Incident #991028
Murphysboro, Jackson Cty, Illinois
Jun 1973
Account
Randy Creath and Cheryl Ray were sitting on her porch about 10 p.m. when something moved in the brush nearby and a 7 to 8 foot creature with light hair covered with mud, weighing 300 to 350 pounds came out of the bushes. Cheryl ran in the house. Randy threw stones at it. It smelled like river slime. After 30 seconds it turned slowly and "crashed off through the brush back toward the river." Police found a rough trail through the brush to Big Muddy river. A dog let them to an abandoned barn, where it acted terrified, but they found nothing.
When
- Observation Date
- JUN 26 1973
- Month
- Jun
- Year
- 1973
- Season
- summer
- Time of Day
- 10 to midnight
- Duration
- half minute
Where
- State / province
- Illinois
- County
- Jackson Cty
- Nearest Town
- Murphysboro
- Latitude
- 3746
- Longitude
- 8941
What was seen
- Individuals
- one large, sex unknown
- Total Individuals
- 1
- Population Status
- rural
- First Seen
- beside
- Terrain Object
- bushes
- Near or/at
- occupied building
- Multiple Sightings Y/N
- Yes
- Tracks
- found later
Witnesses
- No. of Witnesses
- 2
- Witness(es) Sex
- Both sexes
- No. of Track Witnesses
- several
Setting
- Nearby Water
- river
Source
- Source
- New York Times, Nov. 1, 1973 and Carbondale, IL, Daily Egyptian, June, 1973, quoting Randy Creath and Cheryl Ray, both 17, Murphysboro, IL.
Creature description
- Hair Covered
- yes
- Height
- 7-8 ft
- Build
- heavy
- Posture
- erect
- Appearance
- matted
- Hair Colour
- light
- Movement
- walking
- Later Movement
- approachedýwalked away
- Movement re observer
- towards observer
- Odour
- strong
- Reaction
- approachedýwatchedýavoided
- Evidence Left
- footprints
- Position when first seen
- erect
Footprints
- Set of Tracks
- 1
Witness
- Witness Saw with
- naked eye
- Observer Was
- at home
- Closest horizontal distance
- 25 feet
- Action on sighting
- harassed