AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) – The Maine Supreme Court will hear arguments next week in an unusual case involving Christopher Knight, also known as the North Pond Hermit.
Knight lived alone in the Maine woods for 27-years. He survived by breaking into camps and stealing goods. As part of his punishment he was ordered to pay restitution to the Maine State Police, but his attorney is now fighting it.
“Police are paid to do this kind of work in the first place, but shifting that back on an individual defendant, it’s unheard of and hopefully it won’t be heard of again”, said attorney Walter McKee.
After eluding police for years the North Pond Hermit was finally caught in the middle of a burglary in 2013. Police then discovered he had been living at a camp deep in the woods of Rome, Maine. The site was so remote it made things difficult for Maine State Police to gather evidence.
“The only way to remove those items was for the state police to build a road over someone’s private property”, said District Attorney Maeghan Maloney, who prosecuted the case for the state.
When they were done, police restored the area back to the way they found it. The bill went to Knight to pay for the clean-up.
“Because that’s so unusual I think it’s appropriate for Mr. Knight to pay for that clean-up. It’s not a lot of money”, Maloney said.
$1,125 to be exact. A judge agreed and included that restitution as part of Knight’s sentence. The Maine Supreme Court will hear that appeal next Thursday.