Earl Edwin Austin
Encyclopedia
For the Distinguished Service Cross recipient, see Edwin Austin.
Earl Edwin Austin was an American criminal and bank robber who had been listed on the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted
" list during the 1970s.
Born in Takoma Park, Maryland
, Austin had been a career criminal for much of his adult life serving sentences for grand larceny
, forgery
, aggravated assault, escaping prison and, most notably, threatening the President of the United States when Austin sent a threatening letter to then-President Lyndon Johnson as an inmate at the Idaho State Penitentiary (which would result in an additional five years to his sentence).
In February 1979, although having a history of attempted prison escapes and repeated altercations with police officers, Austin won parole from prison in Kansas City, Missouri
and, upon his release, immediately headed south with the intentions of beginning a crime spree where, on February 28, Austin robbed a bank in Houston, Texas
of $60,000.
By mid-July, Austin had raided a series of banks throughout the Southeast from Kentucky
to Florida
when federal authorities, who had previously charged Austin with bank robbery
and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, officially added Austin to the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted List" on October 12.
After a five-month long federal investigation, Austin was eventually traced to a rented apartment in Tucson, Arizona
where Austin was arrested by federal agents on March 1, 1980. At the time of his arrest, Austin had a loaded pistol as well as $10,000 in his possession (a small amount of money from the Houston robbery had been marked, allowing Austin to be connected directly to the crime). Austin, charged with three counts of his three known robberies, was held in custody in lieu of a $35,000 bond before his eventual conviction and imprisonment.
Earl Edwin Austin was an American criminal and bank robber who had been listed on the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted
FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
The FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list arose from a conversation held in late 1949 between J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, and William Kinsey Hutchinson, International News Service Editor-in-Chief, who were discussing ways to promote capture of the...
" list during the 1970s.
Born in Takoma Park, Maryland
Takoma Park, Maryland
Takoma Park is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, D.C., and part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. Founded in 1883 and incorporated in 1890, Takoma Park, informally called "Azalea City," is a Tree City USA and a nuclear-free zone...
, Austin had been a career criminal for much of his adult life serving sentences for grand larceny
Grand Larceny
Grand Larceny is a 1987 thriller film directed by Jeannot Szwarc and starring Marilu Henner, Ian McShane, Omar Sharif and Louis Jourdan.-Plot summary:...
, forgery
Forgery
Forgery is the process of making, adapting, or imitating objects, statistics, or documents with the intent to deceive. Copies, studio replicas, and reproductions are not considered forgeries, though they may later become forgeries through knowing and willful misrepresentations. Forging money or...
, aggravated assault, escaping prison and, most notably, threatening the President of the United States when Austin sent a threatening letter to then-President Lyndon Johnson as an inmate at the Idaho State Penitentiary (which would result in an additional five years to his sentence).
In February 1979, although having a history of attempted prison escapes and repeated altercations with police officers, Austin won parole from prison in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
and, upon his release, immediately headed south with the intentions of beginning a crime spree where, on February 28, Austin robbed a bank in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
of $60,000.
By mid-July, Austin had raided a series of banks throughout the Southeast from Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
when federal authorities, who had previously charged Austin with bank robbery
Bank robbery
Bank robbery is the crime of stealing from a bank during opening hours. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, robbery is "the taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of...
and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, officially added Austin to the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted List" on October 12.
After a five-month long federal investigation, Austin was eventually traced to a rented apartment in Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
where Austin was arrested by federal agents on March 1, 1980. At the time of his arrest, Austin had a loaded pistol as well as $10,000 in his possession (a small amount of money from the Houston robbery had been marked, allowing Austin to be connected directly to the crime). Austin, charged with three counts of his three known robberies, was held in custody in lieu of a $35,000 bond before his eventual conviction and imprisonment.