American Outlaws: The Barefoot Bandit
Sources:
https://www.historylink.org/File/22562
https://internationalstudies.osu.edu/news/small-world-magazine-archive/small-world-magazine-winter-2011/putting-shoes-barefoot-bandit
https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-barefoot-bandit-mother-20160426-story.html
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Zevon Odelberg is a true crime podcast host and disability advocate. Zevon has cerebral palsy and he wants Kinda Murdery to be welcoming community for people with disabilities and for people living with challenges of any kind. Life can be hard, but being together makes it better.
Speaker 1: Warning. Kind of Murdery contains adult themes, explicit language, and
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Speaker 2: I heard true crime with a dash of the paranormal,
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Speaker 2: host of kind of Murdery, a podcast that's about more
Speaker 2: than just murder. It's my very own pocket dimension, home
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Speaker 2: so long as it's kind of murdery. That's right, folks.
Speaker 2: I said it then and I mean it now. I
Speaker 2: am Zevan Odelberg, and this is kind of Murdery, and
Speaker 2: I am so glad that you are here with me.
Speaker 2: I hope you found last week's season seven premiere episode
Speaker 2: about John Wayne Gasey, featuring his death row attorney Karen Kanti.
Speaker 2: If not entertaining, then compelling. But I don't know about you.
Speaker 2: After all the dark horror and frankly unthinkable corruption of
Speaker 2: humanity that Casey shows us, I felt like I needed
Speaker 2: a little bit of a palate cleanser this week, and
Speaker 2: so I'm bringing you a story that's much less killer
Speaker 2: clown and much more Catch me if you can. In
Speaker 2: the San Juan Islands, off the coast of Washington State,
Speaker 2: there's an island called Kamano. And there, in the shadowy
Speaker 2: corners of Kamano Island lived a young man named Colton
Speaker 2: Harris Moore, a young man whose reckless genius was quietly
Speaker 2: taking root. Colt was born in nineteen ninety one, and
Speaker 2: as he grew older, he would emerge as not merely
Speaker 2: a troubled teenager, but as a captivating figure who danced
Speaker 2: on the edge of legality. He became infamous as the
Speaker 2: Barefoot Bandit, a moniker earned from his habit of executing
Speaker 2: crimes shoeless, a predilection that added a certain mystique to
Speaker 2: his already audacious exploits. Today I bring you the story
Speaker 2: of the seemingly care free capers of a legendary adolescent
Speaker 2: criminal genius known as the Barefoot Bandit. Care Free is
Speaker 2: probably the wrong word, though, as it seems probable that
Speaker 2: Colton's mad dash romp through life and criminality was as
Speaker 2: much a trauma response as anything else. Please join me
Speaker 2: as we uncover what truths we can and solve what
Speaker 2: mysteries we may, kind of murderies, wild cult. The Barefoot
Speaker 2: Bandit starts now. The outlaw legend of the Barefoot Bandit,
Speaker 2: although it may sound like it does, in fact belonged
Speaker 2: to the American Old West. Colton Harris Moore's criminal career
Speaker 2: belongs in facts, to our own millennium. That story begins
Speaker 2: in two thousand and seven. Now, Harris Moore's crimes weren't
Speaker 2: pettiacts of vandalism, but rather a spree that captured the
Speaker 2: nation's imagination and law enforcements frustration. His escapades included stealing cars, boats,
Speaker 2: and even airplanes, an improbable feat for someone with no
Speaker 2: formal training, and his ability to evade capture became legendary,
Speaker 2: turning him into a media sensation and earning him a
Speaker 2: legion of online admirers who viewed him as a modern
Speaker 2: day folk hero, a sort of adolescent Robinhood or teenage
Speaker 2: Butch Cassidy. But not everyone was so enamored. Critics pointed
Speaker 2: to the trail of victims left in his wake, each
Speaker 2: one facing the reality of lost property and violated privacy.
Speaker 2: The debate raged was he in fact robin hood or
Speaker 2: simply a criminal. One thing is for sure. Though Colt
Speaker 2: was just a kid, the saga of Colton Harris Moore
Speaker 2: began long before his feet ever touched a crime scene,
Speaker 2: when he drew his first breath on March twenty second,
Speaker 2: nineteen ninety one, nestled in the humble surroundings of Skaggot
Speaker 2: Valley Hospital. Born to Pamela Cohler and Gordon Moore, Colton's
Speaker 2: life began under the shadow of his father's struggles with
Speaker 2: drugs and alcohol, a battle that led to his father,
Speaker 2: Gordon's swift departure from the family while Colton was still
Speaker 2: a toddler. Pamela Cohler, now a single parent, was left
Speaker 2: to navigate the rocky waters of raising a child alone
Speaker 2: on Camano Island. Their home, a worn single wide trailer,
Speaker 2: echoed with the challenges of financial hardship. It was a
Speaker 2: stark backdrop for Colton's formative years. The air in the
Speaker 2: cramped confines of that trailer was thick with tension and instability,
Speaker 2: as Pamela wrestled with he her own demons, seeking solace
Speaker 2: in alcohol, which she frequently abused. In this turbulent environment,
Speaker 2: young Colton began to show signs of behavioral issues, a
Speaker 2: testament to the chaos around him. His early years were
Speaker 2: marked by rebellion against the structure and constraints imposed upon him,
Speaker 2: setting the stage for the extraordinary life that lay ahead.
