The Ketchum DNA Study (UPDATED 2021)
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Never in the history of Bigfoot Research was the community so excited to have a serious DNA study being conducted on field samples done by researchers from around the United States. What ensued was a debacle of monumental proportions again leaving the scientific community angered and laughing at the results.
What caused this? Was part of it was ego? Was part of it was confirmation bias? Was it the same arrogance we extol against the scientific community against the existence of a creature known as Sasquatch? Readers, you can decide! |
Melba Ketchum
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Ketchum's Beginnings in the Bigfoot World
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Ketchum's actual beginnings began in 2009 when she was asked by the producers of the SyFy Channel's Destination Truth, to analyze some alleged Yeti hairs found in Bhutan
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It would not take long for opportunists to latch on to her. She was heavily promoted by Hall of Shamer, Tom Biscardi and his cabal Searching for Bigfoot, beginning in 2010, singing her accolades. She would have a falling out with Biscardi, only later to start a company with Biscardi's second, "Javabob"Schmalzbach.
SFBI webpage in 2010 extolling Ketchum
DNA Diagnostic |
Backroom deals and leaks
Richard Stubstad
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When the DNA study first formed up Ketchum had surrounded herself with some unknown and at times dubious players in the Bigfoot community. Richard Stubstad was a relative unknown, and truthfully I do not know much about his background. Stubstad passed away in 2012. The other player Ketchum had gotten involved was Searching For Bigfoot's (Tom Biscardi's group) former vice president "Javabob" Robert Schmalzbach. Eventually, and as suggested by Stubstad, there was an ego issue here having Ketchum to answer to business partners, and she removed them from the study.
Stubstad would leak the study's results more than a year before their release, despite Ketchum's insistence that Stubstad didn't know what he was talking about. Stubstad was more right than wrong. |
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Source: https://skepticalinquirer.org/newsletter/the_ketchum_project_what_to_believe_about_bigfoot_dna_science/
-Richard Stubstad interview, source: https://bigfootsightings.org/bigfoot-dna-proof-within-controversy/ - July 4, 2011
- "This wasn’t intended to be a leak. Since I am no longer working with Dr. Ketchum according to her own personal desires, I am simply reporting on the work I did..."
- "Dr. K is incorrect; I’m not at all “misinformed” about her ongoing DNA work on various purported Sasquatch samples..."
- "Within a short period of time, she excluded me from what quickly turned into “her” project, along with several others. She told me that her lawyer(s) told her to do so. This does resemble the smell of blood, eh?"
Stubstad interview by Robert Lindsay (June 2011)
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Stubstad was extremely sharp on the truth of all things in the study. He didn't live to see the study revealed, but knew the test results, and knew the motives.
To read the complete interview, since removed from the internet, click the file below.
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The most controversial piece: The Justin Smeja "Bigfoot Steak"
Justin Smeja promotion pic for NatGeo
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 Dr. Bryan Sykes
One of the more controversial pieces of evidence was the Justin Smeja, "Bigfoot Steak." Smeja claims to have shot two Bigfoot in Washington state and in the process also managed to obtain a piece of it for testing. Smeja also stated blood dripped onto his boots from the killings. The steak was submitted to the Ketchum study and was rumored to be the centerpiece as this was taken off a creature that had been freshly killed.
Due to the study taking so long and NDA disputes, Smeja had the blood on the boots were tested as part of Geneticist Dr. Bryan Sykes' DNA Study and turned out to be bear blood, released prior to the troubled Ketchum Study. |
The Igor Burtsev Leak
Igor Burtsev leaks the findings
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With tension mounting and only a couple of months until the announcement, an impatient Dr. Igor Burtsev, a Russian researcher released a summary of the Ketchum Study's findings to the bewilderment of everyone:
"The DNA analysis of the Bigfoot/Sasquatch specimen conducted by Dr. Melba Ketchum the head of DNA Diagnostics, Timpson, TX, USA has been over! |
Igor Burtsev
Ketchum's response:
“It is unfortunate that the partial summary of our data was released in this manner, however, I will be making a formal response in the next few days. Even though Igor Burtsev released this, it was not Dr. Burtsev’s fault.” Source: http://www.bigfootlunchclub.com/2012/11/david-paulides-releases-bigfoot-dna.html 
The writing on the wall appears very clear. Dr. Burtsev was very heavily involved and supportive in an old habitation/habituation case involving Janice Carter, who made wild claims such as a Bigfoot knocking on her door asking for garlic. (No, you can't make this stuff up!)
To many on the science side of the Bigfoot community, we could see where this was being steered to. To the side of the romantic Bigfoot, being a lost people, with mystical powers, rather than what thousands of witnesses have described over the years. But before the DNA study was to be revealed, the leaks, the negative peer reviews by journals will lead to a complete steer away from science and throw shad onto the entire study's integrity. |
The DeNovo Journal
inally in February 2013, Ketchum had made the announcement they were being published in the DeNovo Journal.
