Catch Me if You Can- The Colton Harris-Moore Story

Catch me if you can......

“Colton Harris-Moore is a real life 21^st century out-law.” At 19, he is a serial criminal with two years of consistent break-ins and thefts. He’s traveled the country stealing cars, planes (yes, planes-- and crash landing them), boats, and breaking into people’s luxurious vacation homes to spend the night. His calling card was white chalk footprints he left as a way of marking his territory. This, and his habit of removing his shoes before every crime, deemed him the “Barefoot Burglar.”

Relative to other serial criminals, Moore seems harmless. Annoying, disrespectful, and lacking morals for sure, but otherwise devoid of the brutality and violence of other crimes. Think Scott Peterson, OJ Simpson, Charles Manson, etc. Moore is a far cry from being compared to these cold-blooded killers, but his story has achieved the same caliber of coverage and the same caliber of fame. How? The internet.

Unlike Scott Peterson etc., Moore’s story was only covered on the news and in periodicals briefly. He never became the poster-child for tabloids, the cover story of People Magazine, or headlining news days in a row. Despite the media’s menial coverage of the “21^st century Jesse James,” the internet never fails. Professor Silverman mentioned last class that without technology we can only shout so far, but with the internet our voices are much louder. This is what happened to Moore.

The adventurous nature of Moore’s crime spree attracted an influx of followers which soon called themselves ‘fans.” Because the general public seemed either unaware or uninterested in Moore, the internet became the means of his fame. Websites supporting donations for his legal fees when finally caught were created. Facebook (surprise, surprise!) had a fan page. ColtonaHarrisMooreFanClub.com emerged. T-shirts were even made! The internet turned Moore’s crimes into victories and soon Moore was considered a hero. The internet sensationalized and glorified Moore by manipulating his spree into a story of an outlaw instead of a disturbed young man.

Moore’s story is unusual and without the internet, would perhaps slip under the radar. Some of you may ask why this matters? Well it matters for several reasons.

First, it is important to see why people were so invested in Moore. I believe the mystery of police's inability to catch him was the point of appeal. Because this story was not top news, the internet chronicled his adventures, allowing the public to continue following Moore’s every move, intrigued as to where he would once again fool the police.

It is also no secret that public support is often helpful when facing criminal charges. Moore’s publicity gained him recognition from a California lawyer who offered to represent him free of charge if only he turned himself in. Without the internet, this would never have happened as Moore's publicity would be little to none.

On the other hand, Moore’s publicity somewhat threw him under the bus. With his picture plastered on the web, blogs, chat rooms, and Facebook, Moore became much more vulnerable. His brief mentioning on the news was not enough coverage to make the whole country aware of his antics, unlike other crime sprees that sparked national distress. This was obviously due to the benign nature of Moore’s crimes. However, coverage on the internet is not a 1 minute clip on TV- it is a permanent mark. People became aware of Moore through his internet exposure. One bounty hunter even offered his services free of charge because he had seen Moore’s case online.

Technology gives people power. In this case, Moore’s identity as a hero, fame as a criminal, and ultimate demise were products of the internet. Technology took this story by the reigns and allowed Moore to achieve status he would otherwise never achieve. As previously discussed, there were pros and cons. However, the internet in this case is proof that technology can greatly aid in the encouragement of a criminal and for Moore, eventual demise.

Colton Harris-Moore, Internet Legend, was caught in the Bahamas on July 10, 2010. Gawker deems him one of the ‘greatest criminals of our time.’ Is this because his crimes were so crafty? Perhaps… but the internet was absolutely a main player in the rise and fall of Colton Harris-Moore.

Mallory.