Glen Stewart Godwin

Last updated
Glen Stewart Godwin
GSGodwin.jpg
Photograph taken 1991
FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive
Charges
Reward$20,000
Alias
  • Michael Carrera
  • Miguel Carrera
  • Michael Carmen
  • Glen Godwin
  • Glen S. Godwin
  • Dennis H. McWilliams
  • Dennis Harold McWilliams
Description
Born (1958-06-26) June 26, 1958 (age 65) [1]
Miami, Florida
Nationality American
RaceWhite [1]
GenderMale
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight178 lb (81 kg)
OccupationSelf-employed in tool supplies,
Mechanic,
Construction worker
Status
ConvictionsMurder (1983)
robbery (1983)
attempted escape (1987)
drug trafficking (1991)
Penalty26 years to life (1983)
7 years in prison (1991)
AddedDecember 7, 1996
RemovedMay 19, 2016
Number447
Removed from Top Ten Fugitive List

Glen Stewart Godwin (born June 26, 1958) is an American fugitive and convicted murderer who was added to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list on December 7, 1996, nine years after he escaped from Folsom State Prison in Folsom, California, where he was serving a 26-years-to-life sentence. He replaced O'Neil Vassell on the list. However, he was dropped from the list on May 19, 2016.

Contents

Early years

Glen Godwin was born June 26, 1958, in Miami, Florida. In the 1960s, his family moved to California and resided in Palm Springs, Riverside County, California. [2] Godwin attended Palm Springs High School, which he graduated in 1975. [3] Godwin did well at school [4] and played on trumpet for many years in the school brass band. [5] [6]

Murder of Kim LeValley

In 1980, Godwin was living in Palm Springs, California, working as a self-employed tool salesman, a mechanic, and a construction worker, with no discernible criminal history. Godwin and his roommate, Frank Soto, Jr., planned to rob a drug dealer and pilot, Kim Robert LeValley, who was once a friend of theirs. [7] Godwin and Soto lured LeValley back to their condominium where Soto held him, Godwin punched and kicked him, tried to strangle him, [8] then ultimately stabbed LeValley 26 times with his butcher knife [9] (during the trial, however, the prosecution said that Godwin used a serrated-edge knife ⁠ ⁠—  a butcher's knife was not mentioned). After the murder, Godwin and Soto loaded the body into a truck and set off for the desert. Godwin tried to blow up the evidence by using homemade explosives strapped to the body. The explosion was intended to disguise the murder of LeValley. [10] On August 3, 1980, some Eagle Mountain residents found a blown-up pickup truck with remains of a human body inside of it abandoned in the desert. [9]

Later, police identified the body and charged Godwin with first-degree murder. Although Soto testified against Godwin, Soto was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the murder in 1982. [8] [11] Godwin was sentenced for the murder and robbery [12] to 26 years to life in prison in 1983.

Escape from Folsom State Prison

In 1987, Godwin attempted to escape during his incarceration at Deuel Vocational Institute in California, and he was moved to Folsom State Prison, a maximum-security prison. Authorities believe Godwin's wife Shelly Rose Godwin and his former cellmate in Deuel, Lorenz Karlic, helped to plan his escape. [11]

A hacksaw and other tools had been smuggled into the prison for Godwin. On June 5, 1987, he cut a hole through fence wire and escaped into a storm drain that emptied into the American River. Godwin dropped through a manhole and crawled 750 feet (230 m) through the pitch-black drain. An accomplice, suspected to be either Godwin's wife or Karlic, had left a raft that Godwin used to float down the river, following painted arrows on rocks that directed him where to go. [11]

In June 1987, Karlic was arrested in Hesperia, California [13] and convicted for aiding Godwin's escape. [14] Karlic died by suicide on February 12, 2002, while in custody at Men's Central Jail in Los Angeles, California. [15] He had previously been arrested after a foot chase with deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. He had been convicted in January 2002 of eight charges related to the pursuit which took place in La Crescenta in April 2001. Karlic was scheduled to be sentenced on February 25, 2002. [15]

In January 1988, Shelly Godwin was classified as a federal fugitive for her role in her husband's escape. She was captured by the FBI in Dallas, Texas, on February 7, 1990. [16]

Capture and escape

Godwin fled to Mexico, where he unsuccessfully participated in the illegal drug trade. He was arrested in Puerto Vallarta, [17] later convicted for drug trafficking in Guadalajara, Mexico, and sentenced to seven years and six months [18] to Puente Grande prison in 1991. While American authorities were working on Godwin's extradition proceedings, he allegedly killed a member of a Mexican drug cartel in prison. The new murder allegation delayed his extradition, which gave Godwin more time to execute another escape, which occurred in September 1991. [11]

