The Most Notorious People Dog The Bounty Hunter Has Hunted

The following article includes mention of sexual assault, domestic violence, suicide, and addiction.

Duane "Dog" Chapman is probably the most famous bounty hunter in history thanks to his work on reality television. Dog became famous through his first TV series, "Dog the Bounty Hunter," which ran from 2004 until 2012, and was followed by several spinoffs. Dog's bounty hunting career began in the '70s, and in the decades since, he has caught over 10,000 people.

As a bounty hunter, Dog's career has involved everything from hunting down people who skipped out on their bail or missed a court date to finding killers and rapists hiding across state and international borders. Since he has captured thousands of people in his career, you'd think there were a lot of high profile names on Dog's list. That's actually not the case, seeing as most folks are low-level offenders who barely make a mention in a local paper.

Still, they needed to be caught and brought to justice, which is exactly what Dog and his team does. After "Dog the Bounty Hunter," Dog has kept himself busy catching bad guys privately and in front of cameras for years to collect the cash rewards. While not everyone is important enough to bear mention, there are several high-profile cases that do, and these are the most notorious people Dog the Bounty Hunter has hunted or caught throughout his decades-long career.

Of the over 10,000 people Duane "Dog" Chapman has brought to justice, Andrew Luster is the most important to his career. Luster hails from the family behind the cosmetics brand, Max Factor, and was heir to its fortune. He's also a convicted rapist who escaped justice and fled to Mexico in January 2003 after paying a $1 million bond. As a result, Luster was tried in absentia and sentenced to 124 years in prison.

After the FBI issued a warrant for his arrest, Dog hunted Luster down in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and took him into custody. Both Luster and Dog were arrested by Mexican police; Luster for his fugitive status, and Dog for "kidnapping" his quarry without the appropriate authority to do so in Mexico. Dog dealt with the kidnapping charges that were eventually dropped, and Luster was given to U.S. authorities. In the meantime, Dog fought to receive the $1 million reward for Luster's capture but was ultimately denied.

Still, something good came from the Luster case ... other than capturing a dangerous criminal, of course. The Luster case's high-profile nature caused the media to take notice of Dog. A&E signed Dog onto their network, and the following year, "Dog the Bounty Hunter" hit the airwaves. While Luster's capture gave justice to his victims, Dog benefited greatly, becoming an international star, and he spent the next two decades making TV shows as a world-famous bounty hunter.

In August 2021, Brian Laundrie tragically killed his fiancée, Gabby Petito, while traveling on a cross-country trip. There were indications of domestic abuse stemming from a 911 call reporting Laundrie slapping Petito during their travels. The subsequent investigation and body camera footage in Utah featured a disturbed Petito, but no arrest was made. Laundrie ended the trip early and drove their van across the country — without Petito — to his parents' house and wouldn't answer questions about Petito's whereabouts.

Laundrie went missing, and soon after, authorities found Petito's body. The case gained international media attention, and while Laundrie was missing, Duane "Dog" Chapman and others joined the search. Dog joined the hunt for Laundrie after his fans asked him to get involved, and because he felt a personal connection to Petito's parents, having previously lost his own daughter, Barbara. Dog explained his involvement during an appearance on Fox News, "We had a lot of requests that I get in on this. This is what I do for a living, for 45 years." 

Dog's hunt was somewhat complicated by his inability to act in Florida, resulting from his criminal record and lack of proper license in the state. Unfortunately, Dog couldn't take credit for finding him, as an ankle injury sidelined his hunt. While Dog had to step away, others eventually found Laundrie's body in Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, Florida, on October 20, 2021. Laundrie died by suicide and left a note confessing to the murder of Petito.

Leonard Trujillo Jr. is a convicted felon with a rap sheet that includes everything from armed robbery and assaulting a police officer to forgery, drug charges, and bank robbery. The man was on Colorado's most wanted list and was on the run in the state, which is where Duane "Dog" Chapman, his youngest son, Garry, and his wife, Beth, as well as members of their team, ultimately caught up with Trujillo.

The intense manhunt took 12 days across southern Colorado, and just before they busted Trujillo, Beth tweeted that "Someone's about to have a very, very bad day," and she wasn't wrong. The capture of Trujillo played out on an episode of "Dog's Most Wanted," which is sadly titled "Beth's Final Hunt Pt. 2," having aired a few months after Beth died from cancer.

Dog and his team ultimately found Trujillo with the assistance of local police, and he was taken into custody following a brief scuffle that left Trujillo bloody. Trujillo sustained a head injury during his apprehension, which was followed by a profanity-laced discussion with Dog. That conversation gave the bounty hunter the idea to refer to himself and his team as "God's Gangsters." The capture of Trujillo led to the arrest of four more people, so it was an incredible success for the team.

