On the night of October 4, 1967, numerous residents of Shag Harbour, a small fishing village on Nova Scotia's southeast coast, witnesses a multilighted craft which eventually appeared to 'crash' into the Sound. The Sound is the western entrance to Shag Harbour proper. The unidentified flying object was observed drifting with the current on the Sound by more than a dozen witnesses including 3 RCMP officers. All of the witnesses both in and around Shag Harbour reported what they thought was an airplane crashing near Shag Harbour. The three Mounties contacted local boat captains and the Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) in Halifax, NS. The Mounties initiated a recovery operation, fully expecting to find bodies and wreckage out on the water. Initially two fishing boats loaded with volunteers went out on the water and searched. They were eventually joined by others and Coast Guard Cutter 101.

What is impressive is the amount of documentation of armed forces teletypes, principally the RCAF's AIRDESK in the nation's capitol, Ottawa. The newspapers responded to the event carrying stories about the event and one inch headlines in eastern Canada's largest, conservative newspaper, the Chronicle Herald. For a short time the Shag Harbour UFO Incident became a world wide story and as Case #34 was left unsolved in the Condon Report. The incident is in two components, the documented case and the subsequent anecdotal case supplied by retired military personnel from the Canadian army, air force and navy. During the first two hours of the incident Coast Guard Cutter 101 joined the search but it also brought news from RCC, Halifax. No airplanes were reported missing. This left the searchers and witnesses wondering; what had they seen that evening in the sky and floating on the waters off Shag Harbour; a mystery that has endured to this day. The Royal Canadian Air Force designated it a UFO. - nicap.org

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It was a little after 11 p.m., on the night of October 4, 1967, when an unknown object with four bright lights flashing in sequence and estimated at 60 feet in diameter, was observed hovering over the ocean near the small fishing village of Shag Harbour, Nova Scotia.

Several residents of the village first noticed a rather strange grouping of orange lights. Several eyewitness accounts indicate that there were four orange lights that evening. Five of these witnesses included a group of teenagers who watched these lights flash in sequence for several minutes, and then suddenly and rapidly dive in a sharp 45 degree angle toward the water's surface.

To the amazement of the teens, and other eyewitnesses, on hitting the water’s surface the lights did not immediately disappear beneath the gentle swells, but seemed to float on the surface, approximately one-half mile from the shore. The initial panicked reaction of the observers was that they were witnessing the emergency ditching or crash of an airplane. The first report phoned into the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) in Barrington, came from a young fisherman who told them that an airliner had gone into the bay. The first reaction by the police dispatcher was that the young man had been drinking, however after an immediate rash of 10 additional calls reporting the incident, the police quickly re-contacted the young fisherman for location details.

Within the same time period however, Constable Ron Pound of the RCMP was on patrol on Highway 3, heading toward Shag Harbor, and had been observing the strange lights as he increased his speed toward the incident. Constable Pound’s report was that he believed that the four lights were coming from a single aircraft, that he estimated to be about 60 feet long.

As Constable Pound reached the shoreline he was joined by two other officers, Police Corporal Victor Werbieki, and Constable Ron O'Brien. Additionally, several of the fishing village’s residents stood on the shore watching and questioning what to do next. According to Constable Pound and the other officers, the orange lights slowly changed to yellow, and the object appeared to move slowly across the surface of the water, leaving a yellowish foam in it's wake. By this time no fewer than 30 witnesses from various vantage points, watched as the object slowly drifted further from shore, all would later describe the object as about 60 feet long, 10 or so feet high and dome shaped.

After about five minutes, the object started to sink beneath the icy North Atlantic waves. A few of the eyewitnesses reported hearing a "whooshing" noise. While the RCMP had already been in communication with the Canadian Cost Guard and Cutter 101 was on the way, two of the RCMP officers and a few local fisherman hurriedly launched their boats to speed to the rescue of any survivors. As the small boats, and Cutter 101 reached the location, the lights were no longer visible but they found themselves sailing through a thick yellow foam, that indicated that something had submerged. (The fisherman report that the foam was not sea foam, and looked like nothing they had ever seen. In fact most were unnerved by the fact that they had to sail through it to look for survivors.)

After several hours of searching nothing was found and the search was called off at approximately 3:00 am. Both the NORAD and the Rescue Coordination Center in Halifax had been contacted by the RCMP and found that there had been no reports that evening of missing aircraft, either civilian or military.

On October 5th (the following day), the Rescue Coordination Center filed a report with the Canadian Forces Headquarters in Ottawa. This report stated that something had crashed into the water in Shag Harbor, but the object was of "unknown origin." The Canadian Forces Headquarters dispatched the HMCS Granby to Shag Harbor crash site, and using advanced detection equipment and specially trained divers from the Navy and the RCMP, the Canadian military systematically searched the sea floor for several days, and found nothing.

Here in 1967, the mystery ended with no physical evidence ever recovered, and no additional leads.

For a few years the story kicked around in the local papers. From time-to-time various theories and intriguing rumors emerged about Russian spacecraft, or Russian submarines, and an American follow-up investigation. Then the story simply faded into obscurity.

That is, until 1993 when the Shag Harbor incident once again was brought to the attention of the public.

This was due to the dedicated investigative efforts of two men who are *MUFON investigators. Chris Styles, assisted by Doug Ledger, using public records such as newspaper clippings, and police reports were able to track down and interview many of the eyewitnesses and individuals involved in the Shag Harbor sighting, the rescue attempt, and in the subsequent investigation. Through their work, some extremely compelling clues and amazing new insights were uncovered.

In interviews with divers, and crew members from the HMCS Granby they discovered some startling information. The object that dove into the waters off of Shag Harbor had been tracked, and it had actually traveled underwater for a distance of about 25 miles to a place called Government Point. In the 1960’s the U.S. had maintained a small but technically advanced military base at Government Point, managing a Magnetic Anomaly Detection system (MAD grid) for the purpose of detecting and tracking submarines in the North Atlantic using .

