The Year of 2023 saw the passing of various members of the cryptozoology research, media and Fortean communities. We say goodbye to, among others, these folks we shall miss.

December 21

Ian Punnett, 63. Obituary.

Ian had been a regular host of Coast to Coast AM since 1998, infrequently interviewing cryptozoologists Mark A. Hall and Loren Coleman, among others. 

September 7 

David Oren, 70. Obituary.

Originally born in Michigan, the world-famous Mapinguari researcher and Brazilian naturalized scientist conducted field expeditions and over a 100 interviews with eyewitnesses of the possible surviving medium-sized ground sloths of the Amazon.

September 1

Larry Battson, 71. Obituary.

Larry was a wildlife expert, educator, and entertainer as well as a Bigfoot authority living in Indiana.

August 20

David Perkins, 77. Obituary.

David was a field researcher and writer investigating “cattle muteology,” the mysterious mutilations occurring throughout the Midwest USA.

July 28

Peter Byrne, 97. Obituary.

Peter was an early Yeti and Bigfoot seeker, one of the first searchers supported by millionaire Tom Slick.

July 11

Phil Shaw, 79. Obituary.

Phil was a frequent organizer of Michigan Bigfoot conference.

June 29 (found July 3)

Claudia Ackley, 51. Obituary.

Claudia, Ed Brown’s partner, was a Bigfoot hunter who claimed to have filmed the cryptid and sued the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to prove its existence.

March 21

Ted Bastien, 60. Obituary.

In 2007, the Bangor Daily News profiled Ted, but forgot to mention his deep interest in Bigfoot. Of course, that was an oversight because he was a deep friend of the International Cryptozoology Museum and of Loren and Jenny. He was the hardest death to experience in 2023.

Ted was often created cartoons for Coast to Coast AM and me. I’ll post a couple in tribute here to him. Goodbye, Ted.

February 28

Ricou Browning, 93. Obituary. 

 Ricou was the Gill Man in Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954).

January 22

Rhettman Mullis, 58. 

Rhettman assisted the late Dr. Bryan Sykes, and ran the short term “Bigfootery Group” 2015-2016.

January 13

Robbie Knievel, 60. Obituary.

Stuntman Robbie Knievel, whose father was daredevil Evel Knievel, was the driving force behind Knievel’s Quest Bigfoot.

January 9

Melinda Dillon, 83. Obituary.

Melinda appeared in the midst of films that had a central theme of interest to many of us: Magnolia, Harry and the Hendersons, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.