In the Season 2 episode of "Dog the Bounty Hunter," titled "Fathers in Law," Duane "Dog" Chapman goes on the hunt for Wilfred "Bozo" Ortiz Jr. Bozo has a lengthy rap sheet, which includes domestic abuse of his wife. As you may imagine, Bozo's violence toward his spouse didn't sit well with his father-in-law, Leonard, which is what ultimately brought him down.

Leonard went on the run in Hawaii, and after seeing his criminal history, Dog had no sympathy for the man — he's no fan of people who put their hands on women, as he explains in the episode. Dog gave Leonard a call during his investigation into finding Bozo. The father-in-law was more than happy to give Dog as much information as possible. He provided details related to Bozo's whereabouts after taking his daughter out of town to keep her away from her abusive husband.

Leonard found out where Bozo was hiding and happily handed the information over to Dog. The team went on the hunt and drove to the location Leonard provided. They found where he was hiding, but Bozo himself wasn't there. The team continued the search and spotted him alongside a beach. After identifying Bozo, Dog and his team took him into custody, finding drugs and drug paraphernalia inside his truck.

Occasionally, Duane "Dog" Chapman and his team will go fast and hard to try and find someone, only for law enforcement to swoop in at the last moment. That's what happened with Ricky Wheeldon, a notorious criminal who spent five months on the run after jumping bail. Dog hoped to track Wheeldon down to help Leo's Bail Bonds recover its $500,000 bond.

Wheeldon was on trial for nine felonies when he fled on the final day of his trial in May 2012. He was convicted on all counts, which included theft and heading a drug ring. Wheeldon altered his appearance but was finally found by Michigan State Police. Wheeldon tried to get away in a passenger truck, but ultimately surrendered without resisting. The driver of the truck was also arrested and charged with harboring a fugitive and methamphetamine possession.

Dog didn't get his bounty, but he didn't abandon the case either; he was there in court on the day Wheeldon was sentenced. Wheeldon earned himself a government-funded vacation in a maximum security prison for a period of between 24 and 50 years on top of a mandatory five-year sentence. Given his age at the time, 53, he'll likely spend the rest of his life in prison.

Jinel Sexton is one of those criminals you can't help but hope Duane "Dog" Chapman catches, and fortunately, he found him. Sexton was on the run from police, facing a charge of sexual battery on a minor child. He was out of prison on a $200,000 bond, but fled, leading to Dog and Beth's hunt for Sexton. The bounty hunter couple managed to track Sexton down in Louisiana in March 2019.

The pursuit, capture, and surrender of Sexton played out on an episode of "Dog's Most Wanted" called "Mardi Gras Manhunt." During their search, Dog consulted with former police officer-turned-Congressman Clay Higgins, who used his experience in the area and police contacts to assist in the hunt. At the time, Sexton was considered armed and dangerous.

With the Congressman's assistance, Dog and Beth were able to negotiate a surrender with Sexton. They met in a parking lot where Sexton peacefully surrendered without resistance. Dog always prefers to be able to bring people in peacefully, and when the fugitives cooperate, he helps them as best he can. This is why Dog approached Sexton, spoke kindly to him, and hugged the man before he was handcuffed and taken into custody.

Duane "Dog" Chapman joined the hunt for Felix Adriano Chujoy in July 2020, and it didn't take long to find him. Dog chased down Chujoy, who fled Augusta County, Virginia after a grand jury indicted him for manufacturing and distributing meth.

His search for Chujoy was hampered by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which he explained to CBS 19 News: "The way I recognize people is facial features, which includes eyes, face, and all that. Most of my fugitives right now are walking around with their face covered. Shades on, face covered, and a hat. You'll never know it." Fortunately, the pandemic didn't prove helpful in keeping Chujoy on the streets because Dog caught up with him fairly quickly and turned him over to the authorities.

Upon capturing him, Dog tweeted, "Thank you to the people of the great state of Virginia. Your tips and leads helped towards the surrender of Felix Chujoy." Chujoy wasn't a first-time offender, having been found guilty of harboring and employing undocumented immigrants in his Peruvian-themed restaurant, Inca's Secret, in Harrisonburg, Virginia, alongside his mother, Maria Rosalba McTague Alvarado.

Derek Kirkpatrick was wanted for robbing a jewelry store in Hawaii three years before Duane "Dog" Chapman joined the hunt to find him. In the Season 8 episode of "Dog the Bounty Hunter," titled "And Baby Makes Three," Dog and his team work hard to find Kirkpatrick. The search isn't easy, as Kirkpatrick had plenty of time to prepare, and he's a particularly fast runner, complicating the chase.

Eventually, Dog's son, Leland, cornered his prey, but Kirkpatrick didn't go in quietly. He put up a fight and got a face full of mace after trying to snatch Leland's spray from him. Kirkpatrick was on Hawaii's most wanted list, so he was a high-profile capture for Dog and his crew — despite Kirkpatrick's attempts to trick him. When Dog confronted Kirkpatrick, he tried to play like he wasn't the person they were looking for, but his "Pink Panther" tattoo gave him away.

