‘BAREFOOT BANDIT’ Colton Harris-Moore.
By NICO SCAVELLA
Tribune Staff Reporter
nscavella@tribunemedia.net
AFTER six years in state prison, legal counsel for Colton Harris-Moore, the infamous serial thief better known as “The Barefoot Bandit”, is anticipating an early release.
According to international reports, Harris-Moore’s attorney John Henry Browne confirmed that he could be released from Stafford Creek Corrections Centre to a halfway house as early as this week.
Upon release, Mr Browne said the 25-year-old Washington state native will be given a clerical job and answer telephones at his law office at Pioneer Square, Seattle.
According to The Seattle Times, Mr Browne said he and Harris-Moore agreed years ago that the latter would work part-time at his law firm at Pioneer Square, Seattle, while looking for a full-time job and eventually going to school.
Harris-Moore’s formal early release date is listed as January 17.
“He’ll be looking for full-time work and will eventually be going to school,” Mr Browne reportedly told the Seattle Times on Wednesday.
Harris-Moore, who is reportedly serving a six-year sentence, earned the nickname “The Barefoot Bandit” for stealing cars, boats and planes during a two-year crime spree in the northern United States, during which time he left chalk drawings of his bare feet at 39 crime scenes, along with the word “C’ya.”
His ability to constantly elude law enforcement further added to the folklore surrounding his alias.
But his crime spree came to an end in 2010, after a $620,000 single-engine Cessna Corvalis 400 plane he allegedly stole from Monroe County Airport in Bloomington, Indiana, crash-landed in marshes near Sandy Point, Abaco. He was later captured and arrested without incident by Bahamian police after leading authorities on a brief boat chase in waters leading to Whale Point, Eleuthera.
Prior to his capture, it was alleged that Harris-Moore broke into several stores and homes in Marsh Harbour, Abaco, before stealing the boat and heading to Eleuthera.
According to local reports at the time, Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade said than the then 19 year old would be arraigned in a Bahamian court, facing numerous charges for the alleged crimes he committed in the Bahamas.
However, despite those declarations of Commissioner Greenslade, Harris-Moore was only charged with illegal landing and fined $300 on July 13. He was then deported to the United States, where he was later reportedly sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison by a federal judge.
Nonetheless, by the time he was captured, and possibly well before, Harris-Moore and his daring exploits, though criminal in nature, had attracted both local and international attention.
Bahamian music artist “Puzzle” has since come out with a song called “The Barefoot Bandit,” a song about Harris-Moore’s exploits and subsequent capture in the Bahamas.
Additionally, Harris-Moore has reportedly sold the movie rights to his life story to 21st Century Fox for $1m. However, that fee was reportedly to pay restitution he owed for damage to stolen cars, planes, amongst other things as a result of his crimes.
Comments
killemwitdakno 8 years, 3 months ago
Wonder if he's coming back.
killemwitdakno 8 years, 3 months ago
So there's a condition that he can't earn from a story. He owes $1M in damages but such a story might make more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fG-0ZT…
killemwitdakno 8 years, 3 months ago
Wonder why he chose to fly here. He raised money for his sick mother in jail and apparently someone is teaching him to fly. Lord knows he would have been shot out of the air in the states if black. Would like to hear how RDBF saved his life. Wonder what other charities he wanted to give to in additions to the animals. Lots of underprivileged and orphaned youth here have dreams of flying too.
TalRussell 8 years, 3 months ago
Comrades! isn't this the same "Barefoots Bandit" Colton, who 6 years back had escaped facing Bahamaland's justice, after the Papa Hubert regime's Attorney General, fast-tracked him into the hands of the American justice system - despite being accused of having committing numerous serious crime offenses in Bahamaland?
But was only shipped off to face US justice, after he was arrested on Harbour Island when we policeman's shot the hell out the engine of the stolen boat in which he was attempting to flee? Two days later, he was extradited to the US but only after being put on public display for the cameras, by the Papa regime.
avidreader 8 years, 3 months ago
Come on now! Did you expect him to be incarcerated in Nassau so that he could conduct classes in burglary, escape, etc., for the boys in Fox Hill? Let's get real here: this young man proved himself almost a wizard in his ability to escape and evade capture for a considerable period of time. The inmates in Fox Hill could not be allowed to come into contact with such a prospective teacher behind bars.
TalRussell 8 years, 3 months ago
Comrade AvidReader, I see nothing wrong with some foreigner spearheading the establishment of a trade school up at Fox Hill.
John 8 years, 3 months ago
At least he is still alive after the $6 million damage he did. Another young black boy was shot dead after he stole a Jaguar car and tried to evade police. The police shot after the fleeing car and after they captured the teen they held him down and shot him in the back. Dead. But little did they realize the web cam in the police cruiser was still recording when they made up their story that the boy had shot at them first. The teen was unarmed and no weapons were found.
SP 8 years, 3 months ago
U.S. cops have been getting away with murdering people for decades
This is an age old entrenched phenomenon with US law enforcement backed by a broken, corrupt justice system from time immemorial.
CCTV, cell phones, dash and body cam's are daily revealing astonishing levels of murders, excessive force and abuse by cops mainly on minorities and many Anglo Americans alike.
An unbelievable 500 to 1000 innocent people are murdered by US cops each year, with the full blessings of the "justice system".
http://www.mintpressnews.com/us-police-…
How do they consider themselves different than the Taliban or ISIS??
One major problem is the justice system corruption is so ingrained in the fabric of America, it reaches the legislature, which controls the justice system.
Pretty mucked up situation when cops are considered the terrorist!
BMW 8 years, 3 months ago
Their corrption is òn par with ours. We got mp's who think they are above the law.
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