15. In 1987, Bigfoot was blamed for the disappearance of Theresa Bier in the Sierra Nevada Mountains
In June 1987, 16-year-old Thersa Bier went on a camping trip with Russell Welch, 43, to look for Bigfoot in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. She has not been seen since. When Welch returned alone to Fresno, their hometown, Bier’s family had not heard from their daughter for days, and he was questioned by police regarding her whereabouts. Welch revealed that he had not seen her since June 1st, when she had run away from him into the wilderness. So far, so simple (if deeply suspicious). But Welch suddenly changed his story: Bier, he claimed, had been taken by Bigfoot.
Allegedly, the pair had been combing thick forest for evidence when they became separated. Welch then claimed to have seen Bigfoot grab Bier, and haul her off into the great wilderness around them. Unsurprisingly, Welch was charged with child stealing, but authorities dropped the charges three days before his trial, fearing that they would be unable to charge him with murder at a later date owing to the double jeopardy law. Multiple searches of the area where she disappeared produced no evidence, however, and the case remains unsolved. Welch’s ridiculous claims point the finger of suspicion squarely at himself.
