PONOTOMAC COUNTY, OK – A local fisherman, Larry Sanders, confessed to the murder of his friend, Jimmy Knighten, under the bizarre belief that Knighten intended to offer him as a meal to the legendary Bigfoot, Oklahoma prosecutors have revealed.
The incident unfolded by the South Canadian River in Ponotomac County, Oklahoma, where Sanders and Knighten were engaged in a fishing trip. Sanders, according to his testimony, strangled Knighten after spotting what he believed were Sasquatch-like entities nearby. Sanders claimed that Knighten had summoned Bigfoot to kill him, prompting his lethal response.
Sheriff John Christian relayed Sanders’ account to local media following the July 2022 incident. Two years after the murder, Sanders was found guilty by a judge. “Yes, there was a monster in the woods that night, but it wasn’t Bigfoot, it was Larry Sanders,” declared Pontotoc County District Attorney Erik Johnson.
On the day of the incident, July 9, 2022, Sanders and Knighten were practicing “noodling,” a southern fishing technique that involves catching catfish with bare hands by inserting their arms into the fish’s mouth.
During their outing, Sanders alleged that he saw three Bigfoot-like figures near the river, leading him to believe that Knighten intended to kill him and offer his body to these creatures. Sanders, waiving a jury trial, claimed self-defense. His fate was determined by a judge who heard testimonies, including one from a forensic psychiatrist who suggested that Sanders was under the influence of meth-induced psychosis.
Knighten’s body was discovered the following day after Sanders had put him in a fatal chokehold. Knighten, aged 52 at the time of his death, was remembered by his son, Airyn, as an enthusiastic outdoorsman. During the trial, Airyn testified that Sanders had been speaking in a “frantic” manner on the day of the murder.
Sanders’ daughter, despite having a strained relationship with her father, testified that he had confessed to the murder multiple times. Sanders now faces life imprisonment without parole. His sentencing is scheduled for June 18.