Godwin is currently believed to be involved in the illicit drug trade somewhere in Latin America, having possibly used aliases such as Dennis Harold McWilliams, Nigel Lopez and Miguel Carrera. [12] He is considered to be armed and extremely dangerous, and an obvious flight risk. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to Godwin's capture. [11]

He was removed from the Most Wanted List in May 2016 with the FBI director declaring that "We think the payoff from the publicity has diminished over time". [19]

On March 15, 2021, Godwin was featured on the first episode of the revival of America's Most Wanted . [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

Sara Jane Olson is an American far-left activist who was a member of the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) in 1975. The group disbanded and she was a fugitive for decades before being arrested. In 2001, she pleaded guilty to attempted murder related to a failed bombing plot. In 2003 she pleaded guilty to second-degree murder related the death of a customer during a botched bank robbery the SLA committed in California. Known then as Soliah, she was also accused of helping a group hide Patty Hearst, a kidnapped newspaper heiress, in 1974. After being federally indicted in 1976, Soliah was a wanted fugitive for several decades. She lived for periods in Zimbabwe and the U.S. states of Washington and Minnesota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symbionese Liberation Army</span> American terrorist organization (1973–1975)

The United Federated Forces of the Symbionese Liberation Army was a small, American militant far-left organization active between 1973 and 1975; it claimed to be a vanguard movement. The FBI and wider American law enforcement considered the SLA to be the first terrorist organization to rise from the American left. Six members died in a May 1974 shootout with police in Los Angeles. The three surviving fugitives recruited new members, but nearly all of them were apprehended in 1975 and prosecuted.

Andrew Stuart Luster is heir to the Max Factor cosmetics fortune and a convicted sex offender. He is the great-grandson of cosmetics giant Max Factor Sr. In 2003, he was convicted of multiple sexual assaults using the date-rape drug GHB.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Folsom State Prison</span> Prison in Folsom, California, United States

Folsom California State Prison is a California State Prison in Folsom, California, U.S., approximately 20 miles (32 km) northeast of the state capital of Sacramento. It is one of 34 adult institutions operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Quentin Rehabilitation Center</span> Mens prison in California, US

San Quentin Rehabilitation Center (SQ), formerly known as San Quentin State Prison, is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men, located north of San Francisco in the unincorporated place of San Quentin in Marin County.

<i>Alpha Dog</i> 2006 crime drama film by Nick Cassavetes

Alpha Dog is a 2006 American crime drama film written and directed by Nick Cassavetes. It is based on the true story of the kidnapping and murder of Nicholas Markowitz in 2000. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Ben Foster, Shawn Hatosy, Emile Hirsch, Christopher Marquette, Sharon Stone, Justin Timberlake, Anton Yelchin, and Bruce Willis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesse James Hollywood</span> American criminal

Jesse James Hollywood is an American former drug dealer who kidnapped and ordered the murder of Nicholas Markowitz in 2000. He was arrested in 2005 and is serving life without parole at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California Institution for Men</span> State prison in Chino, California

California Institution for Men (CIM) is a male-only state prison located in the city of Chino, San Bernardino County, California. It is often colloquially referenced as "Chino". In turn, locals call the prison "Chino Men's" or just "Men's" to avoid confusion with the city itself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Nicholas Markowitz</span> Murder of an American teenager

Nicholas Samuel Markowitz was an American teenager who was kidnapped and murdered at the age of 15 after a feud over drug money between his half-brother Benjamin Markowitz and Jesse James Hollywood.

Emigdio Preciado Jr. is an American criminal, gang member and a former fugitive who was added to the FBI's Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list on March 14, 2007. Preciado is the 485th fugitive to be placed on the list.

The San Quentin Six were six inmates at San Quentin State Prison in the U.S. state of California who were charged with actions related to an August 21, 1971 escape attempt that resulted in six deaths and at least two people seriously wounded. The San Quentin Six were Fleeta Drumgo, David Johnson, Hugo Pinell, Johnny Larry Spain, Willie Tate, and Luis Talamantez. The dead included George Jackson, a co-founder of the Black Guerrilla Family; two other inmates, and three guards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MS-13</span> Transnational criminal gang

Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, is an international criminal gang that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s. Originally, the gang was set up to protect Salvadoran immigrants from other gangs in the Los Angeles area. Over time, the gang grew into a more traditional criminal organization. MS-13 has a longtime rivalry with the 18th Street gang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Registe</span> American criminal (born 1982)

Michael Jason Registe is an American criminal who was a fugitive wanted for his alleged participation in a 2007 execution-style double murder. FBI director Robert Mueller announced Registe's addition to the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list on the July 26 edition of America's Most Wanted. He was captured on August 27, 2008, in the Caribbean island of St. Maarten.

