For years, a mysterious figure lurked in the darkness of a rural town in Maine, stealing from homes and running away. Nobody had ever seen the person and hardly even knew whether it was a human or supernatural demon committing the series of crimes. All they knew was that they were afraid and even the police were powerless to stop it. Who was really behind it all? Why was someone mysteriously entering people’s homes and stealing the most bizarre items? Read on to unearth the mystery of this incredible story.
For almost 30 years, residents of North Pond, Maine had heard disturbing rustlings in the night. People would awake to a startling noise, though when they turned on the lights, nothing was there. Once someone managed to see a lurking figure, but nothing more. They could feel something had been creeping in the darkness and knew that things went missing soon after.
Who was this ominous creature or demon snatching away their things? Inhabitants of the placid town were now living in sheer terror every time they went to bed. Why was the crazed thief targeting them day in and day out?
Whoever the thief was, he or she was incredibly odd. The thief would steal small items: books, magazines, junk food, jeans, winter jackets, heavy boots, small radios and batteries. Never any expensive gear that could easily sell for thousands of dollars. Rumors went wild and the creeping lurker attained all manner of curious nicknames such as the ‘North Pond Hermit’, ‘Maine’s Loch Ness monster’, the ‘stealthy yeti’, ‘the Hungry Man’, and ‘the Mountain Man.’
The Portland Press Herald
Vacation homes and cabins were often targeted in the middle of the week, while the owners were away. Neighbors lived far apart from one another that there was nobody to spot the thief in the act. It was an incredibly bizarre case and police became dead set on finding this miscreant. Could the burglar targeting the community have more sinister plans?
Living in terror had become a regular occurrence for the few people who lived along North Pond. “We always felt like he was watching us,” a resident said in an interview with GQ in 2014 . No longer did doors and windows go insecure. Cameras became a necessity, but the thief was somehow able to outsmart it all. So they turned to law enforcement. Police were called regularly, though they were powerless. After many years, though, enough was enough.
Bangor Daily News
Although there wasn’t much police could do without being able to put a face to the crime, they agreed to file a report, calling the faceless burglar “Hermit Hermit.” Still, in 27 years, nobody had even managed to see this criminal. Was it the work of a human or something else completely?
Everything changed in the Spring of 2013. Whoever this criminal was, it had decided to target Pine Tree Summer Camp. It was seemingly a perfect place to steal from: easy to sneak into and a bounty of supplies and food. Surely, no one would notice anything missing.
AIA Maine
However, the culprit did not notice one important thing: Police were already on their trail. Furthermore, Pine Tree Summer Camp was managed by police Sergeant Terry Hughes. He had devised a perfect plan to catch the criminal. The hunt had begun.
