Posted on 02/21/2008 8:06:42 PM PST by LdSentinal
A former congressional candidate convicted this week of faking his disappearance to boost his faltering campaign maintained his innocence and told ABC News that his case is not over.
Prosecutors said Dodds faked his disappearance after the crash, soaking his feet in cold water to make it appear that he'd been lost in the snowy woods.
He faces up to seven years in prison.
"I'm saddened and disappointed," he said in an emotional interview on "Good Morning America" this morning. "It's been a long, almost two-year ordeal."
Dodds, a Democrat, was on his way to Portsmouth, N.H., to meet with campaign staff when he crashed his car.
He claimed that he left the scene of the accident and wandered through the woods near where he'd crashed, confused from hitting his head. He said he nearly drowned in a river before collapsing in the woods.
His disappearance set off a massive manhunt, with state and local police and area fire departments searching with dogs, helicopters and marine patrol divers.
"I thought, 'Oh my God, I cannot sit here and watch them pull my husband's body from the river," Dodds' wife, Cindy, said.
But, when police found Dodds, something seemed amiss.
"I didn't see any dirt. I didn't see any bruises," said State Trooper Robert Quinn. "I didn't see, you know, his overall appearance was relatively clean."
Dodds' shoes and socks were wet and his feet were purple. The rest of his clothes were dry. A prosecution expert said Dodds' injuries were caused by soaking his feet in cold water.
Dodds denied the allegations. "You put your feet in cold, icy water for two minutes, I will give you $100," he said. "It can't be done. You can't do it."
Prosecutors said the event was a stunt to draw attention to his congressional campaign.
"It's just mind-boggling," said Dodds' lawyer J.P. Nadeau. "They have to believe Mr. Dodds staged a high-speed accident, crashing into a guard rail and risking his life in the process and have to further believe that for the next 25 hours he … in a warm room with his feet in buckets of very cold water, destroying his feet in the process."
Dodds said he didn't know whether he would run for Congress again.
The jury deliberated for six hours before finding him guilty.
Runaway Candidate...
I hope it is contagious and spreads to other Dem politicians..
I find it hard to believe that this guy did this on purpose, but hey, that’s just me.
I’ve been on an actual jury, btw, and I know just how stupid they can actually be. I had to convince this particular jury to actually look at the evidence in order to convict the perp. The whole experience was beyond absurd.
60 Minutes will uncover another Rove smear of an innocent Dem.
“You put your feet in cold, icy water for two minutes, I will give you $100,” he said. “It can’t be done. You can’t do it.”
I will take that bet any day of the week. Athletes with injuries to their ankles or feet do it all the time to keep the swelling down. This guy should be forced to pay back the cost of the search.
Bush did it, you know. And John Kerry served in Vietnam, you know, and in Russia, and in Bolivia. Dude!
“Dodds said he didn’t know whether he would run for Congress again.”
If that’s what it takes, congratulations to the NH police.
Hey, maybe Shrillary should try this now in Texas..... she needs some sympathy votes!!!
How else can she jump-start her freefall campaign??
I don’t know nearly enough about the case but SEVEN YEARS?
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