WHAT A HEEL!: Desperate Congressional Candidate Fakes Disappearance
Gary Dodds, 43, was a long-shot to win the Dem nomination to represent the 1st Congressional District in a four-way primary, and had taken out two mortgages on his home to finance his campaign – unbeknownst to his wife. During the campaign, Dodds claimed to have suffered a head injury after a car accident in April 2006 and almost drowned in a frigid river in the NH woods before being rescued 27 hours later, but prosecutors alleged that he faked his disappearance to boost his name recognition, reports The Associated Press: “Except for his shoes and socks, Dodds' clothing was dry when he was rescued. His feet were purple and wrinkled, but the rest of his skin was pink and dry. An expert in cold weather injuries testified that must have resulted from Dodds soaking his feet in cold water.” After a 15-day trial, Dodds was convicted by a jury of falsifying evidence, causing a false public alarm and leaving the scene of an accident and can be sentenced to as many as seven years in prison.
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