Georgia Bigfoot: hoax

The Georgia Bigfoot, who missed his own press conference last week, has been confirmed as a (gasp) hoax. The two Georgia men, one of them a cop, who claimed to have found the dead animal allegedly pulled one over on Tom Biscardi, a self-described Bigfoot researcher who has a reputation as a hoaxer himself. From Fox News:

SearchingforBigfoot.com owner Tom Biscardi paid an "undisclosed sum" to Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer, the two Georgia men who say they found the body, for their frozen corpse and the privilege of trotting them out in front of TV cameras.

At the same time, Biscardi sent self-described "Sasquatch detective" Steve Kulls back to Georgia to check out the body.

Kulls, it's safe to say, was severely disappointed.

The upshot? The real Bigfoot, once found, is now missing. So are Whitton, Dyer and Biscardi's money.

Georgia Bigfoot hoax (FoxNews, thanks, Loren Coleman! Thanks Rob Beschizza for the image!)

Previously on BB:
• Bigfoot press conference a bust
• Bigfoot discovery press conference on Friday (HOAX?)

• [Ugly Canuck]

  Unsurprising.

• [Gary61]

  Bigfoot is not ‘missing’ – he’s been living in my garage (behind the freezer) for years …..

• [angusm]

  I am shocked, just shocked, I tell you. Who could possibly have predicted it?

  I think it’s time to start a conspiracy theory to the effect that Bigfoot (Bigfeet? Bigfoots? Sasquatchen?) are actually intelligent hominids that have coexisted with us for thousands of years. The conspiracy part comes in because the largest population of these gentle, intelligent, virtuous, eco-friendly creatures is to be found in the ANWR, right where the oil companies want to drill. That explains why there have been so many ‘discoveries’ quickly followed by retractions: any time someone has convincing proof of the existence of these critters, they receive a visit from shadowy men in black who “persuade” them to withdraw their claim.

  Far-fetched? Implausible? Completely bogus? You may think so, but look for my forthcoming book “The Sasquatch Conspiracy” on the New York Times bestseller list. Anyone pre-ordering a copy gets a cuddly sasquatch doll … unless the Bavarian Illuminati silence me first. The shaggy, rank-smelling truth is out there.

• [Brainspore]

  25 posted by ill lich , August 19, 2008 12:23 PM

  People who deny the existence of Bigfoot usually don’t understand that there are sightings everyday (that usually get ignored or mocked), and that the fact that one hasn’t been captured and studied fits perfectly with all known information about the creature– it runs from humans in every known encounter, so perhaps it has evolved to avoid humans (and knowing humans I can see why).

  You are correct that this latest hoax doesn’t prove that bigfoot doesn’t exist, but proving a negative is virtually impossible. Skeptics such as myself don’t (currently) believe that bigfoot is real simply because there is no objective evidence to support the existence of such a creature.

  Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Finding an as-yet undocumented hominid living in North America would be extraordinary to say the least.

• [rAMPANTiDIOCY]

  well no shit?

• [Absent]

  Big foot has to exist, fat American dollars depend upon it.

• [GuidoDavid]

  When will stop people paying attention to this?

  Some wacko yells ‘BIGFOOT’ and has the media attention for a while. I guess it is the summer and lack of news… (not really, we are living a lot of unrest and the Olympics)

• [Halloween Jack]

  Best line of the article:

  Asked for comment on Officer Whitton, Clayton County, Ga., Chief of Police Jeffrey Turner, corrected FoxNews.com. “You mean ex-officer Whitton.”

  Even if they did get $50,000 from the other guy, and even if Whitton got most or all of that, he’d have to be an utter gibbering fool to give up a cop’s salary, benefits and retirement for 50 gees. Looks like there’s a primitive being wandering around the Deep South after all…

• [Jeff]

  Bigfoot is REAL! I have proof. Real, scientific proof. Bigfoot is currently the mayor of Detroit. Yo, thug life rules! Dawgs.

• [kc0bbq]

  I’m a bit giddy about Biscardi, of all people, getting ripped off.

  It’s one of those rare times where you think of the victim and just get all teary-eyed with happiness. I’m a bad person, but a happy one.

• [BBNinja]

  Well, I’m sure that http://www.thehorrordome.com hasn’t minded the publicity. And its funny to see a con artist get conned too :P

• [Ben]

  I can’t believe Cryptomundo.com crashed for NOTHING!

• [geo the moose]

  did anyone else see bbc world on pbs sunday and see the segment where the scientists are analyzing the yeti hair? I guess it isn’t just fox news that gets caught up in all the hoopla.

• [groovehouse]

  It feels like 1967 all over again when the Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot footage was released!!

• [BaxterJ]

  Wow, and they sounded so genuine at their press conference last week: http://www.entertonement.com/collections/2149/Bigfoot

• [Patrick]

  http://bigfootdiscussions.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2944&st=20

  http://bfro.net/hoax.asp

  First link is almost a month old, this guy has been trying to pull this off for a while apparently.

• [ZombieBabyDiego]

  I have honestly never understood the appeal of the Bigfoot legend.
  a big hairy bearcatape running around in a forest?
  that’s it?

• [ill lich]

  Well, I guess this PROVES Bigfoot does not exist, huh?

