Biscardi from 2008

Everyone’s favorite Bigfoot fall guy, Tom Biscardi, has been investigating a bigfoot sighting in Paoli, Indiana. Paoli is a small town in southern Indiana with a population of about 4000.

Biscardi is there looking into reports of a bigfoot sighting from December 9th and 10th. A gentleman named Steve Bradley saw a nine foot creature standing in his backyard after his dogs alerted him. The creature let out a growl and took off into the woods. The next night, Bradley’s wife reported hearing unidentified animal screaming coming from right besides the house.

More information and pictures are online on the Searching For Bigfoot page made for this investigation .

Biscardi is often criticized by bigfoot skeptics and fans alike, but has recently gotten a little slack in the blogosphere.

I stand by my theory that Biscardi was the ‘victim’ of the 2008 RickMat Bigfoot Media Circus.

Tom Biscardi handing out photos at the 8/15/09 press conference

RickMat Bigfoot One Year Later – Part One

RickMat Bigfoot One Year Later – Part Two

The August 15 2008 RickMat/Tom Biscardi Bigfoot press conference provided less detail than we had all hoped.

Whales in Space was able to get a reporter into the press conference and we were getting updates as it happened. Eneida Revueltas also wrote a great post summing up the conference.

Several photos were released to the press and also a ‘DNA document‘ that was inconclusive as the source of the material tested.

Also, some of the back story began to come out. Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer had been hiking in Northern Georgia, when they claim the had come across the body. While removing the body from the woods, they had seen three other living sasquatch. Whitton and Dyer then claim to have stored the body in a freezer. After appearing on the “Squatch Detective”, an internet based radio show hosted by Steve Kulls, they specifically said they wanted to work with Biscardi in presenting the body and evidence to the media. Biscardi was contacted and entered into an agreement with Whitton and Dyer to make the findings public.

Here are some of the vital statistics on the “Bigfoot” body:
*The creature is seven feet seven inches tall.
*It weighs over five hundred pounds.
*The creature looks like it is part human and part ape-like.
*It is male.
*It has reddish hair and blackish-grey eyes.
*It has two arms and two legs, and five fingers on each hand and
five toes on each foot.
*The feet are flat and similar to human feet.
*Its footprint is sixteen and three-quarters inches long and five and three-quarters inches wide at the heel.
*From the palm of the hand to the tip of the middle finger, its hands are
eleven and three-quarters inches long and six and one-quarter inches wide.
*The creatures walk upright. (Several of them were sighted on the same day that the body was found.)
*The teeth are more human-like than ape-like.
*DNA tests are currently being done and the current DNA and photo evidence will be presented at the press conference on Friday, August 15th.

We scrambled and were able to get a reporter, Eneida Revueltas, a press pass, after directly contacting Tom Biscardi by email.

The stage was set. We would wait until the press conference and see Biscardi’s evidence. All ready, Biscardi backlash was mounting, interestingly enough, from the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO), rival bigfoot researchers to Biscardi’s SearchingForBigfoot.com group.

You would think Biscardi would be approaching this whole affair with caution. Only three years before this, he had appeared on the Coast to Coast AM radio show, claiming to have information from an unidentified woman in Stagecoach, Nevada concerning proof of bigfoot. The lead fell through, causing Biscardi a serious lose in credibility and embarrassment. He later claimed to have been “hoodwinked” by the mystery woman and had to refund a considerable amount of money he had precharged for the viewing the evidence.

Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer of the RickMat Big Foot Hoax

In the summer of 2008, Georgia residents Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer, took part in a hoax that I believe was designed to discredit and damage the reputation of Bigfoot researcher Tom Biscardi of SearchingForBigfoot.com.

Matthew Whitton and Rick Dye claimed to have the 7 foot 500 pound body of a sasquatch that they had recovered from the wood in Georgia in July. A press conference was called for August 15th 2008 in Palo Alto, where DNA evidence was to be revealed to the public.

By August 19th, it was released that the whole affair was a hoax.

