Since the premiere of “America’s Most Wanted” in 1988, it has helped capture plenty of fugitives wanted for a variety of crimes. The show reached a milestone in 2008 when the 1,000th fugitive was arrested with the help of the show, as reported by Today. To celebrate the milestone, a special episode was aired live from Times Square in New York City wherein John Walsh stated, “Every one of the 1,000 fugitives our viewers have helped take down is a testament to what I say at the end of each broadcast. You can make a difference” (via The Futon Critic).
When “America’s Most Wanted” was canceled in 2013, the show had apprehended a total of 1,186 fugitives. It was off the air for several years until 2021, and only a week after its return on television, a fugitive — Phillip Dent — was captured, according to Variety. Dent was wanted for carjacking and camera footage of the crime was aired on the comeback episode of the show. He was identified by a viewer who called the tip line, which led to his arrest.
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