Colton Harris-Moore, the 'Barefoot Bandit' sentenced to over 7 years

Colton Harris-Moore, the youthful, now 20-year-old so-called "Barefoot Bandit," has been sentenced to seven years after two year on the run and what was a crime spree which eventually involved dozens of charges.

Despite his multiple crimes, Island County Judge Vickie Churchill felt that Colton Harris-Moore had triumphed over a life that had him brought up by an alcoholic mother who also had a series of convict boyfriends. Instead of "simply" being on the run, he could have ended up a serial killer, she said.

Churchill's statement was, "This case is a tragedy in many ways, but it's a triumph of the human spirit in other ways. I could have been reading about the history of a mass murderer. I could have been reading about a drug abusive, alcoholic young man. That is the triumph of Colton Harris-Moore: He has survived."

Meanwhile, Dr. Richard S. Adler, a psychiatrist who evaluated Harris-Moore, said “What was characterized by the media as the swashbuckling adventures of a rakish teenager were in fact the actions of a depressed, possibly suicidal young man with waxing and waning post-traumatic stress disorder."

Originally from Camano Island, Washington, Colton Harris-Moore was charged with the thefts of small aircraft, a boat, and two cars. In addition, he was charged with the burglaries of at least 100 private residences in various locations around the Pacific Northwest, and not just in the United States, but in Canada, as well.

He eventually fled to the Bahamas (on July 4, 2010), allegedly using a stolen plane. Harris-Moore was arrested in Harbour Island, Bahamas, on July 11, 2010, after police shot out the engine of the boat in which he was attempting to flee.

Colton Harris-Moore was dubbed the "Barefoot Bandit" because he committed some of his crimes barefoot (occasionally he was referred to as the "Barefoot Burglar"). He once left behind 39 chalk footprints and the word "c'ya!" For the most part, authorities said that he more often than not wore shoes during his crimes.

There is already a movie planned, but the "Barefoot Bandit" won't be making any personal riches from the film. Instead, in a plea agreement, Colton Harris-Moore agreed to forfeit any profits from selling publishing rights to his story. The aim is to pay back the $1.4 million he owes his victims with the movie. “Taking Flight: The Hunt for a Young Outlaw,” will be produced by Twentieth Century Fox, from the book proposal from Bob Friel. Friel profiled Harris-Moore in the January 2010 edition of the magazine Outside.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

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