The Barefoot Bandit
12-16-2011, 09:57 PM
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The Barefoot Bandit
From Seattle Times:
COUPEVILLE, Island County — At one time, he had more than 56,000 followers on a Facebook fan page and became a cult hero as the Barefoot Bandit, who eluded cops as he stole airplanes and cars, and burglarized homes and businesses in a two-year crime spree.
But on Friday, in a small courtroom here, the journey of Colton Harris-Moore ended with little more than a sad whimper as he was sentenced to more than seven years in state prison.
He sat emotionless in handcuffs and orange jail clothes, mostly looking to the floor.
But the 20-year-old showed his emotions in a harrowing, six-page letter that he wrote himself — without telling his attorney — and sent to Island County Judge Vickie Churchill, who on Friday decided his fate.
The letter contains his first explanations about his life and what led to his crimes.
" ... I take full responsibility for my actions, these explanations are only to provide you with context, not excuses ... ," wrote Harris-Moore. "First, my childhood was one that I would not wish on my darkest enemies ... my thirst for knowledge, cries for help, and coming of age was met with inept parents suffering from drugs and alcohol."
Attorney John Henry Browne says that his client went through 10 or so drafts of the letter, typing it on a jail computer.
He also sent the letter to U.S. District Judge Richard Jones, who will sentence Harris-Moore to up to 6 ½ years on federal charges in January, and has the option to make the sentences run concurrently.
------------------------------
And Harris-Moore went into great detail about his love of airplanes that led, he said, to an event that "changed my life forever."
He wrote that during the summer and fall of 2008, he rode 10 miles on a bicycle each day to watch planes taking off and landing at Orcas Island Airport, and that he stole several airplane manuals. He listened to airport radio communications and studied manuals and other information online.
Though he wrote he had never even flown in an airplane, "the day came on Nov. 11, 2008, when I was no longer able to resist the pull of the airplane and my lifelong dream of flying. This day and the ensuing experience became the single most defining event and terrifying day of my life."
He described at length his first flight, untrained, in terrible weather conditions.
"The euphoria of the countdown to takeoff and the realization of a dream was nearly blinding. It prevented me from taking seriously the impossible odds that stood against me.
"My first thought after takeoff was 'Oh my God, I'm flying.' I had waited my entire life for that moment ... however, my second thought immediately after was that I was probably going to die. For the first time in my life I was not only free, but in full control of my fate. Only then did I see, with quite a shock, what I had gotten myself into."
He wrote that the plane's GPS failed, and he battled 50 mph winds.
"I fell victim to spatial disorientation; believing I was in a descent, I put the airplane into a climb. My altitude went up, my airspeed went down.
The airplane quickly stalled, and I added 'untrained in spin recovery' to the list as the airplane skidded into a spin towards the ground. Several seconds passed, and in that time I saw my life ... I saw myself dead.
"I saw what my life was, what I hadn't yet achieved. I saw something that has forever changed the way I see myself and the world. There hasn't been a single day I have not thought about that morning."
He pulled out of the spin, but wrote that he was recently diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder from the event.
Local News | Barefoot Bandit's letter moves judge to sympathy | Seattle Times Newspaper
COUPEVILLE, Island County — At one time, he had more than 56,000 followers on a Facebook fan page and became a cult hero as the Barefoot Bandit, who eluded cops as he stole airplanes and cars, and burglarized homes and businesses in a two-year crime spree.
But on Friday, in a small courtroom here, the journey of Colton Harris-Moore ended with little more than a sad whimper as he was sentenced to more than seven years in state prison.
He sat emotionless in handcuffs and orange jail clothes, mostly looking to the floor.
But the 20-year-old showed his emotions in a harrowing, six-page letter that he wrote himself — without telling his attorney — and sent to Island County Judge Vickie Churchill, who on Friday decided his fate.
The letter contains his first explanations about his life and what led to his crimes.
" ... I take full responsibility for my actions, these explanations are only to provide you with context, not excuses ... ," wrote Harris-Moore. "First, my childhood was one that I would not wish on my darkest enemies ... my thirst for knowledge, cries for help, and coming of age was met with inept parents suffering from drugs and alcohol."
