"It didn't look like a bat so much as what illustrations of pterodactyls look like, with the slenderness of its head and its wing shape," he said. Specifically, the witness recounted another winged humanoid incident on July 22, 2021, as one that resulted in firings, relocations and cover-ups. In one incident, a couple was attacked by the creature while parked in their car. Approximately fifteen sightings of a flying humanoid have been reported in the Chicago area. UE; P&M, August of 2015A man driving in Gary, Indiana reports a dark, grayish prehistoric bird with smooth, leathery skin. In the late 1960s, people around Point Pleasant, West Virginia, began reporting sightings of a creature that would later be dubbed "Mothman." It would reportedly emerge, fly as fast as 100 mph. These sightings have been reported out of chronological order, so we've put together a timeline of the reports with links to the articles that describe them, in order to help you contextualize the sightings. which occurred on March 22nd to a local truck driver and Chicago local, Billy Bantz. mothman chicago map 14 Jun. I definitely kept my eyes on the sky hoping to see something," she says. LB; UFOCH, June 23rd, 2017A couple, along with a crowd of people, reportedly sees a large, black, bat-like creature with humanoid features near the Adler Planetarium. LB; P&M, January 28th, 2018A woman reports a "weird hybrid mix of an owl and a bat" outside of her home in Wilmington. If I had seen it while by myself, I wouldnt have said anything, but there were four of us who saw it, he told the paper. Have you seen Chicago Mothman? In the late 1960s, people around Point Pleasant, West Virginia, began reporting sightings of a creature that would later be dubbed Mothman. It would reportedly emerge, fly as fast as 100 mph and, oftentimes, leave witnesses with a deep sense of dread. The entity has also been referred to as the 'Chicago Mothman', 'Chicago Owlman' & 'O'Hare Mothman' or 'O'Hare Batman.' - Chicago / Lake Michigan Winged Humanoid Regional Interactive Map - Please feel free to contact me at lonstrickler@phantomsandmonsters.com - your anonymity is guaranteed. ", "I was spending the afternoon on a rooftop, and I saw something in the sky [VIDEO EVIDENCE] fairly high up and fairly far away. (Image: Phantoms and Monsters). DISCLAIMER: We are not responsible for any laws that are broken in the pursuit of Mothman, nor are we responsible for the factualness of any of the information contained herein. The Mothman in Chicago An interactive map of sightings of the Chicago Mothman over the past two years. A few images can be found on the website of Lon Strickler, who collects evidence on Chicago's winged humanoid. UE; UFOCH, September 16th, 2017A pair of siblings are reportedly terrified by a bat-like creature in the Little Village. Late September, 2018A man and his family report a flying creature with the body of a large monkey and wings similar to bat wings from their porch in Gary, Indiana. 6 reubnick 1 yr. ago Enter Lon Strickler, an expert in the field of cryptids and founder of the popular website, Phantoms and Monsters. The only possible explanation I can think of is that somebody caught the Mothman and chained him to this spot! 2 As part of her obsession with Chicago Mothman, Sarah created a series of comics of the creature visiting different iconic sites in our fair city and having a great time. In an interview with Mysterious Universe, Strickler pointed to two sightings on his website that he states are the most compelling. Good question. Brian Rich/Chicago Sun-Times UE; TSFS, Mid-June, 1976A mans vehicle is reportedly attacked by a winged black figure with glowing red eyes in Waukegan, Illinois. But, for the sake of science, weve compiled everything we were able to surmise into a digital case file. UE; P&M, August of 2006A man and his son report a large, dark being with cape-like wings in Bensenville, Illinois. UE; TSFS, October 27th, 1969Floyd Hancock is said to have been abducted from his home as a young child for an indeterminate amount of time by a tall, winged humanoid before being returned. UE; P&M, September 8th, 2001A woman reports four red-eyed, winged humanoids flying over her home in Berwyn, Illinois. Hilda Walker, Judy Meyers and Howard Phillips saw a "man with wings like a bat" sitting in the branches of a nearby tree, watching them. He has appeared on multiple radio shows and podcasts including Coast to Coast AM, and his work has appeared in Fortean Times