This Story Has Legs Leg!

The odyssey of the smoked leg continues! Believe it or don't. You'll recall the heartwarming story of the leg in the smoker. A man bought a smoker from an auction at a self-storage place. Inside, he found a human leg. The man was "grossed out" and turned said appendage over to the police who located it's previous - original - owner. The man's leg had been amputated following a plane crash and he'd decided to keep it so he could be cremated "whole." The first man then determined that he could make money charging people to see the smoker - and wanted the leg back since it would make the display more profitable. In the end, the police decided that the first man did not have a legal leg to stand on (hey, they said it, not me) and gave it back to the original owner. But is is not over yet, folks.  Now it's a media event.

Shannon Whisnant has said all along he was willing to go to court for the right to keep John Wood's severed leg.

Sure enough, a judge will soon decide who gets custody of the Simpsonville man's amputated limb, which was found stored in a barbecue smoker mistakenly sold during a mini-storage public auction.

Judge Mathis, that is.

The nationally syndicated Judge Mathis court show, which has aired since 1999, features former Michigan Superior Court judge Greg Mathis.

Plaintiffs and defendants sign an agreement beforehand that stipulates that Mathis' decision is final and legally binding. The judge often pokes fun at both parties and allows sensationalistic courtroom outbursts as he listens to both sides.

Wood and Whisnant — the Maiden, N.C., man who claims he owns the leg because he bought it and now wants to charge admission to see it — are headed to Chicago for a Friday taping of the show, both men said.

Neither would elaborate on their appearance on the show. Whisnant declined further comment. On Monday, Wood said he'd like for any money that comes from the publicity to be given to local charity.

He said news organizations worldwide have expressed interest in the story. A German television station offered to fly the two men to Frankfurt this week, he said.

It's only the latest odd turn in a two-week-long ordeal that has made worldwide headlines and brought an overwhelming wave of publicity for two men unknowingly thrust together after a public auction at a private mini-storage.

Wood's leg was amputated above the knee after a plane crash in 2004 that killed his father.

Instead of disposing of the leg, Wood decided to keep it so that it could be cremated with him when he dies. He stored it in a freezer for a while, then hung it on a fencepost, before stowing it in a barbecue smoker that was among his belongings housed in a Maiden Plaza Mini Storage unit.

Hung it on a fencepost? The more details that come out about this whole incident, the worse it is. But these two guys certainly are good at getting their entire 15 minutes of fame and then some!

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  By mockinbird, Thursday, 11 October , 2007 @ 2:51 pm

  Here in Florida, we hang body parts from the old fence post all the time.

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