Speaker 2: Colton's story, in many ways, is one of survival and
Speaker 2: adaptation in a world that offered him few comforts or certainties.
Speaker 2: By the age of seven, Colton Harris Moore was already
Speaker 2: a ghost in his own life, slipping away from the
Speaker 2: chaos at home and vanishing into the wild embrace of
Speaker 2: the nearby forests. Running away became a ritual for Colt,
Speaker 2: a bid for freedom and a test of his wits
Speaker 2: against nature. Days would pass before he re emerged with
Speaker 2: a toughness and self confidence honed by the harsh lessons
Speaker 2: of survival. A classic tale of man versus nature, or
Speaker 2: in this case, boy versus nature, or perhaps not verses,
Speaker 2: as nature, it seems, provided a certain comfort, a shield
Speaker 2: against the emotional damage inflicted on a young man trapped
Speaker 2: in a tiny trailer with an alcoholic mother. The lush
Speaker 2: forests of Camano Island were Colt's companion, a friend, an escape,
Speaker 2: a reality that he could make his own challenges that
Speaker 2: he could choose and conquer, and in those woods, Colton
Speaker 2: became adept to the art of stealth. He began breaking
Speaker 2: into vacation homes, not out of malice but necessity, taking
Speaker 2: food and camping supplies to sustain himself. These acts born
Speaker 2: of desperation marked the beginning of his relationship with crime,
Speaker 2: a relationship that would grow more intricate and complex as
Speaker 2: he did. By the age of twelve, Colton faced the
Speaker 2: cold reality of his choices. His first conviction for stolen
Speaker 2: property was a stark reminder of the world he was navigating.
Speaker 2: Yet even as the legal system tightened its grip, Colton's
Speaker 2: spirit remained unyielding. Within a year, he found himself in
Speaker 2: juvenile detention centers, the consequences of a growing list of convictions.
Speaker 2: These institutions, designed to correct, only served to deepen his
Speaker 2: resolve and refine his skills. In the crucible of confinement,
Speaker 2: Colton Harris Moore was forging a path that would soon
Speaker 2: capture the nation's attention. Colt's academic journey was as turbulent
Speaker 2: as his home life. He began at Stanwood Middle School,
Speaker 2: where his pension for defiance quickly became evident. Discipline became
Speaker 2: a constant theme, leading to his transfer to Lincoln Hill
Speaker 2: Alternative School, also in Stanwood. The new environment did little
Speaker 2: to curb his rebellious streak. His time at Lincoln Hill
Speaker 2: mirrored his previous experiences, marked by a steady erosion of
Speaker 2: interest and attendance. By the time he'd reached ninth grade,
Speaker 2: school had become an afterthought. His presence in the classroom
Speaker 2: dwindled until he finally dropped out altogether, and eventually Child
Speaker 2: Protective Services took notice, making several visits to the Harris
Speaker 2: Moore residents. Concerns about the neglect and abuse loomed large,
Speaker 2: prompting the authorities to intervene. Colton was placed in temporary
Speaker 2: foster care, a move intended to shield him from the
Speaker 2: instability that plagued his upbringing. Yet even in foster care,
Speaker 2: the seeds of his independence and resilience continued to grow,
Speaker 2: setting the stage for the legendary escapades that would soon follow.
Speaker 2: With school no longer an anchor in his life, Colton
Speaker 2: Harris Moore drifted further into a world defined by his
Speaker 2: own rules. But the days when Colt would routinely outwit
Speaker 2: the law had not yet arrived. The legal system had
Speaker 2: him in its sights, and on July fourteenth, two thousand
Speaker 2: and six, a warrant for his arrest was issued. When
Speaker 2: he skipped a mandatory court date, the net was closing in,
Speaker 2: and Harris Moore, now acutely aware of his wonted status,
Speaker 2: vanished into the wilds of Camano Island, vanished into the
Speaker 2: forests that had always been his sanctuary, a place where
Speaker 2: the only laws were the laws of nature. And in
Speaker 2: those dense woods he carved out a life on the run,
Speaker 2: setting up hidden camp sites that served as temporary homes.
