The Barefoot Bandit

by Bob Friel

  The other revelation from Ed Coaker was his claim that Pam had met at least two of the men who shared the trailer with her and Colt, including Bill Kohler, through prison pen-pal programs.

  The mitigation report also took the state CPS system and Stanwood-Camano school district to task for letting Colt “fall through the cracks.” Dr. Adler notes that “All of the CPS investigations were closed in short order, ironically due to mother’s lack of cooperation.”

  Colt says he loves his mother and wants her to be happy. Her alcoholism, though, “is the number one, and as far as I am concerned, the only problem my mom has that prevented a friendship with me.” As of press time, Colt has been in Seattle for seventeen months, but has not yet seen Pam.

  ON THE WASHINGTON STATE side of things, Greg Banks from Island County and Randy Gaylord from San Juan County told the judge that they’d taken Colt’s rough childhood and his nonviolence into account in recommending that she give him the high end of the sentencing range: nine years and eight months.

  After the prosecution and defense had finished their presentations, Judge Churchill recessed for twenty minutes then came back into court and made a remarkable speech:

  I think this case is a tragedy in many ways, but it’s also a triumph of the human spirit. I sympathize with the defendant due to the terrible upbringing he had. As one investigator indicated, “it was a mind-numbing absence of hope.” It was a tragedy he had to steal food… to endure the taunts and jeers of classmates… that he had an alcoholic and abusive mother… We can all shake our heads and wonder how did this all happen, and more importantly, how can we keep it from happening to another child?

  Judge Churchill said that in reviewing Colton’s upbringing and the psychological reports of his mental health issues, “I was struck that I could have been reading the history of a mass murderer… I could have been reading about a drug-addicted, alcoholic, abusive young man who followed in the path of his mother. Yet I was not reading that story. That is the triumph of Colton Harris-Moore. He has survived.”

  Sitting in the courtroom, it felt like the judge was about to let Colt walk out a free man or maybe give him a medal. But there came a “nevertheless… ” Judge Churchill said she was elected to uphold the law, was bound by the state’s sentencing reform act, and needed to protect the public. She acknowledged that “Mr. Harris-Moore has an extensive criminal history, and a high offender score.” She said, though, that because she felt he was remorseful, contrite, and because he was paying full restitution—“something that is unique in cases like this”—she would give Colt the minimum sentence allowed within the standard range: seven years and three months. She ended with, “I wish him well.”

  Colt, who was ready to accept the max, was happy and relieved with the judgment. Churchill tacked on the $292,167 in restitution owed to the San Juan and Island County victims, and Colt was taken away.

  Colt’s federal and state sentences will run concurrent, but the state clock does not begin counting down until he turns twenty-one on March 22, 2012. With time off for good behavior, he could be stepping out of a Washington State prison in time for his twenty-fifth birthday.

  * * *

  UP HERE IN SAN JUAN COUNTY, Sheriff Bill Cumming decided not to run for another term. After a tough, mudslinging election, voters chose new blood in fifty-one-year-old Rob Nou, who says his policy is that deputies should collect forensics from every crime scene possible.

  Unsurprisingly, the crime rate on Orcas Island dropped after Colt left. I suspect that it might remain even lower than what it was before he arrived. Because of Colt, residents are much more conscious of the potential for crime. Many homes and almost all businesses are wired with burglar alarms and surveillance systems. Unfortunately, the relaxed, open-door atmosphere is a thing of the past.

  Sandi, Murphy, and I remain perched on Raven Ridge, our mossy little patch of Northwest paradise. I think of Colt every night as I go around and check the cabin doors. It’s not a happy chore. Ironically, Colt says he chose to come to Orcas Island mainly for the same reason we did: because it’s such a peaceful, beautiful place. Colt even says he spent most of his time here in Deer Harbor, but says that while he did see me a number of times, he was not the one we heard under the cabin. Murphy, for one, is not convinced.

  After piecing together what I know of Colt’s entire life, though, there’s no anger, just frustration and sadness. I feel both for the victims that are still affected, and also for Colt due to the past events that were out of his control coupled with his own bad choices that will result in him spending years behind bars. But I also have hope for his future.

  I realize now that Colt’s big smiles in the Bahamas were also a sign of his remarkable resiliency. Colt appears to have sloughed off his negative identity as an alienated bad boy and now sees himself as a student. It’s certainly better that his energies go toward planning for college instead of plotting helicopter attacks on Costco.

  Colt reached out through a friend to say that although he doesn’t like the idea of the book and movie about him because he thinks it will make it harder to eventually melt into anonymity and live that “normal” life he so craves, he doesn’t hold it against me. He also said that he hopes we can go kayaking or hiking on Turtleback Mountain together when he gets out.

  I look forward to that. Though I’m glad he didn’t ask me to go flying.

