The Newest Member of the Most Wanted Club

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September 07, 2006 6:15 PM

The nominations are in, and a decision has been reached. Ralph B. Phillips has been named as the newest fugitive on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted List. He replaces accused child molester and polygamist Warren Jeffs arrested in Las Vegas last month.

Phillips is allegedly responsible for the June 10 shooting of a New York State Trooper. He's also wanted for questioning in the shooting of two other New York State Troopers last week, one of whom died.

Also known as "Bucky," Phillips escaped from a prison in upstate New York in April. He had been incarcerated on a minor parole violation and was scheduled to be released a week before his escape. The FBI considers him armed and very dangerous. The FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for any information leading to his arrest and capture.

Neil Schiff, spokesman for the FBI fugitive office, says whenever there's an opening on the list, the FBI asks its 56 field offices around the country to nominate their top "candidates." The director of the bureau then makes the final decision.

"There are two primary criteria. The fugitive first has to be very dangerous, a menace to society, a long record of committing serious crimes," says Schiff.  "Another thing is nation-wide publicity might be able to help in catching these criminals."

The nine who remain on the list include those accused of serial child molestation, murder and armed robbery. Some have been on the run more than 20 years.

The FBI believes many of these men have left the country. But Schiff says that the 10 Most Wanted List is enforced internationally and that law enforcement agencies around the world work together to catch the fugitives. He's confident these men, like Jeffs, will eventually be caught. "The FBI's top ten list has been a tremendous success over the years," says Schiff, "about a 94 percent success rate."

Click here to see Phillips' FBI Most Wanted Poster.