CNN Said:

"In the six-month life of this blog, Bigfoot has gotten more page views and comments than all but two of the 250-plus stories we've reported."

Peter Dykstra
Executive Producer
CNN Science Tech & Weather
August 18, 2008
http://scitech.blogs.cnn.com/

A simple search for "Bigfoot Hoax" on Google will tell the whole story thousands of times. But here's the rundown:

August 15, 2008 is known by the international media as "Bigfoot Friday." On that date, after weeks of anticipation, three men held a press conference at the Crowne Plaza Cabana Hotel in Palo Alto, California. Two of them, police officer Matt Whitton and former corrections officer Rick Dyer, were from Georgia. The third was a 35-year California veteran of "bigfoot hunting" with a controversial past. They announced to the world that Whitton and Dyer had discovered the corpse of a 7'7" bigfoot (dubbed the "RickMatt" creature) in the mountains of north Georgia, and an autopsy was pending.

The press conference was covered live by organizations like CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC, and featured by virtually all major media, along with dozens of major outlets from around the world--including China and Australia. This conference was the climax of a media blitz incorporating hundreds of interviews in less than a week. Stories ran in publications like Newsweek, and TIME Magazine even gave Rick Dyer a quote of the week, having said to cynical media "You're going to eat your words."

The amount of web hits on sites related to the news was immeasurable--shutting them down constantly. In fact, one well-known expert said the day after he posted photos of the body, he received over 13 million hits every 10 minutes, and that every site in the world containing the word "bigfoot" saw a dramatic increase for August.

The story of how the hoax finally fell apart is a long one. Whitton lost his job in law enforcement over the deception, and he and Dyer are now being sued by parties who claim to have lost money in the deal investing in a “genuine” body, not a fake one. Even though the hoaxers have now come clean, everyone involved wants to settle any financial conflicts; hence, this proposal.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

When the hoax was fully revealed, everyone in the world asked the same question: How could the major media have been fooled? In person, this huge Chewbacca-like mock-up of rubber and rotting animal parts, frozen in a block of ice, must have seemed impressive. And in fact, those who were allowed to see the body in its prime form said it looked perfectly real. Crowds have clamored to get a look at the thing. But this fake bigfoot, in a freezer, that fooled the world has been kept at an undisclosed location since the hoax story broke.

Now, for the first and only time, the parties who legally control the one and only actual, original body, plan to sell this historic artifact as a massive, museum-quality display piece. The money earned should settle financial problems created by the hoax. This tentative offer is only available from Shadowbox Enterprises, LLC, and is endorsed by all controlling parties involved in the hoax, including Matt Whitton and Rick Dyer; and Whitton and Dyer will restore the body to its prime condition for the buyer to put on display, plus make themselves available for this unveiling.

Imagine the exposure your display will receive when the world finds out you will publicly unveil this body for the first time. It will be the absolute crown of any collection of oddities, viewed by thousands for years to come, each asking “would I have been fooled by this?” As time passes, and the story of the world's biggest bigfoot hoax inevitably weaves its way into movies, TV shows, and books, this interest will only increase. But aside from appealing to the curious, it's valuable for a greater reason.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT TO YOU AND THE WORLD?

Joshua P. Warren, President of Shadowbox Enterprises, LLC, is an author (Simon and Schuster), Clear Channel radio host, and TV personality (appearances on Discovery, History Channel, Sci-Fi Channel, TLC, Fine Living, etc). As a renown paranormal investigator, he also operates the Hoax Research Center (www.HoaxResearchCenter.com), dedicated to studying hoaxes in order to rule them out for legitimate research. The best example of his work in that area is the Annual UFO Experience, a contest in which engineers and artists from the around the country build fake UFOs for prizes (see www.UFOcontest.com). In August of 2008, one builder reproduced the famous "Phoenix Lights effect" for a mere $25 and lots of skill. The footage gained of these fakes has been invaluable in helping analysts examine UFO imagery. But it is surprisingly rare for a successful cryptozoology hoax of this magnitude to give us data.

There is no doubt that the "RickMatt" creature is the most widely-exposed Bigfoot hoax in history. By studying the artifact and conditions that fooled the world, legitimate paranormal investigators can take note of tell-tale warning signs, and study a real-world case, with all its psychological and sociological implications, to help MAKE CERTAIN this kind of hoax is never successful again. It is damaging to real researchers when such a hyped find turns out to be a fake.

Aside from the value of the display as an attraction for the curious, there is no substitute for seriously examining the original prop, initially made of rubber, hogs, cows, and sheep, and placed in the block of ice with special effects precision, to create such a sensation. And the business that purchases this display will receive:

1. The actual, original "RickMatt" creature in the original freezer, and all requested legal paperwork to prove its authenticity. The creature no longer contains organic parts, but non-organic substitutes.

2. A personal visit from Matt Whitton and Rick Dyer to restore the display to its original condition and speak publicly on the hoax and its aftermath to educate real researchers.

3. Rights to use the body however necessary for promotions and research.

4. Though no one can guarantee what the media coverage will be like, you can rest assured that this story's track record will grab a whirlwind of attention again, especially as Halloween 2008 approaches. The success of bigfoot imagery in publicity is consistent and proven, as evidenced by commercials for beef jerky, pizza, and more.

If a deal is made, the buyer's money, and the display, can be kept in a third-party escrow (agreed upon by both parties) to determine how the specific transaction can be handled.

IN SUMMARY:

If we can get a satisfactory amount for the body, various conflicts can be settled, and some funding will go to the Hoax Research Center to help serious scientists and researchers make certain this kind of hoax remains a part of history, and NOT the future.

Again, conduct your own research into this story online to verify the true impact of this offer. This is your only chance to add a BIG part of BIGFOOT history to your weird collection. Private shipping arrangements will be discussed with the winner to his or her satisfaction.

All Content Copyright © 2008 by Shadowbox Enterprises, LLC. All rights are reserved, and any unauthorized reproduction of this document is strictly prohibited.

NOTE: Given the enormous media attention this auction has received, we are doing our best to personally verify the legitimacy of each bidder. This is a legally binding contract, and will be treated as such by all parties involved. The number of watchers this auction has attracted is mind-boggling. Therefore, in the final hours and minutes of the auction, it may be difficult to keep up the verification pace on every and each one. In the case of a fraudulent bid, the winner will be the person with the highest legitimate bid.