Hoax Aftermath: Radio Hosts Issue Statements
Posted by: Loren Coleman on August 19th, 2008
No one gets out alive. The Doors
A statement from Billy Willard of Sasquatch Watch of Virginia, regarding Steve Kulls’s radio show announcement, declaring the Whitton-Dyer-Biscardi Bigfoot “body” is a hoax, was received at 1:33 PM Eastern, Tuesday, August 19, 2008:
First off, I would like to say that things said last night of Squatchdetective Radio are NOT the opinions of Billy Willard or Sasquatch Watch of Virginia. It is plain and simple – Mr. Biscardi and the two GA boys were all involved in a hoax! I will not let it stand. I was caught unaware of the things that were going to be discussed last night on the show and was left silent and shocked just like everyone else. I’m here to tell you now; I will no longer be silent on this.
Tonight at 7:30 pm eastern on Squatchdetective Radio, I will be meeting Steve Kulls at his layover at an airport. We will run a show where Steve can speak openly and freely about the many things he knows. Just so everyone understands (and please don’t think I’m trying to make any excuses for what Steve said) he is in a location in Muncie, Indiana where the fake body was being kept. He did not know where he was, had no transportation and was surrounded by the members of Searching for Bigfoot. He is now safely on his way to the airport to head home and he will have a 2 hour layover where I will be meeting up with him for the show tonight.
We, as Bigfoot field researchers, have to end these ridiculous claims, and as much as I hate to take my focus away from Bigfoot research, it looks as if I will need to for just a short time. I could need help. A lot of folks here have been in this field a lot longer than I have. That organization has hurt this field of research in the eyes of science and critics abroad, and it needs to come to a stop.
If anyone has any suggestions or would like to contact me for any reason, please feel free to do so. But as it stands, I will not let this stand. I’m on a mission. ~ Billy Willard
Moments before the above, at 1:24 PM Eastern, Tuesday, August 19, 2008, the following statement was received for exclusive release via Cryptomundo, from Steve Kulls, host of Squatchdetective Radio:
At this time I am breaking any association or cooperation with Tom Biscardi and his company.
Last night on the show my overall intent was to either confirm or deny whether this was a hoax or not. I realize now a grievous error on my behalf of not delaying the show where I could be candid with the audience. My intent was merely to update people and certainly not make excuses for Tom Biscardi.
For that I sincerely apologize. Now I am back without external pressures to temper what I am about to say.
Since Biscardi’s first day of travel to Georgia the information he was relaying to people, were half truths or outright deceptions.
I have many details, but at this time I am limited for time. I never answered Kathy Strain last night, because she spoke the truth in representing that he indeed stated he saw the body. He also stated such things to me as, “Tomorrow we’re taking the measurements.” Oh..and ” I was right there when they took the DNA sample.”
People ask me if he was complicit in this hoax. I honestly believe he was not, otherwise he would not have asked his crew to support a cover story to make it disappear. However that is a debate for scholars and a rested mind, which obviously I have not.
I would not stand for such. And stood firm. So Biscardi was forced to expose it.
There will be more to come I assure you. Again my sincerest apologies. I made a mistake by not taking it further last night to reveal these facts.
Biscardi sent me a email forwarded dated August 10, 2008 from Curt Nelson allegedly stating that the DNA was similar in size to human/ape.
If there is evidence that this email was altered in anyway which I am now just learning may be a possibilty, I need the evidence.
~ Steve Kulls
An editorial moment:
Truth is, the closer you get to Tom Biscardi, the more you will begin to wonder if you are going slightly insane. For those in the psychiatric fields and forensic sciences, you certainly know what this indicates. I need not say anymore.
I believe in you
I can show you that I can see right through
All your empty lies, I won’t last long
In this world so wrong
Say goodbye,
As we dance with the devil tonight
Don’t you dare look at him in the eye
As we dance with the devil tonight ~
~ Dance With The Devil
About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
I’ve been following this whole sorry situation since it began, and really the only pertinent question left that remains seems to be: ‘Tom Biscardi, Fool or Liar?’
If, as Mr. Biscardi originally states, he touched the ‘body’, was present for the DNA sampling and took measurements of the ‘corpse’ accurate down to the inch and still was unaware that he was handling a rubber costume, then he is a credulous fool and unqualified to represent himself as a researcher or even an averagely perceptive person.
On the other hand, if all of his extensive statements in the press conference, on his own website and elsewhere were made up of whole cloth and had no substantiation outside his own mind, then he would have to be either a bald-faced liar, or at best mentally disturbed to support a story that far-out.
I’m depressed by the fallout within the Bigfoot community. This is a major body-blow to anyone who ever wants to be taken seriously in the future and has anything to do with cryptid investigation. My advice? Everyone turn off the computers, stop giving the story any further life of it’s own, and take a nice vacation out to a favorite deep woods area alone. Try to recapture a little of that “what if…” magic that was temporarily replaced by a photo of a soggy costume covered in opossum guts.
