Over the course of 2 years and multiple countries, he broke into homes, stole cars and boats, and even flew multiple planes. So, what happened? How did he outrun 3 governments? How did he learn to fly a plane? This is the story of Colton Harris-Moore.
Troubled Beginnings
Colton was born on March, 1991, where he grew up in an abusive family. His father had left and his mother was an alcohol addict. After a few years, he started running from home. He broke into homes for supplies, starting his life of crime. Colton would then meet what would basically be his sidekick of sorts. Harley Ironwing, who had a similar life, would teach Colton skills that would make it easier to steal from homes. He would also assist Colton with stealing items.
Colton soon began to steal items other than food. He began stealing credit cards which he used to purchase lockpicks and other tools to make stealing easier. This is where people really started to notice Colton’s crimes and when the FBI got involved. Wanted posters were made and Colton was being actively hunted down.
Eventually, he got caught.
The Great Escape
He was brought to the Green Hill Juvenile Detention Center, where he studied airplanes and how they function (this would play a massive role in the future!). After a couple of months, he was moved to the Griffin Home Residential Treatment Center. Colton, however, leaped through a window and managed to escape.
Colton went back to stealing cars until he found himself in a high speed car chase. The police were about to get him until he did the unthinkable: He jumped out of the window.
He managed to land and sprinted to the nearby forest. In the car, authorities found a camera containing pictures of him in the woods, with one picture of his face becoming famous. He continued his journey of crime until it was time for his next big move.
Colton stole a boat to Orcas Island, Georgia. At the Orcas Island Airport, he would break into one of the many planes. He was about to fly a plane. His experience? A flight simulator and a few books from the detention center. This seemed impossible, but Colton was determined.
He began to take off.
Sky’s The Limit
Colton managed to stay in the air for 300 miles. He would eventually crash the plane but lived. He would continuously steal vehicles to evade police. Planes were no exception. He stole a total of 6 planes throughout his criminal journey. This was also when he started crossing Canada’s border a few times (illegally, of course).
He would leave obvious clues to taunt the police. Although this was extremely risky, he managed to get away every single time. One example would be him drawing footprints on the floor of a grocery store. Another more known example would be him putting a note with a $100 bill in a vet clinic. It read:
“Drove by, had some extra cash. Please use this money for the care of animals.” -Colton Harris-Moore (AKA: The Barefoot Bandit)
Colton had some close calls, however. One time, after stealing a car, he headed to South Dakota where he would shower in a house he broke into. The family of the house caught him in the middle of his act and Colton swiftly ran to the basement. The police had thought that they had finally caught him, but it turned out that he escaped through a tiny window.
At this point, it was almost 2 years since law enforcement tried catching him in a wild goose chase. He decided to make another big move by stealing another plane. It was headed for Cuba.
Taking a Vacation
Colton crash-landed at the Bahamas. This wasn’t intended, but Colton quickly got to action and started his old habit of stealing. Locals started to recognize him until his cover was completely blown. For Colton, this was really bad as he knew authorities would be after him soon. He was right. On July 11, 2010, his worst nightmare happened.
He stole a speedboat and headed to Harbour Island to evade the police. They followed. Colton stole another speedboat off the island. They followed. Colton and the police found themselves in a high-speed boat chase. He kept maneuvering until he once again, outran the cops. This seemed like another victory for Colton until his boat got stuck on a sandbar (a build up of sand creating a small hill). As the police caught up, Colton realized that this situation would be the only thing he couldn’t escape.
On July 11, 2010, Colton Harris-Moore was arrested. He was charged with:
- Burglary
- Stealing multiple vehicles
- Operating a plane without a license
- Evading authorities
- Landing in the Bahamas illegally
- Stealing a firearm (and possessing one as a fugitive)
These charges added up to about 6.5 years in prison and a 1.4 million dollar fine.
His $1.4 million fine was paid by 20th Century Fox for licensing rights to create a movie about him. This money would go back to the victims of his crimes.
Today, Colton has been released and has now gone quiet on social media. He wishes to move on from this part of his life and doesn’t want his criminal record to be what he’s always known for.
RELATED STORIES:
https://www.historylink.org/File/22562
https://hhsclarionnews.com/feature-stories/2024/05/22/how-a-16-year-old-evaded-the-fbi-for-2-years/
https://www.nwyachting.com/the-true-story-of-the-barefoot-bandit/
https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/robberies/barefoot-bandit/
https://theweek.com/articles/492810/who-barefoot-bandit
TAKE ACTION:
Watch the movie “Fly Colt Fly” (the movie that paid for Colton’s crimes) to learn about his life story.
