HAPPY BIRTHDAY?

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It’s been 691 days since Colt climbed out a window at the Renton group home where he was serving out the remainder of his sentence for burglary and possession of stolen property. And today is his birthday. How is he celebrating?

Apparently his plan is to spend his special day here on Orcas Island in Washington State’s Puget Sound. It’s a gorgeous day, so far, with brilliant blue skies and a temp near 50 degrees. We’ve had an early spring thanks to El Nino, with many clear, almost summer-like days mixed amid periods of sopping rain and a few near-freezing morning lows. We don’t know if Colt’s been camping in the woods or squatting in vacant homes, sneaking into islander’s sheds, or maybe holed up with an accomplice, but if he’s outside, he’s gone through quite a number of cold, wet nights since he came back.

Twice now law enforcement has put together serious manhunts for Colt, including helicopters, FBI agents and SWAT teams. The most recent was St. Paddy’s night, when just as many of us were headed home from parties at around 2 a.m., the alarm went out, the choppers lifted off and the shit hit the fan. They felt they had Colt cornered here on the west side of Orcas. He had his back to the cold waters of Puget Sound, and the only place he could run was across rugged and ridiculously steep terrain.

The search went on, full-bore, for 14 hours before finally being scaled back. He got away again, and earned another stretch of freedom that looks like it will at least run through his 19th birthday.  

One note to add to previous barefoot speculation: Reportedly there were bare footprints found during this latest chase, evidence that Colt is, indeed, running around the woods barefoot, even in winter.

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WHAT SHOULD COLTON HARRIS-MOORE DO?

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It looks like Colt has purposely put himself back on Orcas Island, 58-square-miles of rolling fir and cedar forests, farmed valleys, and one small town. The only ways off Orcas are by boat or small plane. Is this his ultimate "game"?

Colton Harris-Moore has gone from troubled youth to petty crook, to basically living off the land — stealing food and finding shelter — to stealing whatever he wanted out of homes and businesses, to boosting cars, boats and, allegedly, planes in order to get around. Now, in a troubling escalation, he’s gone from being a cat burglar who always took great pains to avoid notice, to someone who, apparently, is openly taunting local residents and police.

Oddly, whoever drew the goofy foots in Homegrown Market also tried to destroy the security system hard drive… Why go to all the trouble of wrecking a computer video system if you’re also leaving a calling card that’s a big “Here I am and F.U. all!”? Maybe it’s not Colt, just a method-acting copycat. Or maybe he’s not acting alone, but has local help… Who knows at this point. However, if this is Colt, then he’s escalated what he thinks of as a game -- but everyone else involved is taking very seriously -- to all-new dangerous levels.

Hunting Colt here on Orcas are uniformed and undercover police, occasionally Federal agents, and for one long day that got real annoying for locals, a department of Homeland Security Blackhawk circling endlessly trying to spot suspects using its FLIR. But wait, there’s more: Any unusually tall young men who show up on Orcas at night these days have the chance to meet some of our very own vigilantes and get a taser shoved up their asses.

How long does Colt plan to play? Really bad “media” reports speculate that he has nothing to lose and that since he’s going to spend the rest of his life in prison, why stop now. His mom says that Colt himself has in his mind that he’s looking at 20 years no matter how this ends. Wrong and wrong. Wrong and only making all this more dangerous for Colt and everyone else.

Here’s some sober speculation, based on interviews with lawyers and law enforcement.

IF Colt gets CAUGHT, the indictments could definitely total a lifetime — but that’s at retail. Nobody ever serves retail. Counties will make deals to clear crimes off their books; a lot of the charges will be from when he was a juvenile and probably get tossed; all the jurisdictions will come together to see who really wants to prosecute him; and it’s standard for a lot of sentences to be served concurrently, i.e. three three-year sentences for felony burglary could all be served at the same time.

Yes, everything could still easily add up to 20 years plus a shitload of restitution (Colt’s young: he’ll have a lot of years to pay back the insurance companies for those planes if he’s convicted of stealing and breaking them). And, obviously, that’s only if he gets caught before someone gets physically hurt — by accident or not — or Colt’s caught committing a crime with a gun. If either of those happen, then all bets are off and it’s going to be a long hard time in big boy prison for Colt.

BUT all that’s only if he gets CAUGHT.

IF, however, Colt holes up, gets in touch with someone to arrange a lawyer (Colt, there are lawyers who will work on this for free; get in touch) and make a deal BEFORE they catch him, the calculations change considerably.

Some media and fanboys play up that Colt’s such a bad ass because he took a shot at the cops. Well, no one’s going to be able to prove that, so all this “Dead or Alive” crap is bullshit. (If Colt is playing with guns, however, this is all going to end very badly for him anyway, either dead or in jail for a long time because of minimum sentencing guidelines… so Colt shouldn’t touch any guns.) As for the possibly 100 other crimes he’s suspected of committing while he’s been on the lam: Maybe there’s slam-dunk proof in a dozen or so.

Here’s the amazing thing: After all this worldwide attention and all the games and all the chases, Colt still has a hand to play. None of the jurisdictions want to waste more money chasing him (except the Feds; they’ll chase him forever no matter what it costs). And a judge should certainly look favorably on a negotiated surrender meant to stop the madness and explain the extenuating circumstances.

Right now, in my opinion, Colt could make a pretty sweet deal that would have him out of prison as a very young man and ready to start his career as a bush pilot with Fly Colt Airways.

