The Bushy Haired Stranger, also known as the Shaggy Haired Stranger, is one of America's most prolific and well-traveled criminals, being responsible for felonies and misdemeanors in all 50 states as well as outlying territories. His most notable feature is, as the name would suggest, a full head of unkempt hair. Otherwise, he is a white male of medium height and build, with no identifying features. His clothing are probably dirty and non-descript, although he probably favors hoodies that mask his face. His motivation for his crimes, which can run from shoplifting to multiple homicide, remains unclear.

The Bushy Haired Stranger does not exist, but is just an obvious alibi figure for the guilty to pin their crimes on. One of the most famous incidents of someone blaming their crime on a "Bushy Haired Stranger" was child-killer Diane Downs, who in 1983 claimed that the Bushy Haired Stranger shot her three children during a car jacking. The investigators quickly recognized it as a cliché, eventually leading to her trial and conviction.

The Bushy Haired Stranger isn't always the go-to person of interest for those inventing alibis. Depending on time and place, any stereotype of a shady or threatening character can be used, which is often a member of a marginalized racial or ethnic group. Luckily, most law enforcement officers are very well-versed in the Bushy Haired Stranger and his variants, and if they are on the ball, they will quickly detect a very artificial alibi.