More Bridgewater Bigfoot Followup
Posted by: Loren Coleman on August 18th, 2009
In the new John Horrigan Report on the Bigfoot tracks found in the Bridgewater Triangle, the following “Jason Lorefice Statement” has been published.
Horrigan, who had an extreme skeptical reaction to the cast, put how he directly obtained the statement this way: “When we spoke, I asked [Jason Lorefice] outright if it was a hoax, told him that I felt that I was somehow responsible for this and that I can make it go away. I told him that right now would be an ideal jumping-off point and that it would hurt him and his organization’s (Paranormal Investigators of New England) credibility if the hoax were allowed to continue. I expressed my skepticism. He then told me outright that it was not a hoax. I then insisted that he release a statement – and he has.”
STATEMENT FROM JASON LOREFICE
On the weekend of July 25th, 2009, I was down in the Bridgewater, Massachusetts area for three days investigating the alleged mysteries of “The Bridgewater Triangle”. I decided to spend 1 day dedicated to the Hockomock Swamp to look for strange creatures and bizarre beasts, and yes – even Bigfoot! I started off in Raynham, where the power lines cross Route 138 and mountain-biked the dirt path that runs parallel to those power lines.
After about an 1 1/2 hours, I decided to move to another location. Finally, I ended up in Bridgewater near Lake Nippenicket, and biked the area there as well. That is when I discovered what looked to be human-shaped footprints in the corn field (but much larger). As I examined the prints closer, I noticed that a trail of them looked as if someone or something had crossed the road and into the cornfield, where it made its way toward the swamp. I did, in fact, see some of the crops pushed aside as if something large has passed through it.Due to the fact that it was late in the afternoon, I was faced with two options: either pursue the tracks into the thick dense brush and try to track it – or race back into town and buy some plaster of Paris (at Home Depot) and make a mold of one of the tracks. When I returned to the site with plaster, I also measured the tracks and found some inconsistencies in the stride pattern. The first 5 tracks had a stride length of approximately 87″ from heel to toe. The next four after that measured approximately 78″-79″. The length of the feet were at about 18″x7″. My guess was, if it had been a person’s foot, they would have to be at least 8 1/2 ft. tall.
I had to prep the footprint by blowing out the loose dirt in the toes and I had to pick out some plants before pouring the mold.
Upon waiting for the mold to dry (about 45 minutes), I saw more than 50 birds shoot out of the trees like a bat out of hell.with concern that whatever made those tracks may have returned, I sat there quietly for about 10 minutes and didn’t make a sound. Unfortunately, I didn’t see or hear anything.
After pulling the cast out of the ground, I was walking back to the car when I noticed a car pull up and the driver ask me if I was having car problems. I told him that I was fine and I showed him the cast. His eyes lit up like a pair of headlights. He told me that he and his wife had lived in the area for over 20 years and had never heard of any Bigfoot stories around there. He then turned to his wife in the car and said “shotguns loaded tonight”. As I look back, I realized that I was very excited to find such a discovery, that I failed to photograph the area more thoroughly and survey it better than what I did.
I would just like to clear something up. I’m a paranormal investigator, so I don’t prove or disprove unexplained events. I simply present my findings. I wasn’t there when the tracks were made, so I can’t say if it was a Bigfoot – or a prankster. I am still open to the possibility that it could be a hoax, but deep down inside, I want to believe that it was a creature in the Swamp. Since that time, I have got alot of mud thrown my way because of all this, and I sometimes wish that I never found those tracks. So for now, my conclusion is that it is of unknown origin. That’s my summary of how I came into possession of this enormous footprint cast.
Deliberate Hoax Comparison Photo #1 By Jason Lorefice. A deliberate bare footprint made by Jason Lorefice for comparative purposes.
Deliberate Hoax Comparison Photo #3 By Jason Lorefice. A happy face.
I have my own reaction to this, over and above the Bigfoot specifics. If I was being investigated about my involvement with a possible hoaxing of a crypitd event, I would not be sending along a photograph of a smiley face in the mud to a skeptical tour promoter doing an examination of me!
