Momma Tried Colton Harris Moore Fan Club T-shirt
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Bob Friel’s 7-page piece on Colton Harris-Moore – All the info about Harris-Moore.
In the Northwest’s San Juan Islands, best known for killer whales and Microsoft retirees, a teen fugitive has made a mockery of local authorities, allegedly stealing cars, taking planes for joyrides, and breaking into vacation homes. His ability to elude the police and survive in the woods has earned him folk-hero status. But some wonder if the 18-year-old will make it out of the hunt alive.
Source: http://outside.away.com/outside/culture/201001/colton-harris-moore-plane-steal-1.html
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Outlaws & Outcasts
Writer and photographer Bob Friel’s blog about the outlaws, outcasts and all-around extraordinary characters he’s met while chasing adventure and true crime stories around the world, including Colton Harris-Moore, the “Barefoot burglar.”
check it out http://www.outlawsandoutcasts.blogspot.com
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hope colt stays safe
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Behind every legendary outlaw is a human being.
Orcas writer profiles Colton Harris-Moore in latest Outside magazine
source: http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/sanjuans/isj/lifestyle/81016447.html
By COLLEEN ARMSTRONG
Islands Sounder Web site editor, Editor
Today, 2:20 PM · UPDATEDBehind every legendary outlaw is a human being.
And it was Bob Friel’s job to find the boy behind the Barefoot Burglar.
“It’s a great, meaty story,” said Friel, an Orcas writer, of his attempt to chronicle the life of Colton Harris-Moore – a young man revered for his cunning evasion of the law or loathed for his disregard of others’ property, depending on whom you ask.
“I’ve spent nearly a decade specializing in Caribbean travel stories,” Friel said. “So it was exciting to be back working on a feature like this with an adventure angle and interesting characters.”
Harris-Moore, who turned 18 last year, is a suspect in more than 100 crimes, mostly felonies, since escaping from “juvie” 20 months ago. He is wanted in five Washington counties – Island, Snohomish, San Juan, Whatcom, and Kitsap – as well as in Idaho.
For Friel, a freelance writer, photographer and videographer who has traveled the globe, exploring the life of a teen public enemy harkened back to his early days as a reporter.
Friel interviewed some 30 people involved in the case, including extensive sessions with Harris-Moore’s mom, Pam Kohler, on Camano Island. His 8,000-word story (originally submitted at a hefty 14,000 words) is the feature piece in the January edition of the nationally known adventure magazine Outside.
He wrote the story from an unusual perspective: as a member of a community that has been touched by Harris-Moore’s alleged crimes, which authorities say include home and business break-ins and the theft of two planes and a boat.
“Like everyone else on the island, I had followed it,” Friel said. “I stood around bonfires and at dinners and talked to people. And then I said, ‘wait a second, this is a great story.’ I had planned to call Esquire, but I was talking to Outside magazine and they wanted it.”
On Friel’s first trip to Camano last fall, he arrived right after a team from Esquire had left.
“Outside wanted to beat them to the newsstands, so it became an incredible rush to get it done,” he said. “The whole thing with getting this story was gaining access. Other papers had talked to his mom, but they were just using these strange sound bites. There’s always more to people than that. Her phone had been disconnected, so I FedExed her a letter, and made my case as to why I should be the one she talks to. The police were amazed I got inside her trailer with her. She gave me some artwork Colton did, and the only photo she had of him as a child.”
Friel says the in-depth part of the story is “how this kid fell through the cracks.”
“Yes, he had a rough upbringing, but lots of kids do and end up fine,” Friel said. “He had totally checked out by the time he was in the fifth grade.
“Once I started digging deep, including reading psych evaluations for him, you really start feeling for this kid. And at some point, you think his mom is a horrible person. And then you spend time with her, and she tells you about her background.”
In his hometown of Camano, Harris-Moore became known as “Klepto Colt” after breaking into his school. The only time the young man received attention was when he got into trouble.
“That attention filled in for what was lacking,” Friel said.
One of the most compelling parts of the story for Friel was Harris-Moore’s apparent natural ability to fly an airplane.
“This is a 17-year-old who has never even been in a plane, and he allegedly is responsible for at least two of the plane thefts. He has a natural talent,” Friel said. “Even if you hate the kid, anyone has to sit back and say, ‘wow.’”
Harris-Moore was diagnosed with ADHD, but Friel says anything he was interested in, he learned about, amassing a vast knowledge of Northwest plants and animals. Harris-Moore, he says, is apparently not a sociopath and does not do drugs.
“He takes responsibility for what he’s done. He knows he has problems, and he doesn’t blame it on his childhood,” Friel said.
He believes it is unlikely that the teen is still hiding out in the woods, as he is known to do in the summer months.
“When he is on the run, he is basically Yogi Bear: he is looking for picnic baskets,” Friel said. “He has also stolen iPods and laptops, but he doesn’t sell them. His mom tells me that he’s living in a house, with his own room. I tend to believe it, since it would be much easier for the police to catch him in the winter. Why he then comes out of hibernation and goes back to breaking into our houses and into businesses, I don’t know.”
Harris-Moore calls his mother frequently, and follows Friel’s blog.
“He is not happy that she talks to the press,” Friel said. “He has read parts of the blog to his mom over the phone. I think about it when I’m posting now. I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing.”
Read more
- Bob Friel’s story on Colton Harris-Moore is available online, on Outside magazine’s Web site.
