July 11

This Day in History

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Lead Story
Burr slays Hamilton in duel, 1804
American Revolution
British evacuate Savannah, Georgia, 1782
Automotive
President Woodrow Wilson signs Federal Aid Road Act, 1916
Civil War
Union notches a victory at the Battle of Rich Mountain, 1861
Cold War
Soviets agree to hand over power in West Berlin, 1945
Crime
Barefoot Bandit is captured in the Bahamas, 2010
Disaster
Gas fire incinerates crowded campsite, 1978
General Interest
First Quaker colonists land at Boston, 1656
Skylab crashes to Earth, 1979
U.S. establishes diplomatic relations with Vietnam, 1995
Hollywood
Hollywood Bowl opens, 1922
Literary
"Charlotte's Web" author E.B. White born, 1899
Music
The Hollwood Argyles' "Alley Oop" leads a novelty-song outbreak, 1960
Old West
Tall Bull dies, 1869
Presidential
John Quincy Adams is born, 1767
Sports
Babe Ruth makes MLB debut, 1914
Vietnam War
Public opinion approves bombing of North Vietnam, 1966
Senators debate U.S. policy in Vietnam, 1967
Thieu challenges NLF to participate in free elections, 1969
World War I
German command makes final plans for renewed offensive on the Western Front, 1918
World War II
Hitler is paid a visit by his would-be assassin, 1944

Crime

Jul 11, 2010:

Barefoot Bandit is captured in the Bahamas

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On this day in 2010, after a two-year manhunt, 19-year-old Colton Harris-Moore of Washington state is arrested following a high-speed boat chase in the Bahamas.  Harris-Moore was suspected of stealing an airplane in Indiana and crash-landing it in the Bahamas the week before. Nicknamed the "Barefoot Bandit" for going shoeless during some of his alleged crimes, the teen was a suspect in scores of other burglaries in the United States and Canada, where he was accused of swiping everything from potato chips to credit cards, small planes, boats and cars. During his time as a fugitive, Harris-Moore gained a cult-like following online, with fans viewing him as a folk hero and praising his brazenness and his uncanny ability to elude law-enforcement officials.

Growing up on Camano Island, Washington, Harris-Moore had a difficult, impoverished childhood. He reportedly stole food from neighbors, had a turbulent relationship with his mother (his father spent time in jail and is believed to have been largely absent from the family) and was often in trouble at school before dropping out in the 10th grade. His first criminal conviction was at age 12, for possession of stolen property.  

In April 2008, Harris-Moore escaped from a Renton, Washington, juvenile halfway house, where he was serving time for burglarizing homes. Over the next two years, he continued his crime spree, breaking into a long string of private residences and businesses, primarily in the Pacific Northwest, while camping in the woods and unoccupied homes. The teen, who learned to fly without any formal training, became a suspect in the theft of at least five small planes, all of which he managed to pilot and safely crash-land.  

In early July 2010, Harris-Moore commandeered an aircraft in Bloomington, Indiana, and flew it to the Bahamas, where he crash-landed on Great Abaco Island. He allegedly went on to commit a series of break-ins throughout the Bahamas, before being nabbed in a stolen boat by Bahamian police in the early hours of July 11.

Harris-Moore eventually pleaded guilty to seven federal charges, including two airplane thefts and a bank robbery, as well as more than 30 state charges in Washington, including burglary and identity theft. In December 2011, he was sentenced in state court to seven years in prison. In January 2012, a federal judge in Seattle sentenced Harris-Moore to six-and-a-half years behind bars, to run concurrently with his state time.

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This Week in History, Jul 11 - Jul 17

Jul 11, 2010
Barefoot Bandit is captured in the Bahamas
Jul 12, 1963
The Moors Murderers begin their killing spree
Jul 13, 1955
Last woman hanged for murder in Great Britain
Jul 14, 1881
Billy the Kid is shot to death
Jul 14, 1966
A mass murderer leaves eight women dead
Jul 15, 1953
A notorious English killer is executed
Jul 15, 2002
John Walker Lindh accepts plea bargain
Jul 16, 1979
An army doctor is accused of stabbing his family to death
Jul 17, 2011
Casey Anthony released from prison

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