Hoaxes, Hoaxers, Frauds, And Con-Men In The Bigfoot Community

[Guest]

Some times in life the toughest lessons to learn are the hard ones.. But they can be the most valuable. Which is why I look at everything as a learning experience. I hope DW and DO learn from this - and I am sure they will.

I hope we can all learn from this. It doesn't hurt to be prepared.

[Oonjerah]

Just below the Reply box:

"7 user(s) are reading this topic

3 members, 2 guests, 2 anonymous users

Oonjerah, indiefoot, EdSmith "

So yeah, he's still about.

[Cotter]

Melissa:

In your conversations, has the MABRC considered they may have add'l hoaxers in their midst?

Also (to everyone), regarding Ed. What would possess him to hoax a small internet BF community for 4.5 years? Didn't he spend tons of his own time and money? Where was his reward?

Thx!

[Guest]

Cotter: I have not had this conversation with DO or DW. That is very possible, but it's also a possibility anywhere. But, I see your point - and I hope DW or DO read this and start looking into that possibility as well. I usually only get involved in these situations with others - when it's already in progress. Then I have to play "catch up" - which is okay when you think about it - because if you haven't been following it all along - you don't get your hopes up over a period of time and it makes it far easier to stay neutral. No emotional investment.

Not all hoaxes are about money. Sometimes hoaxes are simply about attention. Ed was given attention for 4.5 years. For some, that's really all they want or need. I know that sounds like a simple answer - but it's true. Only Ed knows the full reasons why he did what he did. I don't know that Ed did spend a lot of his money on this hoax - specifically. If he owned equipment - it could have been for a multitude of reasons. Ed was also in the Paranormal Community - so it could have been dual use equipment. Ed did invest a lot of time. But, I guess he had a lot of spare time.

In all honesty - the time thing is what blows me away. 4 years to build a friendship, story and information - leading up to a big hoax... Then it all falls apart in less than 2 weeks. I guess he spent more time with the friendships, story and information - than he did on the end goal of the ultimate hoax.

Edited to add: As I read this for typos (yeah I do that) I am struck by a thought.. What if this wasn't about the ultimate hoax.. What if it was simply about the very thing Ed accomplished? The hoaxing of a group to make them think he was a friend, interested in their goals - and wanted what they wanted so he could get attention. Let's face it - just about every time Ed typed something it ended up on other websites etc... Maybe he didn't care about the end game... If that's the case - then he accomplished what he set out to do... Maybe there was no higher goal. Only Ed can speak to this though. Just typing out loud on my part...

This is what Ed taught me. Be cautious of who comes into my life and wants to be my friend. Ed has shown me - people will use friendship as a way to build trust and create hoaxes. Who would ever question a friend... Friendship can be just another tool in the hoaxers arsenal.

Beware my friends.

Edited January 18, 2013 by Melissa

[Rockape]

Just below the Reply box:

"7 user(s) are reading this topic

3 members, 2 guests, 2 anonymous users

Oonjerah, indiefoot, EdSmith "

So yeah, he's still about.

No doubt he is hanging about and enjoying all the commotion. Perhaps everyone should do as I have and move on from this, and quit giving Ed the attention he so craves.

[Cotter]

Well, I'd say that if Ed is willing to do some Q&A, I would ask the mods to allow it.

Just for a little while....

;-)

[Guest]

Thought this might lighten the mood.....certainly made me chuckle.

http://www.thecomicstrips.com/store/add_strip.php?iid=91819

No doubt he is hanging about and enjoying all the commotion. Perhaps everyone should do as I have and move on from this, and quit giving Ed the attention he so craves.

He was last active today at 11:07 pm ( about ten minutes ago )....so yes you are probably right

[Guest]

I think the hardest lesson learned is knowing when to stop talking before you put your foot in your mouth...again, and again, and again.

[Guest COGrizzly]

Nice CT. Plussed.

[dmaker]

Weird, I tapped my slippers three times and i"m still here...

[Guest]

I don't know one way or the other, & really don't care. But I think it's funny watching all the "I-told-ya-so" going on, like it's cut & dried that he was lying about the BF in a box, but he's telling the truth now.

So what if he came here & "gloated? Maybe he needed to be convincing.

Yeah that's plausible.

I just laughed so hard I almost wet myself.

I hope you are not serious.

[steenburg]

I am surprised everyone's forgotten about this hoax attempt.

Thomas Steenburg

Hoax in Golden Ears Park

FILE#10166

LOCATION; Golden Ears Park, Maple Ridge, B.C.

DATE: July 20th, 2009 @ Many other occurrences over the last six years

REPORT BY: Thomas Steenburg

I really don't want to get into the long history of these two individuals. Suffice to say that their attempt to pull the wood over my eyes this past Tuesday, July 20th, 2009 was pathetic to say the lest. 5 members of the B.C. Chapter of the B.F.R.O. also got to see this nonsense first hand. The sad thing about all this is that Mr. Brissions original reports of 2005 may have indeed been true? But after all this nothing he claims can be taken seriously until he decides to change his behavior.

