I've been in law enforcement for nearly 20 years. From day one I have had to deal with Witnesses, especially in child abuse cases. It's one of the things that lead me to leave the organization.
For the past 4 years I have been assigned to the US Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force. Many of my fugitive cases have involved Witnesses and those case have often involved sexual abuse of children.
The only way a person can be successful at going on the run and not getting caught is to walk away from everyone they have ever known and never make contact ever again. You can never use your name or your social security number.
I worked a case that took us 4 years to locate and apprehend the guy, but we got him. His mother was mailing him money. He rented a room from a little old lady. That lady said that he never left his room other than to walk to the drug store to buy cigarettes.
It is my hope that McLean is arrested and tried before I retire.