- Friel has several more posts about Harris-Moore on his blog.
Islands Sounder Web site editor, Editor Colleen Armstrong can be reached at editor@islandssounder.com or (360) 376-4500.
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Colton Harris Moore gets national attention
source: http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerindex?id=9348567
Colton Harris-Moore, the 18-year-old Camano Island miscreant who’s a suspect in numerous thefts, was profiled on ABC’s “Nightline” on Tuesday night and in the current issue of Time magazine.
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Time.com names Colton Harris Moore: America’s Most Wanted Teenage Bandit
source: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1946950,00.html
America’s Most Wanted Teenage Bandit
Visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of the bald eagles on Camano Island in Washington State’s Puget Sound are more likely to see a different bird in the sky: a police chopper skimming the cedar forests in search of an outlaw. Colton Harris-Moore, a gangly 18-year-old with furtive eyes and a dimpled chin, has been on police blotters since he was accused of stealing a bike at the age of 8. Since then, he is suspected of having committed nearly 100 burglaries in Washington, Idaho and Canada. Police allege that he graduated from bikes to cars, then to speedboats. Lately, he is suspected of stealing three small aircraft — all the more impressive given that he has never taken a single flying lesson. (See the top 10 crimes of 2009.)
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1946950,00.html
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Parenting: Momma Kohler = F+
source: http://beaconhell.com/b/blog/2009/12/06/parenting-momma-kohler-f/
Parenting: Momma Kohler = F+
By princess, on December 6th, 2009
Colton Harris-Moore
Oftentimes around here I make comment about how many child criminals never had a chance because of their parents. The mother of Colton Harris-Moore is no different. If you don’t know who “Colt” is, he is an 18-year old teen from the Pacific Northwest who is on the run from law enforcement for a string of burglaries, auto thefts and several plane thefts.
Police say 18-year-old Colton Harris-Moore, is responsible for 50 burglaries as well as stealing light aircraft, which he taught himself to fly from video games. Colton or “Colt” as his mother calls him, flew the planes and crashed them into the forest walking away with minor cuts and bruises. He has become a one-man crime wave and has developed quite a following on the internet with fan pages and Facebook fan groups popping up all over the net. There are even t-shirts available stating “Mama Tried”.
The Facebook group states:
Colton Harris-Moore is Western Washington’s new Jesse James (without the murders). Without a doubt one of the greatest and most notable outlaws to come from an otherwise boring area. Some of his greatest achievements include the Kamikaze theft and crash landing of 3 airplanes (with no flight training) as well as commandeering a couple boats. Let’s hope that he remains healthy, free and at large for a long time! Fly Colton, Fly!
The group has 8,761 members.
What’s so special about this kid and why all the media hype? He lives in the forests and remote islands around Seattle, runs barefoot through the woods and apparently catches his own food. Sounds like Sasquatch to me. LOL His only technological aid is a pair of night vision goggles to hunt at night and according to what is written about him, the boy loves pizza. He asks that pizzas be delivered at the edge of the woods. I’m wondering how he communicates with anyone to request pizza. Maybe that’s where his goofy mother comes in.
According to The Times Online, “Colton was raised in a caravan on Camano Island, an isolated community in the Puget Sound, Harris-Moore started living wild at the age of seven. He would break into holiday homes, steal blankets and food and vanish into the woods for days.” Caravan = mobile home for you who are wondering.
So what…he knows how to live off of the land. Many people who grew up in rural areas around the country know how to do this, so I’m not impressed. I had to ask myself, how did this kid come to this place? Why is he a criminal and why is he behaving so arrogantly as if he is above the law…and then, I listened to the radio interview of his mother Pam Kohler. *rolls eyes*
According to Pam Kohler, Colt as she calls him is “very smart” and has an “IQ 3-points lower than Einstein”, although when asked what his IQ was, she couldn’t remember and said she had written it down somewhere. She went on to say that the Island County Sheriff’s Office had traumatized Colt since he was 7-years old because he was from a single parent home, and that was the reason they didn’t like her son. She also said that he had PTSD because of their “targeting” of her son, ADHD and high blood pressure. She went on to say that because of his welfare medical insurance, the Children’s Hospital wouldn’t accept him and she thought “Children’s was free”? HUH? Honestly, it sounds like she just didn’t give two craps enough to get him the medical care that he probably needed.
By age 16, Colton already had a felony record for burglary. He was sent to a juvenile facility and hauled ass to the woods to evade capture. His mother stated that Colt has been in a group homes in the past, but that he didn’t like it there so he left.
In my opinion, Pam Kohler is just another POS mother who failed at parenting and is trying to profit off of her son’s criminal activities and overall douchebaggery. She says she is writing a book about Colton’s life. I wonder if the book will include the sordid details of her alleged drug abuse and bed hopping? She also demands money from the media for interviews. The words *get a job* were ringing in my ears as I read that about her.
From all accounts, she sucks as a parent. Apparently, my opinion of her is not far removed from those who know her and her son. Former neighbors of the House of Kohler have been voicing concerns about his mother’s child rearing abilities since Colton was a toddler. According to documents and to Colton’s own accusations, both of his parents have a history of substance abuse. There was also said to be a revolving door on mommy’s bedroom, as rotating surrogate papas warmed the bed that Colton’s biological father had left behind. His father was incarcerated many times and left the family for good in 2003. He took off for the woods. Whaddya know! A family tradition!
