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The world watched with bated breath as the pursuit of some of history's most notorious criminals unfolded. With hefty ransoms and high-speed car chases reminiscent of Hollywood blockbusters, the tension was palpable. These were no ordinary pursuits—they were real-life thrillers featuring psychopathic villains that captivated audiences worldwide. Join us as we delve into some of the most dramatic manhunts in US history. Click on the gallery to get started.
Kaczynski was arrested in 1996 after his brother identified him following the publication of his manifesto: "Industrial Society and Its Future," which critiqued technology's impact on freedom and the environment. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole. The search for the Unabomber, spanning 17 years, was among the most extensive manhunts in US history.
James "Whitey" Bulger was a Boston crime boss and leader of the Winter Hill Gang involved in drug trafficking, extortion, and murder. An FBI informant, he fled in 1994 after a tip-off about his indictment, sparking a 16-year manhunt.
Bulger was arrested in 2011 in Santa Monica, California. In 2013, he was convicted of numerous crimes, including 11 murders, and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was killed in prison in 2018 under suspicious circumstances.
Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were infamous American outlaws during the Great Depression. Active from 1932 to 1934, they committed robberies, including banks, small stores, and gas stations, and were responsible for at least 13 murders, including several police officers. Their shoot-outs and daring escapes made national headlines, earning them celebrity status.
This notoriety led to one of the most extensive manhunts in US history at that time, according to the FBI. Bonnie and Clyde were eventually ambushed and killed during a police shootout on May 23, 1934, in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, ending their infamous crime spree.
The newest addition to the list is Luigi Mangione, a suspect charged with the murder of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, who was shot dead outside the New York Hilton Midtown in December 2024. Mangione's manhunt lasted only six days after a tip from a McDonald's employee in Pennsylvania ensured his arrest.
The arrest led to the discovery of a ghost gun, a silencer, false IDs, and a disturbing manifesto detailing his grievances against corporate America. He had allegedly considered using a bomb, but chose a more targeted attack on Thompson.
On February 3, 2013, Christopher Dorner, a disgraced former Los Angeles police officer, began a shooting spree targeting law enforcement personnel and their families. In his manifesto, Dorner listed over 50 LAPD officers and their families as targets, threatening retribution for his firing and accusing the LAPD of corruption and racism.
The violence sparked a nine-day manhunt involving over 100 officers. Dorner's spree led to several murders. The manhunt culminated in a standoff in Big Bear Lake cabin, where Dorner died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a tear gas deployment and cabin fire.
Ray pleaded guilty to the murder in 1969 and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. He later recanted his confession, claiming a conspiracy, but his statements were widely rejected. Despite various theories about his involvement, he remained the lone convicted assassin of Dr. King, dying in prison in 1998.
Osama bin Laden was the founder and leader of the extremist group al-Qaeda, known for orchestrating the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, which killed nearly 3,000 people. The US government launched a global manhunt to capture or kill him. His whereabouts remained unknown for nearly a decade, despite intense intelligence efforts.
In May 2011, 80 US Navy SEALs located bin Laden in a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The CIA had tracked him down through years of intelligence work, culminating in the raid. Bin Laden was killed in the operation, which was approved by US President Barack Obama. His death marked the end of one of the most extensive manhunts in history.
Eric Robert Rudolph was behind a series of bombings in the Southern US between 1996 and 1998, including the infamous Centennial Olympic Park bombing during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. His attacks also targeted abortion clinics and a gay nightclub, resulting in two deaths and over 150 injuries.
The manhunt for his capture lasted five years and became one of the largest and most costly in US history, with expenses exceeding US$20 million. He was eventually caught by a police officer while searching for food in a dumpster in western North Carolina. Rudolph later pleaded guilty and is serving multiple life sentences without the possibility of parole.
The Beltway Snipers, John Allen Muhammad (pictured) and Lee Boyd Malvo, carried out a series of shootings in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area from October 2 to October 24, 2002. Over the course of three weeks, they killed 10 people and injured 3 others, terrorizing the region with random sniper attacks. These shootings took place in public spaces like gas stations and parking lots, causing widespread panic and fear throughout the community.
The manhunt for the Beltway Snipers involved nearly 400 agents from local, state, and federal agencies. They were arrested on October 24, 2002, at a Maryland rest stop. Muhammad was sentenced to death and executed in 2009, while Malvo (pictured), who was 17 at the time, received life without parole, though his sentence was later adjusted to allow for the possibility of parole in Virginia.