Magazine, FATE Magazine and in the book, UFOs: Reframing the Debate.". However, Ann believes there may be an eight-day pattern to these sightings, 27.07 - MU Plus+ Podcast - Flames of Prophecy, 29.07 - MU Podcast - Contract with the Goddess, 27.06 - MU Plus+ Podcast - Secret Vaults of Time, 29.06 - MU Podcast - Italian Disco Abductions, The Mystery of New York's Renegade Subway Psychic, Forget About What We Know About Roswell: It's What's Missing About the Case That We Need to Look For, Archeologists Discover Another Secret Corridor Inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, A Boat-Swallowing Sea Monster of Norse Legends Still Lives Today, Ghosts, Fairies, and a Spectral Hag on Canada's Most Haunted Island, More on the Matter of the Most Dangerous Creature of the Mind: The Slenderman, Long-Lost Legendary Buddhist Temple Found Under Chinese City. hide caption. If you have a lead, a video, a sketch or a theory regarding what impending doom Mothman might be warning Chicagoans to avoid, please share it with us using #ChicagoMothman on Facebook or Twitter. UE; P&M, April 10th, 2017A woman walking her dog in Chicago's Oz Park reports a run-in with a paralyzing winged being. UE; P&M/TSFS, February 25th, 2019A woman driving to work near Darien, Wisconsin is reportedly terrified by a near-miss with what she called a flying witch. LB; P&M, August 29th, 2017An avid bird watcher reports a "huge flying shadow" over a forest preserve near La Grange Park, a suburb west of Chicago. Possibly confused with: a barred owl, a shitepoke, a sandhill crane, a drone costume, another Chicago cryptid. UE; P&M, Summer of 2007Two friends report a flying humanoid with glowing yellow-ish eyes at Prairie Creek Reservoir in Indiana. The stories woven together bring life to our deepest fears, regardless of facts and truth. There were reportedly at least 55 sightings of the so-called Mothman in the Chicago area in 2017. . LB, PH; MUFON, April 17th, 2017A woman reports a hulking, hunched-over, winged being across the street as she takes the garbage out that morning. If there are indeed so many sightings of something strange at the airport, it should be possible that one witness could catch in on a smartphone and slip out before security shows up to confiscate it. UE; P&M/TSFS, February 28th, 2019A man outside of the Jewel-Osco in Woodstock, Illinois, reports an "unusual being" with wings and "bright green eyes" charging at him from the McHenry County Fairgrounds. And nobody is more disappointed about this than I am. Dubbed the Chicago Mothman, it has been seen all over the area, often near the Lake Michigan shoreline. It would reportedly emerge, fly as fast as 100 mph and, oftentimes, leave witnesses with a deep sense of dread. Search. UE; UFOCH, September 5th, 2011A man reportedly followed a creature with "bat-like wings, a small bulbous head and what seemed to be 'tentacles' extending from behind it" that hed seen flying over the Jackson Park Highlands neighborhood in Chicago. Bantz's drawing of his sighting. One of the iconic sightings of a mysterious creature in the UFO era, that of the so-called Houston Batman, was made on June 18, 1953. A man in Indiana near the Prairie Creek Reservoir has also spoken to the Singular Fortean Society about a series of glowing orb sightings from 1981 to 2020 that could be related to the Lake Michigan Mothman phenomenon. I'm a sucker for skylines. LB; P&M, June 29th, 2017A police officer, along with the officer's partner and a group of civilians, reportedly sees a "dark black shadow with wings" standing atop a building before taking flight in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood of Chicago. I saw that it was not a drone, and the size of a large car. Chinese Granite; Imported Granite; Chinese Marble; Imported Marble; China Slate & Sandstone; Quartz stone UE; P&M/TSFS, Summer of 2000Two friends report a weird, winged entity at the Goshen Dam in Indiana. However, others posit that this supposed supernatural connection was simply a way for people to make sense of a tragedy without meaning, as one would think there are more direct ways to warn people of danger than just being spooky. The reports, which peaked in 2017, inspired Chicago-based comics artist Sarah Becan to bring Curious City this question: There was a rash of sightings in Chicago of a creature that people then called the "Chicago Mothman." Sparking a reaction, many witnesses have begun to come forward with their own experiences. UE; UFOCH, September 