The old saying goes that truth is often stranger than fiction, but sometimes the two seem to merge and forge what should be the easiest script-writing job in Hollywood.

Now, we have covered the Shawshank Redemption style escape from a northern New York prison by two rather ingenious criminals who have thus far, now past two weeks, managed to avoid law enforcement. They may just have dropped the ball a little as their DNA has been found in a remote hunting cabin 24 kilometres from the prison in a heavily wooded forest. The New York Times reports:

Other evidence found at the cabin in Franklin County indicated that the men had been there within the last 48 hours…

A pair of prison-issued underwear was also found in the cabin, near the hamlets of Owls Head and Mountain View.

We know how it goes from here don’t we? They tie the underwear to a stick, wave it around in front of a pack of sniffer dogs and they tear off into the forest in pursuit. Cue the stakeout of the area:

Officers with assault rifles staffed checkpoints and roadblocks for several miles north of Owls Head, past the Titus Mountain ski center, and helicopters swirled overhead.

On Sunday night, in the pouring rain, officers had gone from cabin to cabin in Mountain View, telling residents they were following up on a tip and asking if they had seen anything unusual.

There was thunder and lightning too, I expect. Has Hollywood manufactured this escape, is Tim Robbins out there with them guiding them through the sewage system?

By sunset on Monday, police officers stood in pairs spaced about 200 yards apart for many miles along the highways that go through dark, thick forests of white pine and maple trees around Mountain View Lake. Some sat in Adirondack chairs while others fingered their shotguns and peered into the woods.

I know how this ends. They end up on a beach in Mexico, where someone restores a grubby old boat with hours of sanding before they sail into the sunset. Really America, at least make it interesting.

[source:nytimes]