  Acknowledgments

  Other than the parts of this story that I personally witnessed, this book is based on reporting in the form of hundreds of interviews and reviewing reams of legal documents. It would be a much poorer telling if I did not have the generous help and cooperation of so many sources whose personal stories brought this tale to life. A number of people I spoke with requested anonymity and thus unfortunately can’t be thanked here by name. Some were afraid of losing their jobs; others were concerned for their personal safety. I also disguised the names of several crime victims who requested I do so for privacy reasons. In every use of an anonymous source, I checked details against police and court records as well as secondary sources wherever possible.

  To set the scene on Camano Island and to recreate Colt’s early life, I relied on interviews with: Bev and Geof Davis; Bill, Doreen, and Megan Wagner; Pam Kohler; Jack “Skeeter Daddle” Archibald and his wife, author Karen Prasse; Josh Flickner; Joel Bradfield; Bonnie Bryand and her son, Kory; Harley Davidson Ironwing; Anne Pitser; Jim Pettyjohn; Helen Owens; Kara Weber; Shannon Kirby; Maxine Kostelyk; Christa Postma; Carol Star; Josh Richardson; Mike Bulmer; Patty Morgan; Brandi Blackford; Leslie Hawthorne; Glen Kramer; and Jacquie Staggs.

  Early on in my research, I got a call from what I thought was the ghost of Walter Brennan. It turned out to be a man named Pete Poeschel. Pete’s call led to a mysterious mainland meeting where he introduced me to an important source. Thanks, Pete, you’ve got a good heart and a great laugh. Thanks, too, to Donna Poeschel.

  I received terrific support from my friends and neighbors on beautiful Orcas Island. The one upside to having the crime wave hit here is that I got to meet even more of the nice folks who call Orcas home. Special thanks to those who contributed their personal stories and expertise: Bob Rivers; Kyle Ater and Cedra Gutschmidt; Belinda Landon and Marion Rathbone; Teri Williams and Jay Fowler; Jack Cadden; Jeremy Trumble; Ryan Carpenter; Cory Wiscomb and his 2010 senior class at Orcas High—Go Vikings!; flyboys Bill Anders, Eric Gourley, Grant Schumaker, and Geoff Schussler; flygirl Bea Von Tobel; John Gorton; Jason Linnes; Jay Longfellow; Rosemary Hennessy and Fred Vinson; Maggie Vinson; Henry and Donna McNeil; Mike and Matt Stohlmeir; Dick Greaves; Babs Briggs; Colleen Armstrong; Kevin and Carol McCoy; Mark Morris and the Orcas Craic’ers; Scott Lancaster; and Suzanne Lyons. Over on Lopez Island, thanks to Kim and Michelle Smith, and Stephanie Dallas and Krista Mann.

  Current and former law enforcement officers and prosecutors from more than a dozen local, state, federal, and international departments and agencies contributed to this book—some willingly and graciou
sly, others through the Freedom of Information Act. Thanks to Island County Sheriff’s Office detective Ed Wallace, former ICSO lieutenant Chris Ellis, and Island County prosecutor Greg Banks. In San Juan County, thanks to former sheriff Bill Cumming, current sheriff Rob Nou, county prosecutor Randy Gaylord, and public records officer Stan Matthews. Ray Clever, Stu Smith, and Frank Friel are ex-cops with more stories between them than the Library of Congress, and each served as a great resource. Thanks also to Hancock County, Illinois, sheriff John Jefferson; Warrenton, Oregon, police chief Mathew Workman; Clackamas County, Oregon, detective Jim Slovnik; the Royal Bahamian Police Force’s chief inspector Roston Moss and sergeant Chrislyn Skippings; and FBI special agent Linwood Smith.

  On the other side of the law-and-order ledger: Thanks to defense attorney John Henry Brown, private eye Shauna Snyder, defense attorney Rachel Miyoshi, and attorney Jim Johansen.

  I was able to detail Colt’s cross-country run only with the help of: Kelly Kneifl, Jim McLaughlin, Brad Hernke, Pat Gardiner, Homer Woolslayer, Larry Johnson, Shane Vande Vort, Graham Goad, Alan Daniels, Gary Taylor, Mike Vadeboncoeur, Rachel Tiede, John “Spider” Miller, Mary Beaird, Tom Francis, Steve Black, Michael Isaacs, Bruce Payton, Gary Carlson, Ray Jilek, Rich Rasmussen, and Mike Rocha.

  Out of my many, many trips to the Bahamas over the last thirty years, following Colt there was one of the strangest. All t’anks to Petagay Hartman for playing Nancy Drew to my Scooby Doo, and for providing a soft couch and fresh mangoes. Thanks also to Kenny Strachan, Mauris Jonassaint, Denaldo Bain, Tim Roberts, Johnny Roberts and Nippers, George “Barefoot Man” Nowak, Kay Politano, Ruthie Key, Alistair Macdonald, and Ricky Ricardo.

