Updated: Dr. Melba Ketchum a Bigfoot Witness?
Posted by: Craig Woolheater on January 13th, 2012
As we posted here on Cryptomundo on January 3rd, Melba Ketchum posted the following on her Facebook wall.
Since there is already an email about illusive vs. elusive. Illusive= like an illusion or imaginary. That is how skeptics see them. They also create illusion in that they are rarely seen and avoid detection. Some animals are elusive, yet there are many documentaries that are on Animal Planet and Nat Geo that show elusive animals studied with hidden cameras. How many folks have tried that with good success? Our subject goes far beyond elusive or they would have already been easily photographed with hidden cameras and plentiful footage obtained and thus already proven to exist, so they are illusive in my mind. Just semantics.Melba Ketchum
Yes, I do know about them now. I am glad I didn’t see them until after most of the data was in. I needed to prove it scientifically to myself first as a former skeptic before hitting the field so to speak and actually observing them. I had no fear, the ones I encountered were peaceful and gentle. I keep going back, I know why so many people love doing this now.Melba Ketchum
Robert Lindsay posted the following on his blog on January 8th:
We have our own theory about what is going on here. Here is what happened:
Sometime in the past year, at least by mid-October, Ketchum got the opportunity to visit a Bigfoot habitation site in Oklahoma. We believe it was in the Honobia region of Oklahoma, on private property, at or near the residence of a woman named Arla Collett-Williams. While there, she was able to see a family of Bigfoots. She has since gone back a number of times, and has apparently seen Bigfoots on each occasion. Why she has not snapped pictures or video of them, I have no idea.Robert Lindsay
Arla Collett Williams posted the following on Melba Ketchum’s Facebook wall.
Robert Lindsay continues to use fabricated stories.He is becoming a master at saying things that are not true. Dr Ketchum will address this too I am sure. She was not in Oklahoma at my home and has never been to my home.So his story about her being here multiple times to view the Bigfoot is a lie.Arla Williams
Melba Ketchum clarified further:
The post that Arla put on my wall is true. I know her, but have not been to OK since 1995. My sighting is not a big deal. I saw one silhouetted between me and a white gooseneck trailer in bright moonlight at about 25 yds. It was about 10 feet tall as it walked by. I saw eyeshine from 1 nearby. I was alone at the time. I don’t ever take cameras in case it scares them off. Not trying to prove anything here and do not care if I am believed or not. The DNA takes care of that for me. I should not have even brought it up. Any investigation on my part is purely to satisfy my curiousity (which got me into this in the first place), for my enjoyment and edification and no other reason.Melba Ketchum
Melba Ketchum added the following on January 9th:
I have been fortunate to see them, but it is not a big deal in the sense that this has nothing to do with my research nor will this personal experience be related as far as any scientific discovery. Like everyone who has seen them, there are people that will not believe you and there are people that do. This was something I did for me, not to impress anyone or “prove the species” because sightings are just that and cannot be proved because it is just one person’s story without evidence. I was awed at the appearance though, so graceful and silent and so tall. You cannot appreciate all that they are until you see for yourself. I am thankful for that opportunity.Melba Ketchum
Co-founder of Cryptomundo in 2005.
I have appeared in or contributed to the following TV programs, documentaries and films:
OLN's Mysterious Encounters: "Caddo Critter", Southern Fried Bigfoot, Travel Channel's Weird Travels: "Bigfoot", History Channel's MonsterQuest: "Swamp Stalker", The Wild Man of the Navidad, Destination America's Monsters and Mysteries in America: Texas Terror - Lake Worth Monster, Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot: Return to Boggy Creek and Beast of the Bayou.
I’m curious to know what DNA testing she’s using (or has already used). Nothing short of full sequencing is going to convince the scientific establishment, and even with that they won’t make it easy. And by full sequencing, I mean similar to the technique that I believe was developed to sequence the Neandertal DNA. Not the DNA tests they do on Maury Povich!
