Overview of The Barefoot Bandit: Catch Him If You Can
This episode of Chameleon, The Weekly (Campside Media / Audiochuck), hosted by Josh Dean, tells the true story of Colton Harris-Moore — the “Barefoot Bandit.” It traces his rise from an impoverished teenager living on a Puget Sound island to an unlikely, internet-fueled folk antihero who committed a cross‑country and international crime spree: burglaries, vehicle and boat thefts, and the theft and piloting (and repeated crashing) of small aircraft. The episode examines his methods, media notoriety (including the first outlaw of the social‑media age), capture in the Bahamas, legal outcomes, and the complicated aftermath.
Key events and timeline
- Background: Colton grew up in poverty on Camano/Camino Island, WA, raised mainly by his mother Pam Kohler; known for going barefoot and for stealing food/electronics to survive.
- Juvenile convictions and escape: Convicted as a teen, sent to a juvenile facility/halfway house; escaped in April 2008 and resumed crimes.
- Escalation: From local burglaries and car thefts to stealing small planes at rural airports (keys often left accessible) with no formal flight training.
- Plane thefts/crashes: Multiple stolen aircraft flights across hundreds to over a thousand miles; by the end he had crashed five airplanes but survived.
- Media and social media frenzy (circa 2009): Nicknamed the “Barefoot Bandit,” chalk footprints and taunting messages (CYA) appeared at crime scenes; a Facebook fan page, T‑shirts, songs, and 60,000 followers fueled his folk‑hero image.
- Flight to the Bahamas and capture: After flying a Cessna from the U.S. to the Bahamas and crashing in mangrove swamps, he was recognized, fled by boat, was pursued and shot up by Bahamian police, then deported to the U.S. to face charges.
- Legal outcome: Pleaded guilty in state and federal court; served roughly 6.5 years (incarceration at Stafford Creek); release in 2016 with three years’ probation. Part of his plea barred profiting from his life story; life rights were sold to 20th Century Fox.
- Post‑release episodes: Attempted to fund cryogenic preservation for his dying mother (unsuccessful fundraising). Later sought early termination of probation (2019) to earn money via speaking; publicly tried to shed the “Barefoot Bandit” label.
Major characters
- Colton Harris‑Moore — central figure, tall, charismatic, resourceful teen turned fugitive.
- Pam Kohler — Colton’s mother; supportive and publicly emotional; involved in cryonics fundraising.
- Jackson Holtz (Holtz/Holtz?) — local reporter who covered the story at the Everett Daily Herald and later wrote a book about the case.
- Local law enforcement, FBI, Bahamian police — pursued the multi‑jurisdictional manhunt.
- Judge Vicki Churchill — presided over sentencing and commented on Colton’s childhood and remorse.
Themes and analysis
- Poverty and childhood trauma: The story frames Colton’s crimes within the context of a chaotic, impoverished upbringing and an unreliable family environment.
- Skill, improvisation, and luck: Colton displayed practical ingenuity (finding keys, living off stolen goods) and a dangerous aptitude for improvisational flight; his survival through multiple crashes was exceptional.
- Media and mythmaking: The case illustrates how social media (early Facebook era) and pop culture can turn a criminal into an outlaw folk hero — T‑shirts, fan pages, songs, and a crowd that romanticized him.
- Criminality vs. celebrity: Public fascination complicated law enforcement and raised questions about glamorizing crime and the ethics of profiteering from criminal notoriety.
- Redemption and reputation: Post‑release attempts to rebrand (motivational speaking, legal petitions) highlight the difficulty of escaping a powerful public identity formed as a youth.
Notable quotes & lines
- Judge Vicki Churchill: called the case “a tragedy in many ways, but a triumph of the human spirit in other ways,” noting Colton’s “mind‑numbing absence of hope” in childhood.
- Colton (on moving past the label): “I don't go by the name Barefoot Bandit. My name's Colton Harris‑Moore… You make mistakes, you live, you learn, and you move on.”
- Media summary of his capture: police disabled his boat engines (shotgun, Uzi) and took him into custody from a bullet‑riddled vessel.
Main takeaways
- Colton’s crimes escalated from survival thefts to audacious, highly dangerous acts (stealing and flying planes) largely enabled by rural lax security and his own improvisational tactics.
- The case is an early, clear example of how social media can manufacture an outlaw celebrity, influencing public perception and creating a folklore layer around criminal behavior.
- Despite the spectacle and lore, the legal system imposed accountability: prison time, probation, and restrictions on profiting from his story; attempts to rebrand faced public skepticism.
- The story raises ethical questions about media coverage, audiences’ appetite for antiheroes, and the long shadow of adolescent actions.
Further resources
- The episode references reporting and a book by the journalist who covered the case (Jackson Holtz) — look for his book on Colton Harris‑Moore for a deeper, reporter‑based account.
- For follow‑up on legal outcomes and later life events, search public court records and news coverage from 2010–2019.
Produced by Chameleon (Campside Media / Audiochuck). Hosts and production details are credited at the episode’s close.