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| - Details: Businessman Leo Koury was placed on the FBI's Ten Most wanted for murder, attempted murder, extortion, racketeering, fraud and arson; he is a fugitive on the run from the law and has not been seen since April 1979. On March 19, 1975, a bodyguard named Chuck Kernaghan was murdered in his home in Richmond, Virginia. His body was placed in a trunk, driven to the Rappahannock River, weighed down with the bumper from a '57 Chevrolet, and thrown off the side of a boat. This information is based on police informants, as Chuck's body has never been found. Authorities believe Koury was responsible for this contract killing. During this time, Koury was also a softball coach, loving husband and father, so many were surprised when he was accused of all of these crimes. Koury was also a succes
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| abstract
| - Details: Businessman Leo Koury was placed on the FBI's Ten Most wanted for murder, attempted murder, extortion, racketeering, fraud and arson; he is a fugitive on the run from the law and has not been seen since April 1979. On March 19, 1975, a bodyguard named Chuck Kernaghan was murdered in his home in Richmond, Virginia. His body was placed in a trunk, driven to the Rappahannock River, weighed down with the bumper from a '57 Chevrolet, and thrown off the side of a boat. This information is based on police informants, as Chuck's body has never been found. Authorities believe Koury was responsible for this contract killing. During this time, Koury was also a softball coach, loving husband and father, so many were surprised when he was accused of all of these crimes. Koury was also a successful restaurant owner who was fiercely competitive. He allegedly tried to drive business out of other restaurants by sending "thugs" to terrorize the patrons. On January 15, 1977, two of Koury's "thugs" shot multiple patrons at the Male Box restaurant. One man, Albert Thomas, was killed and several others were injured. Authorities learned that Koury and his men often targeted vulnerable groups such as the local gay community as victims of his scams and extortions. In October of 1977, Koury asked Eddie Lohr to make a hit on restaurant owner Jim Hilliard. Koury's scheme backfired, however, when authorities found Lohr hiding outside of Jim Hilliard's home. Lohr confessed to the police and named Koury as the man who hired him. Authorities were able to indict Koury on various charges, but he was able to flee before he could be arrested. Extra Notes: This case first aired on Special #1 on January 20, 1987 in a FBI fugitive roll call. It was covered in more detail in a full segment on the January 18, 1989 episode. Results: Solved. On June 16, 1991, while still on the run, Koury died of a massive stroke as a result of diabetes at a San Diego Hospital. He had been living under the name of William Franklin Bittle. The hospital received an anonymous phone call stating that the deceased man was not Bittle, but was actually Leo Koury. The FBI was brought in; they made a positive identification and officially closed the case. Links:
* Leo Koury on Wikipedia
* 'You Have to Be a Fox to Catch a Fox' : Most Wanted Man Has Eluded FBI for 10 Years
* Leo Koury Dies at 56; Was Fugitive Since '79
* County Will Seek $25,000 Reward for Identifying Dead Man as Fugitive
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