his niece. Matthews didn't know for sure if the uncle was involved, but believed he was hiding something. The investigator also tracked down adult film star Ron Jeremy who revealed some insight about the industry, but unfortunately couldn't help with the Perris investigation. Still missing

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Neil Newmister (Full segment) - The wife of a Marine in Ohio was brutally raped in the middle of the night while her husband was away at training. Police soon discovered that the perpetrator was Neil Newmister, the best friend of the woman's husband, and someone who had promised to take care of the woman while her husband was away. AMW tips led to Newmister's arrest in Mexico during the summer of 2005, making him Capture #856.

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Oscar Torres-Chavez (Break-Four Tease) - Kansas gang member wanted for shooting and killing an eight-year-old boy. He was captured indirectly in 2006.

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Anibal Mustelier (Full segment) - Hitman known as "The Ghost" who tried to kill the same man twice (once by shooting into the man's car with an assault rifle and once by planting a bomb under the man's car) and failing both times. Six years later, Mustelier masterminded a large bank heist which involved stealing the contents of several safe deposit boxes. Mustelier was captured in 2016.

Episode notes:
- This episode was filmed in south Florida (most likely Miami, though it's never stated exactly where they are).

- Despite the fact John Stoneman and Patricia Kelley were profiled six times on AMW, their capture report is the first time AMW blurred out a video of Kelley walking with a child who is getting a ride on a pony. Based on John Walsh's narration, it's possible this child is Kelley's grandchild. All previous airings have shown the child's face.

- For some reason, during the last part of Stoneman and Kelley's capture report, John Walsh calls John Stoneman "Robert Stoneman."

- Once again, John Walsh makes an error during the Argelio Aguayo capture report; he said, "Last week, when she saw her profile, she decided to turn herself him." Gugliatto was profiled three weeks before this profile.

- During Aguayo's walk of shame, you can clearly hear John Turchin asking the suspect questions. However, John Walsh narrated Aguayo's capture report, and not the AMW correspondent.

- When amw.com was redesigned in 2004, Colleen Perris' page claimed that her case had received more tips than any other missing person case in the history of AMW.

- The victim in Neil Newmister's case is one of the few rape victims interviewed by the show that did not have her face blocked out and one of even fewer to reveal her first name.

- Oscar Torres-Chavez is referred to as "Oscar Torres" during his profile.

- This is the first full profile of Anibal Mustelier that doesn't mention the name of the man who ordered the hit on the man Mustelier was supposed to kill. Every one of Mustelier's profiles from this point forward cuts the man's name out for reasons I'm unsure of. Yet for some reason, Mustelier's target is named multiple times in the segment.

- For the first time I can remember, every single case profiled on the episode is mentioned in the recap (Oscar Torres-Chavez, Colleen Perris, Neil Newmister, Anibal Mustelier). Usually at least one or two cases are left out, and the break-four tease is almost never mentioned.

Episode #757 - March 20, 2004
U.S. Marshals' New York/New Jersey Fugitive Task Force Feature (Full segment) - AMW gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the U.S. Marshals' New York/New Jersey Fugitive Task Force. Fugitives busted include a parole violator wanted out of Georgia who leads the task force officers on a wild goose chase around Long Island, a murder suspect in Newark who was hiding out with his brother (who looked very similar to the suspect) and a drug runner police cornered in an apartment building in New York City who was trying to get his neighbors to hide him out.

Oliver Berry ("Tacked-on" profile) - New York fugitive wanted for shooting and killing a man during a road rage incident. Two months after this profile, a tip led to Berry's arrest, making him Capture #793.

Chaka Raysor ("Tacked-on" profile) - Gang leader wanted for orchestrating several murders and controlling the cocaine trade in New York City. Raysor surrendered because of pressure from AMW in August 2006, making him Capture #899.

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Boris Graham Capture (Full segment) - After five years and multiple AMW profiles, frequent fugitive Boris Graham was finally captured. Graham and Kirell Taylor broke into an upscale California home to commit a break-in after putting the homeowner in the trunk of his own car. After they'd been made, the duo fled the scene and got into a car accident, which killed the man after he'd been ejected from the trunk. Taylor was captured shortly after the crime, but Graham was able to elude police until January 2004, when an AMW tip led to his arrest in Florida. With the help of an informant, Graham was captured, making him Capture #778.

