Glen Stewart Godwin was born on June 26, 1958, in Miami, Florida, and later moved with his family to Palm Springs, California in the 1960s. He graduated from Palm Springs High School in 1975, where he had a reputation for being bright, polite, and musically inclined—he played trumpet in the school’s brass band.

By 1980, Godwin was working various blue-collar jobs including mechanic, construction worker, and tool salesman. Up to that point, he had no criminal record and lived a relatively low-profile life. However, in August of that year, things took a dark turn when he and his roommate Frank Soto Jr. decided to rob and murder a friend who was also a drug dealer: Kim Robert LeValley.

On August 2, 1980, Glen Godwin and his roommate Frank Soto Jr. lured Kim LeValley, a local drug dealer and small-plane pilot, to their condominium in Palm Springs. Their plan: to rob him. Instead, it turned into a brutal murder.

Once LeValley arrived, Soto restrained him while Godwin punched, kicked, and attempted to strangle him. Ultimately, Godwin stabbed LeValley 26 times. After the murder, they loaded LeValley’s body into a pickup truck, drove into the Eagle Mountain desert, and tried to blow up the body using homemade explosives to destroy evidence.

The charred vehicle and human remains were discovered by locals the next day. Police quickly identified LeValley’s body and traced the crime back to Godwin and Soto. Though Soto testified against Godwin, both were convicted. In 1983, Glen Godwin was sentenced to 26 years to life for first-degree murder and robbery. Soto received 25 years to life in 1982.

After a failed escape attempt in 1987 at Deuel Vocational Institute, Godwin was transferred to the maximum-security Folsom State Prison. But that didn’t stop him.

On June 5, 1987, Godwin escaped from Folsom with the help of his wife Shelly Rose Godwin and former cellmate Lorenz Karlic. Tools had been smuggled into the prison, including a hacksaw. He cut through the fencing, dropped into a storm drain, and crawled 750 feet through darkness before rafting down the American River. Painted arrows on rocks led him to freedom.

Authorities arrested Karlic later that year, and he was convicted for his role in the escape. He later died by suicide in 2002 while in custody. Godwin’s wife Shelly was also arrested in 1990 after being declared a federal fugitive.

After escaping from Folsom, Godwin fled to Mexico and got involved in the illegal drug trade. He was arrested in Puerto Vallarta and later convicted of drug trafficking in Guadalajara. In 1991, he was sentenced to 7 years and 6 months in Puente Grande Prison.

As U.S. officials prepared for extradition, another twist unfolded—Godwin allegedly murdered a cartel member while in prison. That delayed the extradition process. But it also bought him time.

In September 1991, Glen Stewart Godwin escaped again, this time from the Mexican prison. Authorities have not been able to locate him since.

In 1996, the FBI added Godwin to its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, making him one of the most high-profile escaped convicts in the country. He was the first fugitive featured with a full-color photo.

Godwin has been connected to organized crime in Latin America, and is believed to be involved in the drug trade, using multiple aliases such as Dennis Harold McWilliams, Miguel Carrera, and Nigel Lopez. The FBI warned that he is armed, dangerous, and highly skilled at evading capture.

He remained on the FBI’s Most Wanted list until May 19, 2016, when he was removed due to the decreasing effectiveness of the publicity. He still remains a wanted fugitive, and a $20,000 reward is being offered for any information leading to his capture.