Sightings Section

[bipedalist]

1 hour ago, hiflier said:

Speaking of Pritchenko, (Dr. Tom Pritchenko PhD) Read his resume in the SGP very carefully. You'll begin to understand why I think he was a big influence on Ketchum. I bolded/underlined what I think are the important aspects of that resume:

 

"Dr. Tom Prychitko received both his master’s and doctorate degrees from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Tom is a molecular biologist with a background that also includes evolutionary biology, microbiology and biochemistry. He has worked extensively in academia and has been involved with a number of biological research programs throughout his career from which he has published several manuscripts. Tom has long had an interest in cryptozoology and has been intrigued by the possibility that creatures long described in myth and legend may in reality actually exist. No stranger to Sasquatch research, he conducted DNA testing on samples from the Carter Farm and elsewhere several years ago, resulting in haplotype data included in the SGP. A firm believer that science has no boundaries, Tom believes that we have only scratched the surface on what we can possibly learn and discover. Tom is currently laboratory director at Helix Biological Laboratory, a biological testing firm he established in 2009. He also is an adjunct instructor for the Department of Biological Sciences at Wayne State University."

 

Now go look this guy up. the website Helix is there but says nothing about cryptozoology or the SGP study. He is still the director of Helix though from what I can tell and is still affiliated with Wayne University. Also, the Carter Farm, which was Mary Green who wrote "50 Years With Bigfoot" had this video from 2002 which was 12 years before the SGP. I think Tom had a lot to do with Ketchum's mindset and was a big influence on the interpretation of the results. The Carter Farm was in Tennessee and the Erickson Project was Kentucky so I think they must have known each other? The Matilda thing is a sad aspect of the whole affair but Melba bought into it because of these strong players in the Bigfoot field in which Erickson was a major financial contributor as well. I think everyone played her for her naivete. If Erickson had the nerve to pawn off a Chewbacca mask then he had the nerve to dupe Ketchum even though it looked like she was part of the Project.

The only reason I brought Mary Green's video here is because Dr. Pritchenko had a history on the Carter Farm. I'm sure the late Ms. Green had no  involvement with the SGP or Erickson/Matilda. 

 

Sorry, the biggest influence on Ketchum was making money and saving face (purportedly) not solving the Sasquatdh mystery.  Let's tell it like it is. 

50 minutes ago, norseman said:

So as if it couldn’t get any stranger..... Melba Ketchum’s team is somehow tied into the Carter farm and the Fox clan of Bigfeets habituation site?

 

This lady? That feds Bigfeets from her porch?

 

Since  when did she have a team, I thought it was an amalgam, loosely called a cult!

50 minutes ago, norseman said:

 

 

 

[hiflier]

4 minutes ago, bipedalist said:

Sorry, the biggest influence on Ketchum was making money and saving face (purportedly) not solving the Sasquatdh mystery.  Let's tell it like it is. 

 

Yeah, yeah I've heard that same ole song and dance every time the subject comes up. How about something new for a change. OK you can forget Pritchnko, he must have been a pretty stand up guy. His track record obviously doesn't include making money on something that he fairly well knew was a wild goose chase. And everyone else too  for that matter. I understand your position, bp, and Norseman's too, I really do but it's difficult to think at this point that she was the ONLY gold digger and worked alone. She was also new to Bigfoot if you believe what she says about things before the SGP. Imagine being pulled into that world when one is already a spirit believer. And to be brought into the inner sanctum so to speak.

 

Even the Olympic Project submitted samples. EVERYONE did. I can see how someone could get swept up in the whole thing who is a virtual novice. And then to be rubbing shoulders with the heavy hitters of the day including PhD's. I've never been invited to the Cryptozoology Museum by Loren Coleman and I'm only 20 minutes away- even after buying a one year membership. Can't imagine going to Kentucky with Erickson, or hanging out with Wally Hersom or Derek Randles or anyone else for that matter. Ketchum got let into a world few see or experience. She bought it hook line and sinker and paid dearly for her ignorance. Smart in some ways like academically but her street smarts and common sense were no where and certainly no match for those who would lead her down such a seductive path.

 

Sure she may have seen it as a way to bail out of some debt but I also think she believed in what she was doing and that it was truly about discovering Bigfoot. But the wheels came off and I don't think she expected the severity sudden backlash. But there was quite a crowd t work and so I will not hold her up as the only nefarious person in the group- researchers included. I think the labs did things right but the result was a study in confirmation bias and that's where I think others played a large part in how things got summarized. They had the picture developed before the film was ever put into the camera so to speak. Thank you for your candid reply. I do appreciate what you and Norseman try to do but somehow I just cannot think things are all that simple. Five years and 131 samples is a long time and a lot of work along with careful technique. Too bad it didn't pan out but there are still DNA sequence data left that need careful scrutiny. I hope someone takes it on.  

Edited June 6, 2019 by hiflier

[bipedalist]

Sorry we differ on opinions, she is a sore subject for me, I have personal experience of how she treated her "contributors" might I add. 

 

Maybe Paulides and you fell for it, but I never did!