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Dimitrios Androutsopoulos (Full segment) - Tom Morris travels to southern Illinois to tell the story of a 12-year-old boy who was paralyzed during a home invasion robbery where his father was killed. Family friend John Boyd orchestrated the home invasion because he believed the boy's father had a hidden stash of money in the house. Androutsopoulos was the only suspect who got away. He was captured in Greece in 2005.

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Unknown Wheaton Bank Robber (All-Points Bulletin) - Serial bank robber wanted for committing nine bank robberies in Wheaton, Illinois over the past two years. He even struck one bank three times. The FBI believed the suspect may have been either a former law enforcement or military officer because of the way he held his gun. Still at large, and unfortunately can no longer be charged in the case since the statute of limitations has expired.

Wilfred Cotaya (All-Points Bulletin) - Wanted out of New Orleans for raping a woman after picking her up at a bar. Police identified Cotaya as the suspected rapist within 24 hours of the crime. In fact, when police showed up, Cotaya hadn't even cleaned up the crime scene. But he bonded out and disappeared shortly after the 1981 crime. Still at large

John Mizic (All-Points Bulletin) - In an update, AMW reveals they have obtained new photos of fugitive scam artist John Mizic and his family. Among the new photos are several that show Mizic, now weighing over 300 lbs., without a shirt on. Though the photos didn't lead to his capture, Mizic and his wife, Karen (wanted as an accessory) were captured about two months later in Missouri.

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Jose Vizcaino-Ramos (Break-Four Tease) - Wanted for shooting and killing his girlfriend in front of their children. Ramos was captured indirectly in 2009.

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Errol Domangue (Brief, approx. 2 minutes) - Convicted sex offender wanted out of Louisiana for raping and killing a woman and disappearing. Her body was found two weeks later, with Domangue nowhere to be found. Investigators eventually discovered that Domangue was killed after he got hit by a car while riding his bike down a roadway.

Michael Alfonso (Full segment) - Illinois fugitive and FBI Top Tenner wanted for killing two ex-girlfriends in the Chicago suburbs. Alfonso was classified by the FBI as a serial killer because of his criminal record, which included multiple rapes, including one while he was awaiting trial in a separate rape case. AMW tips led to Alfonso's arrest during the summer, making him Capture #803.

Episode notes:
- The task force feature profiled at the top of the show is the exact same feature that was profiled on April 19, 2003. Though clips from this feature would be replayed in future episodes, this is the last time the task force feature was profiled.

- Introducing Boris Graham's capture report, John Walsh tells viewers that they've been on a capture spree recently with "six big-time takedowns the last couple weeks." In the background, clips of Argelio Aguayo, Gianni Gugliatto, John Stoneman, Patricia Kelley, Thomas Evered and Anthony Lee's walks of shame are shown. The only problem is that Anthony Lee was not a direct capture. Based on the capture counter, the one they don't mention is probably Scott Hayden, who didn't have a walk of shame because he was already in jail.

- In what I'm pretty sure was a coincidence, many of the cases in this show had a connection to Illinois. Dimitrious Androutsopoulos, the Unknown Wheaton Bank Robber and Michael Alfonso were all wanted out of Illinois, while Boris Graham had a confirmed sighting in Chicago while he was still on the run. What's odd is that just two months later, AMW filmed an episode in Chicago, yet only two of the fugitives profiled on that episode were actually wanted out of that city. I'll go into more detail when I analyze that May episode next time.

- The John Mizic case is the perfect example of AMW trying to shame a fugitive into surrendering. When the new photos of him are shown, goofy music is playing in the background and during the bumper leading into the APB, Don LaFontaine even says "Please. Help us find him, so we never have to air these photos again."

Episode #758 - March 27, 2004 (March Madmen Special Edition)
Terrence Washington Capture (Full segment) - Tom Morris reports that serial car thief and jail escapee Terrence Washington has been captured. Just 12 hours after his last profile on March 6, 2004, Washington stole an SUV and led police on a high-speed chase in Ohio. Eventually he bailed out of the car and tried swimming to freedom, but stopped in the freezing cold water. Unfortunately, this wouldn't be the last time AMW would feature Washington; he escaped from jail two more times; once in 2007 and once in 2008, and AMW featured him after both escapes.

Ronnie Drane Capture (Brief, approx. 2 minutes) - Just days after he was named to the U.S. Marshals' 15 Most Wanted List, Ronnie Drane was captured thanks to an AMW tipster. He became Capture #786 after he was located in Tennessee. Federal agents were seeking Drane for killing two members of his own family.