The U.S. military had most definitely detected the object on its sensitive tracking equipment. Naval vessels were dispatched and positioned over the unidentified object, where it had stopped. After 3 days of no movement, and not knowing exactly what it was, the military was planning to initiate an investigative salvage operation. As the Navy waited and planned, the detection equipment picked up another object moving in, and to the amazement of all those involved, joined the first object on the ocean floor. The speculation at the time, was that the second UFO (I guess officially now an Underwater Flying Object) was there to render aid to the first object.

Not fully comprehending what they were dealing with the Navy decided it was best to standby and observe. For nearly a week the Navy vessels held their position over the UFOs. The detection base however, located a Russian submarine that had entered Canadian waters to the north, so several of the vessels had to be pulled off target to sail north to investigate. Under the cover of this new activity on the surface, both UFOs made their move, accelerating underwater toward the Gulf of Maine. The remaining Navy vessels pursued them toward the United States, but the objects continued to distance themselves from their trackers. To the astonishment of the pursuers, both of the objects broke to the surface and shot skyward to vanish within seconds.

According to the researchers, while these observations were well corroborated by many credible eye witnesses, these accounts were given "Off the Record" by military, ex-military, and civilian personnel who fear harassment, ridicule, or loss of pension. So as the saying goes, "only the names have been changed to protect the innocent."

Clearly, a series of very extraordinary, and still unexplained UFO encounters, involving the navies of two countries and NORAD, occurred at Shag Harbor on October 4th 1967, and in the following week in the deep waters off of the cost of Maine. - MUFON Canada

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Shag Harbour Incident

The crash was originally phoned into the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Detachment in Barrington Passage Nova Scotia by a young fisherman, as a possible airliner impacting the surface of the waters adjacent to Shag Harbour, a small fishing village some 130 miles southwest of Halifax on the Atlantic Ocean.

The report was at first greeted with an accusation that the caller had been drinking but caller was soon re-contacted (at a payphone no less) when others began calling in with a like account of an airplane crashing into the waters of the "Sound" by Shag Harbour. (Some 10 people reported the decsent of an aircraft into the water) 3 RCMP arrived on scene, all of which are principles, still living and have been interviewed.

Object was described as being ~60 feet long showing 4 lights while still airbourne and decending at a 45 degree angle. Viewed by witnesses (at least 20) from about 280 degrees of circle. On the water it was flat dome shaped. ALL PHONE IN REPORTS OF IMPACT WERE OF SMALL AIRLINER OR LIGHT AIRPLANE. AUTHORITIES CLASSED OBJECT AS UFO.

Dozens of people arrived at vantage point and watched lighted object drifting with the ebbtide. Object remained on surface for about five minutes then sank or submerged. Reports of wooshing sounds were reported. Attempts were made by local fishermen and 2 of the Mounties to get to the scene to offer assistance and look for survivors. Found only a patch of thick foam similar to shaving cream,only yellow in colour and glittery in nature. The patch was eighty feet wide by 1/2 mile long. Fishermen/searchers swear that this was not sea foam were spooked by it and did not like sailing through the stuff though they had no choice since this was the area where the craft went down.

Also encountered bubbles coming to the surface and expressed concerns about bouyancy.Nothing was found that evening an since federal and military agencies reported no missing aircraft the RCMP tagged the object as a UFO in a report filed to the Air Desk in Ottawa early the next morning.

Royal Canadian Navy and RCMP divers were brought in on the morning of the 6th to attempt to recover wreckage but were unsuccessful. Local and regional press and television arrived and filmed part of the search which was within a 1/2 mile of shore. In the meantime the event was given a great deal of coverage by the press including banner headlines in the Halifax daily newspaper the Chronicle Herald-Mail Star.

The evening of Oct4/67 were rife with UFO reports all over eastern Canada, one very strange event reported by Air Canada pilot and 1st officer. Radar targets by offshore trawler. There was a report of an object reported by another Mountie and three game wardens (they were staked out in the forest trying to capture some deer jackers) thirty miles north of Shag Harbour same time, believed to be the same one reported in the fishing village.

They were astute enough to take a compass bearing on the object that proved to be on a direct heading for the fishing village. A time lapse photograph (slide-Ectachrome-64) was taken of an object bearing in that direction by a professional photographer which we have obtained copies of but cannot be sure this would be the same object due to distance from sighting. Slide also shows star smears from time lapse while object(s) stay rock solid.

What began as an interesting story (the 'trapping" of an object 80-100 feet down being serviced by another object) by seven naval vessels off Government Point, Shelburne (also the site of a sub listening station and Magnetic Anomaly Detection -MAD grid) has expanded to include the muting of military witnesses, most of whom have not been in the forces for 15 or 20 years, refusal of Canadian Coast Guard documents and the tampering with of same, and local witnesses who offer evidence of this event while being questioned on another. - Dark Object: The World's Only Government-Documented UFO Crash

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Click for video - The Shag Harbour UFO Incident

Witness shares memories as Shag Harbour UFO festival set to begin

Here are a few other links that may be of interest - The UFO Crash at Shag Harbour and Something Fell From the Sky. In the Fall of 2009 there was an underwater survey conducted near the location where the craft was said to have entered the water. Here are the links - Expedition Team Dives at Shag Harbour UFO Crash Site and Diver Finds Depressions On Seabed At Shag Harbour, NS UFO Site


Sources:
MUFON Canada
Dark Object: The World's Only Government-Documented UFO Crash
ufoevidence.org
Ufology: A Very Short Introduction
mysteriousuniverse.org
thechronicleherald.ca
The Big Book of UFOs
shagharbourufo.com
mysteriesofcanada.com
Aliens and UFOs: Case Closed Proof Beyond A Reasonable Doubt
nicap.org

A spate of occult-based killings in the United States has an exorcist decrying the rise of the demons

A female serial killer says she “sacrificed 100” in an act of Satan worship. Another says she killed her “antichrist” mother. Two boys carved occult symbols into the body of a girl.

Is this the Rapture?

These occult-driven killings have come to light in the past month in the US, a nation in parts seemingly obsessed with religion, magic and murder.

It’s a culture bombarded with mystic messages, from Creationist advertising to exorcisms, Satanic-cult busting True Detective television series through to Once Upon a Time fairy tales.