In the next several days, I will post the press conference in five parts and expand on some of my theories concerning this very interesting case of sasquatchploitation.

Highlights would have to be the Tom Biscardi’s RickMat Bigfoot Press Conference and when it was revealed to be a hoax. Whales In Space was able to get a reporter to the conference and cover the event as it happened. I still think there is more to this story that was never discussed, except in the private conversations between cryptozoologists and and those who pay very close attention to these things. Also the Blossom Goodchild October 14th UFO prediction stands out as one of the most interesting stories of Whales In Space’s first year.

The February 15th Texas Fireball caught on video and the amazing number of other Fireball sightings and mysterious sonic booms before and after wards also caught the worlds attention.

Also in the first year, we saw the rise of sasquatchploitation, multiple black balloon cluster UFO sightins, two Montauk Monsters and the possible return of batsquatch or at least some clarification to the story.

And still going one, with reports still coming in, the Orange Ball of Light (ORBL) sightings over the UK. If these are just chinese lanterns, I would suggest buying some stock in a chinese lantern company, because sales are up.

A big thanks to everyone who read a post, who made a comment, who sent in photos and stories and tips. A big thanks to everyone who linked to our site.

In the first year we had 200 posts exploring the weirdness of aliens, UFOs, exopolitics, cryptozoology, other paranormal fortean phenomenon, and ultraterrestrial activities. I expect the next year to bring weirder yet stories.

The auction ends October 16th and is currently going for over $85,000.
View the Ebay Auction Here

The winner gets

1. The actual, original “RickMatt” creature in the original freezer, and all requested legal paperwork to prove its authenticity. The creature no longer contains organic parts, but non-organic substitutes.

2. A personal visit from Matt Whitton and Rick Dyer to restore the display to its original condition and speak publicly on the hoax and its aftermath to educate real researchers.

3. Rights to use the body however necessary for promotions and research.

4. Though no one can guarantee what the media coverage will be like, you can rest assured that this story’s track record will grab a whirlwind of attention again, especially as Halloween 2008 approaches. The success of bigfoot imagery in publicity is consistent and proven, as evidenced by commercials for beef jerky, pizza, and more.

NOTE TO POSSIBLE BIDDERS
Matt Whitton and Rick Dyer (pictured above), the front ment of the original hoax, are known con men and liars. They went thru a lot of trouble to publicly embarass Tom Biscardi in August and I would not put it past them to do something similar again. Bid on this auction with caution.

The following are my observations and the facts as I understand and know them:

On August 1st, 2008 Tom Biscardi traveled to Georgia and on August 2nd was given a sample, allegedly, from the corpse, for DNA testing. The DNA was hand delivered to Dr. Curt Nelson of Michigan and a chain of custody of the said sample was maintained from the time it was received from Ricky Dyer and Matthew Whitton.

On August 4th, 2008 both Matthew Whitton and Ricky Dyer entered a legally binding contract with Searching For Bigfoot, Inc .recognizing the fact that Searching for Bigfoot, had absolutely nothing to do in the demise or storage of the corpse until such time as it was transferred to Searching For Bigfoot for the benefit of scientific study, marketing and promotion.

On August 10th, 2008 Tom Biscardi received an email from Dr. Nelson that after the amplifications of two of the three samples, that the size of the DNA was consistent with human/ape DNA.

On or about August 12th, 2008, Matthew Whitton and Ricky Dyer requested an undisclosed sum of money as an advance, expected from the marketing and promotion, and as a good faith gesture of the contract.

On August 14th, 2008, after signing a transfer receipt for the amount money requested and counting said money, Matthew Whitton and Ricky Dyer led the Searching for Bigfoot Team to a location and turned over a freezer with something appearing large, hairy, and frozen in ice.