In listening to Kohler speak, she comes off as another bucolic dips**t who makes excuses for her son’s criminal behavior. She also blames the Island County Sheriff’s Office and their abuse of him as the reason he is on the run. Is it also their fault that he has caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage and theft? Get real, lady! It’s so obvious after listening to her that this boy had no accountability as a child. Not from her.
Regardless of her opinions on law enforcement, Colton has upped the ante by allegedly shooting at law enforcement while they were searching for him. This has brought his fugitive status from barefoot dumbass to “armed and dangerous“.
At the end of the day, this woman failed as a parent.
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Pal tells fugitive Harris-Moore to keep running
Source: http://www.komonews.com/news/local/78527357.html
Story Published: Dec 4, 2009 at 9:27 AM PST
Story Updated: Dec 4, 2009 at 9:27 AM PST
Pal tells fugitive Harris-Moore to keep running
EVERETT, Wash. (AP) – The boy burglars of Camano Island shared a dream.
They’d amass such a fortune they would toss money in the air and let the bills rain down.
Colton Harris-Moore met Harley Davidson Ironwing about five years ago.
Today, Harris-Moore, 18, is a fugitive wanted for crimes in Washington, Idaho and Canada. Police suspect he’s stolen planes, boats and luxury cars, and broken into dozens of homes and businesses.
Ironwing’s link to Harris-Moore resurfaced after the case made international headlines. He is the teenager’s only known accomplice, although they haven’t spoken in two years.
Ironwing, 20, is back behind bars. He is accused of shoplifting and escape while serving a prison sentence for theft.
He’s currently at the Washington Corrections Center in Shelton and is facing at least another five months in prison, officials said.
Ironwing agreed to talk about his friendship with Harris-Moore, and how he taught the younger boy how to prowl and quickly find valuable jewelry and electronics, items that could be converted to cash.
“He loves his money like I do,” Ironwing said while he was at the Snohomish County Jail last month. “He wants the same thing, just to have money, to sit on a pile of cash, to throw it up in the air and have it shower down.”
During his interview, Ironwing more than once asked to pass along this message to his friend: “Stay out until help can come to him.”
Pressed for what he meant, Ironwing would only say, “He’ll know.”
He urged Harris-Moore never to give himself up.
“He is good. What’s he’s doing is stupid right now,” Ironwing said. “He needs to quit taking pictures of himself.”
One iconic image from the case is a July 2008 photo Harris-Moore snapped of himself using a stolen digital camera. The camera was left behind in a Mercedes that was stolen from his mother’s neighbor. The photo shows Harris-Moore in the woods, headphones plugged into his ears, wearing a polo shirt featuring the Mercedes logo.
Ironwing believes such photos are Harris-Moore’s trademark, a calling card left at all his crime scenes.
“It’s not his calling card,” Island County sheriff’s detective Ed Wallace said. “He is leaving nothing like that behind.”
Wallace also is familiar with Ironwing, who was convicted of his first felony when he was 14. “I would say that any information he provides would be suspect,” Wallace said.
Since September when news broke that Harris-Moore allegedly has started stealing airplanes, the elusive teen gained attention from news networks and on the Web.
T-shirts were made, featuring Moore’s self-portrait. A Facebook fan page has attracted nearly 8,000 people.
Ironwing’s role in the case, and his unusual name, have contributed to the Internet buzz.
Ironwing said was he given his name by his adopted mother when he was 6. She added the middle name after the famous American motorcycle maker, and gave him her last name.
“She just thought it would be cool,” Ironwing said. “It gets annoying at times. It’s a unique name.”
Still, “I’d prefer not to be on the news,” he said.
Harris-Moore, on the other hand, likely thrives on the publicity, Ironwing said.
“Colton has ambition. He’s smart, and he loves what he’s doing,” he said.
Ironwing said he would never snitch on his friend or violate the thieves’ code.
He’s not cooperated with Snohomish County sheriff’s detectives or investigators with the state Department of Corrections.
“They think I’m full of (expletive) because I won’t tell them anything,” Ironwing said. “They got awfully angry at me.”
Snohomish County sheriff’s spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said detectives recently did try to talk with Ironwing.
“He had absolutely no useful information,” she said.
Ironwing’s solid frame barely fills his jail uniform. He’s 5-foot-2 but says he packs a mean punch.
Everyone in his hometown knows him as the “Stanwood Burglar,” he said.
“I’d break into anywhere I could get money,” he said.
His reputation is likely what drew Harris-Moore to him, Ironwing said. “Back then I was a troublemaker,” Ironwing said. “He had to come to me. Everyone knows I’m a criminal.” The two would burglarize so many homes each night, “You would be amazed,” Ironwing said.
When the burglars were at their peak in early 2007 a typical night of crime would begin with a phone call, Ironwing said.
The 6-foot-5-inch Harris-Moore would summon the older boy. Ironwing would hop a bus to Camano Island from Stanwood or Everett, wherever he was living at the time. They’d meet at a rural bus stop, then begin breaking into homes on the island.
In the morning, Ironwing said he’d hop another bus for home, his pockets filled with swag.
Island County sheriff’s deputies brought an end to the break-ins by handing out wanted posters featuring each boy’s mug. Harris-Moore was arrested and two days later Ironwing turned himself in.
