I agree completely. I believe EVE Online has a similar feature, after any form of combat, it places a timer on when your character actually disappears after log out.
I think that's an excellent idea, and will make things more realistic and make someone who chooses banditry have to earn it. I also like that Alignment could potentially play a role in the length of time, so the more of a criminal you are, the more you need to plan out an actual hiding place to avoid retribution.