William Nesbit (thief) explained

William Nesbit
Birth Name:William Raymond Nesbit
Birth Date:1 June 1899
Birth Place:Marshalltown, Iowa
Death Date:August 6, 1983 (aged 84)
Nationality:American
Gender:Male
Conviction Penalty:Life imprisonment
commuted to 20 years imprisonment
Added Date:March 15, 1950
Caught Date:March 18, 1950
Number:3
Status:Captured
Death Place:Sioux City, Iowa, U.S.

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]

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]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Swierczynski. Duane. The Encyclopedia of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List: Over Fifty Years of Convicts, Robbers, Terrorists, and Other Rogues. February 4, 2014. Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.. 978-1628739060. 3.
  2. News: 1983-08-11 . Nesbit . 20 . Sioux City Journal . 2022-03-15.
  3. Web site: Armstrong. Catherine. 2018-03-05. This Famous Homicide In South Dakota Will Never Be Forgotten. 2020-06-26. OnlyInYourState. en-US.
  4. Web site: Weinstein. Dorene. Whatever Happened To: Powder House Blast was a robbery gone awry. Argus Leader. 3 October 2017. May 31, 2014.
  5. Book: Sabljak. Mark. Greenberg. Martin Harry. Most wanted: a history of the FBI's ten most wanted list. August 19, 1990. Bonanza Books. 0517693305. 29. 3 October 2017.
  6. News: 1983-08-11 . Nesbit . 20 . Sioux City Journal . 2022-03-15.