FBI Most Wanted killer escaped via 1,000ft drain pipe like Shawshank Redemption
A criminal who was on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list for 20 years managed to escape a California prison through a 1,000ft drain pipe - and his escape had similarities with that of the protagonist of Shawshank Redemption.
Glen Stewart Godwin ran away from Folsom State Prison - a maximum-security prison located around 20 miles northeast of Sacramento - becoming one of the few prisoners who managed to escape in the jail's 124-year history. In 1980, at the age of 23, the criminal and his roommate Frank Soto, who lived in Palm Springs, California, plotted to rob local drug dealer Kim Robert LeValley.
Godwin and Soto lured LeValley back to their home where Soto held him, while Godwin punched and kicked him, eventually stabbing the victim 26 times with a butcher knife. The two roommates then loaded the body onto a truck and set off to the desert, where Godwin tried to disguise the murder by using homemade explosives strapped to the body.
But on August 3, 1980, some Eagle Mountain residents found a blown-up pickup truck with human remans inside and, after police identified the body, Godwin was charged with first-degree murder. Following the killing, Godwin's roommate Koto, who described him as "the most dangerous man I have ever met", testified against him, but in 1982 he was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. The following year, Godwin was sentenced for the murder and robbery to 26 years to life in prison.
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Godwin killed a drug dealer and then tried to conceal the murder (FBI)
The criminal escaped from prison through a drain pipe (FBI)In 1987, the killer was transferred to Folsom State Prison in Represa, California, after attempting to escape Deuel Vocational Institute - which is now closed - in San Joaquin County. But Godwin managed to run away from the maximum-security prison on June 5, 1987 after cutting through security bars inside a walled prison yard and then escaping through a drain pipe that was 1,000ft long.
His escape was similar to that of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), the protagonist of Shawshank Redemption, who escaped from prison via a tunnel he had created using a hammer over two decades. The 1994 film is based on the 1982 novella Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King and the escape scene is one of the most iconic parts of the movie.
Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman in Shawshank Redemption (ITV/REX Shutterstock)Authorities believe that either Godwin's wife or accomplice Lorenz Karlic had left a raft that the criminal used to float down the river, where he ditched his prison clothes and followed painted arrows on rocks that directed him where to go. After the prisoner's escape, Karlic - who was also a former prison escapee - was arrested in Hesperia, California, and convicted for aiding Godwin's escape. Karlic hanged himself in a Los Angeles County jail in 2002.
The escapee's wife Shelly Godwin was classified as a federal fugitive in January 1988 for her role in her husband's escape. She was captured by the FB in Dallas, Texas, on February 7, 1990.
Meanwhile, Godwin evaded authorities and escaped to Mexico where he was involved in the drug trade, but was arrested in Puerto Vallarta and later convicted for drug trafficking in Guadalajara. While serving time at Jalisco State Penitentiary, he killed a fellow inmate who was part of a Mexican drug cartel.
The new murder allegation delayed Godwin's extradition to the US - and this gave him time to plot another prison escape, which eventually happened in 1991. It is not clear how he escaped the Mexican jail as authorities did not share detailed information with US law enforcement.
Godwin was added to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List in 1996, but was removed in 2016
An age-enhanced image of Godwin released by the FBIFBI Special Agent Dan Rodriguez told Business Insider: "We didn't get any detailed account from the Mexican prison. What we have kind of speculated at this point was that he was able to make some cartel friends down there. So in exchange for committing a murder within the Mexican penitentiary, they would assist him with an escape out of that prison."
In 1996, Godwin was added to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List and the following year he was reportedly seen in California, but managed to elude authorities. In 2016, he was removed from the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List as he "no longer fit criteria", the FBI's website says. A reward of up to $100,000 is offered for information leading to Godwin's arrest.
American authorities believe Godwin may be using some aliases such as Dennis Harold McWilliams, Nigel Lopez and Miguel Carrera. The fugitive, who the FBI believes is fluent in Spanish, may be involved in the illicit drug trade somewhere in Latin America.
Mr Rodriguez said: "From my understanding he was pretty fluent in Spanish, so any Spanish-speaking country would be ideal for him, because he’s a pretty charismatic guy and he always knew how to communicate and relate to people. So anywhere where the language is spoken would be an ideal location for him."
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But there is also speculation that he may be using some assumed name or alias and live in the US, with the FBI often receiving tips saying he may be in the country. Mr Rodriguez added: "We still get a lot of tips saying that he's here in the US. Whatever tip we get we vet it out and track it down just to confirm it isn't him."
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