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Douglas Aigen (Full segment) - Career criminal wanted out of New Jersey for leading troopers on a high-speed chase down the highway. Eventually the chase went down a side street and Aigen began ramming into parked cars before police pulled back and let him go so as to prevent injury. This profile was the beginning of the end for Aigen; as a result of a tip generated from this broadcast, a chain reaction started that led to the fugitive becoming Capture #789 just a month later.

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Mark Holsombach and William Frazier (Brief, approx 1 minute, 30 seconds) - Wanted out of Arkansas for getting into a shootout with police who were trying to serve warrants and question the pair about the disappearance of a couple. Frazier was captured about a week later, and Holsombach was found about a day or two after that. This story ended up getting a lot more complicated than anyone would realize, but I'll have more on that when I discuss their capture in June.

Dudley Forbes (Full segment) - Canadian fugitive wanted for shooting up a nightclub in Toronto, killing two people. Forbes was trying to kill his ex-girlfriend, who he had stalked ever since their breakup. After Forbes' 1996 profile on AMW, a travel agent in Rhode Island was convinced that the fugitive had stopped by her office seeking a one-way ticket to London without having to go to Canada. The man she believed was Forbes led police on a high-speed chase before finally being caught, but oddly enough, it was a look-a-like, and not actually Forbes. The real Dudley Forbes was captured just two months after this profile after the RCMP received information he was hiding out in his homeland of Jamaica. Forbes' capture was indirect.

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Unknown Erie Robbery Bombing (Full segment) - Seven months after a bizarre bank robbery involving a pizza delivery man with a bomb strapped around his neck, the FBI had released new information in the case. Specifically, the FBI revealed portions of the letter that was given to Brian Wells. Though limited, the information revealed does suggest that more than one person was involved, and some language suggests that at least one person may have been involved in the military. In 2007, the FBI charged Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong and Kenneth Barnes with the crime, while also revealing that Wells was involved in the plot.

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Orville Cochran (Break-Four Tease) - Outlaw biker wanted for committing several bombings and murders. Shocking everyone, Cochran surrendered in 2018.

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Alejandro Romero, Angel Salgado and Cesar Lucero (Full segment) - Ed Miller visits New York City to report on three members of the violent St. James Gang. The trio crashed a Christening party in the Bronx where they shot a man simply because he was dancing with two girls at the party. During the shooting, a bullet struck and killed a nine-year-old girl walking home with her grandmother. The trio, Alejandro Romero, Angel Salgado and Cesar Lucero, are still at large.

Episode notes:
- This episode was filmed in Miami. During most of the episode, John Walsh rode along with Miami police officers as they conducted their shift at the beginning of the night. Other parts of the episode show John driving a special vehicle that can go in both the water and on land. He obviously enjoys this, because during the credits, after he drives into the water, you can clearly hear him laughing and yelling, "Yeah!"

- This is the last time the Erie Collar Bomber case was profiled in one segment. Starting with the case's next profile in September 2005, every other airing is at least two segments long. And if my memory serves me correctly, I believe this was the first time the case was called something other than the "Unknown Brian Wells Killer." The amw.com profile called the case the "Erie Robbery Bombing," until eventually AMW settled on the name "Erie Collar Bomber."

Episode #759 - April 10, 2004
David Kemp (COPS Credits) - Wanted out of Oklahoma for escaping from jail, where he was being held for killing his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend. Kemp surrendered completely out of nowhere in 2013.

Rufino Castaneda (Full segment) - Indiana police were seeking Rufino Castaneda for abducting a 23-year-old woman from a bar, taking her to his home and brutally raping her. The victim fought back and was able to escape and call 911. Castaneda was eventually indirectly captured in 2007 in Mexico.

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Gina DeJesus and Amanda Berry (Missing child alert) - Cleveland police put an alert out for missing 14-year-old Gina DeJesus, who disappeared while walking home from school a week earlier. Police wondered if this case was connected to the disappearance of Amanda Berry, who disappeared while walking home from work almost exactly a year earlier. Sure enough, the abductions were related; both women were found alive in 2013, along with a third missing woman, where they had been kept as sex slaves for a decade. Their abductor committed suicide shortly after pleading guilty.

Malaika Griffin (Full segment) - Colorado woman wanted for shooting and killing her neighbor. Griffin had been involved in an ongoing feud with her neighbor, which police believe was fueled by racism; a search of her home suggested that Griffin was a closet racist. An AMW tip led to her capture in California in 2005. She was Capture #845.