One Catholic priest is convinced.

Father Vincent Lampert, designated exorcist for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, last week told the National Catholic Register that reports of demonic activity were increasing, keeping the United States’ 50 trained exorcists busy.

“I don’t think the devil has upped his game,” Father Lampert said. “I think people today are more apt to play his game.”

His perspective can be understood: A recent Pew Research Centre study found witchcraft to be the fastest growing religion in the United States and one fifth of its populace embracing atheism.

Father Lampert said he has personally performed five exorcisms, but receives between 10-12 calls a week from people seeking help.

“I saw someone levitate once,” he said. “I saw foaming at the mouth, bodily contortions, superhuman strength, speaking in strange languages and howling like wild animals.”

By all accounts, he expects more to come.

Here’s a quick look at the three occult occurrences that have gripped the nation in the past month alone. February 1 is the Satanic new year. The month is a special one for occult rituals.

MIRANDA BARBOUR

This 19-year-old brunette is the epitome of the modern American woman: Young. Long, lank dark hair. Petite.

“Looks can be deceiving,” she snapped at a local reporter.

She also happens to be a self-proclaimed Satan worshipper and possibly America’s worst female serial killer.

Barbour had been charged with only one murder when she thrust herself into to public eye earlier this month — declaring to all who would listen that she had killed “almost 100” people in the past six years.

For this to be true, she would have had to have started at the tender age of 13.

US detectives are investigating her claims but have so far not made any public statements beyond the single murder charge she has already been issued with.

Three weeks after their marriage, Barbour and her husband Elytte, 22, allegedly consummated their union through the killing of Troy LaFerrara, 42.

Barbour contacted LaFerrara via the website Craigslist. She offered him sex for $100. Instead, she is said to have stabbed him to death.

KATIE NICHOLS

There was also the spontaneous, live-to-air confession by a Tennessee woman. She blurted out in an interview with local reporters that it was she who had stabbed her mother to death in front of her own young daughter.

The 61-year-old had been discovered with stab wounds to her neck, chest and stomach on February 18.

“The Satanic cult in this city has been casting Satanic spells on me for three, four days,” Nichols blurted to WQAD. “I’m exhausted. I came home and found out my mom was the ringleader and was trying to kill my daughter.”

She said she had fled her mother’s home — filled with Satanic symbols “disguised as knick-knacks” — to hide in a rural area and “await a sign” that it was safe to return.

“They were trying to kill me with curses and if I had slept, I might have died … All of the Satanic cult has been rounded up and killed now,” she said.
She is currently undergoing psychological assessment.

TEXAS TEEN KILLERS

Two teens from Houston, Texas, allegedly enticed a 15-year-old girl into a home as part of a human sacrifice ritual to “sell their souls” to the devil.

Jose Reyes, 17, and an unnamed 16-year-old boy have been charged with murder after their victim, Corriann Cervantes, was found dead with an upside-down cross carved into her stomach.

Police say she had been tortured and sexually assaulted on February 5 before she was beaten to death with an ashtray and toilet seat.

“They discussed the fact that Mr Reyes had sold his soul to the devil, and if they ended up killing this teenager, this would allow the 16-year-old to also sell his soul to the devil,” Harris County assistant attorney John Jordan told media.

The ancient practice of exorcism is going mainstream with churches training priests to meet demand.

Many in the US believe it is all part of a bigger picture and demonstrates the influence of the occult.

“People can invite evil in this way; and then, without the component of faith, there is nothing to protect them,” Father Lampbert told the National Catholic Register.

“When someone is possessed, the demon is choosing to act in that body,” said Father Lampert. - news.com.au

Satan's Silence: Ritual Abuse and the Making of a Modern American Witch Hunt

Ritual Abuse in the Twenty-First Century: Psychological, Forensic, Social, and Political Considerations

Ritual America: Secret Brotherhoods and Their Influence on American Society: A Visual Guide

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Billionaire claims aging process 'reversed'

Fashion mogul Peter Nygard's investment in stem cell research has allegedly resulted in a cure for aging.

The 70-year-old billionaire who lives in the Bahamas has claimed that a stem cell treatment he has been undergoing over the last four years has reversed the aging process in his own body and that he is literally getting younger by the day.

"Stem cells are being used for anti-aging and the University of Miami is doing a study about that to prove that it is true," he said. "They are looking at me, and my markers have shown exactly that I have been actually reversing my aging and getting younger."

Nygard has already invested millions in stem cell research and is looking to set up a new facility in the near future.

"I started stem cells when I wanted to find a cure for my mother who I loved very much and western medicine was not able to cure her, and if I had discovered stem cells a year before, I think that she would still be here with me," he said. - NineMSN

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Scary Scarecrow

My good friend, JH of Butte, Nebraska has a phobia about clowns. Once, when I presented her with an autographed portrait of the famed circus clown Emmett Kelly for her birthday she refused it. Well for me - it's scarecrows! Growing up in Orlando, Florida my family would go 'back home' to Winchester, Kentucky for a two-week vacation every summer. Those were happy times as my cousins would 'fight over me' - each one wanting me to spend the night with them. So I divided my time with my 'town' cousins and my 'country' cousins. When I was with my country cousins the days were spend riding horses and playing in the barns. Once, when I was spending the night with my cousins Libby and Charles, my cousin Libby - who was ten at the time - woke up the next county screaming in the middle of the night. When my Aunt Margie ran into the girl's bedroom, she sobbed, "Mama, the scarecrow was looking in my window!"

The next morning when Uncle Chester went out into the field on his tractor - the scarecrow was gone! A few days later when I was with my 'town' cousin, ML, we walked to the PDQ to buy an Ale-8 - a popular Kentucky soft drink that is bottled only in Winchester. A lady in the store was telling the clerk, "They're seeing a scarecrow running across the fields out thar in Trapp." My cousin looked at me with eyes as wide as saucers, remembering what I had told her what happened with Libby.

I am curious to know if anyone has ever heard of such 'scarecrow stories'. GM

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Meteor reports light up phone lines, social media

Reports of a colorful fireball dropping vertically from the sky spread like lightning via Twitter and dominated the telephone lines of the American Meteor Society Thursday night.

