War of words continues over amputated leg

Each man says leg belongs to him

Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2007

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

MAIDEN -- Shannon Whisnant sees movie deals, book contracts, a museum and just plain ol' bragging rights.

That is, if he can convince John Wood to share his leg.

It's been more than a week since Whisnant bought a barbecue smoker at a Maiden storage facility auction and opened it to find Wood's leg -- the foot, ankle and most of the calf -- wrapped in screen wire, setting off a flurry of media attention that has circled the globe.

Now, each man is saying the leg belongs to him.

Whisnant said he has the receipt -- stored in a fire-proof safe -- showing he bought the smoker and its contents. "I told him I'd share custody of it," Whisnant said. "Kind of like young `uns."

Wood was born with the leg, but it was amputated after a plane crash that killed his father and injured two other family members three years ago. "I want to be cremated as a whole man," he said. "It's nothing macabre."

It's been a rocky road since the men first starting talking about ownership of the leg last week, and their first in-person meeting Wednesday didn't do much to smooth it out.

The two seemed to have conflicting ideas and opinions about the leg and never agreed on how to proceed.

Whisnant said he assumed the leg was being stored at a Maiden funeral home, where police left it for Wood because it was not evidence in a crime.

Wood, meanwhile, talked only cryptically about its location. "There are a lot of uncertainties in my life right now," he said when asked directly if he knew where his leg was being kept.

But Wood's sister, Marion Wood-Lytle, said by phone that her brother picked up the appendage from her home shortly before meeting with Whisnant Wednesday.

"I don't know why he's being so secretive about it," she said. "I said, `John, just take it and go.'"

Later, Wood confirmed for the Observer that the leg "was in his control" but would not say whether he was planning to take it with him.

Whisnant has hinted that he would file several lawuits if the leg isn't returned to him.

The men did not reach any agreement before Wood headed back to his home in Greenville, S.C.

"I'm willing to share my story," Wood said, "but I won't let him profit off finding my leg."

But Whisnant said that in their telephone conversations, Wood has been open to sharing the appendage. Whisnant hopes the publicity will turn into more than a few bucks, he said, and wants talk with television and movie executives and maybe set up some sort of viewing room.

If he is able to convince Wood to share custody of the leg, Whisnant said, he would charge a viewing fee of a $10 for adults, $5 for seniors, $3 for kids and nothing for amputees.

"It'd be a great for tourism," he said. "Maiden could use some fresh money. We've got nothin' but old money around here, and we could use a little extra cash flow."

But Maiden Mayor Bob Smyre said he isn't so sure the legend of the leg-found-in-a-smoker is a lasting one.

"He couldn't pay me a dollar to go see that leg," Smyre said. "Is it going to turn into an international tourist attraction? I don't think so."


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