America's Most Wanted still catching fugitives

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Moving to the basic cable channel Lifetime hasn’t ended the ability of “America’s Most Wanted” to track down fugitives. Lifetime reports that a tip to the crime-fighting show has led to the capture of two men wanted for murder since October 2009.


The two fugitives were alleged to be involved in a brazen Washington, DC, shootout that killed two people, including a 15-year old boy, and injured five others.

The suspects, Antonio Barnes and Earl Jackson, were featured on America’s Most Wanted on Friday, January 6, 2012.  One week later, a Lifetime viewer who watched the episode contacted the show’s Hotline with information about the men, placing them in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police and the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force responded immediately to Charlotte.  They teamed up with the US Marshals Service from the Western District of North Carolina and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, and conducted surveillance on an apartment complex where Barnes and Jackson were believed to be hiding.

With information from the America’s Most Wanted caller, investigators obtained a search warrant for the location.  Early on January 14, 2012, a heavily-armed contingent of law enforcement officers executed the search warrant and arrested both Barnes and Jackson, ending the two-year manhunt.

America’s Most Wanted was on site while law enforcement officials executed the warrant and obtained footage of the arrests.

“Our fans did not let us down, proving that our show is a true American institution and a reckoning force.  After such a tremendous response to our return to television on Lifetime, now more than ever we are committed to bringing these cases to viewers across America so they can put criminals behind bars.  We know this double capture is the first of many and we’ll keep helping those crime victims that need us the most,” said Walsh.

“Once again America’s Most Wanted proves it’s a true public service,” said Rob Sharenow, Executive Vice President of Programming for Lifetime. 

Since its 1988 premiere on Fox America’s Most Wanted has played a major role in the capture of more than 1,100 fugitives in the US and 30 countries, including 17 on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List, and the rescue of 61 children and missing persons.