Montana

Hitchhiker writing 'Kindness in America' book charged after shooting himself on Hi-Line

Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:10 AM by Katie Stukey - MTN News

GLASGOW- Charges have been filed against Raymond Dolin, the West Virginia hitchhiker who claimed that he had been shot near Glasgow on the Hi-Line by a stranger in a pickup truck.

Valley County Sheriff Glen Meier says a felony and two misdemeanors were filed against Dolin earlier this week. The charges are felony tampering with evidence, misdemeanor obstruction of justice and misdemeanor filing of a false report.

Dolin has not been arrested yet and Meier tells us he assumes that Dolin is still in the hospital in an undisclosed location being treated for his self-inflicted wound.Dolin, 39, claimed he was hitchhiking along Highway 2 west of Glasgow on Saturday, June 9, when the driver of a pickup truck pulled over and shot him in the arm and then drove away.

Authorities later arrested and charged Lloyd Christopher Danielson III, 52, for the incident. Danielson was arrested near Culbertson. On Thursday, June 14, he was cleared of any involvement in the shooting.

On Friday, June 15, Meier revealed that Dolin had confessed that he had actually shot himself.

Meier believes that Dolin came to the area specifically to "perpetrate this hoax" in order to promote the book that Dolin says he is writing, called "The Kindness of America."