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William Fischer (Full segment) - Police in upstate New York are seeking William Fischer for the murder of his own terminally ill son and his son's female friend. Fischer's son, Billy Fischer, had escalating medical bills for cystic fibrosis and the senior Fischer is believed to have killed him for that reason. Still at large

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Vuthy Sok (Full segment) - Former police officer and armored truck driver wanted for stealing several bags of money from the vehicle he was driving. Sok was believed to have been broke and desperate for money. He was captured in 2012.

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Jose Quiroz (Break-Four Tease) - Wanted for raping a mentally-challenged teenage girl. Still at large, as far as I can tell.

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Interference Emergency Feature (Full segment) - AMW asks its viewers to contact the FCC regarding a radio interference emergency. Because of multiple cell phone companies taking up too much bandwidth, emergency responders are unable to use their radios throughout the country.

Episode notes:
- This is a rerun of the July 12, 2003 episode, which itself was a rerun of the August 21, 2001 episode.

- Rufino Castaneda's profile on this episode is the first time John Walsh introduces the story with a viewer warning. Given that Castaneda's profile is one of the most disturbing rape cases AMW has ever featured, I'm surprised the warning wasn't stated in any of Castaneda's three previous profiles.

- Like Castaneda's first profile, amw.com featured a live chat with his victim the night this episode aired.

- This is the last time AMW mentions the Consensus Plan/Interference Emergency.

Episode #760 - April 17, 2004
Douglas Aigen (Full segment) - After AMW profiled career criminal Douglas Aigen in March, the show received a tip from a woman in New Jersey saying the fugitive had ripped her off. The woman hired Aigen as a handyman to help remodel her home, and after letting him borrow her pickup and some cash, he fled and never came back. Investigators were able to track her pickup to New York, but that's where the trail went cold...at least until this profile aired. Thanks to that tip, as well as new information developed in the case (such as the fact that Aigen had gained so much weight he could only fit into sweatpants) Aigen was caught exactly one week after this profile, making him Capture #789.

Michael Coppola (Full segment, part 1) - The story of accused mobster Michael Coppola begins in New Jersey after he is hired to take out a hit on John Lardiere, a Genovese crime family member. Coppola succeeded in killing the mobster, and it seemed like he had gotten away with it.

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Michael Coppola (Full segment, part 2) - After Michael Coppola was released from prison in the 80s, he met up with several mobsters and began chatting. At one point, Coppola confessed to the murder of John Lardiere to a mobster who later became an informant. That informant told police everything he knew about Coppola. After giving a DNA sample to police, Coppola disappeared. He was later arrested in 2007/2008, but was acquitted of murder not long after his arrest.

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Gina DeJesus and Amanda Berry (Brief, approx. 3 minutes) - Tom Morris reports from Cleveland on the disappearance of Gina DeJesus, a 14-year-old girl who disappeared while walking home from school. The story features an interview with Gina's mother and her best friend. Tom also mentions that police are trying to link the DeJesus disappearance to that of Amanda Berry, who disappeared in very similar circumstances along the exact same road. Both Gina and Amanda were recovered alive in 2013 after they escaped from where they were being held as sex slaves and contacted police.

OC Smith Capture (Full segment) - John Turchin provides an update on one of the most bizarre cases AMW has ever profiled. In the summer of 2002, OC Smith, the medical examiner in Shelby County, Tennessee, was found tied to a window with barbed wire and a bomb strapped to his chest. Smith had previously been threatened because his testimony helped put several people on death row. Soon, investigators realized that the suspect was none other than Smith himself; they believed Smith had faked everything and did everything himself. Smith was charged with possessing explosives and lying to investigators. The case ended in a mistrial and prosecutors eventually dismissed the case.

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James Bulger (Full segment) - Rick Segall reports on FBI Ten Most Wanted fugitive James Bulger, wanted for committing 19 murders as the head of the Winter Hill Gang. Recent sightings had placed Bulger in England, including one tip from a man who had known Bulger before he went on the run and spotted him walking down the street. As it turns out, Bulger was actually in America the whole time, and was arrested in May 2011 in Santa Barbara.

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Dion Koglin (Break-Four Tease) - Former police cadet wanted out of Ohio for assaulting several women. He was captured indirectly in 2007.