Speaker 2: His skills in evasion were matched only by his knack
Speaker 2: for survival, as he continued to burglarize homes for food
Speaker 2: and essentials. Each break in was a calculated risk, a
Speaker 2: test of his audacity and stealth. Some of the homes
Speaker 2: he targeted contained treasure troves of technology, computers that became
Speaker 2: his window to the wider world. He used them to
Speaker 2: dedicate himself in the dark arts of identity theft. Mastering
Speaker 2: this skill, Harris Moore began ordering credit cards in the
Speaker 2: names of the homeowners, a move that allowed him to
Speaker 2: procure not just food, but also cutting edge survival gear
Speaker 2: night vision goggles were among his acquisitions, giving him an
Speaker 2: edge over those who sought to capture him. With each
Speaker 2: successful operation, he stayed one step ahead of the law,
Speaker 2: deepening his legend as the Barefoot bandit. His exploits were
Speaker 2: a blend of ingenuity and desperation, marking him both as
Speaker 2: a criminal but also as a cunning survivalist. On February ninth,
Speaker 2: two thousand seven, the cat and mouse game that Colton
Speaker 2: Harris Moore had played with the law once again came
Speaker 2: to a temporary end. After more than six months of
Speaker 2: living on the edge, he was finally captured and arrested,
Speaker 2: bringing his run to a halt. The list of charges
Speaker 2: against him was long and varied, with twenty three criminal
Speaker 2: counts looming over his head, most stemming from his spree
Speaker 2: of residential burglaries. Faced with the weight of evidence and
Speaker 2: the prospect of a lengthy sentence, Harris Moore struck a
Speaker 2: deal with prosecutors. In exchange for pleading guilty to three
Speaker 2: other charges. He accepted a three year sentence. His new
Speaker 2: home would be Green Hill School, a high security juvenile
Speaker 2: detention facility located in Chehalis. It was a stark transition
Speaker 2: from the freedom of the forests to the confines of
Speaker 2: a cell green Hill appeared to be a serious setback
Speaker 2: in the life of our young fugitive. But even behind bars,
Speaker 2: the legend of the Barefoot bandit continued to grow. Fueled
Speaker 2: by the daring nature of his escape aides and the
Speaker 2: sheer audacity of his flight from the law, Colt quickly
Speaker 2: adapted to life at green Hill School, showing all the
Speaker 2: signs of a model inmate. His good behavior earned him
Speaker 2: a transfer on February fourteenth, two thousand and eight, to
Speaker 2: the Griffin Home residential treatment center in Renton. This facility
Speaker 2: was a minimum security halfway house designed to help troubled
Speaker 2: youths reintegrate into society, a place where second chances were
Speaker 2: the norm. But to some watching Colton, his transformation seemed
Speaker 2: too good to be true. Skeptics whispered that his impeccable
Speaker 2: conduct was nothing more than a clever facade, a calculated
Speaker 2: move to position himself for another escape. The skeptics proved
Speaker 2: prescient when just two months later, on April twenty ninth,
Speaker 2: Harris Moore skipped through an unlocked window at Griffin Home
Speaker 2: and vanished into the night, the authorities acted quickly, issuing
Speaker 2: a felony warrant for his arrest. Once again, Colt was
Speaker 2: on the run, and another chapter of the legend of
Speaker 2: the Barefoot Bandit was being written at breakneck speed. His
Speaker 2: knack for evading capture and his audacious escapes only fueled
Speaker 2: the intrigue around him, keeping him one step ahead of
Speaker 2: those determined to bring him back to justice. Colton Harris
Speaker 2: Moore's escape from the Griffinhoe marked the beginning of another
Speaker 2: thrilling chapter in his life. On the run, almost instinctively,
Speaker 2: he stole a car, hot wired it, and made his
Speaker 2: way back to familiar territory, come Ono Island. Here, he
Speaker 2: returned to his old habits, breaking into homes to steal
Speaker 2: food and supplies, living off the land while evading capture.
Speaker 2: This time, however, the authorities were ready for him. Local
Speaker 2: law enforcement mounted an aggressive campaign to capture the elusive teenager.
Speaker 2: Determined to put an end to his spree once and
Speaker 2: for all. They studied his patterns, anticipated his moves, and
Speaker 2: coordinated their efforts to close in on the young fugitive. Meanwhile,
Speaker 2: the local media had caught wind of Colt's exploits. News
Speaker 2: stories began to circulate, painting a picture of a mysterious
Speaker 2: teenage outlaw who continually slipped through the fingers of the law.