 

If I might ask, what personal experience do you have with Ketchum?!

Edited June 6, 2019 by bipedalist

[hiflier]

24 minutes ago, bipedalist said:

Sorry we differ on opinions, she is a sore subject for me, I have personal experience of how she treated her "contributors" might I add. 

 

My apologies, BP, I was editing my post when yours came in.

[hiflier]

33 minutes ago, bipedalist said:

Since  when did she have a team, I thought it was an amalgam, loosely called a cult!

 

From what I understand, and I can be wrong of course was that Pritchenko did the DNA sample from the Carter Farm which is why I brought it up. I think he was the only Sasquatch Genome Project person involver with the Farm and it was about five years before the SGP started taking samples in 2006 or 2007? Somehow Pritchenko became part of the SGP but I don't know if he was recruited or just put up his hand to join the project. His crypto history was really what I was bringing to the table along with how long he had been at it. The Carter Farm didn't sound like his first immersion into cryptozoology though so I thought it was interesting that until the SGP I had never heard of the guy. 

[indiefoot]

I believe Ketchum's connection to Janice was through Erickson. IIRC, Erickson gave Janice 50k with the understanding she would provide clear video of Fox and company. I wonder if she was the source for Matilda? When the note was due Janice was beating the bushes to come up with any video.

[bipedalist]

^ Interesting background indiefoot; you just never know what motivates people who have to produce cash or results and how it affects their integrity. 

 

re; Helix, this is what they now call "the team" https://www.helix.com/pages/our-team    No Pritchenko 

 

a few more conributors here: https://www.helix.com/pages/careers

 

 

Edited June 8, 2019 by bipedalist

[hiflier]

1 hour ago, bipedalist said:

No Pritchenko 

 

Sorry ,BP and everyone, I misspelled the name, it's "Prychitko".

 

This is Roger Spurr: https://bornoutsidethebox.com/2018/09/29/dna-tested-mudfossils-of-ancient-giants-found-all-over-the-earth/ Why do I bring him up? Because he was down as the "Customer" on this DNA paper:  https://www.academia.edu/16914891/Modern_Human_size_and_Giants_found_toghether_DNA_Lab_report Dr. Tom Prychitko (Helix 2015) was the verifying signer of the paper.

 

This article says Dr. Tom Prychitko is the Director of Helix Biolabs: https://www.michiganradio.org/post/adrian-residents-express-concerns-about-their-drinking-water

At least he was at the time of the article which is dated January 14, 2019. 

Edited June 8, 2019 by hiflier

[bipedalist]

Yes, looks like this biolabs is not part of helix genetics?  Facebook has a presence, I'm not a FB member anymore but here goes:

https://www.facebook.com/pg/helixbiolab/about/?ref=page_internal

[NatFoot]

Some of you might enjoy these pics and this report.

 

 

Thanks @Lamplight for coming forward and sharing.

[Arvedis]

With a few years hindsight, I'm not seeing gold digging as Ketchum's goal in bigfootery. If anyone is to blame it is Erickson.  It was his money. He should have hired correctly and run his operation as well as he has his businesses that made millions.

Edited March 12, 2021 by Arvedis

[MIB]

On 6/5/2019 at 8:19 PM, hiflier said:

I understand your position, bp, and Norseman's too, I really do but it's difficult to think at this point that she was the ONLY gold digger and worked alone. She was also new to Bigfoot if you believe what she says about things before the SGP.

 

Yeah, that's not quite right.    She'd been involved in bigfoot behind the scenes for a little while.    If you've read David Paulides bigfoot books (The Hoopa Project and Tribal Bigfoot) there is mention of an unnamed DNA lab doing work with him but at the time of publication they didn't have results back yet.   It was Ketchum's lab.   He brought her in, apparently fairly unaware of bigfoot, but the "bug" bit.    I think her work for him may have been included in the SGP so what she said may not be precisely untrue but it is a little misleading.    As I understand it, somewhere behind Paulides are some deep pockets but I don't know who they are.   Could be / have been Ericksen or Hersom, could be someone else, I truly am not sure.

 

MIB

Edited July 6, 2020 by MIB

[Arvedis]

1 hour ago, MIB said:

somewhere behind Paulides are some deep pockets but I don't know who they are.   Could be / have been Ericksen or Hersom, could be someone else, I truly am not sure.

 

MIB

 

I'm going to guess it was Erickson. He has said in various public talks that he was the one who recommended Ketchum to Erickson.  I believe I read it on his web site as well. The timing lines up over the span that Pauilides was working on his books and the Erickson Project was not yet the Sasquatch Genome Project. 

[BobbyO]

Speaking of AE and co, are you guys aware of the new (twp/three weeks old) podcast with Dennis Pfohl on it ?

 

It's very interesting.

[Arvedis]

On 7/7/2020 at 12:57 PM, BobbyO said:

Speaking of AE and co, are you guys aware of the new (twp/three weeks old) podcast with Dennis Pfohl on it ?

 

It's very interesting.

 

 

Good stuff. 

Edited March 12, 2021 by Arvedis