Yes, I can remember what it feels like to be 18 and on top of the world — invincible. But you’re not. And luck always runs out. I’ve also witnessed what it does to a person to spend years looking over your shoulder wondering if this was the day they found you. Sure, it’s an exciting, challenging game for awhile, but it gets old fast and then starts to twist your mind. It’s easy for those sitting at home to type “Keep running! Never stop!” You’re providing entertainment and vicarious thrills for them. When you die, shot in someone else’s home or broken in a plane crash, or you’re sitting alone in a cell, they’ll just go back to playing their video games.

When it comes down to this simple math: Get caught and do a dozen hard, or make a deal right now and maybe get out at the same age people graduate college and start living their lives… the answer for Colt seems pretty obvious.


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A CLUE?

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ABC News reports today in this post that somebody may have been trying to steal another airplane on Orcas Island this past Friday. Unsubstantiated at this point, but if true it could mean that Colton Harris-Moore remains on the island and didn't make a quick getaway back to the mainland after allegedly leaving a calling card for us during a break-in at the Homegrown Market.
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COLTON HARRIS: CALL YOUR MOM

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She's worried about you.
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COLTON HARRIS-MOORE UPDATES

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Dateline Orcas Island, WA: Where in the world is Colton Harris-Moore?

Rumors last week of his capture by the Coast Guard were quickly deemed false (unless that was just a cover because they immediately renditioned Colt to Guantanamo... see if that false rumor gains traction).

There have, so far, been no other reports of break-ins or thefts on the island that fit Colt's m.o., leaving authorities -- and all of us residents -- to wonder if he did a hit and run on us. A mystery boat buzzed along the island at 1:45 a.m. last Thursday. Was it Colt making a quick getaway after leaving the taunting footprints? Or maybe just a Coast Guard patrol boat making a midnight sweep? We have increased water patrols because of the Olympics being held just north of us in Vancouver.

Down on Camano Island, where Colt was born and first became an outlaw, there continue to be sporadic break-ins. As I've reported in Outside Magazine and here, though, many if not all of them appear to be the work of other thiefs, with some possibly acting as Colt copycats. Naturally, though, since Colton Harris-Moore gets all the press, everyone first thinks of him whenever there is a residential or commercial burglary.

As for residents, it's not just burglaries, but every bump in the night that we have to wonder "Is it Colt?" It's not a nice way to live. I'm also getting a lot of feedback from residents on Orcas and Camano that they wish people would stop thinking of Colt as a "Robin Hood" who steals from the rich. Yes, there are rich people who live on these islands, but the majority of us are not, and instead vary from the poor conditions Colt grew up in, to typical middle classers struggling to make it in tough times.

So, from what we know now, whoever stole the plane and rode it to Orcas Island then robbed the Homegrown Market may still be on the loose here on the island, hiding out with a belly full of cheesecake, trying to figure out how to cook croissants over a camp fire. Or... he's hiding in one of our neighbor's houses. Or... he's back on the mainland.

Basically, we don't know much other than we're watching the woods.
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TOP GUN

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Colt or not, whoever stole the small plane and flew it to Orcas probably doesn't know how lucky he (or she, but we all know it's probably a he, don't we?) is. According to this story on HeraldNet the plane flew an erratic course on its way to Orcas Island and may have blundered into restricted airspace.

The Vancouver Olympics begin tonight and are, naturally, a big fat terrorist target. Airspace around Vancouver is being strictly and seriously controlled. We can see the lights of Vancouver from here on Orcas, and the restricted zone extends almost to the north end of the island. The pirated Cirrus apparently crossed over the line, though I don't have any information yet whether its transponder was on or ATC tried to contact the pilot.

So, beyond the danger of flying to a tiny island airstrip at night (especially if you're not instrument trained), you have to add the threat of a Sidewinder suppository fired from an F-15.

[UPDATE: FAA says the plane did not cross into the Olympic airspace, though they were watching it closely because if was using the wrong transponder code.]

REACH FOR THE SKY

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Some info on the latest act of airplane piracy to hit Western Washington. There have now been four small aircraft stolen and believed connected to Colton Harris-Moore. To put that number into perspective, in an average year, there are a total of six general aviation planes stolen in North America -- and most of those are near the southern border, taken and used by drug dealers.  

This plane was a Cirrus SR22, the same popular model as one stolen last summer from San Juan Island. That plane was also hard-landed on Orcas Island.  

Both times, the planes were taken at night and landed in the dark (Orcas does have runway lights that stay on all night). Both planes hit the runway, but then quickly ran off onto the grass.

This most recent plane was heisted from a locked hangar, as were the first and third planes (those were both Cessna 182s). Hangared planes give the thief time to check out the aircraft, see if it has enough fuel, check for the keys, etc.

The Cirrus is faster than the 182 and reportedly somewhat trickier to fly. That initially led some experts to doubt that someone like Colt, who had no formal training, could have flown one. Now, with a second Cirrus taken, and hints (in the form of tauntingly drawn "barefoots") that Colt has suddenly landed back on Orcas, those experts are having to admit that the connection looks stronger. Officially, though, Colt hasn't been tied to that first Cirrus theft. He is officially a suspect in this latest one.

The Cirrus is known for its airframe parachute, which in case of engine failure, deploys and slows the plane's fall to a survivable speed. It's not a magic carpet, though. This plane was stolen from Anacortes then flown across the cold waters of Puget Sound to Orcas. If a plane went into the drink out here and the pilot survived the hit, he'd only last about a half hour in the 46-degree water before losing conciousness.
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