North Pond Hermit

[BiffSplitkins]

ROME, Maine — Christopher Knight told police he had lived undetected in the woods for 27 years, spoken to only one person in that time, and not made a single purchase since the mid-1980s.

But Knight knew how to steal, authorities said, and how to stay hidden even though his tent lay within 600 yards of the nearest cabin.

Such is the singular world of the man dubbed the North Pond Hermit by the long-spooked residents here, where Knight is believed to have committed more than 1,000 burglaries for food, fuel, tools, and clothing since he left a computer-technician job and retreated to the forest.

Now, the 47-year-old is residing in the Kennebec County Correctional Facility in Augusta, facing burglary and theft charges, as banjo players rhapsodize about him and bewildered Mainers shake their heads at the thought of 27 winters in the open.

“It’s ironic that someone who wanted to be completely anonymous is now the most famous citizen in Maine,” said District Attorney Maeghan Maloney. Knight’s attorney, Walter McKee of Augusta, declined to discuss the case.

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Here is another story on this which is a fantastic read.

http://www.gq.com/news-politics/newsmakers/201409/the-last-true-hermit

[mbrn30000]

Wonder what happened to the other Brady kids?

[Regi]

What an interesting story! I like joke among the burgled homeowners, "How many pants do you have left?"

It's fascinating to consider that- apart from a 'hi' to a passer-by back in the '90's- he hasn't spoken to another person in almost three decades and (I'm serious here) it makes me think of the guy in Castaway and how he needed a Wilson.

I hope we eventually can learn more about this story, but I think what I find most incredible is that he wasn't caught or discovered over all that time, and so I find it hard to believe that there ever was a serious effort.

[BiffSplitkins]

It's fascinating to consider that- apart from a 'hi' to a passer-by back in the '90's- he hasn't spoken to another person in almost three decades and (I'm serious here) it makes me think of the guy in Castaway and how he needed a Wilson.

I found this line from my 2nd link pretty interesting - He spoke haltingly, uncertainly; the connection between his mind and his mouth seemed to have atrophied from disuse. But over the next couple of hours, he gradually opened up.

This was very interesting as well - For close to three decades, Knight said, he had not seen a doctor or taken any medicine. He mentioned that he had never once been sick. You had to have contact with other humans, he claimed, in order to get sick.