Nevada has played host to numerous high-profile criminal cases and the pursuit of fugitives from justice. Over the years, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) renowned “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list has featured several individuals sought for their alleged involvement in crimes.
In 1950, Stephen William Davenport’s attempted escape from authorities took an unexpected turn in Las Vegas. Initially detained on a vagrancy charge, Davenport officers identified him through fingerprints. Having been sentenced to life in prison for the killing of a detective sergeant during an armed robbery attempt, Davenport was serving time for a retail vehicle theft charge in Illinois when he ingeniously cut through his cell window’s bars using razor blades. However, his freedom was short-lived, as his fingerprints ultimately led to his recapture.
Another case involves John Alfred Hopkins, apprehended in 1954 near Beowawe. An astute citizen recognized Hopkins from a photograph featured in a California newspaper, leading to his arrest by the FBI. The specific details of his crimes remain undisclosed.
Jerry Reece Peacock’s time on the “Ten Most Wanted” list ended the FBI’s investigation led to Mesquite in 1968. Having escaped from a California State Prison while serving a sentence for a robbery, agents arrested Peacock while working in a field. Under the alias Randy Kastor, the Los Angeles police also wanted him for the beating death of an individual in January 1967.
Tragically, the case of George Benjamin Williams took a grim turn. Prospectors stumbled upon his skeletal remains near a mine in Pershing County in 1968. Medical examiners discovered three bullet holes in his skull, indicating his murder had occurred six months prior. The identity of his killer or killers remains a mystery.
In 1968, Robert Leroy Lindblad surrendered himself to authorities in Yerington. Sought in connection with a double homicide involving two men who had been shot in the head, stripped of their clothing, and left in a shallow grave in the desert, Lindblad’s arrest brought closure to the crime.
The arrest of Ronald Lee Lyons in 1979 captured the attention of law enforcement and the public alike. After escaping from a Tennessee correctional facility, Lyons embarked on a 48-hour crime spree across western Tennessee. His arrest in Hungry Valley by FBI agents and the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office marked the end of his rampage, which included hostage-taking and hijacking.
Robert Alan Litchfield’s multiple escapes fascinated both law enforcement and the public. In 1987, Litchfield was arrested at Lake Tahoe in Zephyr Cove, having previously escaped from the Talladega Federal Correction Institution in Alabama. His elusiveness persisted, and he later escaped from the U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas. Litchfield’s attempts to alter his appearance through cosmetic surgery to resemble actor Robert De Niro were ultimately in vain.
In 2002, Timmy John Weber’s arrest happened quietly at his Las Vegas residence. Alerted by a concerned neighbor, law enforcement authorities swiftly took him into custody. Weber’s apprehension came nine days before being added to the “Ten Most Wanted.”
The last case on our list is that of Warren Steed Jeffs, whose arrest in Las Vegas in 2006 drew significant attention. Jeffs, arrested by the Nevada Highway Patrol during a routine traffic stop, faced charges related to his involvement in a religious and sexual union with underage girls. His subsequent conviction for being an accomplice to rape underscored the severity of his crimes.
The Old Blog in the Desert 