Harris-Moore was sentenced to three years behind bars. He escaped from group home for juvenile offenders in Renton in April 2008.
Ironwing pleaded guilty in March 2007 to first-degree criminal trespassing and second-degree taking a motor vehicle without permission. He was ordered to serve nearly a year in juvenile detention.
Not long after his release, Ironwing was arrested for breaking into a Stanwood church safe during a Sunday prayer service. He was sentenced to nearly three years in prison.
At the end of September, Ironwing was transferred to a work release program in Seattle, officials said. On Oct. 20, Ironwing left for a job interview. He didn’t come back.
Less than a week later Ironwing was caught shoplifting at the Everett Mall.
“Maybe Colt can teach him how to escape and not get caught,” said Pam Kohler, Harris-Moore’s mother. “A favor for a favor.”
Ironwing said he’s looking to change his ways.
“I basically just blew away my whole childhood,” he said. “I’m 20-years-old now. I got to grow up.”
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Colton Harris-Moore’s mother says he’s not out in the cold
Source: http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20091204/NEWS01/712049902
By Jackson Holtz
Herald Writer
CAMANO ISLAND — Colton Harris-Moore’s mother is growing weary of the all the attention placed on her son.
She said she’s tired of being bothered at her home, and of the exaggerations of her son’s behavior being spread by police, the Internet and the media.
“He doesn’t live outside. He lives in a home, has his own room,” said Pam Kohler, who lives on rural Camano Island.
She said he isn’t to blame for every crime on Camano Island and around the Pacific Northwest.
Harris-Moore, 18, is a fugitive who’s wanted in two states and Canada in connection with a string of burglaries and thefts.
Kohler said she speaks to him occasionally over an untraceable phone line and doesn’t know his location.
The Island County sheriff’s office simply isn’t up to task of bringing him in.
“They’re too damned lazy to do anything about,” she said. “He’s my son, and I will not put up with any more lies.”
Harris-Moore has gained international notoriety and has become an Internet folk hero. That has forced Kohler to change her phone number, in part, because of persistent calls from reporters eager to learn more about her son, she said.
“He thinks that Facebook is funny, with all his followers,” Kohler said.
As the December holidays approach, she said she misses having him around, although she’s getting used to his absence, she said.
The mother and son have a tumultuous past, according to court records.
Still, she said she plans to buy her son a gift, just in case she gets a chance to see him: a bullet-proof vest.
Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437, jholtz@heraldnet.com.
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Unfolding Saga of Colton Harris-Moore
By GENE JOHNSON,Associated Press Writer
source: http://able2know.org/topic/138599-1
EASTSOUND, Wash. – In the darkness of this sleepy island town, the beam of a deputy’s flashlight caught the back of a lanky teenager wanted in a notorious 18-month burglary spree.
The teen glanced over his shoulder _ and vanished into the woods. “He virtually vaporized in front of me,” deputy Jeff Patterson recalled.
Such encounters have become all too common on the bucolic islands north of Seattle as police hunt for an elusive thief whose crime spree is quickly becoming a local legend. Colton Harris-Moore is suspected in about 50 burglary cases since he slipped away from a halfway house in April 2008.
Now, authorities say, he may have moved on to a more dangerous hobby: stealing airplanes.
The saga is beginning to feel like something out of the movie “Catch Me If You Can,” as Harris-Moore keeps finding new ways to embarrass police by slipping through their grasp.
The 18-year-old typically breaks into businesses or unoccupied vacation homes, lies down on the couch and then dashes into the woods if confronted. He earned himself the nickname of “the barefoot burglar” by committing some of his crimes without wearing shoes.
He is suspected of taking three planes from rural airports and crash-landing them. There were bare footprints inside and outside some hangars that had been broken into. In one, police said, footprints were on the wall _ indicating that the suspect put his feet up, apparently while eating.
His mother said she doesn’t see anything wrong with what he’s suspected of doing.
“I hope to hell he stole those airplanes _ I would be so proud,” Pam Kohler told a reporter, noting her son’s lack of training. “But put in there that I want him to wear a parachute next time.”
Over the weekend, someone took blankets, shoes and food from a home near the site where a stolen Cessna crash-landed north of Seattle on an apparent path toward Harris-Moore’s hometown on Camano Island. SWAT teams were called out after a shot was fired from the woods, but whoever was responsible got away.
The teen may be motivated by a strong interest in aviation, but police say he does not discriminate in his choice of stolen vehicle: A boat stolen from the island was found last month on the mainland.
Police believe Harris-Moore also recently took thousands of dollars from safes and ATMs at businesses in the Orcas Island hamlet of Eastsound.
The teen has exploited the fact that the police do not have the manpower to mount an all-out hunt in a property crime case. Sheriff’s offices on some of the islands do not even have tracking dogs.
Frustrated residents wonder how hard it is to find a 6-foot-5, 200-pound teenager in the confines of an island, while red-faced cops bristle at what they see as attempts to romanticize the fugitive. A Harris-Moore fan club has emerged on Facebook, and a Seattle man started selling T-shirts bearing his picture and the words “Momma Tried.”
Island County Sheriff Mark Brown, whose office has dealt with Harris-Moore at least since he was 11, said he recently blew up at a “Today” show producer who wanted to ask him about the made-for-Hollywood aspect of the story.
“He is an adult felon!” Brown said. “I will not have him made into some kind of folk hero.”
