Colton Harris-Moore: The Barefoot Bandit (AKA AyleSteelya Earhart)

Episode of Morbid · November 9, 2026 · 1 h 4 min

Morbid hosts Ash Kelley and Alaina Urquhart recount the life and crimes of Colton Harris-Moore, the teenage 'Barefoot Bandit' who stole and crashed airplanes.

Summary

Ash Kelley narrated the case of Colton Harris-Moore, born in 1991 on Camano Island, Washington, to Pam Kohler and Gordon Moore. Kelley described an unstable, abusive home, at least 12 referrals to Child Protective Services by 2005, early developmental delays, and a turn to theft and living alone in the woods. Both hosts argued that the system failed him, while stressing sympathy for the island residents whose homes and credit cards he violated.

The episode followed his repeated arrests, including a 2006 sting in which a deputy posed as a pizza delivery driver at his mother's trailer, his 2007 surrender at his mother's urging, his partnership with fellow teenager Harley Davidson Ironwing, and his 2008 escape from a Renton halfway house. His crimes escalated to car chases, a stolen deputy's rifle, a ransacked grocery store, and self-taught airplane thefts using manuals, DVDs, and Microsoft Flight Simulator; he reportedly crashed five planes. Alaina Urquhart said her sympathy ran out as the damage mounted, though she noted his wasted potential.

Kelley described his rise as a folk hero, the 'Barefoot Bandit' nickname, his mother's pursuit of publicity, and the economic toll on Camano Island. After stealing a plane in Indiana and crashing it in the Bahamas, he was captured in July 2010. He pleaded guilty to federal and state charges, was ordered to pay $1.4 million in restitution, and received a sentence of seven years and three months; a 20th Century Fox film rights deal later helped repay victims. The hosts closed with a fun fact about the can opener and a plea for listeners to vote for Tatyana on Dancing with the Stars, and jokingly retitled the episode after a producer's drag-name pun.

Chapters

  1. 0:00

    Intro and banter

    The hosts open the show and tease upcoming news before introducing the case.

  2. 1:15

    Early life and abusive home

    Kelley describes Colton Harris-Moore's birth on Camano Island, his parents' struggles, developmental delays, and repeated CPS referrals.

  3. Linked moment · 7:34Skip to 7:34 using a listen link in the info box.

    7:34

    Early thefts and life in the woods

    Colton racks up theft charges by age 12, tells his principal he cannot stop, and moves into the woods after juvenile detention.

  4. 9:37

    2006 manhunt and pizza sting

    Police chase an armed 15-year-old Colton around the island and finally catch him by posing as a pizza delivery driver.

  5. 18:23

    2007 capture and Harley Davidson Ironwing

    Colton surrenders at his mother's urging, the hosts weigh sympathy for victims, and Kelley introduces his accomplice Harley Davidson Ironwing.

  6. 26:09

    Sentencing and halfway house escape

    Colton receives three years, is moved to a halfway house, escapes in 2008, and leads a deputy on a car chase that ends in a crash.

  7. 34:12

    Escalating crimes

    Colton breaks into ATMs, steals a deputy's rifle, and ransacks a grocery store where his blood is found.

  8. 39:12

    Stealing airplanes

    Self-taught from manuals, DVDs and flight simulators, Colton steals and crashes a series of small planes.

  9. 45:19

    Folk hero and the Barefoot Bandit name

    National coverage, T-shirts and fan groups turn Colton into a folk hero, his mother seeks fame, and bare footprints give him his nickname.

  10. 50:21

    Community toll and Bahamas capture

    Camano Island tourism suffers, residents hire a bounty hunter, and Colton is captured in the Bahamas after crashing a stolen plane.

  11. 55:35

    Pleas, sentence and aftermath

    Colton pleads guilty to federal and state charges, owes $1.4 million in restitution, serves five years, and reportedly turns his life around.

  12. 1:00:23

    Fun fact and Dancing with the Stars

    The hosts discuss the late invention of the can opener and urge listeners to vote for Tatyana on Dancing with the Stars.

People

In the conversation

  • Ash KelleyCo-host of the true crime podcast Morbid
  • Alaina UrquhartCo-host of Morbid, autopsy technician and author of the Butcher novels

Discussed

Topics

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From the publisher

When Colton Harris-Moore was ten years old, a series of unfortunate events turned his world upside-down. Within a few months, his behavior worsened significantly, he became destructive and defiant, and he began what would be a considerable criminal career that would eventually reach epic proportions.

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on November 11, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: True Crime