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Larry Sanders is facing murder charges after allegedly telling officers he killed Jimmy Knighten because he feared that Knighten was going to have Bigfoot eat Sanders. Courtesy photo
The subject of Bigfoot has been traveling throughout Oklahoma for decades. In fact, the myth is spotted more than the actual sasquatch. Oklahomans are in the top percentile of people who are fascinated by Bigfoot. In 2020, Oklahoma ranked ninth in the nation for Bigfoot sightings.
Bigfoot sightings date back to the late 50s. In 1958, the first official Bigfoot “footprint” was recorded by hunters near Bossburg, Washington on October 15, 1958. The prints measure 20 inches long and seven inches wide, leaving believers to imagine the creature being over seven feet tall.
Bigfoot has appeared in many myths and folklore doing many things like tearing tree stumps out of the ground, flipping over vehicles, or terrorizing campsites. However, the latest claim by an Oklahoma man is probably the first of its kind, much like the sasquatch.
Larry Sanders, a 53-yearold male from Atwood, allegedly murdered Jimmy Knighten, a 52-year-old male from Allen while the two were noodling on July 9. According to police reports, Sanders confessed to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations that he killed Knighten during an altercation by striking and strangling him. He also stated he did it because he felt as if his life were in danger. Pontotoc County Sheriff John Christian stated in an interview that Sanders believed he was in danger of being eaten by the sasquatch because of Knighten’s actions.
“And sometime during that period of time [the altercation] Mr. Sanders believed that Jimmy Knighten had summoned Bigfoot to come and do harm to him, to Mr. Sanders,” Christian said.
Sanders also reported that “people were watching him” and Knighten “set him up.”
The suspect was initially arrested on an unrelated warrant. However, Knighten’s body was found on July 10, and Sanders’ murder charges were added.
An online search found priors for Public Intoxication, Protective Order Violation, Attempted First-Degree Burglary, Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon on a Police Officer, Eluding, and Bringing Contraband in a Jail.