Sierra Shooting from A-Z

[Guest]

I have not sen this disseminated anywhere else on the forums, so forgive me if it was linked to/posted in the fast and furious reactions yesterday - JS released reaction (via handlers at Team Tazer):

*quote snipped for space*

He can say whatever he wants. It's clear that he's saying Ketchum lied to him. I want to see his proof, not his words.

[Guest slimwitless]

I have some perplexing questions about the shooting timeline here but they may be more appropriate in this thread.

[Guest truetalk]

i hope this is all crap. its a horrific story even if its only in this dudes mind.

[Guest]

i hope this is all crap. its a horrific story even if its only in this dudes mind.

I recently listened/viewed to the entire Smeja interview (about an hour) by Team Tazer guy. I also listen to a brief interview of the Driver, who remains anonymous.

I have to say..it's really puzzling to see/hear Smeja's story. He seems to have some *issues* and I don't feel comfortable with what he's says. Why on earth would he shoot something he could not identitfy, but *appeared* (according to his own account)to be at least APE like? He seemed to resent his companion's shrill objections and simply went ahead..not only *killing* the adult...but then coldly stalking down the *children*.. and ruthlessly killing one at close range. Boggles the mind IF all this true. Of course, he then bungles obtaining ANY evidence at all. He actually HELD the small *child* in his hands and then threw it at his companion! They took nothing home...then (apparently) botched retrieving a sample weeks later..as we now see it's from a bear. I know Bart knows Smeja well, having a lot of respect for him and I hold Bart in very high regard. All this is just my PERSONAL IMPRESSION of the interview.

[Guest]

What's the status of the book? Completed, in progress, abandoned? I have a question or two that I hope will be answered in the book, namely, what's the 'stuff' that happened as the baby was dying?

[Guest slimwitless]

Speaking of grind research, I created a Google Earth KMZ file with possible hidey holes in the Haskell Peak area. If you load the file into Google Earth, you'll notice a red band around the mountains. This band extends from 7150 to 7250 feet in altitude (the reported height of the shootings). There are also placemarks. Likely candidates are marked by a little blue helicopter (in the spirit of Dave Paulides rumored expedition) and labeled "Hidey Hole 1" through "Hidey Hole 5". Less likely sites are labeled U1 through U10. I only had one criteria. A road that ended at the right altitude. A site scored additional points for having steep terrain and a meadow. Notes are attached to each placemark.

Nearly a year later, I've arrived at my final guess-timate for the "hidey hole":

http://goo.gl/maps/KXvbF

I considered this spot for the original map but, as mentioned, the road ended at the wrong elevation. I've since learned that altitudes in Google Earth can be off (although this site is still close). The spot meets most of the descriptions including a "blind corner" and a nearby seasonal stream flowing down to another road, etc. The terrain is easier to visualize in 3d using Google Earth with elevations "exaggerated" in the preferences.

FWIW...if anything.

Edited January 7, 2013 by slimwitless

[Guest Cervelo]

Very cool well done Slim!

[Guest slimwitless]

Thanks, Cervelo. I tried to get confirmation from a few known visitors to the site but no one will confirm or deny.

[Guest slimwitless]

Interesting and entertaining interview with Carl Olinselot. He and Justin Smeja had an encounter at the kill site long after the shooting. He was sitting at the campfire talking with Justin when they heard heavy bipedal footfalls in the trees. Smeja's reaction? "They're here!"

LINK

By the way, his description of the area matches my best guess for the location (see details above).

Edited January 30, 2013 by slimwitless

[Guest BartloJays]

Yep, thank god this encounter happened as it's what precipitated me getting thermal footage at exact same location two weeks later, which in turn was the impetus (along with DNA and transparency) of the 5 of us co-founding the Sierras Evidence Initiative.

Bobo was staying with me for a couple of days and we were stunned the site was active as I would've never guessed regardless of the original shooting event happened or not (either way) as Justin had claimed almost 23 months prior. The day after this happened (which was right after he passed poly) my phone was blowing up as the texts started pouring in from Nadia requesting help to document the trackways. I couldn't get up there unfortunately and was shaking my head thinking "no way," until I talked to Justin. Justin was the only person at that point whom I trusted to get the most accurate account only because of his outdoors experience and experience with black bears. I was expecting him to be really excited when we talked as now he has 5 people (Ro and Sanh were complete skeptics hands down) behind him 100% and of course Carl broke down having somewhat of an epiphany. This was not the case as it was about the most down I'd ever heard him as when he was recounting the encounter he was not happy (if he could've made them bears I believe he would've but even the inexperienced persons there knew better) as he made it clear he never wanted to have something happen again bigfoot-related unless he could bring back definitive evidence.

When I got back there two weeks later for two nights, the night before I got the footage and the rest of the guys joined us, it was just Justin and I and he walked me through the whole thing as they were stalked by at least two working in concert around the perimeter of the camp and even stepping out of the treeline (though heavily shadowed) at certain intervals. Lots of bluffing behavior described as Justin used the term that the general presence and stomping sounded like "something out of jurassic park." Interestingly enough, that night they had the stalking encounter, the subjects loitered and eventually exited on the right side of camp as opposed to the left where I filmed them two weeks later....hence, the night I got the footage I strategically positioned both Ro and my vehicles and placed 3 recons on hoods/wheel wells facing up towards treeline to capture a nice field of view percentage. Interesting that they seemed to avoid that whole right side of camp and based off of positioning we see later in my thermal footage (subjects in same gap but higher, indicating much further back) they likely exited that night in front of the "back" of my vehicle (behind Todd and Ro) and crossed short end of meadow into tree cover on other side. This exit was brilliant because although they had no trouble not making footfall sounds where they loitered above Ro and Todd and campfire (not quiet substrate by any means) you can sneak behind them in that quiet grass no problem without drawing any attention.

[Cotter]

^ Cool account!

I know you said you were working on releasing the thermal of this event, do you have a better timeframe?

Additionally, was the decoy set up deliberate or did it kind of just play out that way?

And finally, are you planning any add'l trips to the area?

Thx!

[Guest]

Maybe Bart you could leave Justins boots with the alleged bigfoot blood on them in front of a camera, maybe with a decoy hunter wearing them.

Although i wouldnt want to be anywhere near there when the poop hits the fan.

[Guest BartloJays]

LOL, not a bad idea. I like the way you think (aggressive) though they are finally getting tested in the next few weeks. I'm a cup half-empty realist but maybe we'll get lucky...just alot of stuff to contend with with maybe elements exposure (salt water) being the most harming

[Guest slimwitless]

Does anyone know if Mike Greene's book will come out now? The word on the street was that he was waiting for Ketchum's results.

[TimB]

Good question- Smeja and Randle haven't addressed that in over a year....

Tim B.