By: Theo Kouts
Colton Harris-Moore captured the attention of the public eye when he began his spree of burglaries and police chases in 2008. Branded as the “Barefoot Bandit” Harris-Moore was known for leaving behind his calling card of bare-footprints at his victims’ establishments. Growing up in an abusive household, he started his unlawful career in his youth, stealing food for survival. Immortalized in news stories Colton Harris-Moore was portrayed as a skilled, brilliant, evasive burglar able to outsmart the police at most every turn. Stealing and crash landing five planes, stealing numerous cars, and sleeping in airplane hangers and portable toilets Colton Harris-Moore was able to avoid capture for nearly two years. However, Harris-Moore was apprehended in July 2010 in the Bahamas after a highly publicized plane crash and boat chase which ended his elusive run as the “Barefoot Bandit.” He was recently sentenced to more than 7 years in prison for a list of charges that included boat, car, plane and firearm theft. Fox reportedly purchased the rights to his story for a future motion picture production at an estimated $1.3 million, which Harris-Moore submitted in a federal hearing to pay off some of the damage he inflicted in his two-year crime spree. The story of Colton Harris-Moore seems eerily familiar with many parallels to the story of Frank W. Abagnale and his notorious criminal activity in the 1960’s.
