Editorial: The 'Scape 'Ore Swamp Lizard Man: What is it, and is it back around Bishopville, SC?

Back around 1994, I saw a program on the Discovery Channel titled Those Amazing Animals, hosted by former M*A*S*H star Loretta Swit, which devoted its entire half-hour to Cryptozoology. There were segments on Champ and Bigfoot (which featured late researcher Charles Edson), but the final segment of the program was the most intriguing. It concerned an unusual creature in the Bishopville, South Carolina area in the 'Scape 'Ore Swamp called the Lizard Man and a flap of sightings in that area in 1988, and had one fascinating case of this unusual creature attacking then-17-year-old Chris Davis as he attempted to change a flat tire in his car. He described a tall, skinny creature, green, covered with slime (the green coloring could be from the slime), about 8 feet tall. He said the creature also ran alongside his car and attempted to claw its way inside, even as he was driving. He had some damage on his car from the alleged attack as well. Several other witnesses in the area described a tall, brownish creature, with strangely-shaped head, but very skinny. A footprint cast of a three-toed foot, allegedly of the creature was in the possession of now-retired Sheriff Liston Truesdale, who showed it to Dr. Jeff Meldrum for a TV program on Sci-Fi called Proof Positive. Dr. Meldrum examined it and determined that it was a hoax, not a real track of an animal. Crypto-fiction author D.L. Tanner, when he was hosting Artist First's Bigfoot Central a few years ago, discussed this unusual creature several times, and thanks to an old Betamax video tape, determined that the mysterious Lizard Man was nothing more than a common Skunk Ape, in other words, a Bigfoot-type creature. The Lizard Man seemed to have disappeared from the public spotlight for nearly 20 years-that is, until this past week, a resident of Bishopville was shocked to one morning find chew and bite marks in the front of her van, rather large bite marks at that. The story was covered by different local news stations, and it seemed as if perhaps, the Lizard Man had indeed returned. Now, of course, this is merely circumstantial evidence, but it should be interesting to see if anything develops from this. So, what IS the Lizard Man? A reptilian misfit creature? A Skunk Ape? A Bigfoot? Or an elaborate hoax? Well, if it was a hoax, it had to be based on something. All I will say is, you be the judge of what the Lee County, South Carolina legend is, or is not.