10 Most Wanted Fugitives KILLED by the FBI
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VOICE OVER: Tom Aglio
Dive into the intense world of FBI manhunts and the dramatic final moments of America's most notorious criminals. From Depression-era gangsters to modern-day fugitives, we'll explore the high-stakes encounters that ended with these dangerous individuals meeting their ultimate fate. Our countdown includes legendary outlaws like John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and Pretty Boy Floyd, alongside more recent fugitives such as Roy McGrath and Craig Robertson, revealing the intense and often violent ways these criminals met their end. Which of these surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments.
10 Most Wanted Fugitives KILLED By the FBI
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at ten well-known fugitives and criminals who were killed by the FBI.
Roy McGrath
This political operative served as Director of the Maryland Environmental Service and briefly worked as Chief of Staff to the Governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan. However, he was forced to resign after getting caught in a financial scandal and was later charged with falsification of records and wire fraud. However, he failed to appear in court and became a federal fugitive. The FBI tracked him down through cell phone signals and credit card records, and on April 3, 2023, agents moved to arrest McGrath outside a Tennessee Costco. He fled, resulting in a police chase that ended when he became boxed in. FBI agents shot McGrath at the exact same time that he turned his gun on himself. It’s unclear which was the fatal blow.
Craig Robertson
In September of 2022, 74-year-old Craig Robertson made his first of many threats against President Joe Biden, writing, “The time is right for a presidential assassination or two. First Joe then Kamala[a]!!!” Biden was a repeated target of Robertson’s online threats, but so too were California Governor Gavin Newsom, district attorney Alvin Bragg, and attorneys general Letitia James and Merrick Garland. His violent posts eventually caught the attention of the FBI National Threats Operations Center. They began monitoring Robertson, and on the morning of August 9, 2023, they arrived at his Utah home to serve an arrest warrant. However, Robertson was prepared and allegedly began firing at the agents with a revolver. He was killed by returning fire.
Tobby Wiggins[b]
Back in 2020, Alabama native Tobby Wiggins attracted the attention of the FBI. He had become the prime suspect in the death of 39 year old Cashona Tate, and he was charged with first degree murder. With federal warrants out for his arrest, FBI agents stormed Wiggins’ trailer park home in Atmore, Alabama. They provided a telephone to Wiggins, and a tense standoff occurred with Wiggins periodically breaking from the conversation to wave at the growing crowd and blow them kisses. With negotiations having failed, Wiggins later emerged from the trailer with a shirt over his right arm. It’s believed that this shirt concealed a weapon, as agents soon fired multiple shots into Wiggins, killing him at the scene.
Robert T. Mathews
The manhunt of Robert T. Mathews sounds like something out of a movie. Mathews was a known neo-Nazi, and in 1984 he shot and wounded an FBI agent in Oregon. The Bureau then tracked Mathews to a house on Whidbey Island in Washington and laid him under siege for two days. Mathews proved confrontational, and after tear gas failed to flush him out, agents began firing into the structure with machine guns and “other large weapons.” Meanwhile, gunfire continued to erupt from the house, suggesting that Mathews was still alive. Eventually, an FBI helicopter fired illumination flares into the house, resulting in a huge explosion that destroyed the homestead and killed Mathews.
Greg Carlson
In September of 2018, Greg Carlson was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list after committing a series of armed sexual assaults in the greater Los Angeles area. Carlson was arrested for the crimes in 2017 but fled after posting bond. He was later spotted in Florida, Alabama, and South Carolina, and the FBI became involved when he was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Fast forward to February 2019, when a North Carolina police officer spotted Carlson’s car in the parking lot of a local hotel. The FBI was called and stormed his hotel room, resulting in a brief altercation that ended in Carlson’s death.
Ma Barker
Real name Arizona Clark, Ma Barker was purported to be the genius matriarch of the Depression-era Barker–Karpis[c] Gang. But this was mostly just FBI propaganda. No, Barker wasn’t entirely innocent. She was most definitely an accessory, as she knew of her children’s criminal empire and even helped them hide from the police. But she was no leader. As told by bank robber Harvey Bailey, she “couldn’t [even] plan breakfast.” Regardless, Barker was grouped with her sons, and on January 16, 1935, the FBI stormed their Florida hideout, killing Barker and her son Fred. It’s now widely believed that director J. Edgar Hoover made up the claims about Barker to justify their shooting of her.