26th, 2017A nightclub performer reports a "man-bat" crouched on top of a light pole in Chicago's West Lakeview. Another hotspot for Mothman . UE; UFOCH, December 29th, 2022A man claiming to be a firefighter reportedly sees a red-eyed, winged Batman at Chicagos OHare International Airport. August, 2018Investigator Mark Hagan twice reports a bat-like creature with glowing red eyes near Hammond, Indiana. Early winter, 1957Gerald Turrise reports seeing a winged creature with the body of a large man while out hunting as a young man in Braidwood, Illinois. Well, despite exhaustive research, interviews with witnesses and cryptozoologists, and one good old-fashioned monster hunt (for more on that, listen to the SHOCKING audio story! The back end of the body tapered to a point. These phenomena culminated on December 15, 1967, with the collapse of the Silver Bridge across the Ohio River at Point Pleasant. LB; UFOCH, August 21st, 2017A woman and her friends report a "large black bat" with "humanoid features" in Chicago just prior to the solar eclipse. The creature stood in front of the car the group of sitting in, according to eyewitnesses Roger Scarberry and Steve Mallet. He has received multiple reports concerning the recent rash of sightings in Chicago and has been thoroughly investigating each one. LB; UFOCH, Late October, 2019A womans unusual sighting of a winged humanoid in Rosemont, Illinois, reportedly leads to strange dreams and an uninvited encounter with someone claiming to be an investigator. There's a phenomenon where there's basically some real witnessed experience, but if there are holes or gaps in that original experience, sometimes the mind is unable to fill in the gaps," he said. The witness also revealed that the airline (assumed to be American) has covered up other similar incidents: many witnesses have either been terminated, laid off or reassigned to other workstations in order to keep these sightings under wraps.. The Singular Fortean Society, an organization focused on paranormal journalism and research, archives the sightings to keep a devoted list and interviews eyewitnesses for more information. There is also a documentary, On the Trail of the Lake Michigan Mothman currently streaming on Amazon Prime, . UE; UFOCH, August 2020A man reports seeing a "gargoyle with little horns on its head" in Itasca, Illinois. Posted at 20:01h . UE; UFOCH, April 20th, 2022A man in River Grove, Illinois, claims to have seen a strange, black, winged creature flying near St. Joseph Cemetery. But, for the sake of science, we've compiled everything we were able to surmise into a digital case file. - Species it's been compared to: a big owl, a pterosaur, a bat. UE; TSFS, October 26th, 2020A woman and her mother reportedly witness a demon with red eyes and very large wings in Schiller Park, Illinois. As Strickler continues his hunt for the elusive being; only time and more sighting reports will shed light on this story. UE; P&M, 1987A man in rural Indiana reports a sighting of a "human-like" flying creature with "glowing red eyes" that sparks a decades-long series of encounters. It is unclear if they eat German shepherds exclusively or rather just the pets of Newell Partridge. Join MU Plus+ and get exclusive shows and extensions & much more! If you enjoy these articles and would like to support the Singular Fortean Society, please consider becoming an official member by signing up through our Patreon pagemembership includes a ton of extra content and behind-the-scenes access to the Societys inner workings. "In the summer of 2017 there was a partial solar eclipse that passed over Chicago, and I deliberately went down to the lakefront because I thought, 'If I was the Chicago Mothman, I would make an appearance at the solar eclipse.'" This was linked to the Mothman and the myth was cemented. UE; UFOCH, January 27th, 2018A man reports a creature similar to the "weird hybrid mix of an owl and a bat" seen the next day in Wilmington. LB; P&M, October 27th, 2017A couple is reportedly accosted by a "man-sized" flying humanoid while sitting in a car at Piotrowski Park. But she did more than just keep her eyes on the sky; she went searching. Chicago 'Mothman' | Police Accounts Believe Winged..Something Still Roams City - YouTube Over the last two years, something strange has been happening in and around the city of Chicago. LB; UFOCH, June 20th, 2022A woman and her mother claim to have encountered both a massive, black, winged humanoid and a glowing UFO on the same night in Rockford, Illinois. UE; UFOCH, February 5th, 2023A witness reports a group sighting of a "Large Man" with "Wings That Were Wider Than a Car" in Chicago's Little Village. Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. MUFON (The Mutual UFO Network): These sightings were received/investigated by field investigators with the Mutual UFO Network. LB; UFOCH, August 21st, 2017A second sighting of a shadowy flying humanoid reportedly occurs in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. UE; UFOCH, September 10th, 2017Two witnesses report an unknown being gliding across the sky several miles away from each other in the Avalon Park and Douglas neighborhoods of Chicago. Sarah Becan is a Chicago comics artist who draws mostly food and monsters (including many "Monsterffirmations," as she calls them). There are many opinions as to why these sightings are occurring, including a general feeling that unfortunate events may be in the city's future. On November 12 of that year, five men in the nearby town of Clendenin were digging a grave when. UE; TSFS, April 27th, 2017A man fishing with his son on the banks of the Little Calumet in Chicago reportedly sees a weird winged being after hearing an eerie, unexplained sound. Mothman has been a favorite of hers for some time, and so when people began reporting sightings in Chicago, she says she became a little obsessed. Sign up today to get weekly science coverage direct to your inbox. So first a bit of background. UE; UFOCH, October 8th, 2020A woman reports seeing a black, humanoid figure with very large wings and legs while driving with her daughters and fianc in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Mothman was alleged to have eaten a German shepherd belonging to Newell Partridge of Salem, West Virginia, in 1967. The story's paranormal connections were popularized in a book called The Mothman Prophecies. UE; UFOCH. Map of the current sighting locations. At first we thought thats what it wasmaybe a CTA bus or big truck with brakes that needed changing or maintenance. LB; P&M, May 9th, 2018A man on his way to work captures a "bat-like" flying creature on his GoPro camera; he later describes it as "someone in a wing suit." As part of her obsession with Chicago Mothman, Sarah created a series of comics of the creature visiting different iconic sites in our fair city and having a great time. LB; P&M/TSFS, June 25th, 2018Video of a large flying creature is captured on home security camera in Rantoul, Illinois. LB; UFOCH, May 19th, 2017A group of friends report two giant bats performing aerial maneuvers near Adler Planetarium. hide caption, June 29, 2022 Congresswoman Mary Miller handily defeats fellow incumbent Rodney Davis in downstate Illinois' 15th congressional district. UE; UFOCH, May 17th, 2022A father and daughter claim to have recorded three winged humanoids while outside of their home in Bensenville, Illinois. [it was] a 7-8 ft solid black humanoid with wide membrane wings, that resembled those of a huge bat. I saw it gliding, and, not too fast. The big moth in the ointment is the phone videos. Days after that first sighting, two couples reported finding a white-winged creature standing six or seven feet tall in the nearby town of Point Pleasant. Is this the return of the Mothman, here to warn Chicago locals of some impending tragedy? UE; TSFS/P&M, 2011A suspicious winged entity is captured on camera, two roommates and their friends are reportedly terrorized by glowing eyes peeking through their window, and a college student reports a "man with wings." LB; UFOCH, September 9th, 2017A group of friends reports a "black demon with large wings" in Chicago's Little Village. "We were watching and observing as the moon begin its transit when we heard a very loud scream. His first appearance in the Chicago area was in 2011. The festival aims to celebrate the still-mysterious tale of the winged creature and offers visitors the chance to buy from local vendors at an event similar to a small-scale Comic Con. We heard it again, this time it lasted about 3 seconds, where as the previous sound was brief. Its impressive wingspan, between 1.65 and 2.3 meters (5.4 and 7.6 feet), and red coloration around the eyes make it a great candidate to explain the cryptid. This was later turned into a terrible movie starring Richard Gere and if the creature truly was a herald of doom, it should haveappeared to anyone about to buy a ticket. Sarah Becan/sarahbecan.com It