It did not take long for journalists to realize that the DeNovo Journal was a completely new entity with no prior entries. It also didn't take long for them to realize that it was Ketchum herself that owned the journal. This is where it gets sketchy. Allegedly Ketchum claims she bought the journal from Casey Mullins. There is no record of Mullins anywhere owning such a journal. A Twitter page showing a Casey Mullins only having 1 follower shows a series of tweets pointing towards pro-Ketchum material. One of the links lead to a changed, "Fake peer review document discovered in Ketchum DNA saga." 
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Click photo to go to Twitter page.
Other than celebrities, Mullins follows only Michigan Women's Basketball.
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Who is Casey Mullins?
It is in the opinion of the editors here at Squatchdetective.com, that no coincidence there is a Michigan connection to Casey Mullins and to the Ketchum spokesperson who replaced Sally Ramey, Robin Lynne aka "Robin Lynne Forestpeople." The Twitter account and the "FAZE" peer review paper, and the alleged previous owner of the Journal, was all a hoax. The Twitter account reeks of a sock (or disguised) account.
Whatever the case, Ketchum did not get published in a journal as she originally claimed to have been and when it was discovered she owned the journal, a Casey Mullins cover story was created which proved to be more elusive than Bigfoot itself.
Ketchum also called for a press release prior to publication which is a breaking of the "Robert's Rules of Order" in science apparently.
Ketchum also called for a press release prior to publication which is a breaking of the "Robert's Rules of Order" in science apparently.
"Regarding the origins of DeNovo, Ketchum said on the day of the paper release that an unnamed journal had accepted the paper after peer review was completed, but their lawyers advised them not to publish due to the disreputable topic. Instead of continuing to shop the paper to other sources, she decided to acquire the rights to this unnamed journal, suspected to be the Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Exploration in Zoology.
Looking into the history of that journal, investigators found it was registered under Ketchum’s name on January 9, 2013. This led to serious ethical questions about self-publishing. The DeNovo website was created on February 4, 2013, just nine days prior to the release of the paper. Ketchum claims to have documentation of the prior reviews and from the acquisition of the new journal. These, and any information on which journals previously rejected the paper, have not yet been released."
- Sharon Hill
https://skepticalinquirer.org/newsletter/the_ketchum_project_what_to_believe_about_bigfoot_dna_science/
The Ketchum Report: The results (UPDATED 2021)
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This is where the story gets a bit muddled. Us the lay people are not geneticists. So a report by Ketchum with scientist speak can be reading Chinese with out of focus glasses for us English speaking folk.
Putting aside what Ketchum theorizes a Sasquatch is (A human-Novel Hominid hybridization 15k years ago), the bottom line is were the tests accurate? Apparently not as the results appear to many to consist of contamination and anthropologically her results make even less sense. However Dr. Haskell Hart, an Ivy League educated scientist, has probably the best run down on not only the Ketchum study, but the Sykes study as well, sans any bias. What is clear among the scientific community, including pro-Bigfoot scientists, Ketchum's study had a ton of issues results wise. Even more so than the minutiae of how the study evolved or was published. |
In my opinion the man who truly debunked the Ketchum Study
Interview with Dr. Haskell V. Hart |
The Ketchum Study
The Justin Smeja Sample, The Ketchum Study stated was "Sasquatch" .
"In order to further explore the reasons for the widespread novel amplifications described above, DNA from Sample 26 was imaged using electron microscopy. Electron micrographs of the DNA revealed unusual double strand – single strand – double strand transitions which may have contributed to the failure to amplify during PCR. The high quantities of single stranded DNA, interspersed with double stranded DNA seen in Figure 12 may suggest substantial structural abnormalities of the DNA itself." * |
Versus |
Dr. Hart Report
It should be noted the Sykes study revealed the blood on the boots were....bear as well.
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"Utilizing a human chromosome 11 reference sequence, preliminary Sasquatch concatenated sequences of 656,048, 541,435 and 74,589 base pairs, were derived from the full genomic sequence from samples 26, 140 and 31 respectively." * |
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Makes sense.
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"Sample 140, Chewed downspout with blood. (A) Overall view of Downspout. (B) Blood on the Downspout that was used for whole genome next generation sequencing. (C) Teeth marks in arched pattern with plaque and tartar residue left on the downspout." * * Source: "Novel North American Hominins, Next Generation Sequencing of Three Whole Genomes and Associated Studies" - Melba Ketchum, et al.
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Source: "DNA As Evidence for the Existence of Relict Hominoids" - Haskell V. Hart
Note from Steve Kulls...Looking at the photos in Sample 140, I can speak of past experience of forensic evidence collection. The bites you see are not that of a primate. (Hominin included). The round bites are clearly canine in nature as primate are rectangular. I found similar in 2006 in Bishopville, SC at the Rawson residence when they alleged a Lizardman had chewed up their van. The teeth were canine similar to what you see in Sample 140, and later DNA results on blood left behind on the Rawson van resulted in being ruled as a canine. A wrong primer here (Such as referencing Chromosome 11) would be the reason why Ketchum got the results she did across the board.