The AMS said it was investigating more than 200 reports of meteors late Thursday and early Friday. A majority of those reports took place shortly after 7 p.m. ET and came from Virginia and Maryland, but also from as far as Pennsylvania and South Carolina.

A caller from Fairfax, Va., described the fireball as a "momentary flash following the trail of light, but and bright and blue, which very quickly disappeared."

The caller also said, "This was the brightest shooting star I ever saw, seemed like it was coming down almost vertical."

A caller in Springdale, Md., said they thought the meteor was a flare or a fireball and that it "appeared to hit the ground."

A fireball is a meteor that is brighter than the planet venus, according to the AMS. Several thousand meteors that are fireballs take place in the Earth's atmosphere daily, the organization reports.

The society is a not-for-profit research organization based in Geneseo, N.Y.

The society asks that members of the public who see a fireball report it to them via their website. - Wisconsin Rapids Tribune

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Horten's Incredible Illusions: Magic, Mystery & Another Very Strange Adventure (Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms)

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A computer video file appeared anonymously on the internet on 2007...claiming that a UFO crashed in the Peruvian Andes in January 1974 in front of many witnesses. The video briefly shows an old wooden trunk in a shack containing what resembles a naked and degraded humanoid corpse which is claimed to have been recovered by the locals on the spot of UFO crash before the military silenced the incident. The video, lacking any other information, promises revelations to come about this. The final text screen says: "Very soon, you will see the complete report with exclusive images. Be ready."

The Andes Humanoid - Click for video 1

The Andes Humanoid - Click for video 2

The Andes Humanoid - Click for video 3

Is this 'humanoid' related to those examples presented by researcher Brien Foerster? - Very Strange Ancient Humanoid Mummy From Peru - Click for video

Chronology of the video and events:

A computer video file in Windows Media format, appeared on the Internet, end of 2007, is headlined in the first scene "The Andes Humanoid."

The next scene displays the text "In January of 1974, an unidentified flying object (UFO) fell in the Andean Mountains of Peru. Many people witnessed what happened."

The next scene shows a part of the face of a man saying "We saw it fall from the sky."

Then, a text says "The military authorities surrounded the zone, erased the tracks, and denied what had happened."

The next scene shows a part of the face of the same man now saying "It was like a huge metallic object."

This is followed by a text saying "But there were some who were before them, who took something very valuable. A Humanoid."

A very short sequence then shows what is apparently a body, in a greenish light as filmed in "nightvision" (infrared) mode.

The next text screen announce that "The year 2007, the secret is exposed. We went searching for those who were there."

A few short sequences show a mountain road, then a mountain dirt track, then some shack

The next text screen says: "Finally, we got what we were looking for.

Three unrecognizable people filmed from behind near the shack are partly shown, one appearing "local" and saying "Let's go together and see it."

There is a "creature" in the box, first shown in a very brief traveling, then with a close up on the face.

The alleged "Humanoid" is shown overall during 10 seconds only. No clothing or artifacts appear. The final text screen says: "Very soon, you will see the complete report with exclusive images. Be ready."

NOTE: This is most likely an authentic relic or artifact that is being kept hidden away. My first thoughts are that someone found a Peruvian mummy. These mummies are located in the higher altitudes of the Andes Mountains and are similar in appearance, texture and overall detail...other than the skull that does seem extremely large in the upper portion of the cranium. This video has been circulating for a number of years and to this date I have not heard of any DNA analysis being performed...Lon


The following is an interesting post I found at the Alien-UFOs.com community board in 2010:

This happened to me approximately twenty five years ago while visiting 'The Andes" in South America. I was with some friends traveling in the panoramic road in the Andes. There was a church in the right side of the road, built with brown rocks-it was very picturesque, small, pretty, and constructed with rocks and in the roof there was a simple cross. I don't know the story about this church. I don't remember have seen a secondary road going to the church or have seen any car parked in the proximity. However, there was a couple standing between the church and the metal rail separating the main panoramic road where we were traveling. This couple, normal human beings, male and female probably in the twenty to twenty five years of age, were facing to the road that we were traveling on, rather than facing and looking to the church. I took a picture from the car; I knew the couple will be in the picture, I took the picture of the church knowing that the couple was standing in front of the church. What amazed me is that at that moment I said "I'm not taking a picture of you, I'm taking a picture of the church", then I said to my friend --"Those two were thinking that I was taking a picture of them, I was taking a picture of the church"; The reason I said that aloud it was because I felt that the couple communicated to me telepathically: "oh, oh she is taking a picture of us" (In a funny or sarcastic manner). It is important to say that our car's windows were closed and the couple did not talk, just have a "sarcastic" "mischievous" look in their faces.

I have to say that at that time, I did not analyzed this encounter or think anything else about it, except that the couple was making fun of me because I was taking a picture. It was approximately after three weeks later, when I went back home and developed the film that I noticed that the couple did not appeared in the picture. Just the church appeared in the picture. This always has bothered me, it is a mystery. However, it gets more mysterious...

We continued traveling in the same road and we stopped in a place where there was a visitor tower (probably as tall as three to five stories), one of my friend said that people from the area visited the tower at night with the purpose of seeing UFO. Well, it was daylight we did not see anything and anyway that was not our intention; we just were taking a rest and wanted to see the beautiful scenery. Again at that time, I did not pay too much attention to the comment it was just a trivial conversation among friends.

However, we continued traveling in the panoramic road and reached a point where there was approximately between 10 to 15 men (Blond hair, tall, same haircut style, well-groomed, same body structure (athletic), refined (seems to be educated), with such commanded authority, and all were dressed the same, (strange as it sound they were wearing jeans, and the shirts were also jeans fabric.), all of them were super good-looking, and they were standing in a straight line facing to the road. So, I found them different, so I wanted a picture of this different group, but I couldn't take the picture: it was again a telepathic thought "you are not authorized to take picture of us." Immediately all of them turned around (about face=turned around and faced the opposite direction) simultaneously. Yes, I felt intimidated like if taking a picture of the group was something bad.

