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Kevin Clash Resigns: Sesame Street Elmo Puppeteer Steps Down Amid Underage Sex Allegations

Elmo Puppeteer Resigns
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Kevin Clash, the longtime puppeteer and voice of Sesame Street's Elmo, has resigned from the children's television program amid underage sex allegations, Sesame Workshop announced on Tuesday.

The non-profit organization called the scandal a "distraction," according to a statement published by The New York Times.

The statement reads:

Sesame Workshop’s mission is to harness the educational power of media to help all children the world over reach their highest potential. Kevin Clash has helped us achieve that mission for 28 years, and none of us, especially Kevin, want anything to divert our attention from our focus on serving as a leading educational organization. Unfortunately, the controversy surrounding Kevin’s personal life has become a distraction that none of us want, and he has concluded that he can no longer be effective in his job and has resigned from Sesame Street. This is a sad day for Sesame Street.

Last week, a 24-year-old man publicly accused Clash of having a sexual relationship with him while he was a teenager, only to recant his statement one day later. On Tuesday, a second lawsuit was reportedly filed by another individual.

Clash joined the cast of Sesame Street in 1984 and later invented the character of Elmo. He received national attention for the 2011 documentary "Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey."

More from the Associated Press:


By FRAZIER MOORE

NEW YORK — Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash has resigned from "Sesame Street" in the wake of an allegation that he had sex with an under-aged youth.

In its statement Tuesday, Sesame Workshop said "the controversy surrounding Kevin's personal life has become a distraction that none of us want," leading Clash to conclude "that he can no longer be effective in his job."

"This is a sad day for Sesame Street," the statement said.

As the announcement was made, a lawsuit was being filed in federal court in New York charging Clash with sexual abuse of a second youth. The lawsuit alleges that Cecil Singleton, then 15 and now an adult, was persuaded by Clash to meet for sexual encounters.

Clash, who had been on "Sesame Street" for 28 years, created the high-pitched voice and child-like persona for Elmo, a furry, red Muppet that became one of the most popular characters on the show and one of the company's most lucrative properties.

Clash's exit from Sesame Workshop followed a tumultuous week that began on Nov. 12 with a statement from the company that Clash had requested a leave of absence following the charge by a man in his early 20s that he had had a relationship with Clash when he was 16.

Clash denied the charge from that man, who has not been publicly identified, calling it "false and defamatory." Days later the man recanted his charge.

