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36 K Korff on Rosewell & Bigfoot K Korff on Rosewell & Bigfoot 36 Exposing Roger people in the small town of Yakima have "all dying of cancer. I want to leave something for Exposing Roger Patterson's 1967 vouched for Heironimus's story and can prove my wife." "What the hock," Anderson says now, Patterson's 1967 that they first heard of it shortly after the hoax "If people will buy it, why not? People will buy Bigfoot film hoax: new was created. anything. He was giving me this sob story about Bigfoot film hoax: new his health, and he wanted to leave something for Still other witnesses, such as Merle evelations shed light r revelations shed light Warehime, recall seeing the Bigfoot suit, which his wife, and you know, I wasn't doing it [shooting a fake film]. I was just listening to his floated around the Yakima area after the hoax. "I on a world-famous, believe we were out in the Ahtanum [Valley] by story. I really didn't pay that much attention to on a world-famous, much-debated film that old church. We was sittin" there. We were it. It wasn't important." much-debated film about to go jeepin', and somebody had the thing. Additional eyewitness testimony that supposedly showing a It was in a box there, you know. It was just in Patterson faked Bigfoot prints COllies supposedly showing a independently from Roger Patterson's brother- kind of a box in the back. I didn't pay that much Bigfoot creature attention to it." When asked if he was convinced in-law Bruce Mondor: "Roger made the Bigfoot creature that Heironimus played the role of Bigfoot in footprints, and he explained the whole damn the Patterson hoax film, Warehime was thing to me. He showed me the big foot; it didn't Continued from Page 35 adamant, "Oh, yes. Yeah. That's the way Bob have an arch in it. It had toes like it should Continued from Page 35 walks. All you have to do is watch him walk have.... And I asked him ... 'What do you do, "After I saw it, I looked around to see if across the floor, and you know." you pick this up and slam it down?' It had to anyone was around 'cause I thought maybe I These statements dispute the claims weigh twenty-five or thirty pounds. He said, might have to have help.... Then I discovered it made by Bigfoot defenders that Heironimus is 'Yeah, that's what I do.' I said, 'Then what do was just a suit. But that head layin' there, you some sort of Johnny-come-lately trying to make you do there [in the impression on the ground]?' know, staring at me!" a fast buck and garner media attention. The truth He said, 'I pour plaster of Paris in there.'" Opal continued, "I went in the house, is, Bob Heironimus has never gone public with and my sister-in-law, Willa Smith, lived right up the details of his story until now and has never The Bigfoot Costume the street, and she came down--she was always been paid any money for his involvement in the down at my house two or three times a day--and hoax, unlike Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin. Long also uncovered Philip Morris, the so, when she got down, I said, 'I want to show man who actually made and sold a gorilla suit to yon something.' I opened up the trunk and let The Bigfoot Prints Roger Patterson the one later used (with The Bigfoot Prints her look." Opal remembers that Patterson and modifications) in his famous film. Gimlin came late that day and returned Chico, Another important eyewitness Grog In 1967, about two months before the one of the horses they'd ridden. Afterwards, the Long discovered is Harvey Anderson, the film was made, Morris received a telephone call Bigfoot suit was removed from the car, and she former owner of a gun and camera store in from Patterson: "I was the only one who was never saw it again. Its present whereabouts Yakima. Anderson claims that Patterson came making a gorilla suit like that at that time. I remain unknown. into his shop one day with a plaster cast of a knew what my gorilla suit looked like. It was Bob Heironimus's nephew, John Miller, footprint allegedly left by Bigfoot and sought to brown. In the fifties and sixties, I made my was eight at the time and also recalls playing rent a camera and get advice on how to film gorilla suits only in brown.... Patterson asked with the Bigfoot suit and putting on the such a creature in the wild. According to me if I had a realistic-looking gorilla suit. I headpiece. "I just remember they had the trunk Anderson, Patterson claimed he had not only immediately asked him if he was a carny open, and I remember looking in there, and, seen a Bigfoot, but that it had touched his car [carnival worker]. He said, 'No, I'm a rodeo 'What's that!' and