However, I did not analyze anything else, I thought at that time, it was just a coincidence, maybe they were European in a scientific job. We continued our travel and saw in the next town some residents (Indians from the region), humble, wearing colorful cloth, wearing hats. Their demeanor was nothing like those blondes, extremely good looking, tall men, that I had seen before we arrived to the town. In my life I have seen so good looking group. I have traveled to Europe, Central America, South America and I live in US and I have never seen a group of so good “almost perfect” looking again.

These facts at the time of the travel to the Andes were not significant enough, but when I traveled back to my country and developed the pictures. I noticed that the couple (first incident) was not in the picture was then when I put together all the above concerns of my visit to the Andes and analyzed them. Today, I cannot explain why the couple did not show in the picture, the feeling of telepathic communication (two times) and the presence of the group of men that definitely did not belong to that area or any other area I could think, have always inspire to read more about paranormal subjects! - cuarto

NOTE: What do you think? Was this the body of an alien? Or a Peruvian mummy? Possibly something else? Lon

The Ice Maiden: Inca Mummies, Mountain Gods, and Sacred Sites in the Andes

The Enigma of Cranial Deformation: Elongated Skulls of the Ancients

Lost Ancient Technology Of Peru And Bolivia

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On February 25, 1999 three forestry workers in the Mt. St. Helens area of Washington State witnessed a daytime elk abduction. The preliminary report appeared in the MUFON UFO Journal of May 1999. The follow-up investigation reveals additional details and corrects inaccuracies. For purposes of confidentiality, all witness names are pseudonyms.

The preliminary investigation:

On a cold March afternoon with fresh snow up to their boot tops and a rolling valley before them, Peter Davenport (Director, National UFO Reporting Center) and Robert Fairfax (MUFON investigator) stood contemplating the account of an extraordinary event. Also at the edge of the bank stood Jack (landowner's representative) recounting details-albeit secondhand - of"the incident witnessed by members of a crew of Hispanic forestry workers: a daytime elk abduction.

As it turned out, Jack did not have all the particulars of the elk abduction correct, but we were not to find that out until much later. The 14 forestry workers could not plant seedling trees the Friday we arrived on site because ten inches of snow had fallen the previous night; therefore the crew had been given the day off. Hastily, an interview was arranged, through their employer, with three of the witnesses that same afternoon.

However, circumstances were not conducive to obtaining an accurate and detailed report. The meeting took place in a deserted parking lot of a wayside cafe. The cacophony of rushing traffic saturated the background, creating additional handicaps, since none of the three witnesses spoke more than a smidgen of English. Add to this picture a chill to the air, a limited time before sunset, and the requirement of telling the story through their boss, Emanuel, as interpreter to get an idea of the situation.

So here we were, seven of us, standing around the tailgate of a pickup truck for an extemporaneous investigation. Conducting separate interviews was not a viable option. Even though group interviewing conflicts with traditional investigative practice, we perceived little choice in the matter-we needed to take advantage of this opportunity. Fully aware of the pitfalls this method of investigation presented, we made sure we scrutinized the group dynamics. As far as we could tell, each held to a personal version without acquiescing to group decision or falling under another's influence. We were aware the participants had discussed the events among themselves extensively.

Emanuel's efforts at translating were laudable, but he was neither a trained investigator nor interpreter. He had not been present during the abduction, and the event floated somewhere outside his compass of understanding. This presented a challenge, since we were unable to understand for ourselves what the witnesses were saying. Compounding these difficulties, Emanuel seemed reserved in his translations. We knew he believed something strange had happened to his workers; however, we also suspected he was not ready to believe anything as exotic as an alien craft snatching up an elk.

The testimony waxed expansive and waned timid by turns-torn between the need to tell their story and the anxiety of raised eyebrows at the outrageousness of the tale they told.

We struggled with the narrative for 35 minutes. There were innumerable questions yet to ask, but the hour grew late and signals via body language suggested we close the interview and bid farewell. Though crippled by the language barrier, our initial interview provided a tentative and skeletal picture of the event. We wanted to schedule individual interviews for the upcoming week, but were told that the witnesses would be too busy planting trees for the next few weeks-an apparent conspiracy of wet weather and time of year.

Our wait was to last 57 days. Weighing on our minds during this time-out was the knowledge that the ponderous passage of time truncates a witness' sharp recollection of details-the blur factor. In the meantime we searched for another translator. Finding no suitable candidate in Washington, our eyes turned south to California where we knew an ideal interpreter resided. Ruben Uriarte, MUFON's State Director for Northern California, was the answer to our problem: he not only speaks fluent Spanish, but also excels in investigation. Could we recruit him and persuade him to fly to Washington and give us a hand? The answer was an enthusiastic "yes."

The follow-up investigation:

Ruben began immediately by phoning Emanuel and coaxing the witnesses' phone numbers out of proprietary insularity. Then, over the next few days he arranged a meeting with several of the witnesses at one of the worker's home.

Prior to Ruben's involvement in the case, another Washington MUFON investigator, Kathleen Andersen, joined the team. Kathleen began by cross checking other UFO events in the Mt. St. Helens area, seeking correlation and commonalities. She found cases, but no matches.

An early gray Seattle morning on the first Saturday of May found Kathleen packing her Jeep with food, with equipment, and with two investigators—Ruben and Robert. We headed south. When we arrived at the designated house, the scene was a bit awkward at first, due to a small crowd that included friends and relatives milling about. The witnesses were not quite sure if they wanted to be interviewed.

Fortunately, Ruben has the gift of setting people at ease, and within a short time the witnesses began talking. We were able to interview the witnesses both individually and together as a group. Later that afternoon, seven of us jumped into two vehicles and drove to the remote site in the foothills where the abduction had taken place. After 9 1/2 hours of investigation, we discovered that the preliminary report (as reported in MUFON UFO JOURNAL of March, 1999) needed amendment.

