(NECN: Amy Sinclair) - The Maine man known as the "North Pond Hermit" was back before a judge Tuesday.
The question now is how to help this solitary man who lived in the woods with almost no human contact for 27 years.
Noticeably thinner with a long beard, 47-year-old Christopher Knight looked more like a woodsman in court than he did when he was arrested four months ago.
His unusual story has captivated people all over the world.
"We all have a romantic idea of what it would be just away from the world in the woods," said Maeghan Maloney, Kennebec County District Attorney. "But in reality, I think for Mr. Knight it wasn't that romantic. I think when it snowed it was probably quite difficult."
At the time of his arrest, Knight told police he stayed alive all those years by breaking into hundreds of camps in the Belgrade Lakes Region, taking what he needed to set up camp, stay well fed and clothed.
In a soft voice, Knight pleaded not guilty to seven counts of theft and six counts of burglary. But his attorney Walter Mckee said those pleas were simply a formality.
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"He has always taken 100 percent responsibility for what he did," said Mckee.
Neither side wants Knight's case to go to trial. They are working towards a plea agreement that will help Knight rejoin society and still satisfy his many victims.
"What is the end game for someone who's live 27 years alone?" Mckee asked outside the Kennebec County Courthouse. "That's something everyone has been thinking about and it's the complicating factor of why we can't get it done today."
Because there are underlying mental health issues, the attorneys agree Knight's sentence must involve aftercare.
"If they don't have a plan, they can immediately fall back into a pattern that led them inside," said the District Attorney. "I think we need to help help pull a life together for himself."
Several sympathetic strangers have already come forward offering Knight financial assistance. He has used the money, around $1,000 so far, to set up a restitution fund for his victims.
Given the broad interest in him, Knight could certainly sell his story if he's ever willing to share it.
For now, Knight is being held on $25,000 bail.
They're hoping to having an agreement in place before his next scheduled court appearance on October 8.