was later suggested by some locals that Mothman was trying to warn humans of an impending nearby tragedy: the 1967 Silver Bridge collapse, which killed 46 people. Our investigative group is conducting a serious examination of his phenomenon. "I know what birds and what bats look like. July 18, 2022 Johnny Pippins has already completed a master's degree while in prison for murder. Did we ever find out what it was? The reports, which peaked in 2017, inspired Chicago-based comics artist Sarah Becan to bring Curious City this question: There was a rash of sightings in Chicago of a creature that people then called the Chicago Mothman. Did we ever find out what it was? Its always tough when there is no photographic evidence, but the investigators on this case show the account is very similar to many others. Standout witness statements are excerpted below: Location: Northerly Island during solar eclipse, As reported to: Phantoms & Monsters website. UE; P&M, Winter of 2011A woman reports seeing a flying humanoid with greenish yellowish-like eyes while driving near the Prairie Creek Reservoir in Indiana. U.S. Rep. Mary Miller at a rally June 25 in Mendon, Ill. UE; TSFS, March 6th, 2019A woman is awoken in the early morning hours by a sinister and monster-like growling outside of her home in Woodstock, Illinois. PH; UFOCH, June 30th, 2017A security person taking a break outside of The Owl reports a bat-like humanoid flying over an empty lot across the street. And the big fundraising is by schools where most kids aren't low income. So scary! Subscribe to our channel http://goo.gl/OQgfzkhttp://www.phantomsandmonsters.comWebs. UE; P&M, Fall of 1971Retired police officer David Ramos reports an encounter with a shadowy winged humanoid he had when he was 12 years old near the North Branch of the Chicago River. In the summer of 2017 there was a partial solar eclipse that passed over Chicago, and I deliberately went down to the lakefront because I thought, If I was the Chicago Mothman, I would make an appearance at the solar eclipse. she says. LB; P&M, August 22nd, 2017A bat-like "flying Mothman" is reported over Pulaski Road in Chicago. In the intervening years, Mothman's cult fame grew, becoming the subject of an annual festival, a museum and even a 2002 movie starring Richard Gere. hide caption. It was freaky.. Many wonder what may come for . The first Mothman sightings occurred near the small town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia in 1966. And while most reports described the being in flight, some more chilling accounts tell of. Location of Sighting: American Airlines Hangar OHare International Airport- Chicago, IL The entity has also been referred to as the 'Chicago Mothman', 'Chicago Owlman' & 'O'Hare Mothman.' - Chicago / Lake Michigan Winged Humanoid Regional Interactive Map - Please feel free to contact me at lonstrickler@phantomsandmonsters.com - your anonymity is guaranteed. Chicago Mothman. UE; P&M, December 3rd, 2019A security person at OHare International Airport in Chicago reports a red-eyed flying man. UE; UFOCH, December 6th, 2019A man reports seeing a red-eyed, winged humanoid while driving near Chicagos OHare International Airport. While testimony concerning the appearance of this creature varies, one recurring theme seems to be consistent; the feeling of dread and doom that comes over the witnesses, and the sense that tragedy lies in its wake. UE; P&M, August of 2016Jonathan Lane reports a giant, shapeless, black thing with two very large red eyes in Rockford, Illinois. UE; P&M, October 7th, 2017A witness reports a large, winged being flying in the River North neighborhood. - Possibly confused with: a barred owl, a shitepoke, a sandhill crane, a drone costume, another Chicago cryptid. UE; P&M, Fall of 2011A man and his brother-in-law report a humanoid with bat-like wings near Downers Grover, Illinois. And I believe he did, but it was down at Northerly Island and I was up at Montrose Beach.. In an interview with Mysterious Universe, Strickler pointed to two sightings on his website that he states are the most compelling. Company Information; FAQ; Stone Materials. - Other reported features: fur, leather-like skin, bat wings, no neck. WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. According to the report. Approximately fifteen sightings of a flying humanoid have been reported in the Chicago area. UE; P&M/TSFS, April 15th and April 16th, 2017Three separate witnesses report seeing an unidentified flying