The FBI Announces
New Information Regarding Top Ten Fugitive Clayton Lee Waagner
The FBI
today is requesting the public's assistance for information leading
to the arrest of FBI Top Ten Fugitive and U. S. Marshals Service
Top 15 Fugitive Clayton Lee Waagner. Waagner had previously been
convicted on charges of possession of a firearm by a felon and
interstate transportation of a stolen motor vehicle. He escaped
from the Dewitt County Jail in Clinton, Illinois, on February
22, 2001, where he was awaiting sentencing and facing a term
of 15 years to life. Since his escape, Waagner is believed to
have committed a number of bank robberies. Waagner has been formally
charged with the robbery of a First Union Bank in Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania.
During
Labor Day weekend, 2001, Waagner abandoned a vehicle in Memphis,
Tennessee, following a hit and run accident. Authorities recovered
various items from the vehicle including a rifle, a shotgun,
a pipe bomb, and anti-abortion literature. That same weekend,
Waagner fled the area after committing a carjacking in nearby
Tunica, Mississippi. Waagner had previously testified that he
is an "anti-abortion warrior" and admitted to stalking
abortion clinics around the country.
During the second week of October 2001, more than 280 letters
that threatened to contain anthrax were mailed to women's reproductive
health clinics on the east coast. The envelopes were marked "Time
Sensitive" and "Urgent Security Notice Enclosed."
The envelopes also bore return addresses of the U.S. Marshals
Service or the U.S. Secret Service. During the first week of
November 2001 a second series of more than 270 anthrax threat
letters were sent to women's reproductive health clinics via
Federal Express.
Over Thanksgiving
weekend, authorities received information that Clayton Lee Waagner
has claimed responsibility for sending these letters to women's
reproductive health clinics.
The FBI
considers Waagner to be the primary suspect. He is extremely
intelligent and computer savvy. He has proven to be extremely
resourceful in eluding law enforcement authorities and should
be considered armed and extremely dangerous. There is a $50,000
reward for any information leading to his capture.
The FBI
considers Waagner's threats and all threats against abortion
providers to be serious violations of Federal law, and violators
will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
It should be noted that these letters are not associated with
the letters sent to the offices of Senators Dashle and Leahy
which actually did contain anthrax.
This investigation
is a joint law enforcement effort between the Federal Bureau
of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal
Service, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), and
various state and local police agencies.
Any information
regarding Clayton Lee Waagner can be reported to your local FBI
office, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Service, ATF,
or your local police. Additional information regarding Waagner
may be obtained by visiting the FBI website at http://www.fbi.gov
or the U.S. Marshals' Service website at http://www.usdoj.gov/marshals.
Waagner
is described as a white male, 6' 1'', 175 to 220 pounds, with
brown hair and green eyes. He was born in North Dakota on August
25, 1956 and uses numerous aliases. Due to possible frostbite
injuries, Waagner may have limited use of his left hand and may,
at times, walk with a limp. Waagner is also known to be a heavy
smoker and gambler and to drink Crown Royal bourbon.
###