A look back at one of Maine’s strangest true stories.
In April 2013, a game warden caught a burglar in a camp kitchen in Maine. That man had been a ghost for 27 years.
Caught in the Act
For years, residents near North Pond blamed a shadowy thief for break-ins. They called him the “North Pond Hermit.”
Nobody knew his name. Then, one night, the warden caught him. The man was Christopher Knight.
A Sudden Disappearance
Knight’s story began in 1986. He was 20 years old. One day, he drove into the Maine woods and walked away from his old life.
He has never given a clear reason. He says only that he felt drawn to solitude. Even so, he could not explain it any better.
A Camp Nobody Could Find
Knight built his camp near North Pond, between large boulders. It was so well hidden that hikers walked right past it.
Police never found it on their own. Instead, Knight led them there after his arrest.
Surviving by Theft
Knight survived mostly by stealing. At night, he broke into nearby cabins and a summer camp. He took food, clothing, propane tanks, batteries and books.
These supplies carried him through Maine’s harsh winters. Authorities suspect he committed more than 1,000 burglaries. Still, he avoided capture for decades.
Almost No Human Contact
For 27 years, Knight spoke to almost no one. By his own account, he spoke to another person only once. It was a quick, unplanned “hi” to a hiker on a trail.
He later described that moment as deeply unsettling.
Justice and a Short Sentence
Knight pleaded guilty to 13 counts of burglary and theft. Locals were frustrated after decades of unsolved thefts.
The court gave him a five-year sentence, with all but seven months suspended. He served about seven months in jail. After that, he joined a special court program and began three years of probation.
He was also ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution to his victims.