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Read Dr. Hart's Research Article (Ketchum analysis on pages 12 -15)
Dr. Hart's summary of the Ketchum Study
"Finally, by far the most controversial l and difficult to assess work was done by Ketchum et al. (2013) and elaborated on in their SGP website. Based on all available data in Table 1,it is seen that of the 78 samples with data reported by Ketchum et al. (2013), only Samples 2, 11, 12, 21, 31, 37, 87, 90, 95 and 117 can be considered definitely human, but of these, 11, 12, 21, 87, and 90 have very limited analyses... Additionally, samples 28 and 35 are very likely to be human.... |
Download Dr. Hart's Report:
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The inclusion of the Erickson Project
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In one other flub, the Ketchum Study, looking for support partnered up with another project run by Adrian Erickson. Again this is a story, another page will be created for, but we will add the photos that Ketchum aired at her presser, clearly debunked as a Wookie costume. Known as the "Matilda" photos and video, most of the community, and just about all of the press and science were left unconvinced. I personally saw where the Erickson Project was going as one of the sites of the project was the same property where a "Bigfoot" asked for garlic! The inclusion of photos in the report was a source of scientific concern.
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Other quotes on the Ketchum Study
Dr. David Winter, PhD Evolutionary Biology / Source: http://doubtfulnews.com/2013/02/breaking-bio-on-the-ketchum-sasquatch-sequences/
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Source: https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2013/10/new-bigfoot-evidence-screened-as-expert-claims-proof-of-existence/ By far the harshest of all the reviews. I take it as kind of hypocritical to a guy who sold himself to be on the show "Ten Million Dollar Bigfoot Bounty" to call the Bigfoot community "wacko". But hey...he is kind of right.
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Source: Ben Radford,
https://www.livescience.com/27140-bigfoot-dna-study-questioned.html |
Source: Jon Timmer, https://arstechnica.com/science/2013/07/an-honest-attempt-to-understand-the-bigfoot-genome-and-the-woman-who-created-it/
The Study Today
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This is where the highest level of science once expected turns into science fiction. The Sasquatch Genome Project originated out of the Ketchum Study. On it we see Ketchum now making claims of Sasquatch braiding her horses manes! For anyone, just Google 'fairy knots, witches knots, elf knots or devil's knots. You will see this is an ages old problems dealing with horses manes.
Source: https://www.horsenation.com/2015/10/21/horses-for-halloween-the-myth-of-the-witch-knot/
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Even more disturbing is the trip into the "Woonacy" adhering to the romantic, not scientific principles of Sasquatch communicating via writing and telepathy. Tree bends and stick structures are the basis of evidence instead of tracks that can be forensically examined and judged. The "Sasquatch People" even supposedly bury their dead (then where is the bones?) and have their own laws. (How the hell do they know that?)
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In Summary
There is much much more that can be shared here. Be when does enough become enough to see where the study was going from the get go. The Smeja Case, The Erickson Project follies which leads to the Carter Farm, the alleged ORV habitation, the Matilda photos. The core of the matter is what the scientists have stated about the study. Prior to the release of the study and even samples being tested the people getting involved with the study had the beliefs being extolled prior to any evidence, just look at Ketchum's spokesperson's moniker "Robin Lynne Forestpeople".
To me what the study represented was a blind look to the real facts of contamination and misidentification based on an improper primer used in the testing. (Ketchum provided the copyrighted primer to the labs for third party testing.) To those in the know in the community prior to the announcement or Dr. Burtsev's leak, we knew what the outcome was going to be. Contradictory to what Ketchum stated that "Angel DNA" moniker was used by the ignorant, the fact is the word "Angel DNA" was being thrown around by people in her camp. I know this, because one of the people on the panel at the presser was my good friend and there was also a second source of the use of that word.
To me what the study represented was a blind look to the real facts of contamination and misidentification based on an improper primer used in the testing. (Ketchum provided the copyrighted primer to the labs for third party testing.) To those in the know in the community prior to the announcement or Dr. Burtsev's leak, we knew what the outcome was going to be. Contradictory to what Ketchum stated that "Angel DNA" moniker was used by the ignorant, the fact is the word "Angel DNA" was being thrown around by people in her camp. I know this, because one of the people on the panel at the presser was my good friend and there was also a second source of the use of that word.
While this may not be completely a hoax or a sham, though some may believe it is, it becomes one of the rare cases where propagation of the disproved study becomes the hoax. Ask any geneticist mentioned above, and we left many others out, it was contamination or a bad primer and overlooking the real results either out of ignorance, misinformed education or lastly and more dubious; with purpose.
For the lack of ethics in the study and appearing to fit the evidence to the hypothesis rather than fitting a hypothesis to the evidence, in setting up a cover story about the Journal purchase including the use of a sock account to provide evidence, and today extolling pseudo-science and attacking critics in an unscientific and non-conversational manner, the Ketchum Study is included in the Hall of Shame.
For the lack of ethics in the study and appearing to fit the evidence to the hypothesis rather than fitting a hypothesis to the evidence, in setting up a cover story about the Journal purchase including the use of a sock account to provide evidence, and today extolling pseudo-science and attacking critics in an unscientific and non-conversational manner, the Ketchum Study is included in the Hall of Shame.
