A man who was living alone in the forest for 27 years without anyone being found is arrested

In the Maine campground in the United States, food theft and everyday item theft occurred frequently over several decades, and the existence of thieves who can not be found by anyone is "North Pond Hermit(Hermit of the North Pond) ". The culprit that the police had been bothering for many years was finally arrested, but the man finally stopped touching the other person and found out that the man lived alone in the forest for 27 years .

After 27 years of burglaries, 'North Pond Hermit' is arrested - CentralMaine.com
http://www.centralmaine.com/2013/04/09/north-pond-hermit-suspect-in-more-than-1000-burglaries-captured/

A 47-year-old man named Christopher Knight who was living near the North Pond in Maine for 27 years was arrested. Knight said he was living by stealing food, living goods and books from nearby campgrounds. The knight's appearance at the time of the arrest was clean, the hair and the whiskers were in good shape, it seems that it was in a state where it would not be disturbed even if it left in the city as it was. Currently it is imprisoned in Kennebec prison, and a fine of $ 5000 (about 540,000 yen) is also imposed for multiple thefts.


According to the police, Knight started life in the forest two years after graduating from Lawrence High School, thoroughly avoided relationship with people. Afraid of being found by people never ever had a bonfire, and on the freezing night it was "I dreamed of checking in to a motel," Knight says.National GeographicAccording to Knight, he got up at 2:30 am every day and walked around the campsite, he seemed to be overcoming the harsh Maine winter.


Knight, who had been living like that, never touched other people since entering the forest. Apart from having encountered people in the forest only once in the mid-1990s, he seems to have not talked to anyone until arrested by the police. He usually stated that he was spending time reading and meditation, and he read any book if he could steal it. Knight does not tell me exactly the motive behind living in a remote place, but he was interested in "hermit" and "Robinson's Drifting StoryI know that I had read that I was reading.

In the forest life which lasted for about 30 years, it was a night which changed living bases several times in fear of being discovered by people, but he said that he spent the base camp made in the North Pond for the past 15 years . As a result of the frequent occurrence of theft cases at more than 300 camps, the existence of 'Hermit of the North Pond' was reported in the local newspaper in 2005, and it became an urban legend.

The police in Maine also followed the way of mysterious thieves, but clues were not obtained for decades. Finally the police raised their hands and installed surveillance cameras and other camps in the campground, the appearance of Knight who came at the campsite in the middle of the night was photographed, and this picture became a factor and resulted in arrest.


Banknotes are also found in the stolen items found, both of which were from 1980 to 1990's. Knight inscribed "money stolen thought that it might be necessary to buy something in the shop" about this money, but it seems that it never used it once after all.


Below is the base camp where Knight lived. The garbage cans of shiny materials were processed by spraying, covering green and black, and it was devised that it was not eye-catching.


A simple shower etc. was also made in the base tent, which shows that the living environment of civilization was prepared to a certain extent.



There is a gas stove for the camp and a bed in the tent. Behind that there were used used gas cans and dry batteries and so on.


Knight heard the radio broadcast from time to time on the mobile radio, so he knew about the report about himself also on the radio, and he seemed to feel that the hands of the police are approaching himself.


Television was also discovered, but he seems to have not used it due to power problems.


As Knight said in 27 years "I have never been sick", it seems there was no fear of infectious diseases due to a remote life. However, according to the examination after the arrest, from the biased diet, Knight knows that he was suffering from diabetes.