A drug lord, drug baron, kingpin, or lord of drugs is a type of crime boss, who is in charge of a drug-trafficking network, organization, or enterprise.

Jose Luis Saenz, known as Joe Saenz, is an American gangster and former fugitive charged with four murders, rape, kidnapping, parole violation and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. On October 19, 2009, he was named by the FBI as the 492nd fugitive to be placed on the list of FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. On November 22, 2012, he was found and arrested in Guadalajara, Mexico by the Federal Police.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Correctional Institution, El Reno</span> Medium-security United States prison in Oklahoma

Federal Correctional Institution, El Reno is a medium-security United States federal prison for male inmates in Oklahoma. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), a division of the United States Department of Justice. The facility has an adjacent satellite camp for minimum-security male offenders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Special Service Unit</span>

The Special Service Unit (SSU) is a component of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). It functions as the special operations division of CDCR. The unit is staffed by special agents[1] assigned to field offices throughout the state. Although the special agents work for CDCR, they are neither correctional officers nor parole agents. SSU special agents are full-time peace officers per California Penal Code Section 830.2. This makes agents more akin to state police officers than to correctional officers.[2]

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lester Eubanks</span> American fugitive

Lester Eubanks is an American criminal and fugitive who murdered 14-year-old Mary Ellen Deener on November 14, 1965, in Mansfield, Ohio. He was sentenced to death at the Ohio State Penitentiary, which was changed to a sentence of life in prison in 1972. He escaped from prison in 1973 and has been at large ever since. After escaping from prison, he moved to California, where he was known as Victor Young. He is on the United States Marshals Service's 15 Most Wanted Fugitives list.

References

  1. 1 2 "GLEN STEWART GODWIN". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  2. ↑ "Godwin seeks reduced bail. 26 May 1982".
  3. ↑ "Palm Springs High School. Yearbook 1975. Page 14. Glen Godwin".
  4. ↑ "Palm Springs High School Honor Roll is Posted. 31 July 1975".
  5. ↑ "Members Are Listed In High School Band. 23 March 1974".
  6. ↑ "WINNING TEAM Palm Springs schools won their second major title in a month. 30 March 1973".
  7. ↑ "Former valley man on local, federal most wanted list" (Fee required). The Desert Sun. Palm Springs, California. June 11, 2009. Retrieved December 25, 2009.
  8. 1 2 Brummond, Sabrina (January 6, 2005). "Drama, agony relived at parole hearings". Riverside, California: PE.com Southern California News. Archived from the original on August 12, 2007. Retrieved December 25, 2009.
  9. 1 2 Kubelek, Greg (July 24, 1987). "Ex-detective hopes fugitive doesn't keep promise he made in 1981". Blythe, California: Palo Verde Valley Times. Retrieved December 26, 2009.
  10. ↑ "Fourth Suspect in Irvine Man's Killing Surrenders" (Fee required). Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles, California. September 30, 1981. Retrieved December 25, 2009.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Underwood, Melissa (January 28, 2008). "Glen Stewart Godwin Wanted for Murder, Escape From Prison". New York City: Fox News . Retrieved December 26, 2009.
  12. 1 2 McDonald, R. Robin (October 27, 1996). "Most Wanted" (Fee required). Atlanta, Georgia: The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution. Retrieved December 25, 2009.
  13. ↑ "Suspected Helper in Prison Escape Seized". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. June 9, 1987. Archived from the original (Fee required) on October 24, 2012. Retrieved December 26, 2009.
  14. ↑ Cooper, Anderson (January 28, 2008). "The Hunt for the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted" Fugitives". New York City: CNN . Retrieved December 26, 2009.
  15. 1 2 Hoffman, Gretchen (February 15, 2002). "Man found hanged in cell". Glendale News-Press. Los Angeles Times. p. 1. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Shelly Godwin Captured in Dallas". America's Most Wanted. January 25, 2007. Archived from the original on August 6, 2007. Retrieved December 26, 2009.
  17. ↑ Wire, From (December 8, 1996). "Escaped Killer, Dealer, Joins 10 Most Wanted" (Fee required). The Dallas Morning News . Dallas, Texas . Retrieved December 25, 2009.
  18. ↑ "One Fugitive from Folsom Still Loose" (Fee required). The Sacramento Bee . Sacramento, California. April 3, 1992. Retrieved December 25, 2009.
  19. ↑ Don Babwin. FBI adds LA and Chicago area suspects to 10 Most Wanted list Archived 2016-05-21 at the Wayback Machine Associated Press.
  20. ↑ "America's Most Wanted | Premieres March 15 at 9/8c on FOX". Fox Broadcasting Company . Archived from the original on March 18, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.