This is so disappointing… Honestly, it`s sad. This is an insult and a “big crack in the chops” to anyone who has an interest in the Sasquatch. For a shining moment in time I thought it would all be done and over with, you know, the laughs, ridicule, ect. I thought for just a moment that people would be taken seriously by mainstream media and not be labeled as drunk or crazy. Mr,Biscardi, I think you owe some apologies here. But for whatever reason, I feel pity, because you will search on… (somehow I have a feeling your checking up with this wonderful site we are on and reading this.) And you could find a Bigfoot, teach it English, and potty train it and no one will EVER believe you about it. The other two “Gents” I have no use for at all. I feel pity for them because they probably will never work in law enforcement again. It`s just as well. It all makes one wonder what else they may have made/trumped up in thier careers to better themselfs. (oh by the way boys, my comments are “for entertainment purposes only”) Whew! I guess that makes me safe…. I can hide behind words too.
Hopefully this episode will put to rest Mr Biscardi’s ‘Bigfoot activities’ and people will see him for what he is, an opportunist freakshow promoter. As for the two Georgia fraudsters, I hope they get their just rewards. I’ve noticed that now that the fraud has come to light, their website is back online again advertising bigfoot expeditions.
Hopefully one day soon a real bigfoot will be found, and put to rest once and for all, the YouTube bigfoot video hoaxers and scammers out there.
Those of us who have a genuine interest in finding bigfoot, are tired and fedup having to waste time even considering this kind of drivel. As a rule, when claims like this come along, we should be extremely skeptical until genuine scientists have had a chance to study the animal properly. Photographs and videos aren’t proof of anything of themselves. True scientific enquiry requires etreme caution until convincing evidence is presented.
The Islamic philosopher of science Ibn al-Haytham and early pioneer in the scientific method once said,
“Truth is sought for its own sake. And those who are engaged upon the quest for anything for its own sake are not interested in other things. Finding the truth is difficult, and the road to it is rough.”
The Georgia Bigfoot episode has been a hard lesson, but truth always prevails in the end.
Is it the ninth life that Biscardi is on? I lose count with each new hoax. I guess he will use the “blame game” and try to make himself, yet again, the victim.
Hopefully, this last hoax will be his final farewell to the BigFoot community and real BF researchers. That I could live with as his final bow!
Anyway, his words at the news conference in California condemned him. He is not innocent and can not play a victim this time.
Perhaps he can sell tickets and the movie rights to the former police officer from Georgia, from his trip in law enforcement to his new job, flipping burgers. Now that’s a movie! I guess it is better that the former police officer is flipping burgers than flipping some fine book I saw on the grill. I would love to see a video of the cop flipping burgers. In fact, I probably would pay money to see that. I just don’t want to give Biscardi any feasible ideas of what people would pay good money to see. And it would probably make more money than any movie Biscardi previously touted.
I am glad that this hoax is finally coming to it’s sad and predictable end. Now we can get back to the serious discussions of BigFoot research. Hopefully, we have not lost too much traction in our forward progress due to these fools!
Well, Biscardi use to show the Ivan Marx films on his site as if they were real! Now who would ever compare those with the PG film?! An individual with ZERO ability to discern, and or an individual who doesn’t care. He just see’s $ in it all-Real or Fake.
One thing that kept jumping out at me during all of this was his use of the term “Business” as in “I’ve been in this business for over 30 years”, “This Bigfoot Business”…etc. This should tell us something. It’s a business. When “Business” is not good you come up with a new marketing ploy. He did it in ’05 and he did it again! As far as the 2 good ‘ole boys from Georgia? I don’t really feel as much resentment toward them…They’re obviously not very intelligent folks… And were just having some fun, but when they found out the major research outfits weren’t as stupid as they thought, they went after them like a couple of pissed off teenagers.
Biscardi on the other hand comes off as a very patronizing, coniving, odd person. A wierd duck to be sure…Have you ever heard his radio show? -Always ringing that stupid bell like a clown in a circus…Circus-Attention-Money…Yeah that makes sense…And explains it all. Now, the silly, poor me, innocent plea will hopefully fall on deaf ears.
I am terribly saddened that this whole fiasco ended up the way it did. The part that is the worst is that the next people that actually do see something that could be real will just be laughed at as well. It’s will be like the little boy who cried wolf syndrome. Hopefully the scientific world will not turn a deaf ear, due to hoaxers trying to gain fame or whatever it is they are after.
I’m so glad this insanity has ended. I have to admit that at first I thought the body was legit. Grrrrr. I mean, its only a matter of time before someone stumbles across a body right? Well, they had better not get away with all this. Release the hounds!!
To me these guys are criminals. I’m tired of all the fraud being perpetrated in this field. I hope that laws have been broken and these idiots get to spend some quality time making license plates somewhere.
This is my first post here, hello everyone! 🙂 As an (amature) artist, I am wondering if the makers of the costume have rights that have been abused? Gosh, what a mess…..
