The disappearance of Teresa Bier and the cryptid culprit

(Image source: frame 352 of the Patterson–Gimlin footage)

On June 1st 1987 43 year old Russell Welch was arrested on charges of child stealing after he returned home alone from a Nevada mountain camping trip without his 16 year old companion, Teresa Bier, claiming that she was abducted by big foot. 

The nature of the relationship between the pair is unclear; however Welch had actively been hunting the cryptid at Shut eye peak. The Fresno county court freed Welch just days before his trial, with the intention of convicting the suspect on murder charges at a later date. 

On the advice of his public defender, Welch declined to accept the offer of a year long term and acceptance of the child stealing charge which included the option to sign a waiver, stating that he would be eligible for trail if Biers body was to be found at a future date. 

Welch was a self-proclaimed Sasquatch expert and appeared to sincerely believe in big-foot. He went as far as to say that he had even been in contact with a group of them.

Sources: http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/b/bier_theresa.html
http://doenetwork.org/cases/217dfca.html