My understanding is that it costs at least 250K for the full monty, so I also have to ask who’s putting up the money and/or resources.
Gotta cover your bases if 1) you got the real deal, and 2) you want it to pass scientific muster.
My sighting of this animal that I call “beyond elusive” and that the scientific community laughs at is not a big deal.
STOP, MELBA, STOP!
I would like to think Melba Ketchum has a good sense of humor and all of these suppositions of where she was and when she was and what she ate for lunch and where she was in 1995 are all quite entertaining for her. I know if I were her, I’d have to laugh at the absurdity.
She hasn’t been to OK since 95? I sure seen her name on the list of speakers at the honobia conference in october talking about the DNA sequencing, now I never heard anything come from that about her being there but she was supposed to speak. Not to give any credit to Robert Lindsay
This wait for Ketchum’s results is torture. Ever since I heard about the Erickson Project and the Ketchum project with it last spring I have been checking both her and the Erickson website (the latter is now lost) and/or anything crypto-Newso daily. I could compare it to the way I have to wait half a year after a deadliest warrior season to catch the next season (The wait for the Zombie/Vampire fight was tiring. Imagining what they will have for this coming season…cannotwaitcannotwaitcannotwait…)
God has been giving me the patience to see this through. I await the press conference…
Yeah it just continues to be even more clear this is a a fraud. There will be no DNA test results forthcoming. The reason is they do not exist. If this was real there would be much more talk about than just on sites like this one. Just because one has Dr. in front of their name does not mean they are above shenanigans.
RIDICULOUS!!!!!
I believed Dr Ketchum was true and honest from the first time I watched her on television, finding unknown primate DNA on a Josh Gates episode of Destination truth…but her comments on of all things, “FACEBOOK”, has just put Dr Ketchum in another category, in my opinion.
Dr Ketchum claims, “Not trying to prove anything here and I don’t care if I’m believed or not’, well forgive my language, but BS!!!!
Everyone who has followed this Bigfoot story can point to Dr Ketchum’s own words, the reason for the delay in her peer review paper, “scientific overkill is required in order to convince a world full of skeptical scientists”. She absolutely cares if she is believed or not. If she did not care, she would have released some information and evidence by now, “IF” SHE DID NOT CARE IF SHE IS BELIEVED OR NOT!!!!!!!!
Her inconsistent statements puts her a dangerous category with Justin Smeja, Tom Biscardi, and those Georgia Boys.
A photo, a fleer image, a location, a time and date…there is NO REASON WHY she would not seek to help the part of PUBLIC who supports her and believes in Bigfoot, with that info and evidence…NO REASON.
I never, ever considered Dr Ketchum capable of lying, but with this silly FaceBook post, in my opinion she just may be.
@CDC….I was going to add that I believe she is lying about everything. And this is all build up for a book/DVD tour. Sure seems like that to me. But I was not sure that would get past community standards. And frankly I did not want to deal with the personalty cult that has sprung up around her and another gentlemen. All the time I see on this board scientists slammed. Well she and other favorites are no different. They to are blinded by absolute faith.
I think her story is toast.
i have no idea why people are so optimistic that legitimate scientific proof of anything will come out of this. this whole episode is bad science and i feel sorry for those who are so hungry for proof that they allow themselves to be sucked in by this.
Please mum, make it stop!!!!!!!!
“I don’t ever take cameras in case it scares them off” Research be DAMNED! You would think a good photo would be an asset to her DNA project….
Just remember what I said 6 months ago…
It’s not very often in science that you see:
[OpenMouthSwitchFeetManyManyTimes] OK here are the findings…
I am growing more skeptical of this whole “conspiracy” by the day.
“I don’t ever take cameras in case it scares them off.”
Look, folks. I’m really sorry that some people are hanging on this stuff pins and needles.
That quote should kill it for you if it isn’t dead already. A scientist, knowing the value of documentation, would bring a camera AND SEE if it scared them off, and not just swallow some true believer silliness.
