Here is an interesting story. Perhaps VERY interesting depending upon whether an eventual court rules civilly, criminally or both. Watch it, then entertain the following thoughts:
Here are two attorneys on Megan Kelly’s “Megan’s Court” program on Fox News. Each have different opinions on the outcome of a presumed case. What I find the most interesting about this potential fraud case or cases is that a court may end up deciding whether the plaintiff under a legal doctrine of “reasonable reliance” is justified in his claim of being defrauded of his money.
While I am not an attorney nor do I profess to have any legal expertise in this area, judging from what these attorneys are arguing over, it appears that the issue is whether a judge would ultimately decide that the plaintiff had reasonable reliance upon the representations of the defendants as being true.
This begs the question of whether it is reasonable to presume that someone might have in their possession a presumed hominid that does not as yet, at least in the eyes of science, exist. The possibility or probability of the existence of such a hominid would likely be determined by expert witnesses that may be called by either party. Are there any expert witnesses when it comes to an unclassified hominid?
Certainly, a few names pop up including Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum, Dr. John Bindernagel, Dr. Estaban Sarmiento, and a few others who have taken risks by either authoring papers on the subject or going public with their views of the possibility, even the probability that an unclassified bipedal North American ape may exist. On the other hand, there are many scientists who have gone on record stating that there is absolutely no evidence for the existence of such a thing.
It has the potential, in my mind, at least, of being a rather extraordinary case that could establish a sort of showdown on a “monkey” issue – think Clarence Darrow vs. Williams Jennings Bryan in the famous Scopes Monkey Trial from 1925. While quite a bit different, it has many similarities and is certainly just as emotionally charged a topic as the issue of evolution/creation.
Of course, much depends upon the actual contractual arrangement between the parties. I have yet to see information on the details of that contract. We will have to wait and see if that becomes available.
This is the last reference that will be made to this story. There are too many lies, too much bravado, DNA analysis proving it is not a bigfoot (CORRECTION: DNA anlysis not proving anything due to, among other issues, that the source is unknown as Curt Nelson reported that there was no chain of custody of the sample) and NO evidence of a body. See Autumn Williams excellent summary of the history of Tom Biscardi and the two knuckleheads from Georgia claiming to be bigfoot trackers here.
I just watched the press conference live on Fox News (internet). The claims are still just claims, but they are being made apparently very sincerely by both the “Bigfoottrackers” – Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer, and Tom Biscardi. They claim to have a real bigfoot body, close (“about 50 feet”) photographs of living ones that were “paralleling” them apparently during the retrieval of the body and DNA analysis from some of the body tissue.
Still no body presented for viewing and no chain of custody on the sample of the body (from intestines) but according to Biscardi, the DNA results done by Curt Nelson (he did the analysis of the sample collected from screw boards by he and Jeff Meldrum – aired on MonsterQuest sometime last year) have resulted in 1) human 2) undetermined and 3) possum. Explanation for the possum is that it may have ingested one.
This is an interesting story and one that appeared to have hoax written all over it, but the jury is still out, I suppose until the “body” is studied by credentialed scientists.
Claims of the finding of a Bigfoot body are just that – claims. Photos being circulated in the press do not appear to be genuine but rather some type of suit. One website seems to have discovered the source of the suit and has posted a link to a site showing the suit.
Here is the link to the site where the suit can be purchased:
You may have noticed the plethora of web sites devoted to sasquatch, bigfoot and what some term as other paranormal phenomena, as if an unclassified flesh and blood animal constitutes what would be defined as “unusual phenomena or experiences that lack an obvious scientific explanation”. To many, the lack of sasquatch bones, fossilized or otherwise on the North American continent, or any ape bones for that matter is reason enough to discount the possibility that a North American bipedal ape may actually exist and yet be unclassified by modern science.
Fossilized chimpanzee bones (teeth) were only recently (2005) found and interestingly, were discovered in an area previously thought to be unsuitable for chimps. Scientists generally thought that chimps did not live in the arid Rift Valley of Africa but would have preferred more fertile and moist areas with dense vegetation such as in the Congo or the jungles of western Africa.
Much, I think of what we think we know of our evolutionary origin is subject to much debate as much of it is replete with missing data. What we do find in the fossil record is also subject to much speculation and various possibilities. What would the scientific world make of the discovery of a bipedal North American ape, for example? Perhaps we are on the verge of discovery of that very thing. Perhaps it is still a ways off.
In any case, Loren Coleman of Cryptomundo.com fame is sticking his neck out and speculating that there is a good probability that the two Georgia “Bigfootrackers” have indeed found an actual sasquatch body and are set to conduct a press conference on August 15, 2008 where they will share their discovery (at least some information anyway) with members of the press.
Some of the details released are reported on Coleman’s web site and include a height of 7’7″, a weight of over 500 lbs. with a 16.75″ long foot and a 5.75″ wide heel. The hands from the index finger to the palm are 11.75″ long and 6.25″ wide. The eyes are blackish-grey and the hair is red.
Mr. Coleman mentioned that part of the evidence he has seen is visual which has been part of the reason behind his confidence.
Off the bat, I would say this is very consistent with the evidence we have collected in Florida where tracks were found that were consistently 14-16 inches in length and about 4-6 inches at the heel (a few were larger and one was much smaller).  In addition, I estimated the one individual I saw to be about 7-8 foot tall. Further, hair discovered on a barb wire fence in the immediate area of the sighting was reddish brown in color.
Whether the claims are real or a hoax may not be known for some time due to the care that needs to be taken to examine the purported body. Apparently, a team of experts will be conducting detailed analyses. Again, we will wait and see.
In the meantime, if you have had a sighting of a creature that meets this general description, please do not hesitate to give us a call or send an email. Your name and location will remain as confidential as you request.
In my June 21, 2008 post, I noted that there is an increasing number of mostly younger adults participating in bigfoot expeditions or “research” as indicated by numerous public forums and private websites. Experiences from those ventures or outings are posted showing that there is an increasing lack of knowledge of the natural world. Hence, much confusion and mis-identification of common animals occur regularly and persistently. News from the British online version of The Independent today reveals that BBC Wildlife Magazine has conducted a poll and found among other things that half of youngsters aged 9-11 were unable to identify a daddy-long-legs or an oak tree.
I have for most of my career in the environmental field been critical of the attitude among some “environmentalists” who have a misplaced sense of passion for the environment while simultaneously having a contempt for families (human, that is). There are many who show blatant contempt for humanity (themselves always excluded of course) and particularly replacements (children) because of their misguided passion about “saving the environment” and seeing people as the problem.
What is ironic, of course, is given the level of focus and attention on the natural world that our young people are getting from environmental education from as early as pre-school, that they would be so disconnected from their natural environment. I believe that this pervasive, militant environmental attitude, if left unchecked will continue to further erode an appreciation of nature among young people, the very ones who will be left as stewards of the planet they inherit.
It is critical therefore that we pass on attitudes which reflect people valued as resources, not degraded as mere consumers and that we cherish children so that they value that which we see as precious.
If children (ours or others) do not receive respect (not pandering or appeasement), they will certainly disdain that which their elders see as valuable, to spite them if nothing else. This translates to disrespect for the natural world around them including the millions of acres of publicly owned land in this country. Let’s not let that happen. Love (respect and cherish) a kid today. Our future depends on it.
