The FBI said it is removing Robert Fisher from the agency's 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List.
Fisher is believed to have killed his wife and kids and rigged their Scottsdale home to explode more than 20 years ago.
No confirmed sightings
The FBI said in a press release there are several factors that have led to Fisher’s removal from the bureau’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List.
The FBI cited a lack of verified sightings of Fisher since he disappeared, continued coverage of the case, and no evidence he’s done anything illegal since he disappeared as reasons to have him replaced.
“The whole point of the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted List is to generate publicity that leads to solid investigative leads,” former FBI Assistant Director Frank Figliuzzi said.
Figliuzzi said at any given time the FBI is consistently looking for about 12,000 fugitives. Having Fisher on the list for about 20 years didn’t generate the leads needed for his capture, he added.
Fisher was replaced by Yulan Adonay Archaga Carias, the leader of the MS-13 gang in Honduras.
“We're talking about a real bad guy. This guy is the head of MS-13 in the country of Honduras. He is responsible for shipping into the United States, multiple loads each with multiple tons of cocaine into the streets of America,” Figliuzzi said.
The FBI said Fisher is the eleventh person to be removed from the 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List before they were caught, died, or had their charges dismissed.
An active case
The case started back on April 10, 2001 in Scottsdale when Fisher is believed to have killed his wife Mary and their two children, Brittney and Bobby, then rigged their house to explode.
It wasn’t until 10 days later that Mary’s Toyota 4Runner was found in the woods east of Young, Ariz. with the family’s dog.
Despite a massive manhunt at the time, Fisher has never been captured.
“We do get several tips a week, if not every day,” said Detective John Heinzelman with the Scottsdale Police Department.
Heinzelman has been leading the case for the department for the last few years.
“After as long as it’s been it does get a little discouraging, a little frustrating the fact that we haven’t, in this amount of time, we haven’t had a verified sighting or someplace that we can even look,” Heinzelman said.
Heinzelman said Fisher being taken off the list doesn’t really change the case he’s investigating.
“He’s still a violent felon, he’s still a murder suspect that we need to find,” Heinzelman said.
Investigating for closure
Heinzelman said it’s where the car was found in Northern Arizona that sticks with him lately.
“Is there something we missed up there? Is there something we can find?... Maybe we need to reimagine and start to come back to take a look at where the vehicle was and see if we can come up with any sort of clues,” Heinzelman said.
Lance Leising, a Phoenix retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent worked Fisher’s case during his time with the bureau.
“Some of the images that stick in my head are his dog that was found at the scene,” Leising said. “With, you know, needles from a cactus in his snout. And you know, hey – if I can talk to that dog: ‘Just let me know what you saw, let me know where you’ve been you know?' Little things like that.”
Leising and Heinzelman both have doubts about whether Fisher is still alive or not.
“My hope is that he is because I certainly would love to have that interview,” Heinzelman said.
Heinzelman said while Fisher is the suspect in the case, he still is considered innocent until proven guilty.
“I’d love to talk to you,” Heinzelman said he would say to Fisher now. “I want to understand what happened that day, what drove you to do what you did.”
Leising emphasizes that Fisher is still being actively sought out.
“We're still not done,” is what Leising said he would say to Fisher. “The FBI is gonna keep looking for you. Scottsdale Police Department's going to keep looking for you. Just the fact that you're off that list doesn't mean we're not running down leads and looking.”
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