Media Article # 399

Monday, June 28, 2004

Bigfoot evidence highlights Southern Crypto Conference

By Billy Mau
The Courier

A new look at an old video and a rare speech by a man that witnessed one of the most famous Bigfoot sightings ever highlighted Saturday's Third Annual Southern Crypto Conference at Conroe's Lone Star Convention Center.

Bob Gimlin appeared at only his third public conference to discuss the Bigfoot sighting that his friend Roger Patterson captured on October 20, 1967. This video has become the most famous footage of a Bigfoot creature and has endured years of analysis and skepticism.

Gimlin told the story of the encounter to an audience of cryptozoologists, researchers and enthusiasts. He said that people always ask him why he didn't shoot the creature, because Gimlin had his rifle in hand when he came across the Bigfoot. Gimlin said that skeptics had told him that the footage was meaningless without a body.

"I didn't shoot because things were happening really fast," he said. "As long as it was walking away and posed no threat I had no reason to shoot it."

Gimlin took questions from the audience after his speech. One person asked him if he would choose not to see the creature if he had the chance to do it again. Gimlin suffered ridicule from many during the years since the footage was taken, especially in the years immediately following the sighting he said.

Gimlin said that until recently he would probably have chosen never to have seen the creature. What he said changed his mind was an appearance he made at a convention prior to Saturday's event. It was at that event he said that people made him realize that there were those that believed him and in fact saw him as a living legend in the history of Bigfoot sightings.

"I'm darn glad I saw it now," Gimlin said to a standing ovation."
Prior to Gimlin's speech, Bigfoot researcher M.K. Davis gave a presentation of new data collected from the Patterson/Gimlin film.

Using new enhancing technology, Davis presented the audience with evidence of skin over muscle movement, visible teeth and other evidence that creates a strong argument against the theory that the creature in the video was just a person in a gorilla suit.

Other topics covered in speeches Saturday included the Dequincy Roadkill, the mythological thunderbird and the supposedly extinct East Texas red wolf which conference organizer Chester Moore showed a video allegedly depicting the animal.

Two cryptozoology awards were handed out during the conference. M.K. Davis won the "Crypto Finding of the Year" award for his work with the Patterson/Gimlin film and Bob Gimlin won the "Smokey Crabtree Steward of Cryptozoology" award for his efforts to share his story with enthusiasts across the country.

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