One of the earliest high-profile manhunts in modern US history was the search for John Wilkes Booth following his assassination of President Abraham Lincoln on the night of April 14, 1865, at Ford's Theatre in Washington, DC. Booth, a Confederate sympathizer and actor, believed that by killing Lincoln, he could avenge the South and help revive the Confederate cause after the Civil War.
Following the assassination, Booth fled the scene and evaded capture for 12 days, during which a massive manhunt ensued. Booth was eventually tracked to a farm in Virginia, where he was cornered by Union soldiers on April 26, 1865. He was shot and killed, either by his own hand or by a soldier, while resisting capture.
David Berkowitz, also known as the "Son of Sam," was responsible for a series of shootings in New York City between July 1976 and July 1977, which left six people dead and seven others wounded. His crimes caused widespread panic across the city. Berkowitz taunted authorities with letters, including one in which he referred to himself as the "Son of Sam."
The case prompted one of New York’s largest manhunts at the time, involving 300 officers. After a year of intense investigation, Berkowitz was arrested on August 10, 1977. The breakthrough came when a parking ticket near one of the crime scenes led to his capture. Berkowitz later confessed to the murders and was sentenced to life in prison.
Adam Yahiye Gadahn, born in 1978, was an American-born spokesman for al-Qaeda. After converting to Islam, he moved to Pakistan and became involved with the terrorist group. He gained prominence following the September 11 attacks, appearing in videos where he threatened the US and publically supported the attacks. In 2006, he was charged with treason.
For years, he remained a key figure for al-Qaeda, known as their "American mouthpiece." However, the White House announced in 2017 that Gadahn was killed in a US counterterrorism operation in January of that year. The operation ended the search for one of the most prominent figures on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists list, with a US$1 million reward previously offered for information leading to his arrest.
The Boston Marathon Bombers, Tamerlan (pictured) and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, carried out a devastating bombing on April 15, 2013, near the marathon's finish line, killing three people and injuring more than 260. The brothers, identified through surveillance footage, triggered a massive manhunt across local, state, and federal agencies.
On April 18, 2013, after killing an MIT officer, the Tsarnaev brothers engaged in a shootout with police in Watertown, Massachusetts, during which Tamerlan was killed. Dzhokhar (pictured) fled, but was found the next day hiding in a boat. He was arrested and sentenced to death. Although a 2020 federal appeals court decision overturned his sentence, the US Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 2022, with his attorneys continuing to challenge it.
Ted Bundy was a notorious serial killer and rapist who was the subject of a two-month manhunt after escaping from custody twice in 1977. Initially arrested in 1975, Bundy was on trial for the murder of Caryn Campbell when he escaped from a second-story window in June. He was caught five days later but escaped again in December 1977 from a Colorado jail.
Following his second escape, Bundy went on a killing spree in Florida, murdering two women at a sorority house, injuring two others, and killing a 12-year-old girl. He was arrested in February 1978 after being stopped for erratic driving. Bundy confessed to at least 30 murders before being executed by electric chair in 1989.
The manhunt for O.J. Simpson began after he was implicated in the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman on June 12, 1994. On June 17, Simpson led police on a low-speed chase across Southern California in a white Ford Bronco, which was broadcast live, captivating approximately 95 million viewers. He eventually surrendered and was tried for the murders in a highly publicized trial. In 1995, Simpson was acquitted, but the case remains controversial.
Later, in a civil trial, Simpson was found liable for the deaths and ordered to pay US$33.5 million in damages to the victims' families. In 2007, Simpson was arrested for armed robbery and kidnapping in Las Vegas, leading to his conviction in 2008 and a sentence of up to 33 years. He served nine years before being granted parole in 2017. In 2023, he was diagnosed with cancer and passed away the following year.
Sources: (CNN) (History) (Live Now Fox) (How Stuff Works) (Britannica)
See also: The most epic trials in history
America's Most Wanted: 15 infamous manhunts that shaped criminal history
Dramatic pursuits that had the world gripped
CELEBRITY Crime
The world watched with bated breath as the pursuit of some of history's most notorious criminals unfolded. With hefty ransoms and high-speed car chases reminiscent of Hollywood blockbusters, the tension was palpable. These were no ordinary pursuits—they were real-life thrillers featuring psychopathic villains that captivated audiences worldwide. Join us as we delve into some of the most dramatic manhunts in US history. Click on the gallery to get started.