Harris-Moore grew up in the woods of Camano, a piece of land shaped like a backwards question mark in Puget Sound, 30 miles north of Seattle. A long gravel drive lined with thick vegetation and “no trespassing” signs leads to the property. His home is a tarp-covered, single-wide trailer surrounded by tall cedar trees and decommissioned pickup trucks.
The teenager’s mother recently greeted a reporter and photographer by promising to chase them off the property with a shotgun. Then she granted a lengthy interview.
She said her son’s father left when he was about 2, his stepfather died when he was about 7, and from the time Harris-Moore was in first grade, she knew there was something off about him _ “sort of a disconnection.”
He wouldn’t listen to his teachers, started altercations at school and sometimes deliberately broke things around the house, Kohler said. And sheriff’s deputies sometimes accused him of stealing things even when he hadn’t, she added _ such as a $300 bicycle she said she bought him for his birthday one year.
“Every time he had anything any good, everyone thought he stole it,” she said. “What does that do to a kid?”
Harris-Moore had his first conviction, for possession of stolen property, by age 12. Within a few months of turning 13, he had three more. Each brought a 10-day stint in detention or community service.
An Island County sheriff’s deputy on Camano once caught him by posing as a pizza delivery guy after noticing a multitude of empty pizza boxes at a campsite he used. Another time, deputies saw him jump out of a stolen Mercedes. They later found his self-portrait on a stolen digital camera, posing in a black, collared shirt with a Mercedes logo.
In 2007, he was sentenced to nearly four years in juvenile detention after being caught in an unoccupied home when a neighbor noticed the lights on. But he did well enough at the detention center that he was transferred to a halfway house, where he snuck out an open window.
He’s been playing cat-and-mouse with authorities ever since. His mother said she has reason to believe he linked up with a small group of other people who have safe-houses protected by high-tech surveillance systems, but she said she doesn’t know anything else about them.
“We haven’t caught him, but neither has anybody else,” said San Juan County Sheriff’s Sgt. Steve Vierthaler. “You always get caught eventually.”
Kohler hopes her son makes his way to a country that won’t extradite him. She said she sometimes talks to him on the phone, but she won’t let on if she knows where he is.
“I figure I’ll spend my time with him in a positive way,” she said, “because who knows if he’ll be shot tomorrow?”
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Seattle weekly | Cover Story: Catch Me If You Camp – Colton Harris Moore
Evading cops on Camano, “barefoot burglar” Colton Harris-Moore is the rugged Northwest’s answer to Frank Abagnale Jr.
By Vernal Coleman
Published on November 25, 2009 at 12:21am
source: http://www.seattleweekly.com/2009-11-25/news/cover-story-catch-me-if-you-camp/
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Where in the World is Colton Harris-Moore?
By Alexander Gura on Nov. 16, 2009
from http://www.newuniversity.org/2009/11/uncategorized/where-in-the-world-is-colton-harris-moore/
On the islands north of Seattle, WA, teenage Colton Harris-Moore is becoming much more than the stuff of local legends.
In the months since his escape from a minimum-security juvenile home in April 2008, Colton Harris-Moore has gone on a crime spree so prolific that it has earned him a Facebook fan page with over 7,000 members and his own T-shirt.
Harris-Moore has burglarized over 50 homes, stolen two boats, crashed three airplanes and has very likely done much more. Leading police through Washington, Idaho and Canada, Harris-Moore has evaded capture. In Eastsound, WA, deputy Jeff Patterson describes how he saw the teen for a fleeting second in the beam of his flashlight before “he virtually vaporized in front of [him]” into the thick woods.
Harris-Moore is 6 feet 3 inches tall and over 200 lbs and has had his “baby face” plastered over the television, newspapers and bulletin boards for months. Yet eluding the police is nothing new for Harris-Moore; by age 12, Harris-Moore had been convicted of possession of stolen property. Since, he has accumulated convictions for theft, burglary, malicious mischief and fourth-degree assault.
Raised on Camano Island, WA, in a dilapidated singlewide trailer by his single mother, Harris-Moore is often described as one who steals necessities rather than luxuries.
However, this did not last for long, as Harris-Moore has stolen three planes and two boats in order to island hop as he burglarized the summer homes that line the islands. While the teen has no formal training in aviation, he allegedly purchased an aviation manual using a stolen credit card and also amassed some knowledge from the Internet. Damage to the recovered aircraft is consistent with hard landings performed by an amateur.
When asked about the suspected theft of the three aircrafts, Colton Harris-Moore’s mother, Pam Kohler, stated, “I hope to hell he stole those airplanes – I would be so proud.” She quickly made sure to add, “But put in there that I want him to wear a parachute next time.”
His usual repertoire consists of breaking into empty businesses or vacation homes, reclining on the couch and fleeing into the woods when confronted. It is in these woods that Harris-Moore likely makes camp for most nights. Local police simply do not have enough manpower to launch a full-scale search for the youth.
Police are not taking this lightly, though. Island County Sherriff Mark Brown recently shouted at “TODAY” show producer that, “He is an adult felon! I will not have him made into some kind of folk hero!”
This raises the question of whether or not it is such a fan-base that instigates such behavior. Given titles of a “modern-day Jesse James without the murders” and comparisons to the popular movie “Catch Me If You Can,” it seems very plausible that our reactions (which some might call “support”) prod individuals into pursuing paths of infamy.
