Georgia Hoax

Mad River Sasquatch Study Group

The famous still taken from film footage shot by Roger Patterson and Robert Grimlin in 1967 in the Bluff Creek Area of the Six Rivers National Forest in Northern California. The Patterson film remains the most controversial piece of evidence to date. There have been scores of investigations and experiments performed to determine the validity of the footage. Skeptics claim it is merely a man in a home made suit, while some scientists claim it would be impossible for a human to mimic the movements of the creature in the film, and impossible to create a suit that showed detailed muscle and fat moving under the fur. There has even been a person come forward to claim he was paid to wear the suit and walk through the woods. If it was a suit constructed in 1967, it was a fine job. Perhaps mystery will always surround the Patterson film, but it will most certainly remain the most compelling and controversial Bigfoot evidence ever.

Above: Photo of Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer spinning their tall tale about dragging a lifeless Bigfoot from the woods. Remember their faces so that their 15 minutes of fame is never forgotten!

DON'T SHOOT! It's only a guy dressed up in the Deluxe edition Sasquatch Costume! Main Page: return to main page

Can we ever forget! In August of 2008 an unbelievable claim was made. The body of a Bigfoot had been found in Georgia. The above photo was released to the press to prove the claim. Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer claimed to have stumbled onto the body near a stream. They claimed to have removed the body, which was placed at 7 feet 7 inches and weighing 500 pounds, from the woods as they were stalked by other Bigfoot watching their every move. They placed the body in a cooler of sorts and covered it in ice. They then contacted Tom Biscardi, the self proclaimed "Real Bigfoot Hunter" , who validated their claim at a press conference in Palo Alto, California on August 15th 2008. Biscardi claimed to have the body in his posession at an undisclosed location, awaiting analysis by unknown scientists. He also claimed that DNA evidence was being processed, which turned out to be nothing more than a sample from a common Opossum. Their stunt quickly grabbed world wide attention, and just as quickly, condemnation. Biscardi is a name familiar to Bigfoot researchers everywhere. In 1995 he attempted a similar ruse claiming to have a body. He later admitted on a radio talk show that it was a hoax perpetrated by a mentally disturbed individual who had convinced his team of the body before they had even seen it. Whitton and Dyer released several videos on You Tube, bragging about their find and referring to skeptics as "stalkers". All the while still claiming to have a body in their posession. As the days progressed, the reality of their scam came to light. Whitton and Dyer disappeared from the public eye and left Biscardi and his group crying foul! Biscardi's website released lengthy details of their investigation proving the Bigfoot was merely a Halloween Costume and placing the blaim directly on the duo from Georgia. Even going as far as to mention a civil suit to recoup the money they had paid Whitton and Dyer for their find. Could it truly be possible that someone involved in research since 1971 could be fooled twice by the same ruse? Or is it possible that he was involved from the beginning? It would seem to the rest of the world that a person would have thoroughly checked out the remains and involved a reputable team of Scientists to validate the find before going to the press. The truth will never be known. But the credibility of researchers everywhere suffered for it. Or so it seemed for awhile. It turned out that there was a somewhat positive reaction from the circus stunt as the media grew more interested in the subject. Many research groups, including ours, began receiving a higher than average volume of reports. Many that had ocurred years ago, but were never mentioned for fear of ridicule. It would seem that the ridicule the Georgia incident brought on Whitton,Dyer,and Biscardi now over shadowed anything a truthfull person would experience! So I guess we should offer our Thanks to the trio, not only for a good laugh, but for proving that you can survive making a spectacle of yourself!

Matthew Whitton, Rick Dyer, and Tom Biscardi at the press conference in Palo Alto, California

Deluxe edition Bigfoot Halloween Mask