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Before You Go

50 Conspiracies, 50 States
Alabama - The Tuskegee Incident(01 of51)
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In 1932, the government left 600 impoverished black men infected with syphilis untreated in order to study the effects of the disease as it progressed. The men never knew they had syphilis. Many of the men infected their wives and children (and some died) before a whistleblower alerted the media... forty years later. CLICK HERE for more TruTV.
Alaska -- High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program(02 of51)
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Some believe that the ionospheric testing could trigger or already has triggered massive natural disasters such as the flipping of the magnetic poles, trigger earthquakes or even turn the upper atmosphere in to a lens, essentially setting the sky on fire. These disasters have led to HAARP being referred to as "the Moby Dick" of conspiracy theories by writer Sharon Weinberger. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Wikipedia)
Arizona - The Elusive Thunderbird(03 of51)
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The town of Tombstone was more than just a town of roughneck cowboys -- it also had a prehistoric, flying creature. The Thunderbird is said to have been shot down in the Arizona desert by locals in 1890, although no definitive evidence (photographic or otherwise) has been uncovered. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:TruTV)
Arkansas - The Whitewater Investigation(04 of51)
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As a means of supplementing their income in the 1970′s, Bill and Hilary Clinton invested in the Whitewater Development Corporation, which represented the Whitewater Estates, a group of vacation properties in Arkansas. David Hale, former banker and judge, told federal investigators that then-Governor Clinton had asked him to give an illegal loan of $300,000 to the Clintons' investment partner, Susan McDougal. The Clintons have never been formally charged with any crime. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Getty)
California - Rolling Brownouts(05 of51)
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The endless rolling brownouts (massive power outages) in 2004 were, it turns out, deliberate - in fact, they were caused by Enron, much to the amusement of energy traders. Recordings exist of Enron employees laughing about sending California residents into the Stone Age so that energy prices could be driven up. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:iStockphoto)
Colorado - Denver Airport(06 of51)
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Murals in the Denver Airport's baggage claim could be more than just artwork. Many, including our own Jesse Ventura, believe they contain secret Masonic messages signifying a secret city built underneath the airport to protect the rich and government officials during the rumored apocalypse of 2012. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Landov)
Connecticut - Skull And Bones(07 of51)
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The notorious secret society housed in Yale's hallowed walls is thought by some to control many offices of power - including the CIA - and is bent towards total world domination. George Herbert Walker Bush (above, left of the clock) and John Kerry are both admitted members of this mysterious group. CLICK HERE for more TruTV.Correction: A previous caption for this slide misidentified the former president in question as George W. Bush, rather than as his father, George H.W. Bush. (credit:Wikipedia)
Delaware - The '92 Swap(08 of51)
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Delaware is such a sweet, harmless little state, there's nothing sinister to see here. One might swing by the state capital, where an infamous political office swap took place in 1992. Congressman Tom Carper and Governor Mike Castle, then term-limited, were rumored to have plotted with a unified Democratic party to swap offices by hosting virtually uncontested election contests. In other words: nothing unusual here. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Wikipedia)
District of Columbia - Watergate(09 of51)
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The scandal that resulted in Richard Nixon's resignation continues to intrigue the American public. On June 17, 1972, the President's "plumbers" broke into Democratic National Committee HQ on the sixth floor of the Watergate Hotel And Office Building, for reasons that have never been clear. A security guard discovered the burglary, leading to the arrest of henchmen hired by Nixon staffers, which, after a long investigation, led to the President's downfall. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Getty Images)
Florida - The 2000 Election(10 of51)
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Some believe that George W. Bush's narrowly-won victory in Florida after a recount due to the notorious "hanging chads" was won fairly, but others point to a stopped recount, reports of roadblocks on the way to polling sites, and the sealing of W's victory by his brother Jeb Bush's Secretary of State as evidence of a massive electoral fraud. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Getty Images)
Georgia - The Guidestones(11 of51)
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The American Stonehenge is a monument of six granite slabs inscribed with ten messages translated into twelve languages including Sanskrit and Babylonian. Some believe the messages to be the Ten Commandments of the Antichrist with origins of a satanic nature or possibly a product of a Luciferian secret society connected to the New World Order. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Wikipedia)
Hawaii - Obama's Birth Certificate(12 of51)
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Is President Obama truly from the Aloha State? Until recently, right-wingers believed that the President could not produce a birth certificate because he was not born here. The allegations died down a bit when POTUS posted his long-form certificate on a campaign website in the hopes of quashing the growing debate. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Landov)
Idaho - The First Nuclear Accident(13 of51)
