Press conference: Bigfoot hunters insist their find is real

by Stevie Smith - Aug 17 2008, 06:19

Bigfoot discovery press conference fails to deliver. Image: theslowlane/Flickr.

Georgia hunters Matt Whitton and Rick Dyer sparked an almighty Internet explosion late last week when they announced the discovery and frozen preservation of a Bigfoot corpse, claiming to have finally put credence to the mythological half-man, half-ape creature that supposedly roams the forestry of North America. In light of such a media furore, and with sceptics reacting to the story with almost as much passion as true-believers, the hunters have duly attempted to support their claim during an official press conference, which was held yesterday in Palo Alto, California. With several hundred expectant journalists and Bigfoot experts in attendance, Whitton (an officer of the Clayton County Police Department), and Dyer (a former corrections officer), sat alongside long-time Bigfoot hunter Tom Biscardi -- apparently the only person to have physically seen and verified the corpse -- and fielded a variety of probing questions. While the hunters failed to produce the actual body, something Biscardi had previously intimated in a Scientific American report, their promised substantiation came in the form of a somewhat questionable e-mail communication from a scientist regarding DNA samples, and a selection of photographs showing the apparently disembowelled creature stuffed into a freezer in order to prevent decomposition.One of the most telling, and potentially damaging, questions thrown at the insistent trio asked why anyone should accept the Bigfoot claim as truth given their continued unwillingness to reveal its actual frozen corpse or confirm exactly where it had been located?

Standing firm that their three DNA samples provided credible evidence, Whitton, Dyer and Biscardi offered up a supporting e-mail from University of Minnesota scientist Curtis Nelson. However, of the three samples tested and reported in the e-mail, the scientist returned that the first likely belonged to a human, the second to an opossum, and the third could not be tested due to technical issues.

“Extensive scientific studies will be done on the body by a team of scientists including a molecular biologist, an anthropologist, a paleontologist and other scientists over the next few months at an undisclosed location,” offered Whitton and Dyer via their official Web site. “The studies will be carefully documented and the findings will be released to the world.” Photographs offered up by Biscardi to help support the claim included the same shot that recently swept the Internet, in which what appears to be an ape-like creature is lying in a large freezer with entrails visible across its torso. According to press conference attendee Jeffrey Meldrum, an anthropologist at Idaho State University, the high-profile media event was “not compelling in the least.” He also commented that he thought the freezer photograph looked suspiciously “like a costume with some fake guts thrown on top for effect.”Lending support to those calling the Bigfoot claim little more than an example of elaborate fakery, Whitton and Dyer have supplied a selection of different accounts explaining how they came across the corpse, according to an AP report. Specifically, one outlines how it was shot by a former felon before the two men followed it into the woods, while a second version claims they found a “family of Bigfoot” in the mountains north of Georgia, and a third has them finding the creature while out hiking together. Further compounding any clawing sense of being hoodwinked, a YouTube video posted by Whitton and Dyer introduces a scientist, Dr. Paul Van Duren, into the unfolding story. It was later revealed by the men in another YouTube clip that the alleged scientist was actually Whitton's brother. However, despite the lack of irrefutable evidence and an exposed penchant for deception, the two hunters remain adamant that the secretly stored creature is authentic and that emerging sceptics are merely jealous of the find.“They don’t have a choice [but] to believe us,” insisted Dyer. “We have a body.”Outside of their day jobs, Whitton and Dyer offer short expeditions to search for Bigfoot throughout the northern forests of Georgia via their company Bigfoot Global LLC. They reportedly charge $499 USD for the weekend-long trips. Biscardi, who claims to have been actively seeking Bigfoot for some 35 years, runs a group called “Searching for Bigfoot.” Despite his drive, Biscardi is not held in particularly high regard by other hunters, and has even been accused of committing Bigfoot hoaxes in the past.Whitton and Dyer have announced they’re partnering with Biscardi’s Searching for Bigfoot Team in order to capture and return a live Bigfoot. The expedition is expected to start “very soon” throughout dates and locations that “are being kept confidential.”

Comment on this Story

Interested in a more interactive TTH? Join our Facebook Group
Want regular updates from The Tech Herald? Follow us on Twitter

Comment on this Story

Note our older Talkback system is still running below. We hope to import existing comments into the new system shortly. Guest posting is still allowed, however, you can now login with any number of social network accounts.

Talkback

Add your comment (no registration required)

page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

anonAug 17th, 2008 - 07:25:01

These guys are idiots.

Report this comment

cadizAug 17th, 2008 - 07:31:43

If the dna is human and they have a body should not the police investigate for a murder?

Report this comment

Royalty Free Stock Photo GalleryAug 17th, 2008 - 07:34:30

Cadiz you are correct... And what about causng a public disturbance is this is just a hoax... especially since they claim it to be real.......if it is real they can make a fortune selling their photos...

Report this comment

JohnAug 17th, 2008 - 07:37:22

I once dated a girl from ezdate123 that reminded me of BigFoot...lol

Report this comment

a skepticAug 17th, 2008 - 07:38:20

IF they have a body and that is a big IF, then why don't they allow scientists to test its DNA. I mean, they seem so confident in their findings, then why not allow the scientific community analyze it? I mean, it would be cool if it was the real deal, but I really don't think that these creatures, if they do exist, would be dumb enough to leave one of their own out in the open. if they made a mistake like this, why haven't we seen something like this before?

Report this comment

what the?Aug 17th, 2008 - 07:53:43

The saddest part of this whole thing is that there are actually enough reporters who have nothing better to do than attend the press confrence and write about it, and enough media sources that are willing to publish the story.
Lets just ignore these fools so they will go away.

Report this comment

unnnghAug 17th, 2008 - 08:14:13

give us back our dead.'gggggRRRRRRRRRRRRR'

Report this comment

anonAug 17th, 2008 - 08:22:38

Isn't it great timing: Georgia is at war with Russia - BigFoot found in Georgia. Now 200 million people associate Georgia with BigFoot.

Report this comment

PEteAug 17th, 2008 - 08:23:54

Ok at first I was like, 'oh great another bullshit bigfoot story' the only thing is why would they hold a major press meeting and go threw all this.I mean they have to know they will most likely destroy there life to try to pull this off as some hoax.I think they have something here,An Ex-cop and Corrections officer.If I had a bigfoot in a cooler I would keep it hidden also.Think how much money the could get for this thing,serious we are talking Billions of dollars.

Report this comment

Phelps PhanAug 17th, 2008 - 08:27:32

If this is not a hoax...... maybe these two nuts murdered bigfoot. It would explain the mixed up stories and the guts being ripped out in an attempt to get rid of evidence. Then you have hand picked people, to verify and perform an autopsy, who will not suggest the beast was murdered so PETA won't have reason to be more upset. Anyone else think about this scenario?

Report this comment

page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Add your comment (no registration required)

Science

Press conference: Bigfoot hunters insist their find is real

Comment on this Story

Talkback

Latest

Latest Articles on Monsters&Critics

In The Tech Herald

Site

The Fine Print