Speaker 2: His growing notoriety added fuel to the fire, transforming him
Speaker 2: into a folk legend and ensuring that his story reached
Speaker 2: a national audience. As the pressure mounted, Colton Harris Moore
Speaker 2: found himself in the center of a cat and mouse game,
Speaker 2: with the stakes higher than ever. On July eighteenth, two
Speaker 2: thousand and eight, his saga took a dramatic turn that
Speaker 2: catapulted his story into the national spotlight. It began with
Speaker 2: a high speed pursuit on Camano Island, as sheriff's deputies
Speaker 2: chased a black Mercedes careening down the road with reckless
Speaker 2: abandon but then the driver, in a bold and unexpected move,
Speaker 2: bailed out and vanished into the thick cover of the
Speaker 2: surrounding woods. Although if authorities had in fact been tracking
Speaker 2: the modus operendi of Colton Harris more, his choice to
Speaker 2: bolt to the woods and then the reality that he
Speaker 2: vanished inside them, probably should have been less of an
Speaker 2: unexpected move and more of a statistical certainty. If indeed
Speaker 2: its appropriate to apply statistics to psychology, and in this case,
Speaker 2: I think it is. When law enforcements searched the abandoned Mercedes,
Speaker 2: they uncovered a cache of stolen goods, credit cards, cell phones,
Speaker 2: and a digital camera. It was the camera that held
Speaker 2: the most revealing clues, a series of self portraits taken
Speaker 2: by the driver. Among them was an image that would
Speaker 2: become iconic, a photograph of Harris Moore lying on his
Speaker 2: back in a forest, staring defiantly into the lens. These
Speaker 2: photos left little doubt about the identity of the elusive driver,
Speaker 2: if indeed there had been any doubt to begin with.
Speaker 2: Colt was almost immediately identified as the face and the pictures,
Speaker 2: and the discovery sparked a media frenzy. The image of
Speaker 2: the young fugitive captured the public's imagination and spread like
Speaker 2: wildfire across the Internet. With it came a growing fan base,
Speaker 2: intrigued by Colton's audacity and skill, and enthralled by the
Speaker 2: helter skeltered nature of his seemingly impossible and ever elusive
Speaker 2: life on the run. Now seventeen, Colt had become more
Speaker 2: than just a criminal. He was a symbol of rebellion.
Speaker 2: It was at this point that he was officially dubbed
Speaker 2: the Barefoot Bandit for his penchant for leaving behind shoeless
Speaker 2: footprints at crime scenes. He became the stuff of legend,
Speaker 2: followed by fans who cheered his every escape and awaited
Speaker 2: the next twist in his story of daring and unconscionable freedom.
Speaker 2: He was seen by many as a symbol of almost
Speaker 2: primal liberty, his cunning, his refusal to cowtow to the
Speaker 2: conventions of society, or the mechanical tyranny of laws that
Speaker 2: insist on confining us, molding us all into obedient little automatons.
Speaker 2: But whether or not, Colt was some kind of legitimate
Speaker 2: philosophical folk hero whose very existence was interpreted by some
Speaker 2: as a battle on behalf of the inherent freedom of
Speaker 2: all humans to determine their own destiny, with or without
Speaker 2: all that calle Jessa interpretation. The truth was, the law
Speaker 2: was closing in on Colt on Camano Island, and he
Speaker 2: decided it was time for a change of scenery, and
Speaker 2: so he commandeered a stolen boat and made his way
Speaker 2: to Orcas Island, seeking refuge from the intensifying pursuit, and
Speaker 2: perhaps unsurprisingly, his arrival on a new island heralded a
Speaker 2: new wave of crime. In August two thousand and eight,
Speaker 2: reports of burglaries began to surge, sending ripples of fear
Speaker 2: through the small, tight knit community. The sophistication of the
Speaker 2: break ins left the residents and authorities on edge, wondering
Speaker 2: who could be responsible. They should have known it was
Speaker 2: Colton Earis Moore. By October two, two thousand and eight,
Speaker 2: the burglaries had become rampant enough that the police considered
Speaker 2: the situation dire, and a special meeting by the Orca's
Speaker 2: Chamber of Commerce was held. Citizens were outraged, the island's
Speaker 2: piece had been chattered, and the community demanded action. Police
Speaker 2: efforts intensified, and as the locals demanded to know the
Speaker 2: identity of the serial burglar, all signs pointed to one
Speaker 2: notorious fugitive, The Barefoot bandit Colton Harris Moore was the
Speaker 2: mastermind behind the thefts. In a daring move to escape
Speaker 2: the tightening dragnet, on November twelfth, two thousand and eight,
Speaker 2: Colt decided to take to the skies. He broke into
Speaker 2: a hangar on the island, stolen hot wired a single
Speaker 2: engine airplane, a Cessna one eighty two, and despite lacking
Speaker 2: any formal aviation training, he managed to get the plane airborne.
Speaker 2: His journey took him three hundred miles east, culminating in
Speaker 2: a crash landing on the Yakama Indian Reservation. It then
Speaker 2: vanished into the landscape before the authorities could close in.