Al Brady
Bangor[d], Maine is known for two things - being the home of Stephen King and the location of Al Brady’s explosive final moments. Brady was a Depression-era gangster and murderer who became an FBI Public Enemy after stealing roughly $5,000. He eventually made his way to Bangor and attempted to purchase 500 rounds of ammo from a local gun dealer. Suspicious with the request and the large bills that Brady had used, the owner contacted the police, and when Brady returned to pick up his order, he found FBI agents waiting for him. A furious shootout then erupted, with Brady and his partner Clarence Shaffer being gunned down by FBI agent Walter Walsh. The story soon became a famous piece of Bangor lore.
Baby Face Nelson
One of the most notorious criminals in American history, Baby Face Nelson was a known bank robber, and on November 27, 1934, he was Public Enemy Number One. It was on that date that Nelson would go down in what is now known as The Battle of Barrington[e]. Nelson and a car full of FBI agents passed each other on Highway 12 in Illinois, resulting in a violent chase. It ended in Barrington’s Northside Park, where a massive shootout occurred. Two agents were killed in the exchange, and Nelson was fatally wounded after receiving nine shots - eight shotgun pellets to the leg and one slug to the gut. He made it to a safehouse in Wilmette but succumbed to his injuries later that evening.
Pretty Boy Floyd
These old-timey gangsters loved them a good nickname. Another famous bank robber of the 1930s, Pretty Boy Floyd attracted attention not just because of his exploits, but because he freed many people from debt by burning mortgage documents. In this regard, he was considered something of a folk hero by the American public. But folk hero or not, his crimes still attracted the attention of the FBI, and they got him on October 22, 1934. The story has about a million different versions, as accounts differ wildly depending on who’s telling it. But the result is the same - Floyd was shot and killed in a cornfield outside the city of East Liverpool, Ohio. His funeral was attended by up to 40,000 people.
John Dillinger[f]
Accused of robbing twenty-four banks and four police stations, John Dillinger is one of the most famous of the Depression gangsters. And his death is Chicago legend. On July 22, 1934, Dillinger was leaving the Biograph Theater when he spotted federal agents waiting for him. He fled into a nearby alley, but the FBI had planned for this and had already closed it off. Three agents pursued Dillinger into the alley and shot at him, hitting him a total of four times. The fatal shot entered his neck and severed his spinal cord, effectively killing him instantly. Legend has it that bystanders were so enamored with the scene, and the legend of Dillinger, that they dipped their handkerchiefs in his blood as a macabre souvenir.
What do you think of these stories? Let us know in the comments below!
AL-vin brag https://youtu.be/gX_QJ3uqdSw?si=_P-Fd5HpYDX8T9CL&t=48
luh-TISH-uh james https://youtu.be/hsnv7-y82r4?si=nRi-capxF73biTfn&t=12
MARE-ick GAR-lind https://youtu.be/qBtKLIMNAtw?si=i-Gvr3kTVihs4vpi&t=1
[b]TOH-bee WIG-ins @ 00:22 https://mynbc15.com/news/local/fbi-ecso-police-on-scene-at-mobile-home-park-in-atmore
kuh-SHAWNNA tate @ 00:11 https://www.wbtv.com/2020/05/20/sources-fugitive-wanted-charlotte-murder-fatally-shot-alabama/
AT-more @ 00:08 https://mynbc15.com/news/local/fbi-ecso-police-on-scene-at-mobile-home-park-in-atmore
[c]CAR-piss
[d]BANG-gore https://youtu.be/K_q9hAAIS-c?si=y1rairAg37Kew9LV&t=20
SHAY-fur https://youtu.be/cB6uDDunXvE?si=Fw9VqKoY72GCToVZ&t=26
[e]BARE-ING-tin https://youtu.be/qRRl8OwH9Zk?si=pWo474eMqSTPPMEL&t=6
[f]DILLIN-jur https://youtu.be/Z_ZyGOEo2Wo?si=HfzFbx2BnQlED315&t=9
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at ten well-known fugitives and criminals who were killed by the FBI.
