By Tim Binnall
Cornell University has denied a self-styled Bigfoot hunter's claim that the school conducted DNA testing on alleged Sasquatch remains found in the Adirondack Mountains. Charles "Snake" Stuart made headlines last summer when he announced a showcase of the purported cryptid carcass at the New York State Fair. After understandably skeptical Sasquatch researchers dug into his fantastic story, they quickly declared the case a well-crafted hoax put together by a performance artist in the guise of a Bigfoot hunter. Despite their rather convincing conclusion, Stuart has doubled down on his tale ahead of a second showing of the remains at this year's festivities in Syracuse at the end of the month.
Earlier this summer, the colorful character asserted that Cornell University had conducted DNA testing on the curious carcass and determined that it was a "Neanderthal-human hybrid." Stuart subsequently posted an official-looking report purportedly produced by the prestigious Ivy League school on his website. While the lengthy paper features the Cornell logo at the top and a staggering 21 pages of analysis, one particularly odd detail immediately cast doubt upon the Bigfoot hunter's latest claim. The report credits a Cornell molecular biologist, Misty Pichard, as the "clinical supervisor" for the testing. However, as one may have surmised, there appears to be no one by that name affiliated with the school.
Alas, the suspicions surrounding the DNA analysis story were seemingly confirmed this week when a Cornell spokesperson told the New York Post that the school "did not conduct any testing" for the Bigfoot hunter and indicated that the report on his website did not originate from them. In response, Stuart characteristically framed the apparent debunking as part of an elaborate conspiracy to hide the truth about Sasquatch from the world. "Cornell is flat out lying. I will not be silenced," he declared to the newspaper, insisting that he could prove his version of events and promising a forthcoming documentary about the entire strange affair.