10 Legendary Manhunts

The James-Younger gang led by Jesse James was formed by a group of former Confederate guerrillas at the end of the Civil War in 1865.

They robbed banks, stagecoaches, and trains – contrary to the popular narrative of James' Robin Hood ethics, they did not take from the rich and give to the poor; they took from EVERYONE and gave to themselves.

They evaded both police and the Pinkerton Detective Agency, who were brought in in 1874 by the train companies.

In 1882 Robert Ford, a very junior member of the gang, was arrested for the murder of a man named Wood Hite. Rather than be hanged for his crimes, Ford posed a deal with Governor of Missouri wherein he agreed to kill Jesse James in exchange for a pardon and a reward.

In March 1882, Ford shot James in the back of the head as James was dusting a picture. Ford and his brother would later go on tour with a theatre act dramatising the murder.

A private detective agency and numerous local authorities never came close to James, instead he was dispatched by a turncoat while doing light tidying.

James has become a pop culture icon synonymous with the rebel spirit. Odd, as he was just a thief.