On October 15, 2009, the world thought that six-year-old Falcon Heene was trapped in a homemade helium balloon traveling at heights upwards of 7,000 feet. The balloon, structurally designed and painted to look like a UFO, drew immediate international attention, especially via the Internet.
Upon landing, the balloon was found to be empty. Prompted by the concern that the boy might have fallen from the balloon, a manhunt began.
After found to be hiding at his house for the entire duration of the event, rumors began to circulate that the “accidental” incident may have been staged. On October 18, 2009, during an interview on CNN’s “Larry King Live” Heene was asked why he remained hidden for such a long time. He replied, “You guys said we did this for the show.”
As it turns out, Heene’s parents, Richard and Mayumi, had been involved in the reality TV world previously. In fact, they had been featured on the show “Wife Swap,” and had recently unsuccessfully pitched a reality TV idea to the TLC channel.
Criminals have always enthralled society; the infamous have lived lives of celebrity, treated like heroes by some. While crime has become a spectator sport to some, it is no excuse for criminal behavior.
While some, like teenage Harris-Moore, have resorted to burglary, the rest of us are hardworking citizens who earn their living. Harris-Moore is not an example of someone challenging the social norms in an acceptable manner. A combination of poverty and the desire to be “cool” in the eyes of society has led Harris-Moore down a path of petty crimes that has further distanced him from a normal life.
Despite the corruption that plagues our business world and the disproportionate distribution of wealth in our nation, there is no justification for surviving off of the profits of others. We cannot give some individuals the title of modern day Robin Hood as an excuse for illegal activity while forcing others to abide by our laws.
Harris-Moore is not a martyr attempting to send a message through his activities; he is simply trying to survive day-to-day while running from the law. Perhaps we are looking for a modern day hero, especially in such times of economic downturn, but we cannot settle for mere criminals.
Alexander Gura is a fourth-year political science major. He can be reached at agura@uci.edu.
admin
Teenage serial burglar suspected in more Camano Island burglaries
A teenage serial burglar accused of a crime wave stretching from San Juan County to Idaho may have returned to his native-Camano Island to commit more crimes
By Seattle Times staff
A teenage serial burglar accused of a crime wave stretching from San Juan County to Idaho may have returned to his native-Camano Island to commit more crimes
Colton Harris-Moore, 18, is suspected of breaking into homes in South Camano Island over the last several weeks in search of food, said Island County sheriff’s Detective Ed Wallace. Wallace declined to go into details, but called the burglaries “Colton-esque.”
In the past, Harris-Moore had allegedly been breaking into homes by climbing onto roofs, unscrewing skylights and dropping through them, authorities said.
Harris-Moore made headlines in recent weeks after he was suspected of stealing three airplanes, crashing all of them and yet managed to walk away. He is believed to have learned to fly from flight-training manuals and searching the Internet, Wallace said.
Harris-Moore is wanted on an arrest warrant for failing to appear in court on 10 criminal counts he was charged with in Island County in March. Those charges, filed in adult court, stem from his alleged summer 2008 crime spree on Camano Island, which included burglaries and one car theft. He is also wanted on an arrest warrant for escaping from Griffin Home, a juvenile minimum-security facility in Renton, in 2008.
source: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010230673_webcamano09m.html
admin
Craigslist – Colton Harris Moore – $5000 (Camano Island)
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/wan/1453437308.html
Colton Harris Moore – $5000 (Camano Island)
Date: 2009-11-05, 5:38PM PST
Reply to: sale-p54en-1453437308@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
Wanted 1 fairly used with no scratches Colton Harris Moore .
Perferr an unshaven model with pubesant facial hair.Must come barefoot . Extra bonus if it squeels like a pig and comes with all the stolen goods from the past two years.
Must be delivered in time for Colton Harris week on Camano Island starting 10-16-09 ending 10-22-09. I would like to display it in the window of my shop .
* Location: Camano Island
* it’s NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
PostingID: 1453437308
admin
Update: Colton Harris-Moore back in action?
Maxine Kostelyk says she knows the work of Colton Harris-Moore when she sees it.
“I’ve been hit twice in the last two weeks, so all I can tell you is I know it’s him because it’s always food and money,” she said.
admin
Colton Harris-Moore DNA found
Court documents say DNA found after a break-in last month matches that of an elusive teenager wanted in Washington. Colton Harris-Moore is suspected in about 50 burglary cases since April 2008, all in the islands north of Seattle.
admin
Onetime Colton Harris-Moore accomplice arrested after skipping prison work release
By Jackson Holtz
Herald Writer
EVERETT — Harley Davidson Ironwing, a former accomplice of the elusive teen fugitive Colton Harris-Moore, was arrested Monday in Everett after failing to return from a prison work release program.
Unlike Harris-Moore, who has evaded capture since April 2008 and is suspected of stealing planes, boats and cars all over the Pacific Northwest, Ironwing was on the lam for only six days, officials said.
Ironwing, 20, gained notoriety in early 2007 when Island County sheriff’s detectives were trying to solve a rash of burglaries on south Camano Island. His mug shot was featured on wanted posters along with Harris-Moore.
Harris-Moore, 18, was arrested in February 2007 and sentenced to three years behind bars. The teen escaped a Renton group home and now is a fugitive who has gained international notoriety. As Harris-Moore’s story spread across the Internet and cable news programs, Ironwing’s name resurfaced as Harris-Moore’s only known accomplice.