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.
Apart from all the comments already made about why this screams hoax, after hearing Jason Lorefice speak I have to say he just didn’t strike me as credible.
Skeptics are a dime a dozen. They don’t often get in the field nor do they get dirty they just sit back and say nope must be hoax or what ever..I have been in the field and I have had my own strange experience but until all the real down and dirty research is done we don’t know what is truth or fiction. If a they are a hoax well shame on that person BUT if the tracks are real then the question is what made them where is it and how do we document it being a part of the real living creatures of our planet.
I’m sorry, I am still suspious of this one. The couple who drove by, who have lived there of over 200 years, had never heard of a Bigfoot in the area. How come he didn’t take pictures of the prints leading into the swamp or the path though the field.
This one does reek of a hoax. I am not suggesting Mr. Lorefice is involved and I hope he is not. I do think the prints were put there by a hoaxer for him to find. Just my opinion.
Hi Greywolf-
Skepticism is a good thing. The real problem are the cynics masquerading as skeptics. They really are a dime a dozen.
I have to admit I take perverse pleasure in seeing the miserable expression form on Joe Nichols’ face when his debunking experiments don’t go quite as he’d like. A true cynic in skeptic’s clothing. While a skeptic approaches problems with a questioning but open mind, a cynic has already made up his mind. Debunking implies a predisposed disbelief. Very unscientific.
Hoax, this story deserves no more “air time”…the holes in it are just too numerous to go into.
Loren, Thanks for continuing to post on this subject despite the hoax possibilities. It’s time for Jason Lorefice to send his cast to Professor Meldrum for a professional opinion. It could well be a hoax and he’s a victim or it might be real. A decent look by the Professor won’t hurt and his word is about as authoritative as it gets in the BF world. My best,
While this may not be a hoax, it’s irrelevant, because for all the information that Mr. Lorefice claimed to have acquired about the prints, (size, number of prints, stride length), he only photographed a single print. While I’ll be the first to admit that that print appears too crisp and clean to be real, it’s nearly impossible to judge this story’s validity or invalidity based on a single track. A picture of a single track, accompanied by a story filled with convenient excuses doesn’t seem like enough to convince a research team to investigate further. I suggest we let this blip fall off the radar screen, and, if it is real, I suggest Mr. Lorefice improves his investigation techniques in the future.
Well clearly Jason lorifice made a mistake taking his efforts to Mr Horrigan ”telephonicly” to be patronised. If the PG film is described by Mr Horrigone as ”notorious” what chance did Jason have ?
It is quite possible Jason has created his own play and given himself a starring role in it, as my grand children do. I have to be ”The Selfish Giant by Orson Wells”. It is also possible he has been hoaxed. Theres nothing like a young man taking himself seriously to be the target for other maybe more frivolous young men. Especially if the interest is unusual.
Then again the footprint might be of a Sasquatch ! When you find footprints of one animal at one place they can be extremely variable and it can be very problematical to distinguish deer from boar (now colonising the UK again) deer from deer even dog from deer or cat. It is clearly insufficient to look at at one print as it may be anomolous. What is needed is a good look at the rest of the track and more photos, some will not look like anything, but as a whole they add up.
An absence of vegetation damage doesnt neccesserily mean a Sasquatch didnt pass through as my guess is it often avoids damage to remain hidden. The ground looks solid as if it had been compacted by weather and machinery. So poor penetration of the ground by SAS would have been unremarkable. Isnt it valid to understand what Sasquatch is up to by how we would behave in its environment, working on the assumption it is our nearest primate relative ? Is banging trees Sasquatches ghetto blaster?
I do think Jason Lorifice should be given a bit of a welcome as should all the other witnesses out there who may know something. Shouldnt we leave the negative press to the Horrigons? Now perhaps JT will do some further research and come up with some more stuff to entertain and delight!
Where are the indentations that would suggest a moving creature? Looks like someone pushed directly down not in a walking motion. Also most peeps will have a bit of a deeper impression at the heel…unless Bf walks toe to heel like an american indian.
Bad pics? Are there more in the series?