Christopher Knight, The Burglar Who Lived In The Woods For 27 Years
X (Twitter)Christopher Thomas Knight had reservations about stealing supplies, but his need for survival outweighed them.
In 1986, Christopher Thomas Knight, also known as the North Pond Hermit, quit his job and drove from Massachusetts to Maine, only stopping when his car ran out of gas. He was just 20 years old and had informed no one where he was going — not even his parents.
As he later told The Guardian, “I had no one to tell. I didn’t have any friends. I had no interest in my co-workers.”
Knight had always been comfortable being alone. However, that doesn’t explain what compelled him to drive his car as far as he could into the wilderness and abandon it, leaving the keys in the ignition.
Even by his own admission, Knight wasn’t entirely sure why he made his decision.
“I can’t explain my actions,” he said. “I had no plans when I left, I wasn’t thinking of anything. I just did it.”
X (Twitter)Christopher Knight’s camp.
Knight’s goal was to lose himself entirely in the wilderness. He was woefully underprepared for such an endeavor, but he quickly learned to set up camp and get by on his own. That is, until he grew hungry. While he was a decently capable hunter and angler, he hadn’t brought a gun or fishing rod with him. To make matters worse, the broad wilds of Maine were less than bountiful for foraging.
Eventually, Knight’s hunger became so great that he threw away his reservations about theft and started stealing the items he needed to survive. He bathed frequently with snow he melted on a small propane camp stove so that the smoke from a campfire wouldn’t reveal his location. He continued to shave and cut his hair to avoid raising suspicion if anyone spotted him.
In addition to food, Knight stole propane cylinders and other supplies. He would stockpile enough loot to last him from November to March. That way, he wouldn’t have to venture from his camp and leave behind any footprints in the snow.
Knight kept this up for 27 years, until he was arrested on April 4, 2013, after he was discovered breaking into a cabin. He was ultimately sentenced to seven months in jail.
