Canadian Fugitive on the Run for 30 Years Arrested in Florida

Ian Jackson MacDonald escaped custody in 1980 by faking a heart attack.

Well, he had a good run. MacDonald, who was from Winnipeg, was charged in 1980 for trying to import marijuana into Manitoba and arrested in Fort Lauderdale, FL. While awaiting extradition, he faked a heart attack and was taken to a hospital, where he convinced a security guard to remove his shackles so he could take a shower. The guard turned his back and MacDonald high-tailed it, spending the next three decades on the lam, changing his name and living in various parts of the U.S. He was finally arrested Tuesday in Homosassa, FL, by a U.S. Marshal task force formed 10 years ago to solve cold cases. He now faces U.S. escape charges in addition to Canadian drug-trafficking charges.