A wanted poster is posted on public places to solicit public help, cooperation and participation in finding an alleged criminal. If available, the photograph of the wanted criminal occupies the most prominent and major part of the poster. In its absence, a facial composite picture developed by police is publicized. A composite image is usually developed by any one of the three most used methods, which include E-Fit or Electronic Facial Identification Technique by computer, Identikit, and Photofit or Photographic Facial Identification Technique. A bounty on providing a direct lead is also an important part of a wanted poster. In addition to a photo and a bounty, a brief summary of the alleged crime is also given. An expression ‘wanted dead or alive’ was used in past to indicate that the wanted person was an outlaw and, if killed during an effort to capture, nobody would be held responsible for the murder.

1. Percy Lefroy Mapleton/Wanted Poster

Percy Lefroy Mapleton was born February 23, 1860 and died on November 29, 1881. He was a British journalist, who killed a passenger while he was traveling in a train from London Bridge Station to his home in Brighton. 64-year-old Isaac Frederick Gold entered a first class smoking compartment and was soon joined by 21-year-old Percy Lefroy Mapleton on June 27, 1881. During the travel Mapleton deprived Gold of his belongings and murdered him. Mapleton was seen getting out of the compartment with blood stained clothes and in a distressed state at Preston Park Station. He told police that he was attacked by two men. After investigation the police escorted him to his relative’s home, where he escaped. A wanted poster of historical importance was released. It was the first ever wanted poster to show the composite picture of an alleged criminal. He was finally captured on July 8, 1881. Mapelton was tried at Maidstone Assizes before Lord Chief Justice and only after ten minutes of deliberations, the jury found him guilty.

2. Leslie Ibsen Rogge

Leslie Ibsen Rogge was born in Seattle, Washington on March 8, 1940. He was imprisoned on charges of car theft and grand larceny in 1970, in the United States penitentiary in Leavenworth Kansas. He was later sentenced for 25 years on charges of a bank robbery, but he escaped the prison. He has stolen more than $2 million dollars and has robbed thirty banks. He had been the first on FBI’s list of top ten and remained on the wanted posters for six years. He is the first person to be tried for Internet-related crimes. Currently he is serving 65 years imprisonment at USP, Beaumont, Texas.

3. Victor Manuel Gerena

Victor Manuel Gerena is a fugitive who was on the FBI list of top ten most wanted for the longest period of anyone. According to FBI’s wanted poster, he is wanted for bank robbery, unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, armed robbery and theft from interstate shipment. His three portraits from three different years are given on the poster. According to the poster information, he was born on June 24, 1958 in New York. He was 5 ft 6 inches tall, weighing around 169 pounds, and had brown hair and green eyes. He was an American of Puerto Rican descent. He was sought in connection with the armed robbery of approximately $7 million from a security company in 1983. FBI offered $1 million for information leading directly to the arrest of Victor Manuel Gerena. He was armed and dangerous.

4. Frank W. James and Jesse James

Frank James was born on January 10, 1843 in Clay County, Missouri, USA and died on February 18, 1915 at the age of 72 years. He was an American outlaw and was the elder brother of the famous outlaw Jesse James, who was born on September 5, 1847 in Kearney, Missouri and died on April 3, 1882 at St. Joseph, Missouri, at the age of 34 years. He was a gang leader, bank robber, train robber and a murderer. The Governor of Missouri, Thomas T. Cittenden, proclaimed a $5,000-per-man bounty. The wanted poster was 18 by 12 inches in size and was later auctioned. It was expected to fetch more than $20,000.

5. Charles II’s Wanted Poster

A wanted poster was issued by Oliver Cromwell on September 10, 1651.The poster was issued after the defeat of the King Charles II’s forces at the hands of Cromwell’s New Model army in the Battle of Worcester. It was after a bloody encounter that the king escaped on the back of his horse to Boscable. The poster is considered unique and it read ‘PROCLAMATION for the Discovery and Apprehending of CHARLS STUART and other Traytors his Adherents and Abettors.’ The poster was auctioned by Richard Westwood Brookes, who said ‘In the year of the Queens Jubilee this item represents a slice of history …This is an extremely rare item of great historic importance’.

6. John Herbert Dillinger

John Herbert Dillinger was born on June 22, 1903 in Indianapolis, USA and died on July 22, 1933 in Chicago, Illinois at the age of 31 years. He was the most prominent figure among the outlaws of the Wild West during its heyday, including the criminals like Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd, and Bonnie and Clyde. His gang robbed more than twenty-three banks and four police stations. On top of the Dillinger’s wanted poster appeared the word ‘wanted’ in solid black, bold letters, covering the total width of the poster. Below it appeared two portraits, one with the front view and the other with the side view of the person. Below these photos was his name, John Herbert Dillinger, in bold letters, in two lines. Also in bold letters the reward money of $ 10,000 was declared.

7. Bonnie and Clyde

Bonnie Elizabeth Parker was born to Charles Parker and Emma Krause on October 1, 1910 in Rowena, Texas and died May 23, 1934. She married Clyde when she was in high school. Clyde Chestnut Barrow was born to Henry Basil Barrow and Cumie T. Walker on March 24, 1909 in Ellis County, Texas and died on May 23, 1934. They were well-known outlaws and robbers. Parker was a chain smoker of Camel cigarettes. The wanted poster was known as an identification order in those days. In case of Bonnie and Clyde, Identification Order No. 1211 was issued on October 24, 1933. The poster gave full description of their crimes, their relatives, and their criminal record. Their photos were also given on the posters. Bonnie and Clyde were ambushed and killed in Bienville Parish, Louisiana.

8. Alexis Flores

Alexis Flores was born on July 18, 1975. He was on the FBI’s list of top ten most wanted. His wanted poster proclaimed, ‘Alexis Flores, Unlawful flight to avoid persecution, kidnapping, murder, Reward, $100,000 for information leading directly to the arrest of Alexis Flores. Alexis Flores is wanted for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping and murder of a five year old girl in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The girl was reported missing in late July and later found strangled to death in a nearby apartment in early August of 2000.’

9. Jason Derek Brown

Jason Derek Brown was born to David John Brown Sr. on July 1, 1969. According to his wanted poster, he was on unlawful flight to avoid persecution. The FBI offered a reward up to $200,000 for information leading to his direct arrest. He was wanted for murder and armed robbery in Phoenix, Arizona. In November 2004, he killed an armored car guard outside a movie theater and then fled away with the money. The poster further described that Brown was fluent in French and had Masters Degree in Business Administration

10. Wanted Terrorists

The FBI Most Wanted Terrorist List was a list of persons formally accused by sitting Federal grand juries in the United States District Courts for crimes of terrorism. The list was declared after the 9/11 attacks. The list contained the names of 22 persons. The wanted posters bear three seals, the U.S. Department of State Seal resembling the Great Seal of the United States, the Seal of the U.S.Department of Justice and Seal of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On this wanted poster, the wanted persons are not shown in some particular sequence, except that Osama bin Laden was always placed at number one.

Conclusion

The FBI introduced electronic billboards to function as wanted posters in 23 cities in 2007. According to the FBI 30 cases were solved by dint of these billboards. Many wanted posters, particularly those belonging to the Wild West era, have become collectibles and a few of them have been auctioned at exorbitant prices. In modern times a postage stamp supposedly designed by Harry Potter shows the prisoner of Azkaban and is titled Sirus Black Wanted Poster. At times wanted posters acted like double edged swords, helping the law enforcement authorities on one hand and unintentionally spreading panic, terror and promoting the images of criminals on the other hand.