Searching For Bigfoot Inc. is a private organization dedicated to investigating and promoting evidence of Sasquatch (Bigfoot) existence. Founded in the early 2000s, it operates as a research and expedition group, focusing on fieldwork, artifact collection, and public outreach.
The organization maintains a website (searchingforbigfoot.com) and has been involved in high-profile claims, expeditions, and media appearances. It describes itself as pursuing "justice" in Bigfoot research and has amassed a large inventory of artifacts, including over 360 hours of expedition footage.
The group is headquartered in California and has been active in North American hotspots, often collaborating with enthusiasts and offering bounties for evidence. However, it has faced significant controversy, particularly related to a notorious 2008 hoax that damaged its credibility in the Bigfoot community.
Key Figures
- Tom Biscardi: The founder and primary figure behind the organization. A longtime Bigfoot researcher (active since the 1970s), Biscardi has appeared in documentaries, TV shows, and press conferences. He positions himself as a dedicated hunter, stating on the website: "To all those people who don't believe in Bigfoot, I have two things to say." Biscardi has been instrumental in expeditions and publicizing claims, but his involvement in disputed events has led to criticism.
Activities and Operations
- Expeditions and Research: The organization conducts field investigations, collects artifacts (e.g., casts, hair samples), and documents footage from searches across the U.S. It emphasizes "scientific" methods but is more media-oriented than academic groups like the BFRO.
- Bounties and Public Engagement: In 2017, it offered a $1 million bounty for verifiable Bigfoot evidence, leading to ~30 tips per day at its peak. The group also sells merchandise and promotes tours/expeditions.
- Media Presence: Featured in shows like MonsterQuest and documentaries; maintains a Facebook page (@searchingforbigfootinc) for updates.
Controversies
The organization's most infamous controversy stems from the 2008 Georgia Bigfoot Hoax. Biscardi and Searching For Bigfoot Inc. promoted a claim by Matthew Whitton and Ricky Dyer that they had discovered a Bigfoot corpse in northern Georgia. Biscardi held a press conference announcing the find, but it was revealed as a frozen rubber suit stuffed with animal parts. The organization claimed to have been deceived and sought legal action against the hoaxers, entering a contract with them on August 4, 2008, but the incident tarnished Biscardi's reputation, with critics accusing him of sensationalism or complicity.
Other criticisms include overhyping unverified evidence and commercializing Bigfoot research, which some in the community view as undermining serious efforts. Despite this, the group persists, focusing on expeditions and tips.
The 2008 Georgia Bigfoot Hoax: A Detailed Breakdown
The 2008 Georgia Bigfoot hoax is one of the most notorious incidents in modern cryptozoology, involving a fake "corpse" promoted as definitive proof of Sasquatch. It unfolded over a few weeks in August 2008, garnering international media attention before quickly unraveling as an elaborate deception.Fbfro.net
Timeline of Events
- June/July 2008 (Alleged Discovery): Matthew Whitton (a Clayton County, Georgia police officer) and Rick Dyer (a former corrections officer and used car salesman) claimed to have found a 7-foot-7-inch, 500-pound Bigfoot body while hiking in northern Georgia woods. They said it took six men a day and a half to carry it out, while being followed by other creatures.
- August 12–14: The pair released grainy photos and a press release, appearing on radio shows (e.g., Squatch Detective). They contacted Tom Biscardi (head of Searching For Bigfoot Inc.), who flew to Georgia, examined the "body" (frozen in ice), and proclaimed it authentic ("I touched it, felt its intestines").
- August 15 Press Conference (Palo Alto, CA): Whitton, Dyer, and Biscardi held a high-profile event, showing freezer photos and promising DNA results. They described the creature in detail and sold expedition rights/merch.
- August 16–19 Unraveling: As the block thawed (expedited by investigators), it revealed a commercial rubber gorilla costume stuffed with opossum roadkill, slaughterhouse entrails, and other debris. Steve Kulls (Squatchdetective.com) confirmed a "rubber foot." Whitton and Dyer admitted the hoax to Biscardi.
- Aftermath: Biscardi claimed deception and sought refunds/legal action. Whitton was fired from his police job for damaging credibility. Dyer later repeated hoaxes (e.g., 2012 "Bigfoot body" tour).
The "Body" and Photos
The "corpse" was a Halloween-style costume (identified as similar to ones from TheHorrorDome.com) frozen in ice for realism. Released images showed a hairy, tongue-lolling figure with "entrails"—later exposed as props.
Motivations and Fallout
Whitton and Dyer called it a "joke" that spiraled, possibly for profit (expeditions, book deals). Biscardi (with prior hoax ties) faced backlash for promotion. The incident damaged Bigfoot research credibility, reinforcing skeptic views of sensationalism.
It remains a cautionary tale—short-lived but widely covered (CNN, NYT, Guardian). Rick Dyer continued hoaxing; no criminal charges filed beyond Whitton's firing.
JC Johnson's Involvement in the 2008 Georgia Bigfoot Hoax
JC Johnson (full name John Clive Johnson, 1964–2018), founder of Crypto Four Corners (a Southwest U.S. cryptid research group focused on Bigfoot, skinwalkers, and other anomalies), had no direct involvement in the planning, execution, or promotion of the 2008 Georgia Bigfoot hoax.
The hoax was orchestrated by Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer (the "discoverers") and heavily promoted by Tom Biscardi of Searching For Bigfoot Inc., who held the press conference and claimed to have examined the "body."
There is much more to this story that the media didn't cover properly.
However, JC Johnson does appear in a post-hoax documentary produced by Biscardi's team: Anatomy of a Bigfoot Hoax (2012). He is credited as an actor/interviewee alongside Biscardi, Java Bob Schmalzbach, and others. The film recounts Biscardi's side of the story claiming he was duped.
I did watch Anatomy of a Bigfoot Hoax shortly after it was released and can say there is much more to this story the media didn't cover or cover properly. The reason I bring up JC Johnson's role is that the video includes behind-the-scenes footage of JC Johnson, being an experienced butcher, cutting into organs that appeared to be from pigs and other animals as the ice thawed. He knew what he was looking at.
The actual perpetrators of a hoax were more likely the ones selling the so-called corpse. As shown in the video, Biscardi's team tried repeatedly for hours to take possession of the freezer with the corpse. As I remember it, the men with the corpse agreed to the terms, but decided to freeze it in a deep freeze full of water, which obviously prevented proper examination before handing over the money. The media didn't include the photos of a solid block of ice with a heater on it. I also remember the District Attorney in the lawsuit saying they deserved to loose the money because Bigfoot doesn't exist.
Johnson passed away in 2018 from pneumonia complications; he was remembered as a dedicated field researcher, often called the "Indiana Jones of Cryptozoology."