One of the witnesses, "Augustine", points toward where he saw the craft carry the elk. (credit: MUFON Journal)

The incident:

Shortly before noon on the last Thursday of February, 1999, fourteen forestry workers had just broken for lunch and were heading for the crew vehicle. Francisco and Augustine were nearly at the turnout (1900 ft. elevation), Manuel and two others were walking up the slope (about 1600 ft. elevation) from an old overgrown access road, while the rest of the crew was scattered, most midway between the two groups on the north-facing hillside. Francisco stopped to rest momentarily and watched the 14 elk of a herd that had been browsing all morning on a nearby slope northeast of them.

Then, out of the northeast, he spotted a strange moving object. The UFO, presumably, had already dropped some 70 feet down the height of the Douglas Fir trees bordering the dirt road and was now drifting over a hilltop. Skimming the clear-cut at brush top level and hugging the contour of the hill, the UFO appeared to be heading slowly toward the herd of elk. The object's initial location was approximately 800 yards distant and 200 ft. lower in elevation than Francisco's location.

At first Francisco mistook it for a bi-colored paraglider silently drifting in for a landing. The object had a strange, slow wobble. It showed red on the right half, white on the left. Francisco quickly realized that he was not seeing any type of parachute.

The object advanced toward the elk herd, staying close to the ground as if in a "stealth mode." When the elk became aware of the object, they bolted. Most tried running up the slope to the east, but the going was slow. A lone elk separated from the herd and headed north. The craft targeted the loner and moved in. Surprised and astounded, Francisco shouted to Augustine, "Look at that! Look at that!"

The clear-cut terrain prevented rapid movement for the animals: innumerable small deciduous trees had trunks cut about 18" above the ground, transforming them into sharp stakes pointing skyward. The trunks, bristling with branches, lay helter-skelter, presenting criss-crossing barricades. The lone animal could not run fast. The wobbling craft, moving no faster than between 5 and 7 mph (est.), easily overtook it.

Augustine had missed the pursuit but caught sight of the UFO as it took the elk. Down-slope, Manuel (crew supervisor) also witnessed the capture-500 yards distant. Nearly every other person's attention had been diverted toward the main group of fleeing animals. The craft moved directly above the female elk and somehow lifted it into the air without any visible means of support evident to the observers.

At this point, the animal ceased discernible movement-no kicking legs, no struggling body, and no indication of consciousness. The witnesses were amazed that the craft could lift the 500-pound animal. The "wing span" of the object measured not much longer than the length of the elk-about 7 to 8 feet. (The increase in size attributed to the craft in the earlier report seems to have been an illusion caused by a change in the craft's angle of tilt over the terrain at the point of capture.)

The captured elk, its head apparently against the ventral surface of the craft, and body standing stiffly upright, was lifted off the ground-just enough to clear the underbrush. The craft continued its slow, wobbling oscillation. The suspended elk moved likewise as if she were a solid metal sculpture welded to the craft. After the craft acquired (without pause) the animal, it moved away at the same slow pace, to the north, following the contour of the land. The elk's feet were observed sweeping circles, in conjunction with the craft's movement, just above the brush and tree tops.

Within a short time the craft approached the forest edge that defined the end of the clear-cut area. Apparently the craft did not stop or maneuver in time to avoid hitting some of the lower branches. Because of the considerable distance of the craft, the witnesses could not discern exactly what had hit the trees-whether the craft, the elk, or something else is unknown.

After hitting the branches, the witnesses saw it dip sharply and reverse direction before ascending vertically in front of the tree line. All three had the impression that the object had almost dropped the animal. Once above the tree top level, it moved over the forest margin and continued northward, dipped out of sight momentarily (perhaps still following the contour line of tree tops), then ascended at roughly a 45-degree angle into the distance until it was obscured by clouds.

Meanwhile, the rest of the herd had gathered into a tight huddle near the tree line, a normal behavior when a predatory threat is perceived. This herd consisted of cows and yearlings. The bulls at this time of year stay in bachelor groups at a higher elevation. The huddle lasted for two hours.

Reactions and Emotions:

The witnesses shared their story among themselves at lunch. Several of the workers that had not sighted the craft expressed doubt that anything extraordinary had happened. Nevertheless, the reactions of both the elk and the excited co-workers evoked fear, generating a tense emotional atmosphere. The humans, analogous to the elk's behavior, consciously stayed in close proximity for the rest of the afternoon. Even those that doubted the story knew something had happened and were not comfortable working far from the rest.

Some, perhaps because of limited beliefs imposed by philosophical predisposition, clung to a tightly fenced world - trying to force all that they had heard into some familiar pattern, consistent with their reality. These were the fellows that had directed jokes and gibes at Francisco in particular. These skeptics continued planting seedling trees throughout the afternoon in a normal manner. This was in sharp contrast to those workers who feared a return of the object-they planted with heads continually swiveling skyward.

Craft Details:

Curiously, the witnesses were unable to agree on all the structural details of the craft. No one person had a complete description. Generally, all agreed on the length of the "wing span" (7-8 ft.) because they could compare it to the elk suspended beneath. Augustine perceived the relative depth to length, which measured out to 14 -18 inches. Manuel had the clearest perception of the width to length (5-6 feet) and the rear indentation.

All agreed that the UFO intermittently showed a red and a white patch on the surface. Francisco was sure it was a part of the craft's skin, but Augustine thought they were lights, and Manuel could not tell either way. They were unanimous that the red was dull (comparable to red pencil on a heavy textured paper), without luminescence, and that the white reflected like bright enamel paint. They were in agreement that red was on the right, white on the left, yet size, shape and position of the colors was not precisely known.

The craft's wobble caused the red and white to show intermittently. (See illustration of oscillation cycle: the top surface orients toward the observer for approximately one half of the wave revolution period.) The craft's color, other than the red and white areas, was described as gray. There were no reflections or surface characteristics that suggested the surface was metallic (note: it was an overcast day.).

The trio described the craft's complex motion primarily through hand movements. As close as can be determined, the UFO had an oscillatory period of about 2 to 2 1/2 seconds. This particular motion-apart from the object's forward motion-is difficult to describe except in terms of analogy. Peter described the motion as similar to that of a spinning coin as it is winding down and closely approaching a flat surface.