Speaker 2: The mystery of how he managed to pilot the aircraft
Speaker 2: was soon pieced together. Harris Moore had long been fastened
Speaker 2: by aviation, teaching himself to fly through a combination of
Speaker 2: reading aircraft manuals, watching instructional DVDs, and countless hours on
Speaker 2: Microsoft Flight Simulator, a pastime he had enjoyed since childhood.
Speaker 2: Inside the abandoned Cessna, investigators discovered a familiar calling card,
Speaker 2: barefoot footprints inside the cockpit. It was undeniable. Colt had
Speaker 2: once again slipped through their fingers, leaving behind a trail
Speaker 2: that was both bold and as untraceable as the contrails
Speaker 2: of the stolen plane he flew. Colt's legend grew, casting
Speaker 2: him as an unlikely aviator who defied both gravity and
Speaker 2: the law in equal measure. The fallout from his latest
Speaker 2: escapade was swift and far reaching. The stolen Cesna he'd
Speaker 2: used to make his escape belonged to none other than
Speaker 2: Bob Rivers, a well known radio host on Seattle's kz
Speaker 2: OK FM. Rivers learned of the theft right after wrapping
Speaker 2: up his morning show and broadcast his shock and disbelief
Speaker 2: to the list who tuned in. A year later, as
Speaker 2: Harris Moore remained elusive, Rivers spoke to his audience saying,
Speaker 2: I don't buy this folk hero stuff. I was furious
Speaker 2: that something like this could happen. I really want him caught.
Speaker 2: Unfazed by the uproar, Colt continued his life on the run,
Speaker 2: stealing cars and moving between cities like Reno, Sacramento, and
Speaker 2: eastern Washington. His trail of crimes expanded, and Island County
Speaker 2: prosecutors filed ten charges against him, including identity theft and
Speaker 2: illegal flight to avoid prosecution. In May of two thousand
Speaker 2: and nine, Colt returned to his old stomping grounds on
Speaker 2: Camano Island, once again engaging in a high stakes game
Speaker 2: of cat and mouse with the Island County Sheriff's Department.
Speaker 2: He was becoming a master at this and his confidence
Speaker 2: was growing with each successful evasion. In the early hours
Speaker 2: of June nineteenth, two thousand and nine, Harris Moore executed
Speaker 2: a bold break in of a Sheriff's patrol car parked
Speaker 2: in front of a deputy's house. His hall included police equipment,
Speaker 2: a cell phone and a Fi sci police rifle and ammunition.
Speaker 2: This audacious act spurred the Sheriff's department to intensify further
Speaker 2: their efforts to apprehend the teenage outlaw. But Cold now
Speaker 2: eighteen had grown more calculated, careful, and meticulous. Each move
Speaker 2: was planned, every detail considered. He remained a step ahead,
Speaker 2: a shadow slipping through the fingers of those who pursued him.
Speaker 2: His legend continued to grow, fueled by the sheer audacity,
Speaker 2: some might even say arrogance of his crimes, and his
Speaker 2: uncanny ability to stay just beyond the reach of the
Speaker 2: proverbial long arm of the law. The summer of two
Speaker 2: thousand and nine saw Colton Harris More moving seamlessly between
Speaker 2: the islands of the Pacific Northwest. On September eleventh of
Speaker 2: that year, he executed another brazen heist by stealing a
Speaker 2: Cirrus SR twenty two from a public airport on San
Speaker 2: Juan Island. Again, he hot wired the plane and piloted
Speaker 2: it to Orcas Island, landing it neatly on the public runway,
Speaker 2: but he didn't linger. From orc As. He took a
Speaker 2: boat and sailed to Point Roberts, leaving a trail of
Speaker 2: burglaries across British Columbia that stretched down into Bonner's Ferry
Speaker 2: in northern Idaho. It was there, on September twenty nine,
Speaker 2: two thousand nine, that Colt made his next bold move.
Speaker 2: He broke into the Bonner's Ferry airplane hangar and stole
Speaker 2: his third plane, another Cesina one eighty two. With remarkable
Speaker 2: self taught skill, he flew the plane two hundred and
Speaker 2: sixty miles westward. His destination was his original stomping grounds,
Speaker 2: his home, Camano Island, but fate this time had other
Speaker 2: plans for our young anti hero. As the plane's fuel dwindled,
Speaker 2: he was forced to crash land near Granite Falls. The
Speaker 2: landing was a testament to his growing confidence and instinct
Speaker 2: and frankly, his flight skills, and he was able to
Speaker 2: walk away from it unscathed. In the aftermath, investigators found
Speaker 2: the telltale sign of Harris Moore's presence in the Idaho
Speaker 2: airplane hangar barefoot footprints that confirmed his involvement. When reporters
Speaker 2: questioned his mother, Pamela Coler, about the theft and her
Speaker 2: son's exploits, she responded with unexpected pride. I'm proud of him,
Speaker 2: she said, I was going to send him to flight school,
Speaker 2: but I guess I don't have to. By October two,
Speaker 2: two thousand and nine, the law further intensified its pursuit
Speaker 2: of Colton. A felony warrant for forced injury burglary was issued,
Speaker 2: soon followed by a federal arrest warrant linked to the
Speaker 2: Bonners Ferry airplane theft. Culture reputation as the Barefoot Bandit
Speaker 2: had grown, with authorities across Washington, Idaho, and Canada attributing
Speaker 2: around one hundred thefts to him, spanning cars, airplanes, and speedboats.