Dog spoke with Kirkpatrick, trying to get him to cooperate, saying he would help him if he did. Unfortunately, Kirkpatrick adamantly refused all of Dog's offers of help. Despite this, Dog and Beth helped clear the mace from his eyes, and he was taken into custody. Kirkpatrick also tried to fake a neck injury and was ultimately taken away in an ambulance with a police escort.

Shawn Richard Christy is a self-described survivalist who came to the authorities' attention when he threatened then-President Donald Trump in 2018. According to The New York Times, Christy threatened in a Facebook post to "put a bullet" in Trump, and soon after, he took to the wilderness. He lived in the forest for three months, stealing supplies to survive, all to avoid the authorities who were searching for him.

Christy had other charges, including threatening the Northampton County, Pennsylvania district attorney and other law officials on Facebook. He also failed to appear for an aggravated assault trial, so Christy had a slew of charges he needed to answer for, but he was nowhere to be found. Duane "Dog" Chapman joined the case due to being in the area for another event, so he assisted the U.S. Marshal Service in finding Christy.

Dog told the Mansfield New Journal, "I have a very hot lead," when he joined the hunt for Christy, and he felt that since he wasn't a career criminal, he could take him in peacefully. "My goal is not to shoot him but get him to surrender," he explained. Eventually, Christy was found, but not by Dog. Authorities located Christy and chased him in a wooded area in Mifflin Township, Ohio. After a brief foot chase, Christy was apprehended without violence on September 21, 2018.

It shouldn't come as a surprise to learn that a man who goes by "Dog" is a lover of our furry canine friends. That fact came into play during the apprehension of James Hawkins in March 2015. Hawkins jumped bond, leading Duane "Dog" Chapman to hunt him down in Polk County, Texas. This was problematic because Dog didn't have a license to bounty hunt in the state, leading to an investigation regarding his activities in Texas.

The investigation into Dog didn't result in any problems for him, thanks to a private investigator and law enforcement on the scene who actually took Hawkins into custody. Still, there was another problem that resulted from the Hawkins apprehension, and it had to do with the man's dog. As reported by TMZ, Hawkins claimed that Dog immediately connected with his Great Dane and whipped out $1,000, hoping to buy it from him.

While that would certainly be inappropriate, it's also something Dog and his attorney quickly denied. In another unusual twist, Hawkins' family posed for pictures with Beth Chapman as the man of the house was taken away in handcuffs. All this added up to make the capture of James Hawkins unusual, to say the least.

Most of the time, when a bounty hunter like Duane "Dog" Chapman finds someone who skipped bail, the bond itself isn't worth a great deal of cash. Occasionally, like in the Andrew Luster case, the amount is incredibly high, but that's rare. Before she died, Beth Chapman wrote one final bond for Kameron Lawhead, and it was valued at $1.5 million, which would bring a ton of cash Dog's way.

To honor Beth, he decided to go after Lawhead, who was wanted for drug trafficking methamphetamine and heroin to Hawaii from California and Oregon. Dog took up the hunt, telling Fox News, "My tears have turned to blood." Dog brought his son and two of his brothers to try and find Lawhead, but in the end, it was the Hawaiian authorities who apprehended him.

Police found Lawhead in an Orange County, California shopping center parking lot in August 2020. A standoff ensued, but in the end, police brought him in without violence. When he was arrested, Lawhead had in his possession a loaded gun, a kilo of heroin, thousands in cash, and more was later found inside his home.

Duane "Dog" Chapman may have captured over 10,000 people throughout his long career, but he doesn't always capture his target. Sometimes, he goes after one person only to find others who are also wanted by authorities. This is what happened in 2004 when Dog joined the hunt for Christopher Nuanes, who was wanted in Weld County, Colorado for unlawful distribution and possession of a controlled substance, criminal impersonation, speeding, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The hunt played out in the first season of "Dog the Bounty Hunter" in an episode titled, "A Family Feud." Dog hunts for Nuanes, but gets nothing after he turns over every rock he could find. While that's happening, Nuanes's parents — stepfather Joey and his mother, Bernadette — who also had bonds, ran afoul of Mary Ellen, the bondswoman who held their bonds.

Mary Ellen was being threatened by the two, and they violated the conditions of their bond, so she revoked them. This left Dog with three criminals instead of one, so he brought Nuanes's parents into custody following a rather intense bust. Joe didn't go in quietly, and he even tried to stab Dog with a crack pipe, which didn't go over too well for him, as he was quickly wrestled to the ground.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, is struggling or in crisis, is dealing with domestic abuse, or needs help with addiction issues, contact the relevant resources below:

• Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

• Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

• Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

• Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).