While many evil people are too dumb or greedy to get away with their crimes, some have managed to simply vanish, evading capture for years. A few criminals have managed to escape, either through connections in the underworld, the liberal application of fear, or the apathy of those around them.
Some are prominent terrorists hiding around the world, like former Al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri or legendary cartel head Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. These are men so powerful that they've managed to hide in plain sight in their own countries, but have escaped the watchful eyes of international law enforcement. In Guzman's case, he's escaped prison not once, but twice.
Other famous evil people hiding in locales unknown are longtime members of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted, vicious killers who murdered children and skipped town. For them, life is a never-ending glance over the shoulder, to make sure the police (or the folks at America's Most Wanted) aren't on their tail.
The Most Evil People Currently in Hiding,
Alexis Flores
Wanted for the kidnapping, rape, and murder of a five-year-old girl in Philadelphia in 2000, Flores was deported in 2005 - before his involvement in this horrific crime came to light. Since then, he's been added to the FBI's Most Wanted List, and is believed to be either in his native Honduras or back in the US.
Ali Kushayb
A key figure in the genocide in Darfur, Kushayb has been charged by the International Criminal Court with over 500 assassinations, 20 rapes, and causing the forced displacement of 41,000 people. He was arrested in 2007, but released on a technicality, and hasn't been seen since. Though it's speculated he was arrested in Sudan in 2008, his location remains unknown.
Ayman al-Zawahiri
The current head of Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden's mentor, al-Zawahiri has been in hiding since shortly after the US invasion of Afghanistan. It's thought that he's hiding in the hinterlands of Pakistan, and is still giving orders and cranking out videos.
Isnilon Totoni Hapilon
Hapilon is a high-ranking member of the Filipino terror group ASG. He and four others were convicted of kidnapping 20 people and beheading one of them in 2000. He escaped, and was shot in an arrest attempt several years later. He's known to be alive, and now aligned with ISIL.
Joaquín Guzmán Loera
Better known by his nickname "El Chapo," the brutal head of the Sinaloa Cartel escaped from prison on July 11, 2015. Authorities believe he was able to tunnel out of a maximum security facility with the help of insiders. He is currently in hiding, but still likely controlling his empire.
Matteo Messina Denaro
Sicilian mob boss Denaro has been in hiding for over 20 years, following a spate of bombings against anti-Mafia prosecutors. Despite his fugitive status, Denaro is believed to still be running numerous syndicate activities, and, of course, amassing great wealth.
Semion Mogilevich
Mogileveich is believed to be the top of the heap of the Russian mafia, directing a vast empire of drugs, gun-running, scams, and murder for hire. While he's generally believed to be living in Moscow, he also has passports for a variety of other countries, and could be in any of them.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
First a prominent member of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, then the leader of the self-proclaimed Islamic State, al-Baghdadi is one of the most wanted terrorists in the world. His whereabouts are unknown, as is his the status of his health; he's been rumored to have been wounded by coalition airstrikes.
Yaser Abdel Said
Said went on the run after being accused of murdering his two daughters in 2008. He was said to be abusive towards his family and was indicted for sexually abusing his daughters, though the case was dropped. Authorities believe he lured his 17 and 18-year-old daughters into a cab and shot them. While Said is an Egyptian national, authorities believe he's working as a cab driver in New York.
David Benjamin Creamer
While not a murderer like the others on this list, David Benjamin Creamer is no less horrifying. Beginning in 1993, he was under investigation for running a massive child pornography ring, having allegedly made millions sending pedophilia CD-ROMs all over the world. He was arrested in 1997, but was released on bond and failed to appear for a pre-trial hearing, and hasn't been seen since.