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Unknown Carol Miller Killer (Full segment) - Ed Miller travels to Las Vegas to profile the unsolved murder of children's fashion designer Carol Miller. She had been abducted while going for a walk in her wealthy neighborhood and murdered, her body dumped in the Las Vegas desert. Police say she had also been robbed. Still at large

Episode notes:
- This is the last episode to feature the AMW theme as the "bumper" music heading into commercial breaks. From this point forward, each outgoing bumper features non-theme music.

- During the Douglas Aigen case, New Jersey State Trooper Joe Costello is incorrectly credited as investigator Ron Kirby. Given that Costello and Kirby look completely different, you have to wonder how somebody didn't catch this.

- Unusually for an AMW reenactment, Michael Coppola's story features three songs that have lyrics in them. Despite my best efforts, the only song I can identify is the one that plays after Coppola kills John Lardiere. ("Couldn't Get it Right" by Climax Blues Band)

- The story on Gina DeJesus and Amanda Berry features an interview with Arlene Castro, the best friend of Gina DeJesus. In what turned out to be a very bizarre coincidence, Arlene Castro is the daughter of Ariel Castro, the man who admitted kidnapping the girls.

- On this airing of Whitey Bulger, AMW broadcasts three photos of the fugitive that had never previously been publicly revealed. They weren't new (they were taken before Whitey went on the run) but the FBI really wanted them publicized. I remember reading an article around this time where a newspaper columnist strongly criticized the FBI for this decision; he argued the logic in revealing an eight-year-old photo was flawed, and I agree. Especially when you realize AMW NEVER aired the retouched photos of Robert Fisher.

- I believe the unsolved murder of Carol Miller is the first time an AMW correspondent has reported on a case involving someone that had the same last name as them (Ed Miller).

Episode #761 - April 24, 2004
Unknown Monica Valdizan Killer (Full segment) - John Turchin reports that new information has been uncovered in the unsolved murder of Monica Valdizan, a Peruvian immigrant who came to America to find work. During the case's last profile in February, AMW featured an unidentified person on surveillance who appeared to be following Monica around the grocery store. Thanks to an AMW tipster, the mysterious person was identified as a local resident who had been doing some shopping. Though initially excited, investigators were soon disappointed to learn that, although they had the man on the surveillance tape, he had absolutely nothing to do with Monica's murder. He told AMW that he didn't even realize that she was standing next to him. While disappointing, good detective work and an arrest in another state led to the identification of Jerry Wiggins as Monica's suspected killer in January 2005.

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Donald Crosby (Brief, approx. 1 minute) - Hospital employee who raped a young nurse. Crosby got the job because he used his brother's name when applying. AMW tips led to Crosby's capture, making him Capture #805.

Cuitlahuac "Tahua" Rivera (Full segment, but classified as breaking news) - Ed Miller reports on the shooting death of Merced, California police officer Stephan Gray. The officer had pulled over Tahua Rivera, an ex-con, who shot the officer so he wouldn't discover that Rivera had a loaded gun on him. After a massive manhunt, Rivera was arrested indirectly shortly before National Police Week.

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John Mizic (Brief, approx. 1 minute) - Counterfeiter John Mizic, who dragged his family on the run, was apparently offended by his last AMW profile. The show uncovered new photos of the fugitive which showed him without a shirt on and over 300 lbs. He called his mother-in-law complaining about the pictures and how the entire nation saw them. But it wasn't embarrassing enough to surrender, because he remained on the run until about a month later when good police work led to his capture in Missouri.

Unknown Hudson Funeral Home Double Murderer (Full segment) - Investigators in the small town of Hudson, Wisconsin were baffled by the town's first double-murder ever, which ironically happened at a funeral home. The victims were the funeral home's manager, Dan O'Connell, and his intern, James Ellison. Later in 2004, a local pastor, the Rev. Ryan Erickson, who had been a person of interest, was found dead of a suicide. Police believe Erickson, who was under investigation for sexual assault, killed Dan O'Connell because he was a possible witness in Erickson's trial. James Ellison was apparently killed because he was there.

