Southwest
Convicted ‘Ten Most Wanted’ fugitive faked bloody death, resurfaced as student before capture: authorities
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A convicted sex offender hailed as one of Oklahoma’s Ten Most Wanted fugitives has been captured after allegedly faking his own death and reportedly enrolling in a New York university.
Anthony Lennon was taken into custody last week in Canton, New York, after nearly 13 years on the run, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
In 2008, Lennon was convicted on charges of child pornography and handed a 20-year suspended sentence.
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Anthony Lennon was taken into custody in New York last week after being on the run for 13 years after evading capture over alleged sex crimes in Oklahoma. (U.S. Marshals Service )
However, in 2012, authorities began searching for Lennon after learning he was allegedly in possession of additional child pornography, according to officials. Evidence found inside his home reportedly consisted of chat logs, external disks and graphic videos of children, police said.
As authorities closed in on the Super 8 Motel in Moore, Oklahoma, to arrest Lennon on additional charges, they realized that he had “staged an elaborate and bloody abduction and robbery scene, leaving behind falsified evidence to make it appear he had been abducted,” according to officials.
After successfully evading arrest, Lennon remained on the run for 13 years.
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Anthony Lennon was previously convicted of numerous child pornography charges in Oklahoma, and was one of the state’s “Ten Most Wanted” fugitives. (U.S. Marshals Service )
“He went to extremes, and we did determine that the large amount of blood at the staged crime scene actually was his,” Moore Police Chief Todd Gibson said in a news conference, according to People.
While on the run, Lennon allegedly adopted the alias “Justin Phillips,” and was enrolled in college at the State University of New York at Canton at the time of his arrest, NNY360 reported. According to the U.S. Marshals Service, Lennon had previously earned a master’s degree in computer science and was working to obtain a doctorate at the time of his disappearance.
Detectives subsequently interviewed Lennon under his alias and used fingerprint analysis to confirm his identity, police said. He was taken into custody in New York and is awaiting extradition to Oklahoma, People reported.
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Anthony Lennon was allegedly living in New York under the alias “Justin Phillips” at the time of his capture, according to authorities. (U.S. Marshals Service )
Authorities are also working to determine if Lennon committed any additional crimes while on the run, according to 7News.
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“This case remains active and under investigation,” the U.S. Marshals Service said in a statement. “But with his capture we can now begin the process of holding Lennon accountable for the crimes he committed against children in our community.”
The U.S. Marshals Service did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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A woman was hospitalized with serious injuries after she was violently attacked by a robber in downtown Long Beach. On June 18, Jennifer Silva, 34, was attending a World Cup watch party at a Hooters restaurant at 90 Aquarium Way. After the game ended, she left the restaurant just before 11 p.m. As she walked […]
Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
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A courtroom sketch of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, during his initial court appearance on Oct. 23, 2025. (Bill Robles) -
The U.S. Dept. of Justice booking photo of Jonathan Rinderknecht over the Palisades Fire devastation in Malibu, California in January 2025 (AP).
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
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