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OSBI: Oklahoma noodler confesses to killing fellow fisherman over Bigfoot fears

ADA — A noodler has been arrested on a murder complaint after he confessed to killing another fisherman for trying to feed him to Bigfoot along a river in southeast Oklahoma, an OSBI agent reported.

Larry Doil Sanders, 53, of Atwood, drew a map and provided directions that helped searchers find the body of Jimmy Glenn Knighten in a wooded area Sunday, the agent reported in an arrest affidavit.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation special agent interviewed Sanders on Sunday at the Pontotoc County jail.

Sanders and Knighten left Saturday afternoon for the South Canadian River to go noodling, a type of fishing done by hand.

Sanders was arrested on an outstanding warrant Saturday when he came back to Knighten's residence alone and told his daughter about the killing, according to the affidavit.

In the interview Sunday, he claimed he discovered while at the river that Knighten "intended to feed him to sasquatch/Bigfoot," Special Agent Justin Brown wrote.

"LARRY advised he believed JIMMY was trying to get away from him so that the sasquatch could eat LARRY," the agent wrote. "LARRY would not let JIMMY get away. LARRY punched JIMMY and struck JIMMY with a stick. LARRY and JIMMY fought for an extended amount of time on the ground.

"LARRY confirmed he killed JIMMY by choking him to death near the river."

The suspect's daughter also said he told her he killed Knighten for trying to feed him to Bigfoot, according to the affidavit. She said he was frantic and mentioned something about strangling Knighten, "and possibly firing two shots from a pistol."

The suspect's daughter is the girlfriend of the victim's son, according to the affidavit. The victim's son said Sanders admitted to getting into a fight over being fed to Bigfoot.

The Pontotoc County deputy sheriff who arrested Sanders on the outstanding warrant Saturday reported he "seemed to be under the influence of illegal drugs."
Sanders remained in the Pontotoc County jail Tuesday.

He had outstanding warrants over unpaid fines in two drug-related cases. He was put on probation for five years in 2019 after he was caught bringing methamphetamine into the Pontotoc County jail after a public intoxication arrest. Knighten was 53.

Bigfoot is a mythical creature most commonly associated with the woods of northwestern United States and western Canada. In Oklahoma, a state legislator unsuccessfully tried last year to establish a Bigfoot hunting season.

"I have some people that I know that are good, solid people who I will guarantee you 100% have said they have had experience with Bigfoot," Rep. Justin Humphrey said last year.

"We are not promoting killing Bigfoot. We are promoting hunting Bigfoot, trying to find evidence of Bigfoot."
https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2022/07/12/osbi-ada-oklahoma-noodler-confess-killing-fisherman-bigfoot-fears-larry-sanders/65372111007/