(commercial break)

Douglas Aigen (Full segment) - Tom Morris reports live from New York City on the latest tips coming in on Douglas Aigen. The career criminal was last known to have been in the Big Apple after stealing a pickup truck from a woman he'd been doing some home improvement work for. The night of Aigen's previous profile, one tipster called in saying the pickup was parked right in front of their apartment building. Sure enough, it was, but Aigen was long gone. Despite that, there was an important clue; the truck smelled horrible, indicating that Aigen no longer showered while he was on the run. (One investigator was convinced Aigen was dead in the back seat, that's how bad it smelled) U.S. Marshals soon determined that Aigen had been spotted acting suspiciously in a local grocery store, and had been caught on surveillance trying to steal a jar of mayonnaise. The very night of this profile, Aigen was captured in New York City after an NYPD officer, who had seen Aigen's profile, spotted him walking down the street. Aigen was Capture #789.

(commercial break)

Rafael Valadez (Break-Four Tease) - Wanted for raping a 12-year-old girl after breaking into her home. Still at large.

(commercial break continues)

Mikhail Drachev (Full segment) - Arizona fugitive who brutally stabbed and beat a police informant to death and set him on fire. Shockingly, the victim didn't immediately die; he made it to a creek before dying. Drachev was captured after his girlfriend spotted him on amw.com and turned himself in to Canadian police. Drachev became Capture #933.

Episode notes:
- This episode was filmed in south Florida.

- Starting with this episode, AMW now uses unique music heading into commercial.

- Though uncredited, I'm pretty sure Ray Farkas produced the Hudson Funeral Home Double Murderer segment. Many of his usual filming techniques (camera sitting far away and recording a personal conversation between two people) are present.

- In a bit of a humorous moment, one of the U.S. Marshals looking for Douglas Aigen looks exactly like Tom Morris. The first time I saw this profile, I thought it was Tom Morris until he opened his mouth and his voice sounded different.

- When AMW goes to commercial before the Mikhail Drachev case, Don LaFontaine previews the case. He describes "three Russian punks" as being responsible for the crime. At the same time, a graphic of three faces appears. The problem? One of the people pictured is victim Konstantin Simburg. Suspect Dennis Tsukanov isn't pictured for some reason.

I'll probably have the May 2004 episodes analyzed sometime within the next couple weeks. May 2004 actually has some memorable cases and episodes (including the Chicago episode, though that one I was honestly kind of disappointed with. You'll see why when I analyze it).

Excellent work as usual Pakman! Here are my comments.


- The multi-part segment description by segment was a good idea, so I recommend you keep using it.

- Oscar Torres-Chavez was one of the original 50/50 fugitives. My comment is why they decided to re-air him more than three years later as a commercial break case when they didn't even do that for other fugitives that were only aired on the 2000 special and are probably still at large (ex. Diego Trejo, Leonides Torres, James Carl Asbell, Ramon Fernandez, etc).

- Surprised Wilfred Cotoya was aired as an APB case, especially since he was aired in 1996 and 1998 and has been wanted since 1981, unless the profiles in the 90s were short.

- Thanks for mentioning that Orville Cochran's first airing was a break-four-tease profile. Considering that AMW had given other outlaw bikers much longer airings (Richard Vallee, Paul Eischeid, etc.) you have to wonder why they never paid much attention to Cochran.

- Jose Quiroz is really annoying because the old website didn't even mention what state he was wanted out of, just a mention of an Adams County (which there are numerous ones in the US). So it's that much harder to figure out if he was ever caught.

- The saga of the John Mizic manhunt was hilarious to read about, LOL.

It's certainly possible. I think Castaneda's December 2004 airing also had a warning attached to it as well. The only other times I can remember seeing viewer warnings were during the Unknown Wooded Rapist case from 2001/2002 (the victims described in pretty graphic and specific detail what the suspect did to them), the Costa Rican child prostitute feature from 2002 (you can't get much more disturbing than 12/13/14-year-old children working as prostitutes), a Top Cops segment that featured dashcam video of a police officer getting punched very brutally in the face multiple times by a suspect, and the full profiles of Genero Dorantes and Martha Patlan (actual photos of Luis Cisneros' body were shown). I know in recent years the term "trigger warning" has become more common when describing articles about rape.



Both Jose Quiroz and Rafael Valadez I've had trouble tracking down. Neither are listed in the national sex offender registry (at least the last time I checked they weren't) which I assume means they're still at large. However, that can also mean they're in prison and haven't been released yet, since they don't have to register as a sex offender until they're out of custody.



Actually, that's pretty close to the music that actually did play. I would definitely describe it as "polka-esque," and featured a male voice making what I can only describe as a "blubbering" sound. (for those who have seen Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, think the scene where Boss Nass shakes his cheeks back and forth while yelling.)