Francisco expressed regret that he had not taken time to carefully examine the details of the craft. He had been astounded and felt so much concern for the elk that his attention was focused on watching the animal. He realized immediately that if the object could carry off a 500-pound animal, it could easily abduct a per-son-a frightening notion that several members of the group later shared.

Puzzling Question:

The craft's estimated speed ("I could walk as fast as it moved."-i.e. approximately 5-7 mph) closely matches the estimated duration (3-5 min.) required for the observed distance traveled, as measured on a topographical map. With such a long sighting duration, an important question looms: "Why didn't more people see the craft with an elk suspended under it?" A number of reasons appear to answer this:

• When Francisco excitedly announced and pointed out the event, only Augustine was near enough to discern that the direction of his index finger pointed left of the herd. 14 panic-stricken elk, all weaving their way up slope, presented a sight that would be apt to draw a person's attention.

• Not everyone heard Francisco shout, and the other witnesses remained quiet.

• Within a very short time, the craft and herd (both moving away from each other) had separated enough that when bystanders visually searched for an assumed predator, such as a mountain lion, they did not scrutinize terrain far enough away from the herd to see the craft. They also spent time checking the immediate area around themselves for dangerous animals.

• All three witnesses to the craft were so astounded and absorbed with watching the UFO that at the time they did not think to question other spectators as to what they were watching.

Aftermath:

Most of the workers have developed a sudden interest in UFOs following this incident. Some related that their spouses did not believe the story. A few are nervous when working in the forest, especially when in the general area of the incident-they constantly search the sky. Francisco could not understand what he saw, and spent several sleepless nights pondering whether the object was some type of prehistoric animal or an extraterrestrial craft. All want answers.

All graphics were done by Robert Fairfax. Ruban Uriarte submitted the official report to MUFON Headquarters, along with the photos of the witnesses. - Peter B. Davenport, Director, National UFO Reporting Center, and Robert A. Fairfax, Director of Investigations, Mutual UFO Network, for the Washington State - also Ruben Uriarte and Kathleen Anderson

MUFON UFO Journal - July 1999 and Pdf - MUFON UFO Journal - July 1999

-----

Diagram of UFO by Robert Fairfax. (credit: FATE Magazine)

An update to this case appeared in Filer’s Files #12-1999. Mr. Filer contacted Mr. Robert A. Fairfax to see if he had more details on the case. Part of Mr. Fairfax’s response follows:

Filer: "I am particularly interested in the description of the craft itself."

Fairfax: "So am I; this is one of the areas we will try and nail. There were two flashes described as the craft wobbled. A fluorescent magenta (top) and a white (bottom). These were apparently not lights but seemed to be areas on the surface. They were seen intermittently but again we will need to pin the details down along with many others."

Filer: "What was the direction of flight and the last known direction of travel?"

Fairfax: "It was first seen in the SE traveling toward the NNW. It departed slowly to the NE, and then made a near vertical ascent into cloud cover."

Filer: "Did they notice any kind of plasma, lighting, or electrical effects around the craft?"

Fairfax: "Possibly, the two bright color areas. The craft seemed to increase in size as it was capturing the elk. We’re trying to clarify that."

Filer: "Did the craft tilt as it changed direction?"

Fairfax: "Wobbling was reported that was more pronounced before direction changes, but we need to verify with more witnesses.

Filer" "Did they notice a hum or sound?"

Fairfax: "There was no sound.

Filer: "Did you notice the height of the trees or the approximate height and distance from picking up the elk to the top of the trees?"

Fairfax: "Yes, but no precise calculations have been done. It had plenty of room to maneuver and climb."

Filer: "Did they notice any windows?"

Fairfax: "There were no windows."

Sources:
NUFORC
MUFON
The UFO Phenomenon: Fact, Fantasy and Disinformation
ufoevidence.org
The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Extraterrestrial Encounters: The Definitive Illustrated A - Z Guide To All Things Alien
stadography.com
Filer’s Files #12-1999
theblackvault.com


If In Doubt, Blame The Aliens!: A new scientific analysis of UFO sightings, alleged alien abductions, animal mutilations and crop circles

An Alien Harvest: Further Evidence Linking Animal Mutilations and Human Abductions to Alien Life Forms

Stalking the Herd: Unraveling the Cattle Mutilation Mystery

The Huffington Post Eviscerates Bigfoot 'Killer' Rick Dyer: 'It's Really Easy To Trick People'

"There's no more evidence for Bigfoot than the Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny. And that's what people have to get through their heads."

It might come as a surprise to some -- especially to Bigfoot believers -- that the man who reportedly made that statement in 2010 was none other than Rick Dyer. Yes, the same Rick Dyer who is driving an RV through the American south, hauling around the remains of what he claims is a Bigfoot that he allegedly shot and killed in 2012 on the outskirts of San Antonio.

The past two years have been filled with announcements from Dyer and his website, promising the public release and display of the actual body of an actual Bigfoot, nicknamed Hank. There have been assurances of big press conferences during which the conclusive results of DNA analysis on Hank would be revealed to the world -- a DNA report conducted by an unnamed university.

Through all of this hoopla, Dyer has pronounced himself -- at every chance he could take -- the best Bigfoot tracker of all time.

If, in 2012, he'd actually killed Bigfoot and decided right then and there to bring the body forward and show it to the world, he might have been instantly hailed as history's best-ever Bigfoot flatfoot. And he would've soaked in two years' worth of accolades from in and out of science, as the discoverer of a new primate species living among us.

But...that's...not...what...happened.

The traveling Bigfoot show -- variously dubbed the "I Told You So" tour and "Time To Believe" tour -- arrived in San Antonio last week -- the scene of the original "crime," if you will -- after its kickoff location in Phoenix was cancelled when Dyer couldn't come up with a venue at which to display the alleged hairy, 8-foot, 800-pound supposed beast.

And this writer was disappointed, because we were there -- in Phoenix -- expecting and hoping to meet Bigfoot, aka Hank, in the flesh or in what's left of his flesh.