Roy McGrath
This political operative served as Director of the Maryland Environmental Service and briefly worked as Chief of Staff to the Governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan. However, he was forced to resign after getting caught in a financial scandal and was later charged with falsification of records and wire fraud. However, he failed to appear in court and became a federal fugitive. The FBI tracked him down through cell phone signals and credit card records, and on April 3, 2023, agents moved to arrest McGrath outside a Tennessee Costco. He fled, resulting in a police chase that ended when he became boxed in. FBI agents shot McGrath at the exact same time that he turned his gun on himself. It’s unclear which was the fatal blow.
Craig Robertson
In September of 2022, 74-year-old Craig Robertson made his first of many threats against President Joe Biden, writing, “The time is right for a presidential assassination or two. First Joe then Kamala[a]!!!” Biden was a repeated target of Robertson’s online threats, but so too were California Governor Gavin Newsom, district attorney Alvin Bragg, and attorneys general Letitia James and Merrick Garland. His violent posts eventually caught the attention of the FBI National Threats Operations Center. They began monitoring Robertson, and on the morning of August 9, 2023, they arrived at his Utah home to serve an arrest warrant. However, Robertson was prepared and allegedly began firing at the agents with a revolver. He was killed by returning fire.
Tobby Wiggins[b]
Back in 2020, Alabama native Tobby Wiggins attracted the attention of the FBI. He had become the prime suspect in the death of 39 year old Cashona Tate, and he was charged with first degree murder. With federal warrants out for his arrest, FBI agents stormed Wiggins’ trailer park home in Atmore, Alabama. They provided a telephone to Wiggins, and a tense standoff occurred with Wiggins periodically breaking from the conversation to wave at the growing crowd and blow them kisses. With negotiations having failed, Wiggins later emerged from the trailer with a shirt over his right arm. It’s believed that this shirt concealed a weapon, as agents soon fired multiple shots into Wiggins, killing him at the scene.
Robert T. Mathews
The manhunt of Robert T. Mathews sounds like something out of a movie. Mathews was a known neo-Nazi, and in 1984 he shot and wounded an FBI agent in Oregon. The Bureau then tracked Mathews to a house on Whidbey Island in Washington and laid him under siege for two days. Mathews proved confrontational, and after tear gas failed to flush him out, agents began firing into the structure with machine guns and “other large weapons.” Meanwhile, gunfire continued to erupt from the house, suggesting that Mathews was still alive. Eventually, an FBI helicopter fired illumination flares into the house, resulting in a huge explosion that destroyed the homestead and killed Mathews.
Greg Carlson
In September of 2018, Greg Carlson was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list after committing a series of armed sexual assaults in the greater Los Angeles area. Carlson was arrested for the crimes in 2017 but fled after posting bond. He was later spotted in Florida, Alabama, and South Carolina, and the FBI became involved when he was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Fast forward to February 2019, when a North Carolina police officer spotted Carlson’s car in the parking lot of a local hotel. The FBI was called and stormed his hotel room, resulting in a brief altercation that ended in Carlson’s death.
Ma Barker
Real name Arizona Clark, Ma Barker was purported to be the genius matriarch of the Depression-era Barker–Karpis[c] Gang. But this was mostly just FBI propaganda. No, Barker wasn’t entirely innocent. She was most definitely an accessory, as she knew of her children’s criminal empire and even helped them hide from the police. But she was no leader. As told by bank robber Harvey Bailey, she “couldn’t [even] plan breakfast.” Regardless, Barker was grouped with her sons, and on January 16, 1935, the FBI stormed their Florida hideout, killing Barker and her son Fred. It’s now widely believed that director J. Edgar Hoover made up the claims about Barker to justify their shooting of her.
