David James Roberts was the first fugitive to ever air on “America’s Most Wanted,” which premiered on Feb. 7, 1988. During the first commercial break, the hotline was ringing off the hook, and cops were eventually lead to Roberts, four days after the show aired. He later plead guilty to escape and kidnapping charges.
Brian David Mitchell was found guilty for kidnapping 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart from her Salt Lake City bedroom. The kidnapping led to eight years of sexual assault from the street preacher, who would rape the girl numerous times during any given day. After his insanity plea failed, he reportedly sang hymns during the verdict. His sentencing is set for May 25. At the end of the trial, Smart said, "Today is a wonderful day."
John Riccardi, who was wanted for the murdering the mother of musician Dave Navarro, was elusive for police back in 1989. “America’s Most Wanted” began to air pictures of the man who was apparently in New York. Leads started increasing after the show and when a sketch of his model-like girlfriend aired, a tipster lead police to right to Riccardi. He was found guilty and is currently sitting on death row.
Paul Merhige, who was on the run after he allegedly shot dead five members of his family during a Thanksgiving gathering, was spotted by an “America’s Most Wanted” tipster on Jan 2, 2010. She apparently saw him earlier that evening at a motel. Merhige now stands trial and faces the death penalty in Florida.
Joe Garcia, a convicted murder, was one of the so-called "Texas Seven" inmates who escaped a Texas prison in December 2000. An “America's Most Wanted” tipster had noticed the Garcia and the other men in a motel in Woodland Park, Colo. All seven were eventually caught.
Cunning” Kayla LaSala, 14, killed her father, stabbing him 108 times in February 2004. She later escaped from home confinement while awaiting her trial in July 2004. Family members then alerted the show that the girl was with a man in Florida. LaSala was eventually convicted of murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison
Authorities say that Tony Ray Amati and two friends burglarized a Las Vegas gun shop on May 26, 1996, stealing 75 guns. Cops say Amati and his two accomplices went on a thrill-killing spree and gunned down three people. Amati was later spotted by an “America’s Most Wanted” viewer who informed authorities that he lived in both Atlanta and Florida at the time.
Amy DeChant was profiled Jan. 3, 1998, on “America’s Most Wanted” as the “Black Widow.” She was accused of killing one of her many Las Vegas sugar daddies. Tips lead authorities to a nudist colony in Florida where she was caught.
A tipster who watched “America’s Most Wanted” spotted Peter Braunstein at a blood donation center in Memphis. Tips eventually lead authorities to Braunstein, who is now serving an 18-year to life sentence for kidnapping and sexual assault after he posed as a firefighter and sexually tormented a woman in New York for 13 hours on Halloween in 2005. He was on the run for six weeks. Upon spotting police, he yelled, “I’m the guy they’re looking for from New York.” He told police that he picked that city because he loved Elvis.
Source: "America's Most Wanted"
John Emil List is considered one of the most famous captures in the history of the show. He was on the run back in 1971 for 18 years after killing five members of his family. He apparently killed his wife first, then his mother and then all of his children. He was profiled on the show and caught eleven days later. He died in March 2008 in a hospital.
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