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On January 3, 1961 a military test reactor exploded in Idaho's Lost River Desert, resulting in three fatalities. It was the first nuclear event to claim American lives on our own soil and it was an accident -- or was it? The details of the accident are blurry and the true reason for the event is rumored to have been a deliberate sabotage of the plant. The truth, some believe, has been kept mum to protect the nuclear industry. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Wikipedia)
Illinois - The Chicago 7 Trial(14 of51)
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During the 1968 Democratic National Convention, demonstrators attempted to rally in opposition to the Vietnam War. Before they even left a nearby park, police staged a teargas attack on the peaceful crowd and beat anyone in range with batons. In what is believed to be an effort to remove the blame from the police and the State, seven protesters, including Abbie Hoffman (above) were charged with inciting a riot and put on a show trial. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Roadside Attractions, from the film "Chicago 10″)
Indiana - FEMA Death Chambers(15 of51)
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Could the iron fist of the New World Order be closer to closing in on us than we thought? There is rumored to be an Amtrak facility in Beach Grove, Indiana that is being converted into a "FEMA concentration camp." Some believe that that these rumors are a conspiracy themselves created to distract us from the real conspiracy... whatever that may be. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:YouTube)
Iowa - Caucuses(16 of51)
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Are the Iowa caucuses arranged so bizarrely so as to exclude the lower classes? Some believe that system, which involves nighttime meetings lasting up to two hours and, for Democrats, public votes, is designed for easy infiltration by rich, establishment politicians and their supporters, many of whom are backed by the state's powerful ethanol industry. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Wikipedia)
Kansas - The Haunted Small Town(17 of51)
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The birthplace of Amelia Earhart, our most famous missing person, is also notable for its paranormal activity. As a popular rest stop for those on their way to find their fortune in gold in California during the 1850s, Atchison also was the place to die or perhaps return to as a spirit. A woman's voice beckons men from the murky waters of the river, a man's supposed deal with the devil left a house cursed, a friendly spirit leaves out tea cups and puts the kettle on - the town is rife with these kinds of stories. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Wikipedia)
Kentucky - Fort Knox Is Empty?(18 of51)
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The gold that was believed to be in the vault at Fort Knox is... nowhere to be found? Was it sold off by the Central Bank to halt inflation? The vault is rumored to be heavily guarded to keep Americans from finding out that we are not as flush with karats as previously thought. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Getty)
Louisiana - The Oil Spill(19 of51)
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The 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf Coast is thought by some to have been a plot by big oil to clear the area of local business (such as shrimping and fishing) so that they could have unrestricted access to drilling. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Landov)
Maine - Mutant? Werewolf?(20 of51)
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Lovely, picturesque Maine has an exciting new attraction: a mutant. Well, they did until it was hit by a car. Those who saw it alive described the beast as an evil-looking rodent-dog hybrid with a terrible stench. The mystery beast had been rumored to be haunting Androscoggin County and making off with neighborhood dogs for the past fifteen years. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Michelle O'Donnell, Sun Journal)
Maryland - Weaponized Smallpox(21 of51)
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Have you been vaccinated lately? Fort Detrick is the home of the Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. In short it is where biological weapons are created -- including the deadly weaponized smallpox. But more recently it is rumored to have housed crooked scientists who used the deadly 1918 strain of influenza to create what came to be known as the Swine Flu in order to generate profit for the pharmaceutical industry. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Getty Images)
Massachusetts - Sons of Liberty(22 of51)
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In addition to a group of revolutionaries, it was a radical political brotherhood known as the Sons of Liberty that gave birth to America. Members of this group included John Adams, Paul Revere, and Benedict Arnold and, while best known for formulating the Boston Tea Party, they were involved in many other protests and campaigns against the British. The brotherhood is rumored to still exist today. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Getty Images)
Michigan - Sharia Law(23 of51)
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Sharia law, or Muslim religious law, is rumored to be creeping into heavily Arab-American Dearborn, trumping that of the U.S. constitution. In 2010, four men were arrested on charges of disorderly conduct merely for handing out copies of the Gospel of John at a Muslim Festival. Hearing this, Tea Party candidate Sharon Angle fanned the flames of fear by suggesting Sharia law had already taken over the town entirely. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Roll Call)
Minnesota - Jesse Ventura's Tapped Phones(24 of51)
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Is no one safe from government wiretaps, not even elected officials? In his book Don't Start the Revolution Without Me, Ventura claims that, during his time as Governor of Minnesota, his phones would click constantly whenever a controversial bill was up for debate. His wife, Terry, also found a transmitter bug on the base of the phone, which could be considered proof the Governor's Mansion phones were tapped. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Getty Images)
Mississippi - Civil Rights Murders(25 of51)
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During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, three young out-of-town civil rights activists were killed by Klansmen for registering African-American voters. The Klan's power was so terrifying and far-reaching, a police officer even conspired to hold the activists until the murderous Klansmen arrived. The terrible crime was almost successfully covered up until the FBI stepped in and investigated. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:TruTV)
