Over the years, Martin Groves’ claims about alleged deaths in the Land Between the Lakes (LBL) have followed a pattern that raises serious credibility concerns. What began as a story involving 11 supposed deaths gradually evolved into 18, then somewhere between 20 and 28, and ultimately ballooned to a dramatic claim of 38 people killed. The number didn’t stay consistent — it grew. And notably, it appeared to grow while he was in front of audiences, telling the story in live settings and on platforms where dramatic escalation draws attention.

This shifting narrative is one of the most glaring red flags. When dealing with alleged fatalities — especially claims involving police reports, death certificates, and federal land — the number should be fixed, verifiable, and backed by documentation. Instead, the total seemed to expand over time, depending on the retelling. Eleven became eighteen. Eighteen became “over twenty.” “Over twenty” eventually turned into twenty-eight. And finally, the claim peaked at thirty-eight deaths.

Despite these increasingly bold assertions, no verifiable documentation has ever been produced to substantiate them. No official death certificates. No law enforcement case numbers. No coroner reports. No confirmed media coverage. No federal investigative summaries. Nothing that withstands basic scrutiny.

The Land Between the Lakes is federally managed land under the U.S. Forest Service, a branch of the Department of Agriculture. Fatal incidents on federal property generate paperwork — incident reports, investigative records, medical examiner documentation. Claims involving dozens of violent or unexplained deaths would leave an enormous paper trail. Yet when records requests are submitted, the documentation simply does not materialize.

As the story grew in scale, the evidence did not grow with it. The only thing that expanded was the body count in the narrative.

When numbers change depending on the venue or audience, and when those numbers steadily increase without supporting documentation, it strongly suggests embellishment rather than discovery. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. In this case, there has been an extraordinary claim — escalating from 11 to 38 alleged deaths — paired with a complete absence of verifiable proof.

In the end, the issue isn’t belief in cryptids or the paranormal. It’s accountability. If someone claims that 38 people were killed and that official records exist to prove it, those records should be produced. Without documentation, the growing numbers look less like hidden truth and more like a story that expanded with each telling.

Disgusting LBL Lies From Martin Groves