pickin' up and foolin' with it. and had actually lifted up one end. Anderson cowboy. We're just going to have some fun.'" And I can remember finding the head and, being decided to go along with the story: "I was kind Morris recalls, "So I took one of my a young kid, I just put it right on. It was hot. Mid of getting a kick out of it, but I realized that he gorilla suits and shipped it to him. Parcel post, it stunk. I can remember going up to their front was lying to me or having hallucinations about if I remember, it was a standard suit we sold to porch and lookin' in the front window to see if the thing that came out of the woods and picked all our customers. Then, not long after he would somebody could see me. I was going to try ,and up his car." have received the suit, I got a call from him. He scare somebody." When asked what he thought After talking briefly about his alleged said he had received the suit, and that it seemed of the claim that no human being can possibly encounter, Patterson unwrapped an alleged okay, but, he said, 'I can see the zipper in the walk the way the Patterson creature does, Miller Bigfoot cast. Anderson immediately doubted back.' I told him, 'Just brush the fur down over replied, "I'll tell you what, if you ever watch that the authenticity of the item. "I said to him, 'It the zipper.' The fur on the suit was a material [Patterson] footage and watch him [Bob looks like it's too narrow on the front part called Dynel. It was a nylon fiber, a popular Heironimus] walk, and then you have him walk because it couldn't stand erect. Based on the material back then. It was used on lots of things, down the road, you'll see--they walk exactly the description you've given me of this tall man or like plush toys, bathroom rugs, toilet seats. I same. I always got a kick out of that." tall animal, you have to have it broader at the bought it from my supplier in only two colors, Heironimus's two brothers, Mike and ball of the foot. 'Oh, no,' he said, 'he stands right black and brown. Then Roger wanted to know Howard, have also confirmed his story. up.' I said, 'Well, it doesn't appear to be correct. how to make the arms longer. I said, 'Find a Although neither sibling saw the actual It looks to me like it should be wider on the shovel handle or a stick and slip it in the costume, they distinctly remember learning of front where the ball of the foot is. For the length sleeves. Then attach the gloves to the stick.' their brother's involvement around the time of of the foot, it won't work.' He [Patterson] said, That's how to extend the arms in a costume. You the hoax. Howard Heironimus stated, "He 'Well, I can solve that problem. I'll take some screw the gloves onto the stick. Then he said he [Patterson[ said, 'Do you think your brother, more casts.'" wanted to make the shoulders more massive. I Bob, can be the Bigfoot in this thing here?' And Three days later, Patterson returned to told him to go down to a local high school and I said, 'I don't know.' I said, 'You'll have to ask ask Anderson for input on his latest efforts, get some old football pads--the coaches would him.' So, I seen him [Patterson] probably a week showing him new casts and asking, "What do probably be happy to get rid of some old, later.' I said, 'Well, did you ask Bob?' He said, you think of that?" Anderson replied, "That cracked ones--and put them in the shoulders." 'No.' He said, 'I didn't get to talk to him, but I looks better. That looks proportionate." Bob Heironimus has never met nor think he said Bob Gimlin asked him. But I'm not Anderson says, "See, I did not know the guy, talked to Philip Morris, yet Heironimus really sure, he said he talked to Bob Gimlin, but did not know his intention. You have to realize distinctly recalled the presence of shoulder pads he said, anyhow, he had talked to Bob that people came in and out of the store all the in the Bigfoot suit that Patterson had modified, [Heironimus] and that Bob had agreed to it time. You don't know them. You just wait on a fact that Philip Morris could not have known. [wearing the suit]. I don't know whether Bob them and service their needs. I thought he was This revelation is yet more evidence that the Gimlin asked him [Bob Heironimus] or whether pulling a joke on somebody." Patterson film is a hoax, and that Heironimus Roger asked him, but he [Patterson] had talked Patterson then told Anderson, "I have to not only wore the suit but that Morris supplied to Bob Gimlin, too. But I was in this thing ask you never to say anything about this it to Patterson. before Bob Gimlin." Moreover, several other because I've done this for my wife because I'm Continued on Page 39