Flatwoods Monster
Folklore Creature Sighting
CLASSIFICATION: Unsolved Homicide
LOCATION
Flatwoods, West Virginia
TIME PERIOD
September 12, 1952
VICTIMS
0 confirmed
The case involves the reported sighting of the Flatwoods monster in Flatwoods, West Virginia, on September 12, 1952, following a bright light crossing the night sky. Witnesses, including brothers Edward and Fred May, along with their friend Tommy Hyer and several others, claimed to have encountered a tall, humanoid figure with a red face and a pointed hood-like shape after investigating the light's landing site on local farmer G. Bailey Fisher's property. Despite initial excitement and media coverage, investigators later suggested that the light was likely a meteor and the creature a barn owl, with no substantial evidence supporting the existence of the monster. The case remains a notable part of West Virginia folklore, with various accounts and descriptions contributing to its legend.
Investigators theorize that the bright light seen in the sky was a meteor and that the Flatwoods monster was actually a barn owl perched in a tree, with shadows creating the illusion of a large humanoid figure. Some believe the creature may have been an extraterrestrial being, given the unusual descriptions and the context of the sighting. Additionally, there are theories that the incident was influenced by local folklore and heightened by the excitement of the era surrounding UFO sightings.
The Enigma of the Flatwoods Monster
The Night of the Sighting
On the evening of September 12, 1952, in the quiet town of Flatwoods, nestled in Braxton County, West Virginia, a bizarre event unfolded that would etch itself into the annals of American folklore. As dusk fell, two brothers, Edward and Fred May, along with their friend Tommy Hyer, witnessed an extraordinary sight—a bright object traversing the sky before seemingly landing on the property of local farmer G. Bailey Fisher. Their discovery ignited a series of events that would captivate the nation.
Curiosity piqued, the boys rushed home to inform their mother, Kathleen May. Unfazed by the boys' excitement, Kathleen gathered a group, including local children Neil Nunley and Ronnie Shaver, and her cousin, West Virginia National Guardsman Eugene Lemon, to investigate the mysterious occurrence.
Encounter with the Unknown
The group made their way to the Fisher farm, reaching the top of a hill where Nunley reported seeing a pulsating red light. Lemon, armed with a flashlight, directed its beam towards the light, revealing a startling sight—a towering, humanoid figure with a round, red face encircled by a pointed, hood-like shape.
The descriptions varied among the witnesses. According to UFO writer Gray Barker, who later documented the incident in Fate Magazine, the figure stood approximately ten feet tall, with a blood-red face and eye-like shapes that emitted a greenish-orange glow. Its body appeared dark black or green. Kathleen May added to the account, describing the figure as having "small, claw-like hands" and folds resembling clothing. To her, its head was reminiscent of the ace of spades. The figure's sudden hissing sound and gliding movement toward the group caused Lemon to scream and drop his flashlight, prompting a hasty retreat.
As they fled, the group claimed to have smelled a "pungent mist," and several later reported feeling nauseated. Meanwhile, the local sheriff and a deputy, already investigating reports of a crashed aircraft, searched the site but found nothing unusual. However, the following day brought new developments. A. Lee Stewart Jr. of the Braxton Democrat discovered "skid marks" and an "odd, gummy deposit" in the field, which UFO enthusiasts deemed evidence of a "saucer" landing.
National Attention and Investigation
The Flatwoods incident quickly captured national attention. As former news editor Holt Byrne recalled, newspaper stories spread across the country, radio networks buzzed with the tale, and hundreds of phone calls poured in from curious citizens nationwide. The story ranked as the eleventh most significant news event of the year.
The media frenzy drew investigators and enthusiasts alike. A minister traveled from Brooklyn to question the May family, while a Pittsburgh paper dispatched a special reporter. UFO and Fortean writers, including Gray Barker and Ivan T. Sanderson, descended upon Flatwoods to delve into the mystery.
Scientific Explanations
In 2000, Joe Nickell of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry conducted a thorough investigation, offering a conventional explanation for the phenomena. Nickell concluded that the bright light observed by the witnesses was likely a meteor, and the pulsating red light was an aircraft navigation or hazard beacon. He suggested that the creature's appearance closely resembled an owl, its features exaggerated by the witnesses' heightened anxiety.
Supporting this theory, on the night of the sighting, a meteor had indeed been seen across three states: Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Additionally, Nickell noted the presence of three flashing red aircraft beacons visible from the sighting area, explaining the reports of a pulsating red light.