Speaker 2: Undaunted by the mounting charges, the Barefoot Bandit continued his
Speaker 2: audacious spree. On February tenth, twenty ten, he commandeered another
Speaker 2: Cirrus SR twenty two from Anacortas Airport, flying it skillfully
Speaker 2: to Orchis Island. The very next day, he set his
Speaker 2: sights on homegrown grocery, breaking in and making off with
Speaker 2: more than one thousand dollars in cash. In a move
Speaker 2: that further cemented his infamous moniker, Colt left behind a
Speaker 2: trail of chalk footprints throughout the store's aisles. These cartoonish
Speaker 2: feet ended with a simple taunting message, Siya spelled c
Speaker 2: dash capital ya. It was a bold declaration of his
Speaker 2: continued defiance, a signature from the fugitive who had become
Speaker 2: a folk legend. The footprints were playful yet audacious, a
Speaker 2: reminder of his ability to evade capture, thumbing his nose
Speaker 2: at those who chased him while capturing the public's imagination
Speaker 2: with every caper he successfully pulled off. The pursuit of
Speaker 2: Colton Harris Moore had reached a fever pitch. With the
Speaker 2: FBI and the Department of Homeland Security now in the mix,
Speaker 2: the hunt became an all out federal manhunt. Agents descended
Speaker 2: upon Orches Island while Coastguard cutters prowled the surrounding waters,
Speaker 2: vigilant for any sign of suspicious activity. The deployment of
Speaker 2: black Hawk helicopters underscored the seriousness of the situation, scouring
Speaker 2: the island from above in hopes of finally capturing the
Speaker 2: elusive fugitive. Despite the increased pressure, Colt once again slipped
Speaker 2: through the net. He made his way to nearby San
Speaker 2: Juan Island and from there piloted a stolen boat back
Speaker 2: to the familiar grounds of Camano Island. His uncanny ability
Speaker 2: to evade capture continued to frustrate law enforcement. In response,
Speaker 2: the FBI offered a ten thousand dollars reward for information
Speaker 2: leading to his arrest, hoping to entice someone to help
Speaker 2: bring the young outlaw to justice. Then, in a surprising twist,
Speaker 2: a handwritten note and one hundred dollars in cash were
Speaker 2: discovered on May thirty first, twenty ten, at a veterinary
Speaker 2: clinic in Raymond. The note read, drove by had some
Speaker 2: extra cash. Please use this money for the care of animals.
Speaker 2: Colton Harris Moore, aka the Barefoot Bandit. This gesture added
Speaker 2: another layer to Harris Moore's complex persona, hinting at a
Speaker 2: sense of compassion amidst his criminal exploits. The note only
Speaker 2: further fear fueled the public's fascination with the young fugitive
Speaker 2: who had become a modern legend in his own right.
Speaker 2: In June of twenty ten, with the net closing in
Speaker 2: on him. In Washington, Colton, Harris Moore embarked on a
Speaker 2: cross country journey. Fueled by his signature brand of audacity
Speaker 2: and theft. He commandeered a series of stolen vehicles, making
Speaker 2: his way eastward as far as Illinois, and his remarkable
Speaker 2: run was far from over. On June fourth, twenty ten,
Speaker 2: a Cessna was reported stolen from an airport in Bloomington, Indiana.
Speaker 2: All signs pointed to Harris Moore as the culprit behind
Speaker 2: the theft. His plan was bold to reach Cuba, a
Speaker 2: country without extradition treaties with the United States. This would
Speaker 2: be the ultimate escape, a flight from which he hoped
Speaker 2: he might never return. Leveraging his self taught piloting skills,
Speaker 2: Colt flew the Cesna toward his intended destination, but the
Speaker 2: journey was fraught with challenges. He managed to navigate as
Speaker 2: far as the Bahamas, where his luck ran thin. Forced
Speaker 2: to crash land the plain near Great Abaco Island. Harris
Speaker 2: Moore emerged from the wreckage unscathed. Once again stranded, yet
Speaker 2: as ever unbowed and undeterred, he made his way to
Speaker 2: a nearby fishing village. There he survived by stealthily stealing
Speaker 2: food from local stores and restaurants, and continuing to lift
Speaker 2: by his wits, as he had done so many times before.
