(Hoax) Lettuce Lake Skunk Ape Video

By Daniel Dover

February 2015

The Florida BFRO did a great job investigating a series of hoaxes in Florida. Here is a link to their report: Florida BFRO Report

Three men in Florida who were all in the same hard rock band are likely responsible for at least three hoaxes committed in that state. The primary suspect is bass player Justin Arnold who is a taxidermist and has long engaged in bigfoot art. costume, and mask making. Below is the two headed alligator he created and blitzed media outlets with photos of his alleged discovery. But notice none of the legs touch the ground, hovering just above the surface. If he would have been more intelligent he would have dug the bank out below the body of the prop so the legs would touch the surface.

Arnold includes his wife in the role of possible conspirators when he makes this comment about his find, “”My wife and I were walking our dog in Seminole Heights when we noticed a few people gathered near the river,” Arnold wrote. “We went over and saw that there was a two-headed alligator on the river bank.” Arnold & wife are not the only ones likely perpetrating this hoax. Fellow band member Andy Stern also discovered the two headed alligator independently of them and also sent a photo to the media.

“On Monday, Stern told Tampa Bay Times he was walking near Epps Park in Seminole Heights on Friday when his dog started barking at the shore. “I looked over and saw the gator and obviously was in shock,” he wrote in an email. “I got close enough to take that picture but didn’t want to get any closer. It didn’t move while I was there and I wasn’t about to give it a reason to!” Tampa Bay Times

Now, what are the odds of two fellow band members stumbling upon a two headed alligator independent of one another with both sending photos of it to the media, an alligator whose legs hover above the surface because it’s likely a stiff creation of faux taxidermist Justin Arnold, as we see here with the legs and tail hovering stiffly above the surface.

A second hoax

Another likely hoax was supplied by another fellow band member and close friend of Justin’s and Andy’s, Matt McKamey, who blitzed the media with the following video of a skunk ape in Lettuce Lake Park filmed from a rented canoe. What are the odds of these supposed mythical/freaks of nature independently falling into the laps of three close friends/band members? There is a bit of a smoking gun when three close friends independently make such finds, especially considering it involves a fake two headed gator.

Lettuce Lake Skunk Ape Video

A Third Hoax

The Hillsboro River runs through Lettuce Lake Park, the same river where the two headed alligator was found, and its the same water where it seems a third hoax was perpetrated. Someone named John Rodriguez blitzed the media with his own skunk ape photo. Rodriguez’s photo is a spitting image of artwork previously done by Justin Arnold prior to Rodriguez taking the photo of the alleged skunk ape. Moreover, real descriptions of bigfoot (skunk ape) do not have a white skunk stripe nor a turned up gorilla nose like is depicted in Justin’s art or the prop below. What are the odds of artist/taxidermist Justin Arnold happening to paint a picture before an exact physical replica of that painting is sent to the media?

Is John Rodriguez another conspirator or an alias penned by serial hoaxers (no one can locate him)? Justin Arnold dug his ditch deeper when responding to criticisms of his close friend Matt (who claimed to capture video of the Lettuce Lake skunk ape from a rented canoe) and also to criticisms of the similarities between his artwork and the skunk ape photo. Justin sent the following response to “Bigfoot Evidence.” This is what Justin wrote,

“I wanted to comment on the false allegations published about me by the BFRO. The lettuce lake skunk ape video is real and BFRO’s debunking is irresponsible, unfounded and misleading. Those accusing me of being part of an elaborate hoax never contacted me or got statements from any of the people slandered in the “report.” That alone should cause you to question the entire approach. All they had to do was ask and I would have answered. They didn’t even try. To the readers of this, now like a credible report, you’ll hear both sides. To address their accusations, first of all, yes, I have done faux taxidermy. If that’s enough for you to put me in a gorilla suit, read no further. In your mind my guilt has already been decided. Secondly, yes, I have painted many pictures depicting the skunk ape. When I was a child I was hiking with my grandfather in Green Swamp I saw a skunk ape. The experience was incredible and it always stuck with me. Like most artists, I use my personal experiences in my work. Does my depiction resemble the photo taken by John Rodriguez last month? Yes. If it’s a hoax did the perpetrator take influence from my art? It would appear so. Did he photograph the same or similar skunk ape that I saw as a child? Equally possible.” Alledged Hoaxer denies allegations

So, Justin Arnold stated his artwork of a skunk ape was built on what he saw as a child, commenting that perhaps John Rodriquez had either copied his art, or photographed the same or similar skunk ape that he saw as a child. Considering no skunk ape has ever been observed sporting a white skunk stripe ALL of the above is very questionable. Justin likely invented his claim of seeing a skunk ape with a white skunk stripe. Depictions of bigfoot do not include a turned up gorilla nose either. Thus Justin confounded his situation, bringing more scrutiny on himself, making it worse, by continuing to defend these frauds and friends, claiming the photo looked just like a skunk ape he had seen before to justify his art being a spitting image of the skunk ape photo.

He never mentioned anything about the hoaxed two headed alligator in his rebuttal of hoax allegations, only commenting he did faux taxidermy. Furthermore, Matt McKamey declined to meet the Florida BFRO at the site he allegedly filmed the skunk ape in Lettuce Lake Park; so, statements by Justin that the Florida BFRO had not contacted people he claims were slandered in the BFRO report is false.

What are the chances of these good buddies being connected to three independent cryptid sightings, even independent of each other, all occurring in the same general area? Is this just a great coincidence or is this a smoking gun? Justin Arnold has the skills to fabricate props and costumes. Considering the two headed alligator is definitely a prop, as well as the skunk ape photo, the Lettuce Lake skunk ape video, being tied to this same possible group of serial hoaxers is likely just more of their shenanigans.

For even more information go to the MABRC Forums to check out even more reports about this hoax.