  A select group of world-class experts generously offered their time and vast knowledge to educate me on a range of topics from childhood development to the juvenile justice system to the psychological underpinnings of our fascination with outlaws. Thanks to judge Bobbe Bridge, who’s doing amazing, important work at her Center for Children and Youth Justice; Dr. Delton Young; Dr. Eric Trupin; Dr. Edwin Camiel; Sandi Burt; Dr. Rayner Hernit; and professor Graham Seal.

  Amid the often competitive and insecure world of journalism, I warmly appreciate the professional courtesy of CBS producer Paul LaRosa for some significant shares, and the Seattle Times’ Jennifer Sullivan for a timely phone number.

  Author and friend Nikki Jefford was an immense help on this book. While serving as research assistant, she made hundreds of calls to charm interviews and documents out of sources all across the country. Several times she and Seb also talked me into eating food that for some strange reason didn’t include meat.

  Author and old friend Janet Bohac waded through a very early, very long draft of the manuscript and kindly didn’t tell me I should go back to feeding sharks. Her check marks and “You’re losing me!” notes were a great help in refining the story’s pacing.

  Aloha and thanks to Bill and Rita Quinlan. Thank you Lance Black, Matt Reilly, and Rich Green.

  A major thank-you to the whole team at Outside, especially Mary Turner and Chris Keyes, who were adventurous enough to recognize the importance of this story way before it made headlines.

  In the dizzying atmosphere of today’s publishing industry, I’m very fortunate to have Joe Veltre as my literary agent. Joe shaped my book proposal and then helped me make a very tough decision during negotiations by asking the immortal question: “What would Colt do?”

  I’m supremely grateful to Elisabeth Dyssegaard, who not only championed The Barefoot Bandit for Hyperion Books but also personally and patiently worked with me, providing invaluable help in taming a wordy, digressive monster of a manuscript. Thanks also to Hyperion’s Ellen Archer, Kristin Kiser, Megan Vidulich, Amy Vreeland, Karen Minster, Bryan Christian, Jon Bernstein, Sarah Rucker, and Sam O’Brien.

  Finally, eternal thanks and love to my family and friends who saw very little of me for nineteen months but were always ready when I needed a laugh, a drink, a patient ear to rant in, or a companion to go hike the woods. My parents, Bob and Carol Friel, have always been there for me with love and support. Thanks also to Carol and Gary and their wonderful kids, aka my niece and nephew: Meghan, a talented writer and ardent conservationist, and Brendan, a future PGA tour winner/astronaut/meteorologist. A big thank you treat goes to Murphy who dragged me away from the computer and out of the cabin at least once every day, rain or shine. And last, and most, thank you, Sandi, for everything.

  About the Author

  BOB FRIEL has authored more than one hundred feature articles along with hundreds of columns for magazines such as Outside, Islands, Philadelphia, Sunset, Caribbean Travel & Life, and Smithsonian Air & Space. He has been named Travel Writer of the Year and won more than thirty awards during his six-year tenure as editor in chief of Caribbean Travel & Life. He lives on Orcas Island in Washington State with his wife.

  www.bobfriel.com

  Copyright

  Copyright © 2012 Seahawk Creative, LLC

  “The Barefoot Bandit Song,” chapter 28, © George Nowak/Barefoot Records (www.barefootman.com). For maps and photo galleries of the Barefoot Bandit’s run, go to www.bobfriel.com.

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For information address Hyperion, 114 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10011.

  The Library of Congress has catalogued the original print edition of this book as follows:

  Friel, Bob.

  The barefoot bandit/Bob Friel.—1st ed.

  p. cm.

  ISBN 978–1–4013–2416–2

  1. Harris—Moore, Colton. 2. Thieves—United States—Biography. 3. Criminals—United States—Biography. I. Title.

  HV6653.H37F75 2012

  364.16'2092—dc23

  2011047366

  eBook Edition ISBN: 978–1–4013–0379–2

  Hyperion books are available for special promotions and premiums. For details, contact the HarperCollins Special Markets Department in the New York office at 212–207–7528, fax 212–207–7222, or email spsales@harpercollins.com.

  Cover design by Susan Zucker & Art Parts Studio

  Author photo by Sandi Friel

  First eBook Edition

  Original hardcover edition printed in the United States of America.

  www.HyperionBooks.com

  Примечания

  1

  In my interviews with Megan and Doreen Wagner, they said these events happened when Colt was between ten and twelve years old. In a burglary report, the police quote Bill Wagner as saying it was when Colt was between thirteen and fifteen. There is no dispute the events happened, just about the exact years.

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