Hiding in Plain Sight: Tales of a Fugitive
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Bill Kurtis
Jerry Adams
Wayne Fields
Janet Grossman
Thomas Hoidal
Phillip Koch
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Documentary that examines the case of the man some believe is one of the last casualties of the Vietnam War. For 28 years, his "Wanted" poster described him as "armed and dangerous," but when authorities finally caught up with one-time student radical, Howard Mechanic, he was running a health food business and an apartment hotel. In 1970, Mechanic was sentenced under the Civil Obedience Act for lobbing cherry bombs during an anti-war rally -- a charge he denied. He was sentenced to five years in a federal penitentiary based on the testimony of a single witness. When his appeals failed, Mechanic jumped bail and disappeared. For years he lived under an assumed identity, but his political conscience remained on the surface. He ran for Scottsdale City Council -- a move into the public eye that would see his bogus identity as "Gary Tredway" revealed.
