Meet Our Research Team

Core Team Member & Founder

Marie Dumont is a Florida native and a seasoned investigator with over three decades of paranormal and cryptid research experience. She founded the ‘Mid Florida Bigfoot Research Group’, a community-driven research organization with more than 9,500 members across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, dedicated to investigating Florida's Bigfoot and it's mysterious cousin, the Skunk Ape. Her group serves as a resource hub for Florida witnesses and researchers to report encounters confidentially and collaboratively.

Marie is also the founder of the 'Mid Florida Bigfoot Research Team'. Through her team, she's building a structured, credible effort to investigate, protect, and understand these enigmatic creatures and their threatened habitats.

Marie is a dedicated, analytical, and detail-oriented investigator. Her passion for Bigfoot research was sparked more than seven years ago after hearing a powerful and extended vocalization deep in the Ocala National Forest during an overnight camping trip. Since then, she has committed herself to exploring Florida’s forests and swamps in search of answers. Her passion for uncovering the truth has made her one of the state's foremost researchers of Bigfoots and Skunk Apes.

Marie is known for her sharp observational skills and creativity in the field. Her fieldwork specialty includes finding prints, structures, and unusual elements in the woods and swamps. Marie and her team have documented countless footprints, glyphs, and a wide range of unusual structural formations including X-shaped markers, asterisk patterns, lean-tos, teepee-like designs, shelters, nests, and oddly placed or stacked sticks in an effort to collect evidence of their existence. One of her most significant discoveries—a quarter-mile-long trackway of 16-inch footprints with a 54-inch stride—was featured as the cover story in the March 2024 edition of the 'Bigfoot Times' newsletter.

Marie's natural creativity and artistic eye give her a unique advantage in spotting what doesn’t belong in the wild. Beyond field research, she also manages all aspects of the team’s public relations, documentation, social media, events, video content, and research outings.

Core Team Member

Mike Aguilar is a 4th-generation native Floridian who grew up exploring the woods and swamps of Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes, and Lutz in west Central Florida. With over five years of dedicated field research—and a lifetime immersed in Florida’s wild terrain—Mike has developed into a passionate and skilled Bigfoot investigator.

A devoted family man, Mike is the proud father of two children, Kaylen and Kylie. His son Kaylen, an Honorary Member of the research team, has followed in his father's footsteps, joining him at conferences, outings, and gaining hands-on experience in both Bigfoot research and Florida wildlife. Together, Mike and Kaylen bring a dynamic mix of enthusiasm, humor, and energy to the team.

Mike’s strengths in the field include identifying highly active areas, locating tracks, structures, interpreting sounds, and vocalizations. His instincts and persistence make him a valuable asset to the team—and a driving force in the ongoing search for Florida’s elusive forest beings.

Core Team Member

Ruby Jo Brew is a proud fifth-generation native Floridian, born in Tampa. A lifelong explorer of Florida’s woods and swamps, she has spent the past six years actively researching and seeking evidence of elusive forest beings. Through her investigations and the review of countless eyewitness accounts, Ruby Jo came to realize that her own life has been marked by encounters she hadn’t fully understood until now.

Her fieldwork specialty lies in identifying structures, tree breaks, and unusual natural oddities—both subtle and striking. With extensive knowledge of Florida’s native plants and wildlife, she brings a deep understanding of the ecosystems where these beings are most often reported. Ruby Jo is passionate about the paranormal and educating others on the presence of these yet-to-be-recognized creatures that inhabit our forests and swamps.

Outside of research, Ruby Jo is a devoted mother to a daughter and two sons, and a proud grandmother to six grandsons, two granddaughters, and a number of beloved four-legged “grands.” She also serves on the Board of Directors at the Crowley Museum and Nature Center in Myakka, Florida, where she continues to share her love of nature and discovery.

Core Team Member

Christina Lawhorn was born in the Midwest but has spent most of her life here in West Central Florida. As a work-from-home mother of 3, it’s not always easy to find time for herself. Her family supports her interests and she makes sure that her children are part of her outdoor adventures, sharing the excitement of discovery with them.

One of Christina’s passions is photography and it has become a way for her to preserve moments with her children, and a way to connect with nature on a deeper level.

But it’s not just the everyday beauty of nature that captivates her. Christina also has a fascination with the unknown and it was no surprise that she decided to join the Mid Florida Bigfoot Research Team in 2023.

As a member of the team, Christina spends time in the field, often at dawn or dusk, when the world is quiet and anything seems possible. While she hasn’t had an encounter yet with a Bigfoot or Skunk ape, there have been numerous strange occurrences that keep Christina coming back. It might be the sound of large branches snapping in the distance, finding large footprints, or the sense that something is watching her. These experiences fuel Christina’s curiosity and drive her to continue exploring, hoping that one day we will uncover something truly extraordinary.