No-one can be trusted
I wouldn’t give up yet!
Melba’s promise of some breakthrough is still there despite some reservations about her blogs in more relaxed mode. And as she says about being believed ”the DNA (will) takes care of that.”
There is indeed hope, but I anticipate battles first as ultimate and unusual standards of proof are demanded. At this point she deserves huge support.
But she may have to keep butting that dam!
35mm infrared film is still readily available. Surely some of the silent, purely mechanical wildlife cameras produced over the years are still around. How hard can it be to get a photo if you are at a place you have been before, and expect to see a Bigfoot or two?
Dr. Ketchum needs to catchum one for me to believe.
Dang, the train wreck is piling higher and deeper. Not looking forward to the collision, it’s gonna be ugly.
Yawnnnnnnn!!!
YNWA
Has anyone done any research into her history or the company? Their website is very poor for such a flash and hi tech industry. Links don’t work, there’s only two people listed as “staff” and it seems she is a vet who shows horses. I would have expected so much more from someone who runs such a reputable firm. I’m also always suspicious about companies who’s only invention is “patent pending”.
If anyone knows better then no problem (I only had a quick scan) but doen’t look very official to me and alongside some of the other points raised something smell fishy… hope I’m wrong.
I’m not ready to write her off just yet. To her mind what she saw may not be a big deal because she has no proof of what she saw, just her subjective opinion and she KNOWS that. She also knows that even with a photograph (in the dark with only a full moon for light) would be met with either blobsquatch or photoshop. NOTHING short of solid DNA and/or a physical specimen will change this.
Considering the DNA work she is doing, it would be foolish of her to get into the position where she makes a big deal out of a lone visual sighting, it could be used as fodder for ‘she has an agenda’ or ‘she’s looney’ or anything in between.
As for that Lindsay guy, after looking around his website after the bigfoot steak fiasco I have to say, that guy creeps me out. (literally a deep in the gut, I-really-need-to-leave feeling) I would not take anything he reports at face value and please remember, MOST of the ‘issues’ that have popped up over the Ketchum/Erikson research and papers seems to have started with him. I do not know the man but it is suspect that he’s the one walking around with a zippo as the forest burns.
Good God, Ash Ketchum would be better at catching a Bigfoot than this!
“I don’t ever take cameras in case it scares them off.”
Precisely the same reason I never collect samples of rare plants, who can say when the collection of hard data, as a scientist, will make the happy little plants all sad and weepy and invisible to the naked eye?
The End, I agree.
DNS not bad thinking.. I have an old Nikon FTN 35mm…problem? would need to set up the remote passive IR motion detect or something..hard to stay wake all night for shutter trip…but even if that was resolved I have shot IR sensitive digital and under new moon you get only the eye shine…and it is cool, it grows in intensity and then reduces only to grow again…very interesting, but no detail of the Bigfoot. So yeah in terms of reducing the RF noise, etc…but other tech problems. I think Larry Surface, or someone similarly situated) has best shot b/c cover of equipment in area with existing human structures will reduce obvious out of place blinds… so the whole photo thing, when people think it should be easier, requires one go out and try…to really get how difficult to get a good shot. Turkeys? Try photoing wild turkey…it’s tough. So are bears and cougar…my bear and turkey shots about as good as my Bigfoot…it happens fast, in usually rough terrain, and with poor visibility because of tree cover, etc… also…video is essential..locomotion given photshop etc today no still will be accepted…even an HD close up I assume? So video I think is required. When we are all driving with dash cams…and those random highways crossing in headlights come out…? 🙂
I was thinking SLR with IR film. It works in the daytime, too, and a mechanical camera with no active systems could not scare a creature unless they can smell them or something. I just can’t picture a scientist going to a place where she has seen Bigfoot, expecting another sighting, and not taking some kind of camera. I’m sorry, it just does not compute.
“I don’t ever take cameras in case it scares them off.”
Hmmmm.
Glad Patterson and Gimlin didn’t feel that way.