Fred William Bowerman
| Fred William Bowerman | |
|---|---|
Mugshot 5 November 1950
|
|
| FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive | |
| Charges |
Armed robbery (1932) Armed robbery (1939) |
| Description | |
| Born |
January 8, 1893 Pipestone Township, Michigan, United States |
| Died | May 1, 1953 (aged 60) St. Louis, Missouri |
| Cause of death | Killed by police |
| Occupation | Bank robber |
| Status | |
| Penalty | 5 years imprisonment 7 years imprisonment |
| Status | Paroled in 1937 Released in 1946 |
| Added | March 5, 1953 |
| Number | 46 |
| Killed during attempt to capture | |
Fred William Bowerman (January 8, 1893 – May 1, 1953) was an American bank robber and Depression-era outlaw. A veteran holdup man, his criminal career lasted over 30 years and he was placed on the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted" list in 1953. That same year, his last, Bowerman organized and led the disastrous Southwest Bank holdup in St. Louis, Missouri, which resulted in a standoff between himself and his three partners against a force of over 100 officers of the St. Louis Police Department. The events were later made into a film, The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery (1959), starring Crahan Denton and Steve McQueen.
Fred William Bowerman's criminal career began in the 1930s and he was eventually arrested in Illinois for armed robbery in 1932. He served five years and was paroled in 1937 but soon after his release, he began committing robberies throughout the Chicago area. While living in Michigan, he drove to Chicago using stolen cars committing 36 robberies between June and October, 1938. Captured a year later, he was sentenced to Joliet Prison where he spent the next seven years.
After his release in 1946, Bowerman kept a low profile for several years, but he was eventually identified as one of several men who robbed a bank in South Bend, Indiana for $53,000 in September 1952. The violent daylight robbery, much in the style of Thomas Holden or Alvin Karpis, attracted national attention in the United States as a bank employee was shot for "raising his hands too slowly". Nearing 60 years of age, Bowerman was named #46 by the FBI of its "Ten Most Wanted" list on March 3, 1953.
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