Would Andy be shielded from the law in Mexico?
In The Shawshank Redemption, Andy conjures up the identity of Randall Stephens as a front for laundering money. He then assumes this identity after escaping from prison. Red comments that the the media reported withdrawals of 'better than $370,000 from each' bank where the laundered money had been deposited. In which case, the media would know that Andy and Randall were technically one, right?
Therefore, is it possible that the United States would pursue extraditing Andy from Mexico?
Also, how could Andy deliver inside information about the Shawshank crimes without incriminating himself?
Could Andy have crafted another identity unrelated to Stephens or his birth name and used this to cross the border?
I can't imagine that Andy could have convincingly faked his death, so I'll let that possibility go.
Andy does say to Red: "Randall Stephens. He's the guilty one, your honour." In context, he's explaining what his defence in court would be if the money laundering was found out. However, Andy's initial conviction was mainly based on "very convenient" events and his lack of remorse, so couldn't a lawyer argue that it was "very convenient" that Randall Stephens could not be found at the cessation of a wild goose chase?
Best Answer
To extend Andrew's answer:
How could anyone link Randall (who got hunders of thousands of dollars) with an inmate called Andy? Andy communications were controlled by the prison guards, so it stands to reason that they would have noticed if he had begun impersonating (like, receiving driver licenses and so on) someone called Randall, and alerted the authorities.
If the link was discovered it meant that the whole setup was in the clear. If that happened before Andy made his move, he could always claim that he was being pressured by the prison manager into doing that. Even the most basic investigation would find where the money did come from, what was it being spent on, and so long.
And if it was discovered after Andy made his move, it would hurt the prison manager but not Andy. After all, Andy was still legally a condemned murderer who had escaped from prison, so it is not likely that he would stay somewhere where he could be arrested, or that money laundering charges would make the police look for him harder. That is why he could tip the newspapers without personal risk.
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Answer 2
USA signed an extradition agreement with Mexico in May, 1978 that went into effect in 1980.
So, even if they somehow traced the missing money (who would ever report it missing?), there was no extradition agreement in place for quite some time.
Answer 3
Would the media know that Andy and 'Randall' were technically one?
As @PoloHoleSet perceptively suggests, Andy would have left the details about the money laundering techniques out of the ledger that he sent to the press. The fact that all these payments were made and never put back into the state system is enough to condemn Warden Norton.Indeed there may have been no paper trail for the money laundering to speak of - that is, after all, the point of money laundering. The Warden seemed content to hand the whole matter over to Andy, 'firewalling' himself from the corruption. This, of course, only worked as long as Andy remained under his control.
Also, how could Andy deliver inside information about the Shawshank crimes without incriminating himself?
Andy was guilty of the money laundering only, not the violent murders. If he was implicated by the ledger sent to the press, then it is Andy's name that is blackened. He has taken up the new identity of 'Randall' and started a new life across the border. As I have argued above, the 'Randall' identity was a secret and the pathway of the corrupt money to the 'Randall' accounts heavily obfuscated.
Could Andy have crafted another identity unrelated to Stephens or his birth name and used this to cross the border?
Yes, using the same techniques as before. But there was no need if 'Randall Stephens' was a safe identity to hold.Therefore, is it possible that the United States would pursue extraditing Andy from Mexico?
It is possible, but given the administrative laxness on both sides of the border and Andy's cleverness, it seems that Andy and 'Red' could well have lived out their days undisturbed.Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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