Being involved in Bigfoot and Skunk ape research has taught Christina to embrace the unknown. Whether hiking through a remote forest or sitting quietly waiting for a sign of something elusive, every moment feels like part of a larger story, one that she’s fortunate and willing to be a part of.

Honorary Team Member

Kaylen Aguilar is a 5th-generation native Floridian and one of the youngest and passionate members of the Mid Florida Bigfoot Research Group Team. At just 11 years old, Kaylen has been actively involved in field research alongside his father for over five years. His journey began on fishing trips through Florida’s wild backwoods, where his fascination with Bigfoot and the Skunk Ape first took root.

A true nature lover, Kaylen has a knack for spotting tree structures, locating footprints, and performing vocalizations believed to initiate responses from Bigfoots. His deep connection with animals — who seem naturally drawn to him — makes him an asset to the team. The calm and curious energy he brings into the field often leads to intriguing activity during investigations.

Kaylen’s journey is even more inspiring considering he once struggled with selective mutism — a challenge he has bravely overcome. Today, he’s not only a confident field researcher but has also spoken on stage with his father at the Great Florida Bigfoot Conference before a crowd of over 2,000 people. He has been featured on numerous podcasts and continues to grow as a respected young voice in the world of Bigfoot research.

Kaylen’s dedication, instincts, and love for the unknown make him a vital part of our team and a symbol of the next generation of researchers.

Core Team Member

Bob Schmeltz has a deep connection with the great outdoors. Hunting, fishing, and trapping were traditions that were passed down through generations, and some of his favorite memories are of early fall mornings trekking through the woods alongside his father or uncles. These early experiences nurtured not only his love of nature, but also a lifelong respect for it.

Becoming a hunter at a young age helped Bob to form a strong bond with the natural world. He was raised to be a conservationist—taught to harvest only what was needed and to always leave the woods just as he found them. That respect for wildlife and the wilderness has remained a guiding principle in his life.

As an adult, the woods have continued to be a place of peace, clarity, and renewal for Bob. In today’s fast-paced world, those quiet moments in nature help him to reset and recharge.

Bob’s passion for the outdoors also led him into an unexpected and fascinating path—Bigfoot and Skunk Ape research. Combining his tracking skills, deep knowledge of wildlife and nature, and countless hours hiking in Florida’s remote forests and swamps, Bob has become a valuable asset to the Mid Florida Bigfoot Research Team for his dedication to uncovering the truth behind one of North America's greatest legends.

Bob’s field work specialty is research equipment and discovering new ways to capture physical evidence of these elusive creatures.

Associate Team Member

Dr. Bill Hewitt comes from the great north but spent a great deal of his life in Florida as a hiker, camper, boater, and underwater photographer. In his earlier days, holding a 100-ton captains license, he used to deliver yachts from the Great Lakes area to Florida and the Caribbean.   He has had a lifetime of interest in Bigfoot and started researching Bigfoot and other cryptids as a teenager.   He was also interested in the paranormal and other unexplained phenomena.  

Bill moved to Florida 15 years ago full time with Bettina Laier and started researching cryptid animals and other wildlife. He became a serious researcher 12 years ago and began designing general research equipment to help them the field. Wanting to improve his research skills and knowledge, he decided to pursue an education in Cryptozoology and earned his doctoral degree.

Bill loves building and creating new field research equipment.  He converted a cargo van to become living quarters and basecamp when researching out in the field.  He has also designed parabolic sound dishes and mounting devices to travel at night with IR and thermal imaging cameras.

When he is not out researching, he lives in Miami with Bettina and their two cats that often go camping with them.  He is a proud father of a son, daughter-in-law and two granddaughters.   Having had two significant encounters in his past, his greatest ambition is to interact with these creatures on a more personal level.  

Bill's primary Bigfoot research team is the ISRT, but he is also a proud member of the Mid Florida Bigfoot Research Team.

Associate Team Member

Bettina Laier is a nurse by trade but spends her free time outdoors gardening, hiking and camping with Dr Bill Hewitt and their two cats. She is a certified emergency nurse and has a Master's Degree in Nursing education. She works as an educator for a large healthcare organization and loves teaching others.

Bettina also likes to spend time photographing wildlife and has won awards for her underwater photography. Before moving to Florida, she travelled to places like Fiji, Christmas Island in the South Pacific, and all over the Caribbean.

Bettina Laier has been researching Bigfoot and other phenomena for about 12 years. With spending 100's of hours in the field, she has had two audio encounters. These Class B encounters motivated her to get more involved, putting in countless miles on the trails and investigating sites during the night. Her interests include thermal imaging and night vision and with keen senses, has pointed out interesting finds to others out with her on the trails.

Bettina not only goes out on the trails, she also is involved with running the Base Camp. She is a general ham radio operator and acts as the Base Camp radio coms person. She also keeps all the equipment organized and findings catalogued.

Bettina's primary Bigfoot research team is the ISRT, but she is also a proud member of the Mid Florida Bigfoot Research Team.