Crime Library: Criminal Minds and Methods

Colton Harris-Moore, Tale of a Teenage Outlaw

Barefoot Audacity

When police raided Pam Kohler's trailer looking for her son, they instead found a message from the teen fugitive.

Footprint drawn on floor at crime scene.
Footprint drawn on floor at crime scene.
"Cops wanna play huh!? Well its no lil game," said the note. "It's war!"

The saucy messages weren't just for cops, either. As his notoriety grew beyond Camano Island, police say he moved on to nearby Orcas Island, where a store called the Homegrown Market was robbed. The burglar drew footprints on the floor that led out the door, where the message "C-YA!" was painted.

Colton Harris-Moore was originally called the "Barefoot Burglar" because he was seen without shoes while fleeing crime scenes and on security footage while robbing stores.

To be sure, the teen's cocksure attitude has left a trail of anger and frustration. Joshua Flickner, who knew Colt growing up, says the fugitive used a woman's stolen credit card four or five days in a row at his family store.

"That woman was his first identity-theft victim, and she was just in here. I've talked to dozens of his victims. You don't see the victims," Flickner told Bob Friel. "All he's doing is hurting people." Colton Harris-Moore's alleged pattern of destructive behavior was only just beginning.

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