Missouri - Dead Birds(26 of51)
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In what people believe could be a sign that marks the beginning of the end, thousands of dead birds fell from the sky in Missouri and Arkansas in January of 2011. Scientists say it was just a coincidence, but the numbers are too massive for many of us to ignore. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:EPA/Landov)
Montana - Cattle Mutiliations(27 of51)
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Since the 1970′s, Montana cattle have reportedly been the victims of mutilation by alien life. Reports state that the cows are carved up with stunning precision, ruling out any likelihood of the attacker being a bear or other natural predator. No blood spills, footprints or signs of struggle are available to point researchers to a known (read: earthly) answer. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:TruTV)
Nebraska - The Big 12 Fix(28 of51)
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The Big 12 is not letting Nebraska's Cornhuskers get away with anything. Cornhusker fans believe that referees have been directed to unjustly penalize the college football team for spite. Nebraska was the only team to vote down the conference divisions alignment when the Big 12 was first formed, the reason, fans cry that the Big 12 is plotting against the Cornhuskers at every pass. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Getty Images)
Nevada - Area 51 (Landov)(29 of51)
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Area 51 still does not "officially" exist but a conspiracy certainly seems to. Images of an A-12 spy plane, which could cross the entire U.S. in 70 minutes and photograph objects 90,000 feet below, surfaced in May 2011 thanks to new declassifications. But during a test flight out of Area 51 in 1963, the A-12 crashed and caused massive ground damage. A government cover-up ensued, hiding all evidence of the A-12 until now. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:TruTV)
New Hampshire - Exter UFOs(30 of51)
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In 1965, the UFOs finally came to New Hampshire. During the invasion, large lights were seen not only in the sky above Exeter but were said to have closely followed and nearly attacked several individuals. Many of the town's 7,000 inhabitants, including policemen, reported the UFOs but nothing ever came of an investigation. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Wikipedia)
New Jersey - The Devil(31 of51)
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The namesake of a team of skating Canadians, the Jersey Devil dates back to the early 1700s. It is believed that the devil was born of an angry woman who had proclaimed in frustration that her 13th be a devil. And so, it was and continues to haunt Jersey forests on cloven hooves. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Getty Images)
New Mexico - Roswell(32 of51)
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America's biggest, best-known and most sinister conspiracy, Roswell is the center of reported alien activity and the supposed site of a UFO crash in 1947. Though the government maintains that the fallen object was a surveillance balloon, many believe it to have been evidence of life on another planet. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Getty Images)
New York - 9/11(33 of51)
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Though the events of September 11, 2001 inspired many conspiracy theories (including controlled demolition, Bush administration complicity and a rumored missile attack on the Pentagon), the most prevalent is that it was an inside job orchestrated to incite a war and usher in the New World Order. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Getty)
North Carolina - RFID Chips(34 of51)
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Hey kids, don't even try to fake a North Carolina driver's license these days. The new IDs will contain RFID chips, which send out radio waves, making it possible to track the card wherever it is. (Many theorists fear these kinds of ID cards, part of a rumored "national ID card program," are just one step in the creation of a Big Brother nation.) CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Getty Images)
North Dakota - It Doesn't Exist(35 of51)
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What's North Dakota? Believe it or not, some actually theorize that the Roughrider State isn't real. It is rumored to simply be a placeholder strip of land between the U.S. and Canada that was used by the government to create an even number of states. Even stranger, some of the believers are North Dakotans themselves. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:TruTV)
Ohio - The Kent State Massacre(36 of51)
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On May 4, 1970 Ohio National Guardsmen shot into a crowd of unarmed, protesting students killing four. Some believe that these killings were meant to send the military's message to colleges across the nation: Shut up and stop protesting the war. The Guardsmen later claimed to have heard shots fired from within the crowd, and attention focused around a government informant among the students, a man who attempting to start a shootout that would get protestors killed. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:TruTV)
Oklahoma - Giant Octopus(37 of51)
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It eats a surrey with a fringe on top for breakfast. This horse-sized octopus is said to live in three of Oklahoma's lakes and reportedly attacked several unsuspecting swimmers. Though no photographic evidence exists, believers in the tentacled beast point to large number of unexplained drownings in the lakes as an indication of its existence. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Wikipedia)
Oregon - Bigfoot(38 of51)
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Bigfoot, Sasquatch, whatever you know him as, he's said to roam the Pacific Northwest, occasionally stopping briefly to show his signature, gorilla-like profile to a group of campers. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:TruTV)
Pennsylvania - The Philadelphia Experiment(39 of51)
