William Raymond Nesbit

William Raymond Nesbit (June 1, 1899 – August 1983), 1930s jewel thief, original FBI "Wanted" circular dated March 15, 1948. Addressed to "Chief of Police, Topeka, Kans."

On December 31, 1936, he killed fellow thief Harold Baker in a gunpowder explosion in Minnehaha County, near Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He was arrested February 26, 1937 and convicted 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. 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.

Mug shot and fingerprint set is featured along with convict's personal information and full criminal record.

Provenance: From the collection of Police Chief Michael Webb (1950-2009). Webb joined the Vinita Park, Missouri police force in 1974 and served until his death in 2009, during which time he purchased crime artifacts from relatives of criminals and law officers. Boasting more than 8,000 wanted posters, pieces of Webb’s collection have been featured in film and displayed at the National Crime and Punishment Museum in Washington.

Measuring approximately 8 x 8 inches, the sheet exhibits very light signs of age and wear.