Nickell's analysis extended to the creature's shape, movement, and sounds, aligning them with the silhouette, flight pattern, and call of a startled barn owl perched on a tree limb. He proposed that the foliage beneath the owl created the illusion of a pleated green skirt, while the witnesses' conflicting accounts of the creature's arms were consistent with an owl's talons gripping a branch. Skeptic Ryan Haupt further added that nausea reported by witnesses could be attributed to hysteria and over-exertion.
The Legacy of the Flatwoods Monster
The legend of the Flatwoods Monster has endured, leaving an indelible mark on local culture and beyond. The town of Flatwoods proudly embraces its mythical resident, erecting a welcome sign proclaiming it as the "Home of the Green Monster." In Sutton, the Braxton County seat, visitors can explore the Flatwoods Monster Museum, a tribute to the enduring legend. The Braxton County Convention and Visitor's Bureau has even crafted five tall chairs in the monster's likeness, encouraging visitors to photograph all five for a "Free Braxie" sticker.
The mystery has also inspired media far and wide. The video games "Fallout 76" and "Everybody's Golf 4" include nods to the legend, while "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask" features "aliens" based on the Flatwoods Monster. The 2019 History Channel series "Project Blue Book" dedicated an episode to the incident, and in the anime "Dandadan," characters reference and battle a sumo wrestler version of the creature.
Since 2019, the town of Flatwoods has hosted the Flatwoods Monster Convention, attracting enthusiasts and curious visitors eager to delve into the mystery that remains shrouded in both skepticism and wonder.
Sources
For more detailed information about the Flatwoods Monster, visit the Wikipedia article.
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First Sighting
Two brothers and a friend report seeing a bright object and a creature in Flatwoods.
Creature Description
Witnesses describe a tall, man-like figure with a round red face and glowing eyes.
Investigation Begins
Local sheriff investigates reports of a crashed aircraft and the monster sighting.
Skid Marks Found
A local journalist claims to have found skid marks and an odd deposit in the field.
Media Coverage
National media picks up the story, leading to widespread interest and investigation.
Skeptical Investigation
Investigator Joe Nickell concludes the sighting was likely a meteor and an owl.
Flatwoods Monster Convention
Flatwoods begins hosting an annual convention celebrating the legend of the monster.
Cultural Impact
The Flatwoods Monster inspires various media, including video games and TV shows.
The case involves the reported sighting of the Flatwoods monster in Flatwoods, West Virginia, on September 12, 1952, following a bright light crossing the night sky. Witnesses, including brothers Edward and Fred May, along with their friend Tommy Hyer and several others, claimed to have encountered a tall, humanoid figure with a red face and a pointed hood-like shape after investigating the light's landing site on local farmer G. Bailey Fisher's property. Despite initial excitement and media coverage, investigators later suggested that the light was likely a meteor and the creature a barn owl, with no substantial evidence supporting the existence of the monster. The case remains a notable part of West Virginia folklore, with various accounts and descriptions contributing to its legend.
Investigators theorize that the bright light seen in the sky was a meteor and that the Flatwoods monster was actually a barn owl perched in a tree, with shadows creating the illusion of a large humanoid figure. Some believe the creature may have been an extraterrestrial being, given the unusual descriptions and the context of the sighting. Additionally, there are theories that the incident was influenced by local folklore and heightened by the excitement of the era surrounding UFO sightings.
The Enigma of the Flatwoods Monster
The Night of the Sighting
On the evening of September 12, 1952, in the quiet town of Flatwoods, nestled in Braxton County, West Virginia, a bizarre event unfolded that would etch itself into the annals of American folklore. As dusk fell, two brothers, Edward and Fred May, along with their friend Tommy Hyer, witnessed an extraordinary sight—a bright object traversing the sky before seemingly landing on the property of local farmer G. Bailey Fisher. Their discovery ignited a series of events that would captivate the nation.
Curiosity piqued, the boys rushed home to inform their mother, Kathleen May. Unfazed by the boys' excitement, Kathleen gathered a group, including local children Neil Nunley and Ronnie Shaver, and her cousin, West Virginia National Guardsman Eugene Lemon, to investigate the mysterious occurrence.
Encounter with the Unknown
The group made their way to the Fisher farm, reaching the top of a hill where Nunley reported seeing a pulsating red light. Lemon, armed with a flashlight, directed its beam towards the light, revealing a startling sight—a towering, humanoid figure with a round, red face encircled by a pointed, hood-like shape.