Attorney John Henry Browne says that his client went through 10 or so drafts of the letter, typing it on a jail computer.
He also sent the letter to U.S. District Judge Richard Jones, who will sentence Harris-Moore to up to 6 ½ years on federal charges in January, and has the option to make the sentences run concurrently.
------------------------------
And Harris-Moore went into great detail about his love of airplanes that led, he said, to an event that "changed my life forever."
He wrote that during the summer and fall of 2008, he rode 10 miles on a bicycle each day to watch planes taking off and landing at Orcas Island Airport, and that he stole several airplane manuals. He listened to airport radio communications and studied manuals and other information online.
Though he wrote he had never even flown in an airplane, "the day came on Nov. 11, 2008, when I was no longer able to resist the pull of the airplane and my lifelong dream of flying. This day and the ensuing experience became the single most defining event and terrifying day of my life."
He described at length his first flight, untrained, in terrible weather conditions.
"The euphoria of the countdown to takeoff and the realization of a dream was nearly blinding. It prevented me from taking seriously the impossible odds that stood against me.
"My first thought after takeoff was 'Oh my God, I'm flying.' I had waited my entire life for that moment ... however, my second thought immediately after was that I was probably going to die. For the first time in my life I was not only free, but in full control of my fate. Only then did I see, with quite a shock, what I had gotten myself into."
He wrote that the plane's GPS failed, and he battled 50 mph winds.
"I fell victim to spatial disorientation; believing I was in a descent, I put the airplane into a climb. My altitude went up, my airspeed went down.
The airplane quickly stalled, and I added 'untrained in spin recovery' to the list as the airplane skidded into a spin towards the ground. Several seconds passed, and in that time I saw my life ... I saw myself dead.
"I saw what my life was, what I hadn't yet achieved. I saw something that has forever changed the way I see myself and the world. There hasn't been a single day I have not thought about that morning."
He pulled out of the spin, but wrote that he was recently diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder from the event.
Local News | Barefoot Bandit's letter moves judge to sympathy | Seattle Times Newspaper
12-16-2011, 11:29 PM
#2
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But the 20-year-old showed his emotions in a harrowing, six-page letter that he wrote himself — without telling his attorney — and sent to Island County Judge Vickie Churchill, who on Friday decided his fate.
*********************
Attorney John Henry Browne says that his client went through 10 or so drafts of the letter, typing it on a jail computer.
Without telling his attorney....who knew he made 10 or so drafts? Journalism at its best! For the reporters sake, I hope that those were different attorneys!
Also, I hope he can focus and write a screenplay while he's in prison, the story has a "catch me if you can" meets "into the wild" feel to it.
12-17-2011, 01:29 AM
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I take full responsibility for my actions, these explanations are only to provide you with context, not excuses
Well, I give the guy a bit of credit: at least he seems to be standing up and saying it was my fault rather than blaming it on mom, teachers, pedophiles, or Twinkies.
Well, I give the guy a bit of credit: at least he seems to be standing up and saying it was my fault rather than blaming it on mom, teachers, pedophiles, or Twinkies.
12-17-2011, 03:06 AM
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Position: 767A (Ret)
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Wonder how much sympathy the Court would show for a letter like this:
"I've always wanted to be a judge. Wapner and Judy were my heroes. The day came when I could no longer resist, so I sneaked into chambers and stole a robe. Before they caught me, I had released five cool defendants and jailed eight suspicious characters. I also fined every lawyer in the building for contempt and bonked three clerks with my gavel. It was the most defining event of my life....
"I've always wanted to be a judge. Wapner and Judy were my heroes. The day came when I could no longer resist, so I sneaked into chambers and stole a robe. Before they caught me, I had released five cool defendants and jailed eight suspicious characters. I also fined every lawyer in the building for contempt and bonked three clerks with my gavel. It was the most defining event of my life....
12-17-2011, 05:02 AM
#5
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2011
Posts: 484
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