I was already aware of fake photo's showing a head behind a large old growth tree stump, which Randy claimed to have shot last May? He didn't seem to sure of the date when I asked him about it? But during this days 3 Kilometer walk through the trees the rock throwing, or to be more accurate the small stone throwing, always seem to occur the few times Randy was able to slip behind or to the side just out of site for a moment. Then on quo they both would, "What was that"! Or "Did you hear that"? This occurred on a number of instances along the trail even before we met up with the B.F.R.O. team already there. From that moment on I did my best to try and keep Randy ahead of myself on the trial. And consulted with Darcy and David of the B.F.R.O. team, Between we decided to make sure someone was behind Randy at all times. Also Cindy was advised to. The other researcher whom at this point I was unsure if he was in on the games or a gullible victim. Seemed to want the group to split up? He said the smaller the better? O.K I will give him that. Though it must be pointed out that only the group with these two had stones thrown while the other 200 yards behind or so had no such incidents! It was during this time that the other researcher, (Zolie) suddenly did the old startled shuffle with "Was that a rock"! Kicking stones on the ground with his foot? Can't say if the stones were intentionally kicked but this was done twice, and he must of known from my reaction that I wasn't buying it! Also on this incident unknown to them Cindy had walked ahead of the group and was sitting on the trailside waiting for us to catch up! Zolie didn't know she was sitting there when he suddenly did the old "Was that a rock" foot shuffle with her sitting there only about 30 feet ahead! She told me that she saw nothing and he just seemed to do this for nothing? Well by this point all were feeling that this was some sort of show being played and enough was enough. But as we were about to step off the trail and re cross the main road another stone this time struck a trailside tree with a loud Wang! Like a pitchers fastball and I observed Randy throw the stone, (I was looking right at him), then bring his right hand back from behind his back and place it back in his right hand pants pocket? This was the only time he managed to get behind David. David was sure from the sound motion coming from Randy that the stone was thrown by him. But just to be sure Cindy quickly went back on the trail, which switched back at this point, thus resulted in only a few hundred yards of bush between us and the trail we were on. David the mountain goat that he is went into the bush; on course nothing was heard or seen. It was a big mistake to throw this last stone on his part! At no time up till I left for home did any of us let on that we knew a hoax was being played out. Later the two went back to join the B.F.R.O. team for some night watching. The team whom had planed to stay for another night in Golden Ears were so put off by all the games that they decided to leave the next day for the Ruby Creek area.

There are other factors as well, Tracks, tree branch stuff and more of which I will not go into at this time. Nor can I comment about other stuff which I was not there to witness occurring when others were out with the these two. But on Tuesday July 20, 2009 the stone throwing claimed by these two fellows to be Sasquatch related was a hoax perpetrated by one or maybe even both of them!

Thomas Steenburg

[bipedalist]

....I for one went to MABRC when this story broke. ( it was the only site google sent anyone to on this ). I even had Ed answer me, twice. I asked questions the same way Melissa did, I was not rude, nor was I disrespectful. Ed demanded me banned, DW and DO did not ban me at first, but told me to stop asking questions, and defended Ed to the hilt.

I for one did not even think of it in the same sentence as Bigfoot and did not.

And, that seems to be the difference between those that have been scalded by this set of scoundrels and those who don't know what the word "scalded" means.

I could have predicted the rest of the response not underlined in the quote above too btw.

This stuff is easy compared to really finding BF.

Edited January 19, 2013 by bipedalist

[Cisco]

I don't think Melissa is defending DW or DO. She's just giving an alternate point of view, based on her conversations and observations. The reality is that we can all speculate until the cows come home and we really won't have all sides of the story until Ed decides to tell us.

Melissa has some good points and they may all even be true. I don't know DW or DO so I don't have a basis to compare this incident to prior ones.

The one thing that just sticks in my craw is the length of time this went on. I gave it some thought and tried to imagine myself in their situation. There's no way I would have put up with Ed's story for very long, unless I had some very hard proof. If I had created my own research group, website and forum; I would be very careful about any member or poster that made extraordinary claims. Most especially if it involved my name and credibility. It takes time to build a good reputation and I would not be willing to taint it for anybody, based on nothing but anecdotal evidence.

If DW was willing to risk his group, website and reputation to get to the bottom of Ed's story, then he's a better man than me as I would not have allowed it.

However, until Ed gives us his side, we won't really know what truly happened.

One more thing I'd like to ad and its regarding DWs response about the hoax. I still am not sure what to think about DW revealing Ed is gay. Why would that be relevant to the hoax and what was the purpose in telling the community?

One more thing I'd like to ad and its regarding DWs response about the hoax. I still am not sure what to think about DW revealing Ed is gay. Why would that be relevant to the hoax and what was the purpose in telling the community?

One more thing I'd like to ad and its regarding DWs response about the hoax. I still am not sure what to think about DW revealing Ed is gay. Why would that be relevant to the hoax and what was the purpose in telling the community?

[Guest]

@cisco

I wondered the same thing. I thought perhaps it was out of revenge, but I'm just speculating. How do they even know for sure Ed is gay anyways. I mean everything single thing he told them was a complete fabrication. His sexual preference could of just been something thrown in to make him seem different and perhaps more real. Admitting something like that is still considered taboo in some "crowds" and the fact that he "came out" to them could of made him appear vulnerable and in return more trusting, because he trusted them enough to reveal that very private information about himself. ( so they thought ) Once again, just speculating.