William Nesbit (thief)
William Raymond Nesbit (June 1, 1899 – August 6, 1983) was an American jewel thief active in the 1930s. He was born in Marshalltown, Iowa.[1][2]
| William Nesbit | |
|---|---|
 Nesbit in 1937 | |
| FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive | |
| Description | |
| Born | William Raymond Nesbit June 1, 1899 Marshalltown, Iowa |
| Died | August 6, 1983 (aged 84) Sioux City, Iowa, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Gender | Male |
| Status | |
| Convictions | Second degree murder |
| Penalty | Life imprisonment; commuted to 20 years imprisonment |
| Status | Deceased |
| Added | March 15, 1950 |
| Caught | March 18, 1950 |
| Number | 3 |
| Captured | |
Background
On December 31, 1936, he killed fellow thief Harold Baker in a gunpowder explosion in Minnehaha County, near Sioux Falls, South Dakota.[3] He was arrested February 26, 1937, and was convicted and sentenced on May 28, 1937, to life imprisonment, which on February 18, 1946, was commuted to 20 years incarceration. Imprisoned in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, he eventually became a "trusty" and the personal chauffeur of the warden.
Disappearance and capture
On September 4, 1946, he failed to return from running errands, and on December 26, 1946, he was charged in absentia with unlawful flight to avoid confinement. On March 15, 1950, he became the third member of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's first-ever FBI ten most wanted fugitives list, and was arrested in a cave in Saint Paul, Minnesota, three days later.[4][5]
Death
Nesbit died at a hospital in Sioux City, Iowa on August 6, 1983. He had been suffering from a long illness prior to his death.[6]
References
- Swierczynski, Duane (February 4, 2014). "3". The Encyclopedia of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List: Over Fifty Years of Convicts, Robbers, Terrorists, and Other Rogues. Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-1628739060.
- "Nesbit". Sioux City Journal. August 11, 1983. p. 20. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
- Armstrong, Catherine (March 5, 2018). "This Famous Homicide In South Dakota Will Never Be Forgotten". OnlyInYourState. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
- Weinstein, Dorene (May 31, 2014). "Whatever Happened To: Powder House Blast was a robbery gone awry". Argus Leader. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
- Sabljak, Mark; Greenberg, Martin Harry (August 19, 1990). Most wanted: a history of the FBI's ten most wanted list. Bonanza Books. p. 29. ISBN 0517693305. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
- "Nesbit". Sioux City Journal. August 11, 1983. p. 20. Retrieved March 15, 2022.