The descriptions varied among the witnesses. According to UFO writer Gray Barker, who later documented the incident in Fate Magazine, the figure stood approximately ten feet tall, with a blood-red face and eye-like shapes that emitted a greenish-orange glow. Its body appeared dark black or green. Kathleen May added to the account, describing the figure as having "small, claw-like hands" and folds resembling clothing. To her, its head was reminiscent of the ace of spades. The figure's sudden hissing sound and gliding movement toward the group caused Lemon to scream and drop his flashlight, prompting a hasty retreat.
As they fled, the group claimed to have smelled a "pungent mist," and several later reported feeling nauseated. Meanwhile, the local sheriff and a deputy, already investigating reports of a crashed aircraft, searched the site but found nothing unusual. However, the following day brought new developments. A. Lee Stewart Jr. of the Braxton Democrat discovered "skid marks" and an "odd, gummy deposit" in the field, which UFO enthusiasts deemed evidence of a "saucer" landing.
National Attention and Investigation
The Flatwoods incident quickly captured national attention. As former news editor Holt Byrne recalled, newspaper stories spread across the country, radio networks buzzed with the tale, and hundreds of phone calls poured in from curious citizens nationwide. The story ranked as the eleventh most significant news event of the year.
The media frenzy drew investigators and enthusiasts alike. A minister traveled from Brooklyn to question the May family, while a Pittsburgh paper dispatched a special reporter. UFO and Fortean writers, including Gray Barker and Ivan T. Sanderson, descended upon Flatwoods to delve into the mystery.
Scientific Explanations
In 2000, Joe Nickell of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry conducted a thorough investigation, offering a conventional explanation for the phenomena. Nickell concluded that the bright light observed by the witnesses was likely a meteor, and the pulsating red light was an aircraft navigation or hazard beacon. He suggested that the creature's appearance closely resembled an owl, its features exaggerated by the witnesses' heightened anxiety.
Supporting this theory, on the night of the sighting, a meteor had indeed been seen across three states: Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Additionally, Nickell noted the presence of three flashing red aircraft beacons visible from the sighting area, explaining the reports of a pulsating red light.
Nickell's analysis extended to the creature's shape, movement, and sounds, aligning them with the silhouette, flight pattern, and call of a startled barn owl perched on a tree limb. He proposed that the foliage beneath the owl created the illusion of a pleated green skirt, while the witnesses' conflicting accounts of the creature's arms were consistent with an owl's talons gripping a branch. Skeptic Ryan Haupt further added that nausea reported by witnesses could be attributed to hysteria and over-exertion.
The Legacy of the Flatwoods Monster
The legend of the Flatwoods Monster has endured, leaving an indelible mark on local culture and beyond. The town of Flatwoods proudly embraces its mythical resident, erecting a welcome sign proclaiming it as the "Home of the Green Monster." In Sutton, the Braxton County seat, visitors can explore the Flatwoods Monster Museum, a tribute to the enduring legend. The Braxton County Convention and Visitor's Bureau has even crafted five tall chairs in the monster's likeness, encouraging visitors to photograph all five for a "Free Braxie" sticker.
The mystery has also inspired media far and wide. The video games "Fallout 76" and "Everybody's Golf 4" include nods to the legend, while "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask" features "aliens" based on the Flatwoods Monster. The 2019 History Channel series "Project Blue Book" dedicated an episode to the incident, and in the anime "Dandadan," characters reference and battle a sumo wrestler version of the creature.
Since 2019, the town of Flatwoods has hosted the Flatwoods Monster Convention, attracting enthusiasts and curious visitors eager to delve into the mystery that remains shrouded in both skepticism and wonder.
Sources
For more detailed information about the Flatwoods Monster, visit the Wikipedia article.
No Recent News
No recent news articles found for this case. Check back later for updates.
No Evidence Submitted
No evidence found for this case. Be the first to submit evidence in the comments below.
Join the discussion
Loading comments...
First Sighting
Two brothers and a friend report seeing a bright object and a creature in Flatwoods.
Creature Description
Witnesses describe a tall, man-like figure with a round red face and glowing eyes.
Investigation Begins
Local sheriff investigates reports of a crashed aircraft and the monster sighting.
Skid Marks Found
A local journalist claims to have found skid marks and an odd deposit in the field.
Media Coverage
National media picks up the story, leading to widespread interest and investigation.
Skeptical Investigation
Investigator Joe Nickell concludes the sighting was likely a meteor and an owl.
Flatwoods Monster Convention
Flatwoods begins hosting an annual convention celebrating the legend of the monster.
Cultural Impact
The Flatwoods Monster inspires various media, including video games and TV shows.