New Outrage of the Bigfoot Hoax
Posted by: Loren Coleman on October 19th, 2008
Chief Jeff Turner with the Clayton County Police Department said he didn’t find it funny. Turner fired Whitton from the Clayton County Police Department. “He lied on national TV so a defense attorney now could say, ‘How do we know you’re not lying now?'” said Turner.WBS-TV – Atlanta.
Matt Whitton (l) and Rick Dyer (r), the two guys behind the Georgia Bigfoot hoax, are at it again!
However, this time, these two gentlemen’s continued inability to live in a world of any reality is frankly appalling.
I have attempted to ignore their new appearances, sideshow tent shows, and silly attacks on me and others on their “new” website since August. Yes, as news, I reported on the sale of the costume and freezer on eBay, which had little to do with them, but added a reference to what has been claimed about who they are and mentioned their reported checkered past, with citations and history, within the context of the new attention to the tired old story.
It appears Dyer, according to one source, may have used allegedly illegal law enforcement sources and gotten his wires crossed in discovering material in old records. Certainly, what claims are being made online by Dyer (and by extension Whitton) have nothing to do with me, although what they are doing is placing materials out there to besmear me.
Sometimes, outrageous claims must be met head-on, as they are so stupid, nasty, and dumb as to be potentially harmful if left unanswered. Thanks to bigfootpolice, I have been alerted to an incredible piece of visual junk from these jerks.
The following videotape playing on YouTube makes a direct video allusion to charges against “me” in Mexico:
With two well-known and recognizable photographs of me, the following text is placed on the screen over my images (all spelling, caps, and double quotation marks have been retained):
All alleged accusations come from good credible sources.
Loren Colemen
AKA PERVERT
Did you know that in 1988 Mr. Colmen was accused of Aggravated child Molestation in Mexico City.
THEN AGAIN IN MATAMOROS, MEXICO IN 1991.
“”ALLEGED””
Although I object to wasting my time in this fashion, my direct response to this outrage follows:
1. I’ve never been charged, of course, with any kind of “aggravated child molestation” charges, or any other kind of child endangerment, child abuse, or child neglect charges. To even allude to such is outrageous, even if done so by two known liars.
2. I have most definitely been involved in bringing charges against people who have been child abusers and molesters, as I have a long career in human services, child protection, and juvenile justice. I have testified in court proceedings against offenders, in child protection cases where I was an investigating party on behalf of the child endangered. My work is a matter of public record in Illinois, California, Massachusetts, and Maine.
3. I have never been to Mexico City or Matamoros, Mexico. I was not in Mexico in 1988 or 1991, as the US government knows. I have not even been close to Mexico City, or anywhere near Matamoros, formally Heroic Matamoros, or the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, where Matamoros is located. My one investigative trip to Mexico was in February 1985, to the Yucatan and Cozumel to learn more about the folklore and sightings of the alux, of which I wrote about in Curious Encounters (Faber and Faber, 1985). I traveled there with my wife-at-the-time and another couple, coincidentally, all of whom work in the psychiatric/child welfare field.
4. While photographs of me are on screen in their new YouTube creation, Rick Dyer and Matt Whitton are using spellings of “Loren Colemen” and “Colmen” over those images – please note – and thus not with the proper spelling of my actual name, Loren Coleman. Perhaps Dyer/Whitton think such “typos” give them some protection in libel suits? This is not funny and it is not a parody. This is defamation of character.
5. Dyer/Whitton use “alleged” in this hostile piece posted on YouTube, and yet the despicable depths of this work is apparent immediately.
Considering part of my consulting work has been and is based on my prevention and investigation of child molestation, teen suicides, and other child welfare matters, I find what these two are trying to do to insult my reputation to be even more damaging and dangerous than their past acts of Bigfoot hoaxing.
The dark nature of Rick Dyer and Matt Whitton, which has poisoned serious Bigfoot research, unfortunately, now lives on in their demeaning libelous attacks against people, and even in their foolish website attempts to “not recommend” the buying of my book.
As I have said before, the fact these two are telling people to not buy Bigfoot! The True Story of Apes in America is something I will wear as a badge of honor.
The men confessed to Channel 2 they bought a costume off the Internet and filled it with possum roadkill and slaughterhouse leftovers….
“It’s just a big hoax, a big joke,” said car salesman Rick Dyer. Dyer told Channel 2 he never intended to put it across as the real deal. “It’s Bigfoot. Bigfoot doesn’t exist,” he said.
Channel 2’s Mark Winne asked, “Did you start thinking, ‘Oops, I’m lying, this isn’t just a joke?'” Dyer said, “Well, we told 10 different stories. Everyone knew we were lying.”WBS-TV – Atlanta.
I am a calm person, but when people do something so negative and try to link my name to such terrible acts, I find this is no joke.
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 didn’t read all the comments… actually, any yet but I have to say Mr. Coleman, I met you and bought your book “Bigfoot! The true story of apes in America” when you were here in Edmonton at the museum. The Book is excellent and no one should recommend not buying it and you were a genuinely nice person who I enjoyed meeting. These Georgia jerks have no idea. Do what you can to shut them down.
Loren, I work with ASD and vulnerable kids and I know this sort of accusation is easy to throw about. I know how damaging it can be to the people in your care as well. I think in this case you should dignify it with a response, and sue their gormless butts off.
And Springheel, they’re not monkeys -it’s just a line of rotters!