Al Brady
Bangor[d], Maine is known for two things - being the home of Stephen King and the location of Al Brady’s explosive final moments. Brady was a Depression-era gangster and murderer who became an FBI Public Enemy after stealing roughly $5,000. He eventually made his way to Bangor and attempted to purchase 500 rounds of ammo from a local gun dealer. Suspicious with the request and the large bills that Brady had used, the owner contacted the police, and when Brady returned to pick up his order, he found FBI agents waiting for him. A furious shootout then erupted, with Brady and his partner Clarence Shaffer being gunned down by FBI agent Walter Walsh. The story soon became a famous piece of Bangor lore.
Baby Face Nelson
One of the most notorious criminals in American history, Baby Face Nelson was a known bank robber, and on November 27, 1934, he was Public Enemy Number One. It was on that date that Nelson would go down in what is now known as The Battle of Barrington[e]. Nelson and a car full of FBI agents passed each other on Highway 12 in Illinois, resulting in a violent chase. It ended in Barrington’s Northside Park, where a massive shootout occurred. Two agents were killed in the exchange, and Nelson was fatally wounded after receiving nine shots - eight shotgun pellets to the leg and one slug to the gut. He made it to a safehouse in Wilmette but succumbed to his injuries later that evening.
Pretty Boy Floyd
These old-timey gangsters loved them a good nickname. Another famous bank robber of the 1930s, Pretty Boy Floyd attracted attention not just because of his exploits, but because he freed many people from debt by burning mortgage documents. In this regard, he was considered something of a folk hero by the American public. But folk hero or not, his crimes still attracted the attention of the FBI, and they got him on October 22, 1934. The story has about a million different versions, as accounts differ wildly depending on who’s telling it. But the result is the same - Floyd was shot and killed in a cornfield outside the city of East Liverpool, Ohio. His funeral was attended by up to 40,000 people.
John Dillinger[f]
Accused of robbing twenty-four banks and four police stations, John Dillinger is one of the most famous of the Depression gangsters. And his death is Chicago legend. On July 22, 1934, Dillinger was leaving the Biograph Theater when he spotted federal agents waiting for him. He fled into a nearby alley, but the FBI had planned for this and had already closed it off. Three agents pursued Dillinger into the alley and shot at him, hitting him a total of four times. The fatal shot entered his neck and severed his spinal cord, effectively killing him instantly. Legend has it that bystanders were so enamored with the scene, and the legend of Dillinger, that they dipped their handkerchiefs in his blood as a macabre souvenir.
What do you think of these stories? Let us know in the comments below!
[a]COMMA-luh (not kuh-MAW-luh) https://youtu.be/mf9jGS_zjhI?si=s33p9XDi2UZQ5ses&t=27
GAV-in NOO-sum https://youtu.be/LnL1YymwO5Y?si=I8zYNeXoiwiHUJVg&t=56AL-vin brag https://youtu.be/gX_QJ3uqdSw?si=_P-Fd5HpYDX8T9CL&t=48
luh-TISH-uh james https://youtu.be/hsnv7-y82r4?si=nRi-capxF73biTfn&t=12
MARE-ick GAR-lind https://youtu.be/qBtKLIMNAtw?si=i-Gvr3kTVihs4vpi&t=1
[b]TOH-bee WIG-ins @ 00:22 https://mynbc15.com/news/local/fbi-ecso-police-on-scene-at-mobile-home-park-in-atmore
kuh-SHAWNNA tate @ 00:11 https://www.wbtv.com/2020/05/20/sources-fugitive-wanted-charlotte-murder-fatally-shot-alabama/
AT-more @ 00:08 https://mynbc15.com/news/local/fbi-ecso-police-on-scene-at-mobile-home-park-in-atmore
[c]CAR-piss
[d]BANG-gore https://youtu.be/K_q9hAAIS-c?si=y1rairAg37Kew9LV&t=20
SHAY-fur https://youtu.be/cB6uDDunXvE?si=Fw9VqKoY72GCToVZ&t=26
[e]BARE-ING-tin https://youtu.be/qRRl8OwH9Zk?si=pWo474eMqSTPPMEL&t=6
[f]DILLIN-jur https://youtu.be/Z_ZyGOEo2Wo?si=HfzFbx2BnQlED315&t=9
