Oklahoma Man Says He Murdered Fishing Partner Who Summoned 'Bigfoot' To Kill Him

Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, -- A man, who was arrested for murdering his fishing partner, said he committed the crime in self-defense as the latter had summoned Bigfoot to kill him, the sheriff's office said.

The 53-year-old suspect, Larry Sanders, was arrested over the weekend for killing his friend Jimmy Knighten, while the duo was noodling in the South Canadian River near Ada on July 9, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said in a news release Monday.

Noodling is a fishing technique where a person uses their bare hands to catch a fish, typically a catfish, by submerging themselves in water.

Sanders was initially taken into custody for an outstanding warrant. However, his charges were upgraded to first-degree murder after the police found Knighten's body the following day.

The Chief Medical Examiner is scheduled to conduct an autopsy to determine the manner and cause of Knighten's death.

During interrogation, Sanders admitted to striking and strangling Knighten following a confrontation with him, eventually killing the victim. However, Sanders claimed his attack was prompted after his friend summoned the mythical character, Bigfoot, to kill him.

"So, 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 John Christian told 10 ABC, adding Sanders appeared to be under the influence of something.

Although Sanders confessed to the murder, the investigators said they were still gathering evidence to prove he committed the crime.

"It always makes it easier. You still have to prove all the elements of the crime, and what the suspect is telling you, you have to prove that that’s actually what happened," Christian added.

Meanwhile, Sanders is currently being held at the Pontotoc County Jail. If convicted on the first-degree murder charge, he could face the death penalty.

A Florida man arrested this week on charges of murdering his roommate admitted that he shot the latter for annoying him. However, during interrogation, the 42-year-old suspect identified as Jesse Franklin Hill accused of murdering his friend Ernie Wayne Wilburn claimed that he was unaware that an air rifle could kill a human being.