A murder suspect accused of strangling his friend while fishing has claimed “Bigfoot” made him do it.
Oklahoma man Larry Sanders, 53, was with Jimmy Glenn Knighten, 52, at the South Canadian River near the city of Ada on Saturday when a confrontation ensued, according to a press release from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
Mr Sanders allegedly struck and strangled Mr Knighten, according to the authorities.
Pontotoc County Sheriff John Christian told WAFB that deputies to reports of a homicide on Saturday afternoon.
They said Mr Sanders “appeared to be under the influence of something”, and had admitted to his family that he had killed his friend.
“His statement was that Mr Knighten had summoned ‘Bigfoot’ to come and kill him, and that’s why he had to kill Mr Knighten,” Sheriff Christian told WAFB.
Search agencies were only able to locate Mr Knighten’s body on Sunday afternoon.
Investigators and the medical examiner’s office are working to establish the circumstances of his death.
“You still have to prove all the elements of the crime, and that what the suspect is telling you is actually what happened,” Sheriff Christian said.
Mr Sanders has been charged with first-degree murder and could face the death penalty, under Oklahoma state law.
He is being held in the Pontotoc County Jail.
