Episode summary
Jesse Weber hosts an extended Hot Take episode with forensic death investigator Joseph Scott Morgan from Jacksonville State University to examine the scientific evidence behind Bigfoot claims and discuss major developments in two criminal cases. The episode centers on Charles Stewart, known as Snake the Bigfoot Hunter, who claims to possess remains of an 8-foot, 300-pound creature that tested 58.5% Neanderthal and 41.5% human DNA at Cornell University's veterinary lab. Stewart says he found the body in the Adirondack Mountains in 2024 and displayed it at the New York State Fair. Morgan provides forensic analysis of what scientific testing would be required to verify such claims, including anthropological bone measurements, dental DNA extraction, and testing of the petrous bone in the skull. He explains that legitimate confirmation would require peer review and independent verification, and that any scientist falsifying such results would face career destruction. The discussion covers the history of Bigfoot sightings dating to the 1800s, recent reported encounters including 10 Idaho teenagers on Memorial Day weekend and eight sightings in northeastern Ohio, and polling data showing 11% of U.S. adults believe Bigfoot is real. Morgan compares the evidentiary standards to UAP sightings and explains why a breeding population of Neanderthal-human hybrids would need to exist if the DNA claims are accurate. The episode also previews upcoming coverage of the Tyler Robinson case, focusing on DNA and ballistic evidence, and reveals that the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office is under internal investigation that Morgan describes as creating potentially irreparable damage to the relationship between the medical legal community and law enforcement.