Speaker 2: His legendary run had taken him thousands of miles, but
Speaker 2: the ind game was rapidly approaching. In the early hours
Speaker 2: of July eleventh, twenty ten, Colt's incredible run came to
Speaker 2: a dramatic end on Harbor Island in the Bahamas. After
Speaker 2: weeks of eluding capture, his luck finally ran out. Thanks
Speaker 2: to a series of tips from local residents. The Bahamian police,
Speaker 2: determined to apprehend the notorious fugitive, closed in on him
Speaker 2: after he ran a stolen boat aground on a sandbar
Speaker 2: just off the shore. The authorities would be taking no
Speaker 2: chances with the capture of the infamous Barefoot bandit. They
Speaker 2: disabled the boat's indian with gunfire and ordered Colt to surrender.
Speaker 2: Cornered and facing the inevitability of capture, Harrismore made one
Speaker 2: final desperate gesture. He put a gun to his head,
Speaker 2: threatening to end his life rather than to face arrest.
Speaker 2: In a tense standoff, officers talked him down, persuading him
Speaker 2: to drop the weapon. Realizing the futility of his situation,
Speaker 2: Colt surrendered to the authorities, bringing an end to a
Speaker 2: two year saga that had captured the imagination of people
Speaker 2: across the globe. His arrest marked the conclusion of a
Speaker 2: remarkable tale that had transformed him from a troubled teenager
Speaker 2: into a legendary fugitive whose exploits would be recounted for
Speaker 2: years to come. Two days after his capture, Colton Harris
Speaker 2: Moore was extradited from Nassau, Bahamas, to Miami, marking the
Speaker 2: end of his international flight. He was held in Miami
Speaker 2: until July twenty first, when he was transferred to the
Speaker 2: Federal Detention Center in Sea Tac, Washington. Over the next
Speaker 2: two years, he faced a litany of charges at county, state,
Speaker 2: and federal levels, reflecting the breadth and depth of his
Speaker 2: criminal activity. In state court, Colt was sentenced to seven
Speaker 2: years in prison, with an additional six years handed down
Speaker 2: by the Island County court. The legal process culminated in
Speaker 2: a federal district court in Seattle, where he faced federal charges.
Speaker 2: On January twenty seventh, twenty twelve, a U. S District
Speaker 2: court advised harris More that it was quote time for
Speaker 2: a new life flight plan. Underscoring the need for a
Speaker 2: fresh start, the judge sentenced him to six years in prison.
Speaker 2: Addressing the court, Colt expressed genuine remorse for his crimes.
Speaker 2: He spoke of his plans to become an aeronautical engineer
Speaker 2: upon his release, hoping to channel his fascination with flight
Speaker 2: into a productive career. His county, state, and federal sentences
Speaker 2: were consolidated and he was transferred to Stafford Creek Correction
Speaker 2: Center in Aberdeen to begin serving his six year term.
Speaker 2: Shortly after entering prison, Harrismore sold the rights to his
Speaker 2: life story to twentieth Century Fox for one point four
Speaker 2: million per the terms of his sentencing, The entire sum
Speaker 2: was directed toward restitution, ensuring that his visitctims received compensation
Speaker 2: for their losses. In twenty sixteen, Colt's mother faced a
Speaker 2: personal tragedy that would test his result in a new way.
Speaker 2: She was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer and the
Speaker 2: prognosis was grim. Faced with the impending moss of his mom,
Speaker 2: Harrismore turned to the public for help. He set up
Speaker 2: a go Fundme page, hoping to raise two hundred and
Speaker 2: thirty thousand dollars to have his mother's body cryogenically frozen.
Speaker 2: In his appeal, he wrote, cryonic preservation is the only
Speaker 2: solution to save Pam, clinging to the hope that in
Speaker 2: the future, medical advancements might one day cure her cancer.
Speaker 2: Despite his efforts, the campaign fell short, raising only two thousand,
Speaker 2: one hundred seventy dollars. When Colt's mom passed away on
Speaker 2: May seventeen, twenty sixteen, the funds were refunded to the
Speaker 2: donors because the goal was not meant. It was a
Speaker 2: poignant moment in Harris Moore's journey, highlighting the challenges of
Speaker 2: facing personal loss amidst the life of public scrutiny. Later
Speaker 2: that year, on September second, twenty sixteen, twenty five year
Speaker 2: old Colton Harris Moore was released from prison on probation.
Speaker 2: He transitioned to a halfway house near Seattle, where he
Speaker 2: began to rebuild his life outside the confines of incarceration.
Speaker 2: Embracing a more grounded lifestyle, he took a part time
Speaker 2: clerical job with John Henry Brown, a Seattle attorney who
Speaker 2: had represented him in court. The job marked a new
Speaker 2: chapter for Colt Harris Moore, where he sought stability and redemption.
