Texas authorities are ramping up efforts to capture Dante Dewayne Odom, a 52-year-old Houston man who has been named October’s Featured Fugitive on the state’s 10 Most Wanted Sex Offender list. The reward for information leading to his arrest has been increased to $4,000 for tips received this month.
Odom, who has been on the run since June 2025 for failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements, has a troubling criminal history dating back more than three decades. In 1992, he was convicted of burglary of a habitation with intent to sexually abuse a 30-year-old woman, resulting in a 12-year prison sentence.
What makes Odom a particular concern for law enforcement? His record shows multiple convictions for failing to register as a sex offender and for assault causing bodily injury to family members. He was last released from a Texas Department of Criminal Justice facility in March 2022, but has since violated the terms of his release by disappearing from the registration system.
Physical Description and Identifying Marks
Authorities describe Odom as standing 6 feet tall and weighing approximately 160 pounds. He has distinctive tattoos on his chest, right arm and right hand, along with numerous scars on his head, face, chest, back, abdomen, arms and knees that might help identify him.
“We’re asking the public to be our eyes and ears,” said a Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson. “But we urge anyone who spots Odom not to approach him directly and instead contact authorities immediately.”
The search for Odom is part of Texas’ broader fugitive apprehension program, which has seen significant success this year. So far in 2025, DPS and partner agencies have captured 51 individuals from the Texas 10 Most Wanted lists, including 19 sex offenders and 13 criminal illegal immigrants. These arrests have resulted in $37,000 in reward money being paid to tipsters who provided crucial information.
How to Submit Tips Anonymously
Texas Crime Stoppers, funded by the Governor’s Public Safety Office, offers cash rewards for information leading to arrests of these high-profile fugitives. But there’s a catch — to be eligible for the rewards, tips must be submitted through official channels.
Those with information can call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477), submit a web tip through the DPS website, or use the “SUBMIT A TIP” link on Facebook under the “About” section of the Texas 10 Most Wanted page.
Anonymity is guaranteed for all tipsters. Instead of using names, individuals who submit information are provided with a unique tip number, protecting their identity while allowing them to claim any applicable rewards if their information leads to an arrest.
As October continues, authorities hope the increased reward will generate fresh leads on Odom’s whereabouts. For a fugitive who’s managed to slip through the system multiple times before, it may just be the public’s watchful eye that finally brings him back into custody.