  Just like this magic rock I have here protects me from Tiger attacks (100% success rate so far).

  People who deny the existence of Bigfoot usually don’t understand that there are sightings everyday (that usually get ignored or mocked), and that the fact that one hasn’t been captured and studied fits perfectly with all known information about the creature– it runs from humans in every known encounter, so perhaps it has evolved to avoid humans (and knowing humans I can see why).

  I’ve never seen one, but I won’t deny their existence simply because one hasn’t been captured yet.

  “There are more things in Tennessee than dreamed of in your philosophy.” –The Cramps

• [mdhatter]

  I’m just happy to hear is wasn’t a one-legged Mormon missionary.

• [Jake0748]

  Most people reading here are smart enough to understand that lack of evidence doesn’t prove or disprove anything.

  I think what a lot of folks are pointing out is that whenever someone shows up with supposed proof of B.F.’s existence, it always turns out to be a hoax. And its getting boring.

• [JimmyJoeJohn]

  Sounds like three guys each have a “big foot” in their mouths after making such claims. Here come the lawsuit(s)! LOL

  Found this bigfoot video on the web…a must see. It’ll cheer up everyone who wanted this hoax to be true.

  http://www.ourbigfoot.com/bigfoot_reunion_video

  Be prepared to laugh your arse off!

• [mindysan33]

  Not surprising, yet still depressing.

  Mindy

• [banjology]

  Jake0748 – By B.F. do you, perhaps, mean B.S.?
  ;-)

• [brundlefly76]

  Last night I was listening to an Art Bell rerun (maybe 2001?) where he was talking to this guy ‘Bugs’, whom purportedly had killed and buried two bigfoot creatures.

  However, neither himself nor Bell would disclose his real name or the burial location, as he was afraid that the two were so humanoid that he would actually be charged with murder. I think he might have even said they may have just been some mentally retarded people – ?

  At least, that was my takeaway from the part of the broadcast I heard.

  It was classic Art Bell stuff. Maybe it was Noory – I dunno, I’m no expert on that show.

• [Falcon_Seven]

  Big foot says; “Bigfoot not hoax! ARRRRRGH!”

• [Brainspore]

  #34 posted by toughmamazita , August 19, 2008 4:53 PM

  I want to unsubscribe. This site was not what I thought it was. I’m sure great for some people but not interesting to me. Thanks any way.

  Dude, who logs in to a web site to say they aren’t going to visit that web site anymore?

• [toughmamazita]

  I want to unsubscribe. This site was not what I thought it was. I’m sure great for some people but not interesting to me. Thanks any way.

• [aldasin]

  Gee guys, you might want to consider taking the high road sometime and ignoring obvious frauds.

  Even here you’re printing Biscardi’s story as if he has a shred of credibility; like he’s some kind of victim here.

  I’m sure these dirtbags appreciate your driving up their site traffic and t-shirt sales, though.
  How about some credibility when it comes to reporting science and tech issues, as opposed to just regurgitating what the mainstream media pukes out on a daily basis?

• [darue]

  why are you linking to fox news? stop it.

• [Jake0748]

  Banjology @33 – Well I meant BigFoot, but B.S. just about covers it too. ;)

• [pjcamp]

  Fox News?? How do you know the hoax report isn’t a hoax?

• [JG]

  Never, ever believe anything you hear on FOX NEWS.
  Bigfoot (or Sasquatch ) is doing fine.
  He’s just sequestered (sasquastered?)in a hotel room somewhere waiting to announce his third party presidential bid.
  Possible running mates:
  -Harry Connick jr
  -Prince Harry
  -Deborah Harry
  -Harry Reid
  -Dirty Harry
  -Dog the Bounty Hunter’s wife Beth

• [Gary61]

  JG …. you forgot Harry Reems !

• [trieste]

  If this gets so much attention I can only imagine what will happen when I release news that they have found Jesus’s iPod (it’s got music on it from bands not even born yet!)

  It’ll be in the papers for days as people wonder ‘Is it real or fake?’, ‘We’d better test it!’

• [Master Mahan]

  So this was nothing but con men selling blatant forgeries to other con men, and the media hyped it up rather than doing any investigation or displaying the slightest bit of skepticism?

  This sounds very familiar somehow…

• [Mathleticism]

  I feel sorry for the guy they killed and froze inside the suit.

• [minTphresh]

  zombiebabydiego, run! it’s manbearpig. MANBEARPIG!!!

• [Michael A. Banks]

  They’re probably hoping an agent will contact them for the book and film rights to “The Bigfoot Hoax: The Greatest Sham of the 21st Century.” That sort of thing is why they perptrated the original hoax.

  Why can’t thsse people come up with something that’s at least entertaining and lasts more than a month?
  –Mike

• [chromal]

  Bigfoot is synonymous with hoax. Always has been, always will be. If there were such creatures roaming North America, they’d've been captured and studied long ago. This is about as interesting as the Loch Ness monster, which is to say, not very.

• [Jake0748]

  Ditto # 21 & 22. The hoax community needs to come up with some new, interesting stuff. Or maybe go get jobs.

• [Anonymous]

  For the best research ever done on the Patterson and Gimlin Bigfoot film go to http://www.freewebs.com/pgfilmanalyze