Ironwing turned himself into police in February 2007. He pleaded guilty to the Camano Island crimes and was ordered to serve up to 50 weeks in juvenile detention.
In late March 2008, Ironwing was arrested again, accused of breaking into a church safe in Stanwood during prayer services. He was sentenced to 33 months behind bars, this time in prison.
At the end of September, Ironwing was transferred from the Washington Corrections Center in Shelton to the Bishop Lewis Work Release program in Seattle, said Chad Lewis, a Department of Corrections spokesman.
Prisoners generally gain work release privileges through good behavior, Lewis said. The programs help prisoners by providing them with job skills and the opportunity for employment after their release.
A few weeks later, on Oct. 20, Ironwing left the program to go to a job interview but didn’t come back, Lewis said.
Everett police on Monday arrested Ironwing at the Everett Mall. They booked him into the Snohomish County Jail on a shoplifting charge.
Now, the prisoner will face a hearing to determine the ramifications of his escape, Lewis said. He could face additional felony charges which likely would extend his prison sentence.
Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437, jholtz@heraldnet.com.
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20091029/NEWS01/710299909/-1/RSS01
Cody
When should my shirt show up? I’m on Vancouver Island which isn’t exactly what far.
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adinstevens
I don’t see the name Cody on any of the orders I am currently shipping….They go out U.S. Postal International Priority which isn’t the cheapest but should get it there pretty quick. Unfortunately I can’t get a solid time frame on International orders. If you want to email me some more details I can let you know when it shipped. Thanks.
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Cody
The name its shipping to could possibly be Darrell Warner, I can’t remember what I put as the shipping address.
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adinstevens
Call me lil e….it shipped out last Friday so you should have it any day if you don’t have it already.
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admin
admin
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getthatgold
Good Job Colton,
If ya need a couple more plane’s I know the where abouts of a couple float planes,
And your Ma said don’t forget to take a parichute with ya , like DB Cooper !!!Good luck make us proud !!!!!!!!!!!
adinstevens
This CBC segment just aired in Canada. http://www.cbc.ca/national/blog/video/crimejustice/the_barefoot_bandit.html The producer, journalist, and camera guy that came down to the shop were super decent folks. I’ve met some real douche bags from the press since this thing started. Viva Canada!
admin
The Ballad of Barefoot Harris (Written and performed by Michael Mirrielee)
A ballad written about at-large bandit Colton “Barefoot” Harris-Moore.
Lyrics:
When Barefoot was born
He was born in the woods
With a lockpick in his hand
He was raised on the run
And now he’s running still
Taking everything he can
I never knew a boy
With a head in the clouds
So far he flew away
But his fingers work so fast
He stole three planes and crashed
I know he’ll make it out someday
Colton he was sly
And colton he was fast
They could never pin him down
But he never hurt a fly
And he never killed a man
And he never will be found
So remember Mr. Lawman
And remember Mr. Crook
Watch close as he slips on by
For every step you take
Old Barefoot’s takin’ two
So fly on, Colton fly
Now Barefoot grew up and
He skipped right out of town
But he always stuck to his guns
He stole across the states
And he stole into our hearts
And he stole right into Washington
Now Barefoot, he was fair and
Barefoot, he was just
A better man couldn’t be found
He never left a trace
Until he won that race
When election time came round
So remember Mr. Lawman
And remember Mr. Crook
Watch close as he slips on by
For every step you take
Old Barefoot’s takin’ two
So Colton, keep on running
Your mother sends her love
Remember how old Jesse went
So Barefoot Colton watch your back
And fly on, Colton fly
Written and performed by Michael Mirrielees. 2009.
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adinstevens
Yeeeeeeeehaaaaawwwww!!!!
admin
Colton Harris Moore Watch blog: http://colton-harris-moore.blogspot.com/
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adinstevens
Radical.
carlclark
Why is Colt not more viral?
Surely this guy is more interesting than those idiot coward teens in Chicago!
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zedcar
He’s just made it to the 6 o’clock news in New Zealand!!!!… I think that qualifies as ‘viral mainstream crossover’!
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zedcar
… And i should have said they showed this very web site, one of his downed planes and the t-shirt printing press in action. Great stuff. Is it true colt is 7 feet tall and looks like James Bond?
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admin
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inlovewithchm
Adin,
Even though I already bought the original, are you going to be making any colton t-shirts in womens’ styles? Maybe different colors? I know my girls and I in Granite Falls would be buying them up. There is nothin’ like a CHM manhunt in your own neighborhood to increase Good Times t-shirt sales! -
adinstevens
Thanks for the suggestion. I’ve been trying to keep things as simple as possible but it’s definitely a good idea to add a womens shirt. I’ll post something soon hopefully.
adinstevens
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Colt45
Adin…
Would like to buy several T’s… can I pick ‘em up somewhere? (Ballard) or mail order only??
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adinstevens
Sure thing, you can pick them up at the shop in Ballard….837 NW 49th St. Mon.-Fri. See you then.
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azumuck
Hi Adin,
couple of days ago, I wrote an e-mail to you: I desparately need a Colton shirt for my guys’ birthday. Would you be able to ship one to Germany until October 28th?
Thanx a lot!-
adinstevens
Just sent you an email…sorry I didn’t get the one you sent a couple of days ago.