humanoid over Chicago. When we demanded that we see our union steward first, we were told this was a matter of internal security and that this superseded the authority of the union.. The witnesses have been very steadfast with what they have seen, and refuse to embellish on their initial descriptions. Et cibo reque honestatis vim, mei ad idque iisque graecis. (Lon Strickler at the Phantoms & Monsters website has done an excellent job over the years of tracking the sightings both on the site and in books.) LB; P&M, September 12th, 2017A woman walking home from work reports a "black devil" in Chicago's Little Village. The entity has also been referred to as the 'Chicago Mothman', 'Chicago Owlman' & 'O'Hare Mothman.' - Chicago / Lake Michigan Winged Humanoid Regional Interactive Map - Please feel free to contact me at lonstrickler@phantomsandmonsters.com - your anonymity is guaranteed. she says. - Size and shape: between 6 and 10 feet tall, 10+ foot wingspan. While testimony concerning the appearance of this creature varies, one recurring theme seems to be consistent; the feeling of dread and doom that comes over the witnesses, and the sense that tragedy lies in its wake. UE; MUFON/P&M, October 19th, 2019A man reports a shrieking giant-sized bat fly overhead as he is smoking a cigarette outside of a wedding reception in Rosemont, Illinois. Scientistsbelieve that the most likely explanation for the Mothmanis a sandhill crane. Summary: Maintenance Crew has sighting of three winged humanoids. (Image: Phantoms and Monsters) The winged being, according to some witnesses, bears a resemblance to the famous Mothman of Point Pleasant, while others have described it as more bat-like in appearance. LB; UFOCH, July 5th, 2019A witness reports a pterosaur while driving home in Wheaton, Illinois. LB; P&M, August 22nd, 2017A truck driver reports a large winged being with "thick glistening hair" flying over the Chicago suburb of McCook. The tale of the Mothman begins back in the 1960s in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, where over the course of 13 months it allegedly appeared to multiple people and even heralded the fatal collapse . This thing didn't have any feathers or fur, and it didn't fly like anything I've ever seen., VICE also interviewed Dr David A. Gallo, a memory expert from the University of Chicago, who gave his own explanation for the surge in sightings. Well, despite exhaustive research, interviews with witnesses and cryptozoologists, and one good old-fashioned monster hunt (for more on that, listen to the SHOCKING audio story! It could be a feeding pattern. Inspired by all of the Mothman sightings in 2017, questioner and illustrator Sarah Becan imagined the types of activities Mothman might enjoy in Chicago. It was freaky.". After a few moments there was a light display and the "Batman" was gone. Bantz, like the many other people who reported seeing a strange flying humanoid over Chicago, just wants to know what is going on. Screaming, flying toward lake, disappearing, going real fast, portenting, looking at people with eyeballs. UE; TSFS, 1997Separate witnesses report frightening winged gargoyles in Rock Island and Naperville, Illinois. UE; TSFS, October 25th, 2022A father and daughter claim to have encountered a thin, black, [winged] figure with eyes that were glowing bright red in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago. As part of her obsession with Chicago Mothman, Sarah created a series of comics of the creature visiting different iconic sites in our fair city and having a great time. But she did more than just keep her eyes on the sky; she went searching. The coincidence of the Mothman sightings in Chicago and the onset of a truly bonkers year is not lost its citizens. If you have a lead, a video, a sketch or a theory regarding what impending doom Mothman might be warning Chicagoans to avoid, please share it with us using #ChicagoMothman on Facebook or Twitter. "If something is suggested to them subsequently as a plausible scenario like a Mothman or whatever that person might be inclined to fill in the gaps with that., © 2023 IFLScience. UE; P&M, August 28th, 2017A delivery driver reports a "large man with wings" flying over the same area of McCook as the sightings reported on August 22nd. Or is it another cryptid drawn from a deep-seated cultural lore, not only haunting the skies but the minds of people as well? Eye color: Red eyes, green eyes, yellow eyes and orange eyes have all been reported.