Case Against Timothy Leary Follower Dropped After 22 Years

A former follower of LSD guru Timothy Leary and his Laguna Canyon-based Brotherhood of Eternal Love has finally escaped from his past, after 22 years on the lam from drug smuggling charges, a prosecutor said Thursday.

Since he was indicted in 1972, Russell Harrigan has turned his life around, officials said. He has moved to Northern California, raised five children and started a house-painting business.

His past caught up with him, however, after he was pulled over for a minor traffic violation earlier this year, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Carl Armbrust.

Harrigan, 53, and 29 others including Leary, a former Harvard University professor, were indicted in 1972 on charges of smuggling marijuana and LSD. The case came to symbolize the 1960s drug culture and Leary’s philosophy: “Turn on, tune in and drop out.”

Some of those indicted were convicted and sentenced to prison. Others, like Harrigan and Leary, disappeared, evading prosecution. Leary was later captured and sentenced to prison.

During the traffic stop earlier this year, Harrigan’s outstanding warrant was discovered. He was prepared to buy his plane ticket to Orange County and face his fate in Superior Court when he learned that prosecutors would not pursue the charges against him.

Armbrust said he decided to dismiss Harrigan’s case earlier this month because Harrigan has apparently lived a crime-free life for two decades. Proceeding on a case long after witnesses and evidence have disappeared would have proved difficult, he said.

“He apparently went 22 years without even a traffic ticket,” Armbrust said. “A dismissal seemed appropriate in this case.”

Harrigan’s attorney could not be reached for comment Thursday.