On August 15th, 2008, Tom Biscardi, Ricky Dyer and Matthew Whitton held a press conference at the Cabana Hotel in Paolo Alto, California, announcing that the corpse of a creature fitting the description known as “Bigfoot” had been discovered. A police officer of seven years, on medical leave, labeled as a hero for being wounded in the line of duty, got up in front of the world and told the world of how he and Ricky Dyer uncovered this creature. This has since been proven a lie. It is notable that Rick Dyer insisted on this press conference and told Tom Biscardi he would not release the “body” unless the conference was held on this specific date.

On August 16th, 2008 the freezer containing the alleged corpse arrived with the Searching For Bigfoot Team. I arrived on location at 6PM to provide initial verification examination, biohazard control and consult for security measures at the location. At that time the ice was being thawed slowly without aid, to prevent any decomposition of the alleged corpse. We estimated that the freezer and its contents weighed over 1500 pounds and it would take several days or longer to thaw completely.

On August 17th, 2008 Searching for Bigfoot Team Director of Field Operations, TJ Biscardi and myself, were up early to discover that some hair was now exposed. I extracted some from the alleged corpse and examined it and had some concerns. Bob Schmalzbach arrived and concurred. We burned said sample and said hair sample melted into a ball uncharacteristic of hair.

At that time we contacted Mr. Biscardi who gave us permission to begin an expedited melting process. We set up a salamander heater to heat the freezer. Within one hour we were able to see the partially exposed head, as I was now able to touch it, I was able to feel that it seemed mostly firm, but unusually hollow in one small section. This was yet another ominous sign. Within the next hour of thaw, a break appeared up near the feet area. As the team and I began examining this area near the feet, I observed the foot which looked unnatural, reached in and confirmed it was a rubber foot.

At that point we immediately contacted, Tom Biscardi and advised him of the situation and he began to take action on his end. Later that day, Tom Biscardi informed us that both Matthew Whitton and Ricky Dyer admitted it was a costume. They reportedly agreed to sign a promissory note and admission of what they had done, and set a meeting in their hotel room in California for 8AM on August 17th, 2008.

At that time I drew up the documents for Mr. Biscardi. On August 17th, 2008 Tom Biscardi went to the hotel where Dyer and Whitton were staying and found that they had left. At this time action is being instigated against the perpetrators of this fraud. Tom Biscardi asked us to contact you, the press, and share all that we have discovered.

The motives behind this fraud are still unknown at this time. It is still unclear why Whitton who, being a police officer for the Clayton County Police Department in Georgia got up before the world and lied and was complicit in a scheme to defraud in a felonious manner.

At this time the victim of this series of deceptions, Searching for Bigfoot, Inc., is seeking justice for themselves and for all the people who were deceived by this deception. Due to this event peoples lives have been disrupted and many people, so wanting vindication about there prior experiences were hurt. Let us all try to be mindful of such.

On behalf of myself I can say with certainty Matthew Whitton and Ricky Dyer not the best Bigfoot trackers in the world!

Thank you.
Written by Steve Kulls

Why Matthew Whitton and Ricky Dyer would do this is unknown. The damage these actions will have on the main stream media’s perception of cryptozoology and bigfoot research will be long lasting.
Biscardi and Searching For Bigfoot will be associated with this hoax, even though they were the victims.

What it did appear to generate is some serious backlash.
The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO) had declared the whole thing a hoax before it was over. Claiming the freezer picture is a Bigfoot costume with some animal innards on top.
Then we have the Bigfoot Police Channel on YouTube. But as we learned with the Peckman and Romanek Alien video that landed on YouTube, discrediting people on the internet is way to easy these days.
Main stream media would rather have a hoax than an unknown, so they start the “its a hoax” stories going.
Komo News from Seattle finds Cliff Barackman to discredit the story. Surprise, surprise, he is a member of the BFRO

Could they be behind the negative YouTube videos as well?
Its not hard, slap some video of Biscardi talking from Fox News and put the word hoax in the title.

This makes me wonder what the BFRO has against Biscardi.
This story is far from over.
This has not been proven a hoax!
Why not let the additional DNA evidence come back?
The BFRO is discrediting its self by not challenging this story in a more professional manner.

