Yesterday I sent Facebook a request to have the Colton Harris-Moore fan site removed. If this criminal has such a need for his own Facebook page, let him run it himself (so his location can be traced through that).
The only reason to leave that page up is if law enforcement is getting something good off of that. Obviously they don’t need to tell any of us if they are.
Several times I’ve mentioned how this adoration is gasoline on a fire. I don’t think it’s harmless. It may or may not be a huge deal, but it’s not benign.
Shutting his support network down will help catch him. Think of this whole scenario as a house on stilts. It’s time to start taking the stilts out from under the house. The house is coming down.
A recently posted comment on that page seems to support the assertion that he feeds off of the attention: “I remember you once told me you would find away to be famous., i guess you did!”
The only email address I could find for Facebook is press@facebook.com. We’ll see if they answer. It’s my understanding that Facebook members can click on a “report this site” type of link to bring their attention to objectionable content.
Among my comments to Facebook:
Allowing this fan site to exist is a slap in the face to Harris-Moore’s victims. It demeans crime victims and makes their victimization a sport. I don’t think this is what Facebook wants to be known for, yet when people refer to Harris-Moore’s fans, that Facebook page is known as the base of operations.
Out of respect for the victims and in hopes of preventing future crimes, I am asking that this site and any others like it be permanently removed from Facebook. A reputable corporation such as yours should not be giving space or support to criminal activity. Allowing this to remain may make the statement that you are okay with crime victim bashing and the idolization of criminals.
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Also, some of the people who are sheltering him may well be a few of the same people so passionately defending him online, although I’m sure the vast majority of them have no criminal involvement here.
We do have freedom of speech; I just hope the police have kept tabs on some of the more revealing comments on various sites. The more the noose tightens, the more animated some public comments are getting. Interesting.
Let’s hope his friends realize they’re getting used– their involvement has major consequences. If they care about him they’ll facilitate his capture before everyone else gets to him first.
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Truth, Justice, and All-American Allergen-Free Apple Pie 
“The more the noose tightens, the more animated the comments are getting?”
This doesn’t sound like an ethical way to catch a criminal.
That sounds flat out sadistic.
I know how to defend my self and property without escalating to lynching.
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It’s a figure of speech. I didn’t suggest lynching.
To clarify, as this case gets more attention and there is more willingness to bring him to justice, there has been an increasingly passionate defense of his alleged actions. Might be nothing, might be something. That’s for the police to sort out.
If anything, Harris-Moore has hung himself– figuratively speaking. These are his choices. He is an adult and has no one else to blame but himself. There are plenty of people who’ve had hellish childhoods who grow up to be loving, caring, productive, law-abiding citizens.
I appreciate your comment about knowing how to defend yourself. Regardless of our feelings on this subject– there is a wide range– most of us can agree that we wouldn’t let a criminal harm us or our families if we could help it. Thanks for stopping by.
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