I really love this site Loren and others who contribute!
I am so happy to be able to get my fix of Cryptomundo! All during this affair, I have not been able to get to my favorite site to see what’s going on. I’ve been crazy! 🙂 I am really happy to see the site back up and be able to read all this. I was sure this was a hoax from the beginning, but there was that little glimmer of hope. It’s still a huge letdown and I hope these jokers are prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Hopefully this will end Mr. Biscardi’s career as a “Bigfoot Hunter” and we won’t be subjected to his particular brand of nonsense again any time soon.
I am so proud of many regular posters on this site and how you handled yourselves during this. Loren, as always, conducted himself very well. I am glad to have a place where I can “connect” with such intelligent and insightful people on a regular basis. 🙂 Thank you.
Everything that I have heard in the past and read, is true. TB seems to be an opportunist, and a side show caller! He calls himself a “Bigfoot Hunter”, now that could be true, a hunter of Bigfoot costumes that is! I have also notice that he does in fact promote everything that is fraudulent having to do with ANYTHING Bigfoot.
I sit back and think about this and on the scammer scale, he ranks way above Moneymaker. Well I have to give credit where it’s in fact due, Moneymaker was RIGHT!
Enough of looking on the hoaxers side of thing, what about the person whose credibility and professionalism and career was at stake here? Steve Kulls. He was there to either debunk this or call it true. Kulls saw through all the BS from TB and came out with the truth here. Now he is being raked over the coals for being honest and his reputation is now tarnished because of this fiasco. Without the patience and cunning of Kulls, WE as the Bigfoot community would never have known the truth, it would have been played off or swept under the carpet.
We do owe Steve Kulls for getting to the truth and I hope that people see that he is not the bad guy here, in fact he has actually put an end to this farce of a story.
To you Steve Kulls, THANK YOU!
Please never give up. We are behind you 110%
Perhaps Biscardi’s next expedition should be a search for his integrity and credibility. I imagine that might keep him busy for a rather long time.
Next thing from “BS” Biscardi will be the body of the Easter Bunny!
“I wasn’t even looking for it…I just stumbled upon the body…poor thing…broken eggs everywhere..so I put it in my Igloo Cooler”…etc., etc.
Gee, I feel so ripped off by these two or three hoodster’s…Playing a hoax like this isn’t funny whatsoever. I backed up these guys in many of my comments and to be proven wrong just about disheartens me. I really think these guys should be locked up and the key thrown away, the police can tell them its another real life hoax, “Your going to jail! – haha”. That’s where the two belong, I’m not for sure about Tom, somehow I doubt that he knew it was a hoax, he let his feelings or hope of finding a Bigfoot get in the way of his common sense and it hurt him bad. He might as well hang up the towel, his Bigfoot days are over, no one will listen to him now. I, myself, would like to choke each one of these guys; they don’t get it, that honest people, people that staked their belief in Bigfoot are the ones that are hurt in the long run….oh, I still believe in Bigfoot, but believe me I’ll be way more reserved to ever post any hope on guys like this….these guys need a stay in Jail, then they can lie to each other on those hot and heavy nights in the bunk together….haha.
This charlatan personifies everything that is wrong with the field these days.
Unfortunately true scientific study and research is undermined by paranormal grifters who prey on mainstream curiosity and ignorance to make a quick buck or get 15 minutes of undeserved attention.
I used to be heavily involved in paranormal study until I realized that a large majority of “paranormal researchers” out there are just using the field for easy fame and fortune. Now I find myself much more skeptical than I ever was, since I have seen first hand the unethical lengths people will go to in order to “be” someone in the paranormal. Luckily we have true researchers like Mr. Coleman and others who approach the field with a high level of ethics. However this also makes them the biggest victims, since true research doesn’t make for over the top TV shows or inane Halloween segments that exploit mainstream curiosity. It’s sad to see how easily snake oil salesmen and their accomplices discredit authentic achievements and research.
And you can’t convince me this man wasn’t complicit in this orchestrated hoax, and playing fraud victim now is just salt in the wound for true researchers. He was supposedly a “victim” of a hoax before—but what kind of researcher puts out press releases and does a press conference without even having first established something as basic as it not being just a rubber suit? Oh yeah—you create a media frenzy—all while marketing photos on your website at two dollars a pop—and then pretend you were duped.
Somehow I doubt he’ll be issuing refunds to all the people who were really duped (again)—by him.
And he claims he didn’t know for sure until it was defrosted—but the photo of the three next to the freezer released days before the pseudo-press conference doesn’t show the Bigfoot still frozen in a block of ice….
I agree with all the comments above. This is an unmitigated disaster that will hamper the Bigfoot field for years to come. All research will be judged by the media and public by this standard.
As a side note, the Bigfoot community may not be the only victims of this. All who were ever convicted by this ex-policeman’s testimony may now have grounds for appeal.