Speaker 2: After years of being defined by daring escapades and high
Speaker 2: profile run ins with the law, he now faced the
Speaker 2: challenge of navigating a life that, while perhaps less thrilling,
Speaker 2: offered the possibility of genuine rehabilitation and growth. In December
Speaker 2: twenty sixteen, Colt took another step toward his dream of
Speaker 2: flying by launching a new go Fundme page. His goal
Speaker 2: was to raise over one hundred and twenty five thousand
Speaker 2: dollars for flight school training, a legitimate path to the
Speaker 2: sky that he had so often longed for. On his page,
Speaker 2: he wrote passionately, now I'm twenty five years old, free
Speaker 2: and ready to do it illegally. I love airplanes, but
Speaker 2: I will never steal one or break the law again.
Speaker 2: I broke the law big league when I was younger,
Speaker 2: but now it's time to focus on my career and
Speaker 2: life in the free world. However, despite having received one
Speaker 2: point four million from twentieth Century Fox for the rights
Speaker 2: to his story, a sum that went entirely as I mentioned,
Speaker 2: to restitution, Colt still owed his victims one hundred and
Speaker 2: twenty nine thousand dollars. Because of this outstanding debt, he
Speaker 2: was ordered to cease his fundraising efforts until the balance
Speaker 2: was paid in full. The GoFundMe page had raised sixteen
Speaker 2: hundred before it was shut down, and those funds were
Speaker 2: directed toward his court ordered restitution. Feeling the weight of
Speaker 2: this setback, Harris Moore took to Twitter expressing his disappointment.
Speaker 2: I feel like my dream has been crushed, he said,
Speaker 2: What a terrible feeling. His words reflected the frustration of
Speaker 2: a man trying to turn his life around, yet still
Speaker 2: shackled by the consequences of his past actions. As of
Speaker 2: September twenty twenty two, Colton Harris Moore had largely retreated
Speaker 2: from the public eye, with his last notable appearance occurring
Speaker 2: in May twenty nineteen. During this time, he was interviewed
Speaker 2: by Jason Rantz on ktt H seven seventy in Seattle,
Speaker 2: where he reflected on the journey that had shaped his life.
Speaker 2: Colt spoke candidly about his obsession with airplanes, describing the
Speaker 2: exhilaration of his first flight in two thousand and eight
Speaker 2: when he took off in a stolen Cessna. It's this
Speaker 2: uncontrollable obsession that's really what it is, he mused. It's
Speaker 2: something that you've dreamt about and waited for for your
Speaker 2: entire life, and out of all the possibilities of that moment,
Speaker 2: no matter what the scenario or situation you find yourself in,
Speaker 2: in that one moment, you were exactly where you were
Speaker 2: supposed to be. And I wonder if I'll ever feel
Speaker 2: that again. It's one of those moments that I think
Speaker 2: you only get once or twice in your entire life.
Speaker 2: Despite the thrill of his past adventures, Colt expressed uncertainty
Speaker 2: about his future. I think it's going to be difficult
Speaker 2: to have a normal life. I really do. In fact,
Speaker 2: I don't think I'm ever going to have a normal life,
Speaker 2: he admitted, acknowledging the shadows of his past that continued
Speaker 2: to loom over him, but also the thrill of being
Speaker 2: a world famous outlaw. Since that interview, Colton Harris Moore
Speaker 2: the Barefoot Bandit has completed his probation and chosen to
Speaker 2: deliver reclusive life, erasing his presence from social media and
Speaker 2: leaving his current whereabouts unknown. His story remains a cautionary
Speaker 2: tale of youthful audacity and the long road to redemption.
Speaker 2: As I and the rest of the world wonder just
Speaker 2: exactly what lies ahead for the boy who became the
Speaker 2: man who was once known as the Barefoot Bandit. Personally,
Speaker 2: I've had a lifelong fascination with D. B. Cooper, whom
Speaker 2: my family and friends used to toast every Thanksgiving when I
Speaker 2: was young. This, of course, was some fifteen or more
Speaker 2: years before the terrible tragedy that was nine to eleven,
Speaker 2: And so the idea of the airplane hijacker that didn't
Speaker 2: harm anyone and got away for good seemed romantic because
Speaker 2: the horrors that airplane hijacking could cause were not yet
Speaker 2: really in our consciousness. So D. B. Cooper was always
Speaker 2: a romantic figure to me, and I can't help but
Speaker 2: think of Colton Harris Moore as a sort of D. B.
Speaker 2: Cooper junior, And whether he deserves it or not, I
Speaker 2: wish Colt the Boy, the Man the Barefoot Bandit all
Speaker 2: the best. I'm Zevan Odleberg and this has been kind
Speaker 2: of Murdery.
Speaker 1: Would you like the show? Please subscribe, review and tell
Speaker 1: your friends. You can find us on social media at
Speaker 1: kind of Murdery or email at kind of Murdery at
Speaker 1: gmail dot com.
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