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In 1943, the U.S. Navy allegedly carried out experiments in Philadelphia's Naval Shipyard that resulted in the USS Eldridge being rendered invisible to enemy devices. This was supposedly accomplished through the implementation of Einstein's Unified Field Theory. It is theorized that if large electrical generators bent light around the ship it would be rendered invisible. The Navy maintains that no such thing occurred and that invisibility remains impossible. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:TruTV)
Rhode Island - The Great Flood (Plan)(40 of51)
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The High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) aims to harnessionospheric forces and use them as a weather weapon for national defense. Many believe that the powers-that-be have been using the weapon on poor and middle class communities and that Warwick, RI, a gathering place for rebellious types since the American Revolution, will be the next victim of a great flood caused by HAARP. It's a message, they fear, from the government to remain obedient. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Wikipedia)
South Carolina - Third Eye Man(41 of51)
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First spotted in 1949 on the University of South Carolina campus, the Third Eye Man is described as a figure with a grotesque face dressed in bright silver with an extra eye and a penchant for mutilating chickens. It is said that he dwells in the catacombs underneath the school. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:TruTV)
South Dakota - Plane Crash(42 of51)
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South Dakota Governor Mickelson died in a plane crash in 1993 along with 7 others. The cause of the crash is unknown and suspicious as there were two licensed pilots on board (Mickelson and the pilot). The fact that the aircraft was state-owned has led to suspicions that the crash could have had government connections. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:TruTV)
Tennessee - Elvis Lives(43 of51)
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He may have sung "Viva Las Vegas" but it was the city of Memphis that Elvis wanted to live forever - or, as some believe, Elvis wanted to live in forever. His last known sighting: a supermarket, where he was seen buying bread, bacon and many, many bananas. CLICK HERE for more TruTV.CORRECTION: In an earlier version of this slideshow, the title of the song "Viva Las Vegas" was spelled incorrectly. (credit:NNS/Landov)
Texas - JFK Assassination(44 of51)
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Though Lee Harvey Oswald was accused of assassinating JFK in Dallas, many believe he was not acting of his own volition but rather he and a possible second shooter were part of a government conspiracy to kill the president. Was there a second gunman on the grassy knoll? Was Oswald a Manchurian candidate? We may never know the truth. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Wikipedia)
Utah - The Bear Lake Monster(45 of51)
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These days it's more difficult to find a lake without a monster than with one. Bear Lake is no exception: its famed inhabitant is rumored to be 90 feet long and snakelike with a mouth big enough to swallow a man. Legend has it that Pecos Bill fought the beast for days before defeating (but not killing) it. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Wikipedia)
Vermont - Lake Champlain Monster(46 of51)
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Champ, the possible relative of a plesiosaur roaming the waters of Lake Champlain, is named for more than the lake he calls home. Champ is said to be a 30-foot serpent-like creature and could be related to Nessie, a.k.a. the Loch Ness Monster. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Wikipedia)
Virginia - The C.I.A.(47 of51)
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Everything surrounding the CIA is the subject of great debate and numerous conspiracies. The Langley headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency does not appear on official maps, nor is it open to visitors. A piece of sculpture the Agency commissioned, which is not viewable to the public, contains text that not even government analysts have been able to decipher. But there are far more secrets inside than out, and many that may never see the light of day. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Google Maps)
Washington - Seattle's Underground City(48 of51)
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Seattle is not all that it appears to be. Underneath the sidewalks and Starbucks is an underground city, the remnants of the original Seattle, most of which was burnt in the Great Fire of 1889. City officials decided to rebuild on top of the wreckage, though life continued in the underground until 1907, when it was condemned due to fear of the pneumonic plague. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Postdlf/Wikipedia)
West Virginia - The Mothman(49 of51)
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Remember to avoid wearing wool or carrying mothballs when visiting West Virginia. The Moth Man is reported to be a man-sized, humanoid moth complete with large, reflective red eyes and wings. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Wikipedia)
Wisconsin - The Plot Against Workers(50 of51)
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Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker fell prey to a prank phone call from a blogger impersonating David Koch, a major contributor to Walker's campaign and the GOP. Left-wing blogs speculated that Walker could be guilty of illegally strategizing with a contributor, while others pointed to the real (alleged) conspiracy: that Walker's plan to balance the budget was really a plot on behalf of the billionaire Koch brothers to remake the state's budget for their own financial gain. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Landov)
Wyoming - The Matthew Shepard Killing(51 of51)
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In 1998, Matthew Shephard was tortured and killed in what was deemed to be a hate crime due to his homosexuality. His death paved the way for the government and law enforcement to crack down on hate crimes. But some believe that this was the goal all along and that Matthew Shepard's death was actually a hoax orchestrated by the liberal left to be used as an excuse to create bills protecting the LGBT population. CLICK HERE for more TruTV. (credit:Time Life Pictures/getty Images)
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