As Whitton said, they were not ‘looking for Bigfoot’ but rather stumbled upon him, a situation which they were curiously prepared for. Armed with cameras, they quickly took photos of one other creature, a biped which they claim to be part of the Bigfoot ‘family,’ and proceeded to haul the lifeless body of the other animal into their truck before arriving home and placing it into a large cooler. When asked if they always carry cameras into the woods, Whitton replied ‘Yes. There are other things to see than the terrain.’ Interesting, since they repeatedly claimed throughout the entire press conference that they were not previously Bigfoot hunters, but rather just two very lucky men. Also of considerable note is the fact that they did not immediately contact authorities. Whitton claims that he did not see it ‘necessary’ and that his first goal is to ‘protect the creatures.’ Instead, they contacted Tom Biscardi, founder and CEO of Searching for Bigfoot Inc., and had him and his team come out and evaluate the situation. They kept him in a refrigerator until Biscardi and his team arrived.

As the conference continued, Biscardi began to take over answering questions, mainly averting giving any real answers. When asked why it wasn’t until now that anyone has found the real ‘Bigfoot,’ given that humans have been on this planet for quite some time, Biscardi merely retorted with another question: How come we haven’t found the wreckage and bodies of plane crashes? Good point, I guess.

The conference went on and reporters began to get increasingly suspicious. Direct questions like ‘Is this a hoax?’ and ‘Are you just pulling a publicity stunt’ were shouted left and right. In an attempt to salvage what little credibility they had left, Whitton simply exclaimed, ‘We’ve done it,’ as he reflected on his incredible fortune of finally finding the legendary creature. But what he claimed in words, he failed to substantiate with hard evidence. At the end of the conference, thanks to my friend Michael Dimmock and his tactful use of a student ID card as a ‘press badge,’ we received a copy of an email from Curt Nelson, a scientist at the University of Minnesota, to Biscardi explaining the results of the DNA tests. The first test was deemed inconclusive due to a ‘technical’ failure. The second test came back as ‘Possum.’ Biscardi explained that sample was taken from the intestines of the creature and perhaps the results were that of something he ingested.

We also received four photos. One of the three men ‘near the scene of discovery.’ Another of the three men next to the alleged cooler within which lies the body of Bigfoot. The last two were of the actual creatures themselves. One was a close-up of the tongue and teeth of the beast, which was blurry at best. Since the body was supposedly found in June, couldn’t they have taken a decent photo of it by now? Apparently more ‘clear’ photos will be released ‘soon.’ Until then, this is the only real one we have. The second photo is of the ‘live’ creature (one of two) standing upright in a dense patch of woods. There is nothing spectacular about this photo, it looks like every other hoax Bigfoot image we’ve seen in the past: a dark wooded area with a ‘human-like’ outline in the middle which could very well just be a tree stump or some vague shrubbery.

So where is Bigfoot now? In an ‘undisclosed location in the possession of Tom Biscardi.’ It’s been on ice for ‘about’ two months now, although the exact date of discovery wasn’t revealed, mainly because the men claim to ‘not remember.’. Only about 8-10 people have actually witnessed the body firsthand, said Whitton, but apparently it is ‘a body like you’ve never seen.’ Well, until they release a decent photo I guess that’s true enough.

The only thing to do is take their claims with a grain of salt. Until they capture a ‘live’ one, which Whitton claims ‘is going to happen,’ all we’ve got is two lousy photos and a questionable ‘DNA test.’ For all you Bigfoot hunters out there, what I suggest is this: keep hunting.

Written by Eneida Revueltas – eneida.revueltas@gmail.com

[editor's note: We've tried to cover this story as much as possible for last several days.
From the Press Release and first photo to live coverage and documented DNA evidence, but an on the scene report was something really wanted to complete the coverage. Thank you Eneida]

First document from the Rickmat carcass bigfoot press conference from today in Palo Alto from CrunchGear.