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adinstevens
Got any thoughts on what Colton’s next move will be?
newtonleeds
Colton is learning every day
I just learned about Colton yesterday. It reminds of the story of the Sundance Kid. Colton is just trying to survive and hiding out. Cheers to Colton and his Mom.
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ang921
Hey Aiden, it’s Ang from the Alley. Nice shirts! Might have to get some!!
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adinstevens
Howdy neighbor!
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adinstevens
Damn straight!!!
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freeholdproductions
Adin. Sorry to contact you on this board, but having a bit of trouble tracking you down as it is the weekend. I left a message on your work voicemail, but I am going to be traveling to Seattle from LA with a film crew today trying to conduct some interviews for an independent documentary about the media/online aspect of the Colton Harris Moore story. Check your voicemail and please call either the office number in LA or my cell number (Tim) if you would be interested in setting up an interview later this week. I believe an email address has also been left. I would give it to you now, but would rather not post it on the board. We will be in the Seattle area until Wednesday. Thanks.
admin
adinstevens
Oh forgot to mention, I’ll also be adding XXXL shirts for you big boys and girls out there.
adinstevens
Just fair warning..the $10 price will change sometime today. They’ll still be very reasonable so don’t sweat it but if you want one at $10, get it soon. We’re also bumping up our charity donation proportionately!
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captainwalnut
please please don’t raise the price.you are hitting that magical tshirt number right now, don’t mess with a good thing! in any case, I’m trying to order one XL, but it won’t let me! This Leavenworth Harris-Moore fan needs his tee!
adinstevens
Washington State Mentors
Just hung up the phone with Washington State Mentors and they’re going to get back to me about accepting a donation…we may have to put the money somewhere else….stand by for more on that!
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wreckingballsc
25% down to sc homie – call it payment for inspiration to follow your dreams – and chase the unicorn hippie.
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Dave212
Hey Adin,
Dave from New York City
Just ordered myself a T-Shirt
Trendy I must say!When should I except it to be delivered? Can’t wait to wear it
Anyway to do any donations?
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adinstevens
If your order doesn’t ship today it will ship tomorrow…you’re basically donating by buying a shirt but maybe I should set up a donation button or something. Thanks for the purchase!
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a3jc
What happened to the facebook fan club page?
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adinstevens
Damn! it pulled a Colton and up and disappeared!
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adinstevens
Just got word back from one of the moderators….Facebook deleted it due to “Violation of terms of use”…..What-evs.
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jmatheny
Can you put me in touch with the admins? I’d like to interview them (by email) for my blog and podcast. http://www.alterati.com
You can have them contact me here: alterati AT nym.hush.com-
jmatheny
A little more information about the shutdown: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/10/facebook_fan_page_for_teen_ban.html
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adinstevens
Thanks!
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jmatheny
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annec43
love the shirt. can i pick a color??
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adinstevens
Heather Gray with Dk. Brown ink. is all I’ve got right now…they super sharp though!
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jmatheny
Can you put me in touch with the admins? I’d like to interview them (by email) for my blog and podcast. http://www.alterati.com
You can have them contact me here: alterati AT nym.hush.com
adinstevens
Colton Harris-Moore Fan Club on Facebook
If you haven’t already…you should join the Colton Harris-Moore Fan Club on Facebook here: http://tinyurl.com/yjbs588
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a3jc
What happened to the facebook page?
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jmatheny
Yeah, I’ve been asking that all morning, but one one can or will answer. Anyone know how to get in touch with the owner/admins of the old Facebook page?
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adinstevens
We’ve got a message in to him asking about the page….I’ll let you know if I hear back.
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adinstevens
Just got word back from one of the moderators….Facebook deleted it due to “Violation of terms of use”…..What-evs.
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jmatheny
Can you put me in touch with the admins? I’d like to interview them (by email) for my blog and podcast. http://www.alterati.com
You can have them contact me here: alterati AT nym.hush.com
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curtis
But some ass has started another one and is hawking his own t0-shirt.
Hah, never mind, it looks like his just got deleted too!!
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curtis
Or maybe not. It no longer shows up in the search, but it’s still operating at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=154285257401
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jmatheny
This one looks bigger, although I can’t get any straight answers if it’s the same people as the old group or not,
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Colton-Harris-Moore/154393645881
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adinstevens
Colton Harris-Moore T-shirts are available now!
T-shirts are available now! $10 each today only! 25% of profit to benefit Washington Sate Youth!!!
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revolt
You got any fatty sizes for the shirts? Need a 3X.
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adinstevens
Nope, not yet…XXL is the biggest I’ve got. I’ll work on getting some triples in here. Sorry buddy.
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betchur
is there anyway i could pick up a shirt in person?
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adinstevens
Sure cruise by 837 NW 49th St.
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Jimbo
do you ship to canada?
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adinstevens
Sure. I haven’t set it up in Paypal yet…it’s kind of confusing..I’ll get it sorted out today.
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admin
Tell Coltonhow you feel
Tell Colton Harris how you feel:
register http://www.coltonharrismoorefanclub.com/wp-login.php?action=register
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sharkbomb
The world needs more heroes. Thanks for being mine, Colton.
admin
Colton Harris-Moore fan club shirts
Whoa! Colton Harris-Moore fan club shirts on Yahoo News! http://tinyurl.com/yem8qjm
Problem is….Momma didn’t try….she’s a lousy mom, filthy drunk….That’s why these shirts are a joke. It’s actually an abomination of a good tune.