Probably the biggest thing going against Dyer's credibility was his previously admitted involvement in a 2008 Bigfoot hoax. That's the kind of thing that doesn't easily go away in the memory cells of the public.

I was one of the people who did the Bigfoot hoax in 2008, and got worldwide notoriety. ... And it turned out to be a hoax with a lot of money off this hoax. I, myself, made a ton of money. We are now looked at as the black sheeps [sic] of the Bigfoot community, and let me tell you something: We don't care.
Bigfoottracker.com is back for one reason only: To convert people who believe in Bigfoot to Bigfoot haters. We are tired of seeing people give their money away for something that's not real.

There's no more evidence for Bigfoot than the Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny. And that's what people have to get through their heads. I have taken people out to hunt for Bigfoot, and all the time I was thinking in my head, 'Why would someone pay to go out to hunt for something that does not exist?' But people do.

It's really easy to trick people. People that believe in Bigfoot are not idiots -- they're just really naive and they're missing something in their lives, so they want to believe in something that they know deep down inside, it does not exist.

San Antonio's KENS-5 News said they waited to report on Dyer's Bigfoot claims because they wanted stronger proof, but the news team discovered "some hair-raising holes in his story" and decided to share it with their audience.

"If Dyer's name sounds familiar to viewers, it's because he made KENS TV news for other reasons in 2011," said on-screen reporter Joe Conger. "Police arrested him for defrauding folks on eBay for allegedly selling them Corvettes he never delivered."

Conger also reports that Dyer says he originally tracked down and shot, not one, but two of the beasts, and the other Bigfoot that he allegedly shot "was taken by the federal government and never returned."

While the Bigfoot sideshow was in San Antonio, adults could fork over $10 to gaze into Hank's face or shell out $20, which would include a Bigfoot documentary and Q&A session, according to the San Antonio Current.

But, in this continuing saga of mishaps, miscommunications, misleading statements and just good old mistakes that keep following the Dyer-Bigfoot tour, something else happened at the 20-buck event that annoyed many of the paying customers who walked out: Instead of seeing the promised documentary, the audience was treated to the 1987 family comedy -- watch for it, here it comes -- "Harry and the Hendersons."

Dyer blamed it on the Alamo Drafthouse venue, and, of course, the venue said it wasn't their decision, reports the San Antonio Current.

And yet, maybe to true Bigfoot believers easily swayed to give up their hard-earned money, "Harry and the Hendersons" might actually be a Bigfoot documentary. - THP

Believing Bullshit: How Not to Get Sucked into an Intellectual Black Hole

The Big Book of Hoaxes: True Tales of the Greatest Lies Ever Told! (Factoid Books)

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**********

'Star Trek' theme park coming

Fans disappointed that the "Star Trek"-themed section of a Las Vegas hotel closed can now set their sights on a new tribute to Gene Roddenberry's galaxy of space exploration and adventure.

"'Star Trek' will be represented in force at Paramount Park Murcia, to be located at Alhama de Murcia on the Mediterranean coast about 270 miles southeast of Madrid," according to StarTrek.com. "The wide-ranging project will incorporate condos and office buildings, hotels, malls, a casino, a convention center, gardens, nightlife, and dining areas, an exhibition hall/auditorium and a theme park divided into several sections.

Last week, StarTrek.com posted official concept art of the theme park, and it appears to have a strong Starfleet Academy vibe.

"Plaza Futura will be designed to appeal to 'Star Trek' fans," StarTrek.com said. "3D renderings depict a large futuristic square that will include a Starfleet Spain recruiting center, a 3D simulator ride (which allows guests/recruits to experience adventures in outer space), and a Warp Speed Coaster that will reach exciting heights and speeds and include an underground portion (a wormhole, naturally) and several loops."

No word on whether there will be a Klingon section for those wanting to brush up on their combat skills. But we're hoping for at least one bar to replicate The U.S.S. Enterprise's Ten Forward in case we need to bond with our fellow officers. - CNET

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Couple claims to have killed chupacabra

VICTORIA COUNTY, Texas - Just like Bigfoot, stories about the mysterious chupacabra have been circulating for decades.

A south Texas couple says they have proof the legendary creature exists.

Doug and Lucy Ohrt says their grandson shot and killed a chupacabra on their ranch in Victoria County Sunday night. But a wildlife biologist says it's more likely the creature is an animal with mange.

"My grandson ran and got the gun and shot it at 240 yards, and my grandchildren said, 'oh that's a chupacabra," said Lucy Ohrt.

"They're a mythical creature that most people see but what it really is sarcoptic mange which is caused by a mite that bites the animal and it can be pretty much on any mammal," said wildlife biologist Josh Turner.

Wildlife officials say they get quite a few calls from people saying they've spotted a chupacabra. The name means goat sucker, and the creature is said to suck the blood of livestock. - KSDK

NOTE: People need to STOP killing these hybrids...these are not El Chupacabras. Lon

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SYKESVILLE, Maryland — The shivers of delight and terror familiar to those who grew up in Sykesville in the 1970s and 1980s returned this week when they heard the monster that purportedly stalked their childhood haunts would be featured on national television.

The story of the bigfoot-like creature known as the Sykesville Monster will be featured on Destination America's "Monsters and Mysteries in America" airing at 10 p.m. Friday. E.W. Beck's Pub in downtown Sykesville will host a viewing party with a special on the drink named after the monster, which has been on its menu for years.

Although creature tales were a campfire staple prior to the 1970s, bigfoot beasts — also known as sasquatches — became a national sensation during the decade. Dozens of feature films and documentaries about the creature were released along with innumerable bigfoot appearances in TV shows and specials.

In Sykesville, a rash of sightings reported in 1973 led to a creature hunt that included police, a game warden, zoo officials and professional paranormal investigators. A plaster cast was taken of a footprint 13 inches long that zoo officials said could have been made by a sandal.

Although no other proof was ever offered to support the existence of the monster, Main Street Director Ivy Wells, who also leads the Sykesville Ghosts and Legends tours at Halloween, said townspeople took the creature very seriously. After a sighting close to South Branch Park, police restricted access to that side of town, she said.

"The whole town was basically quarantined," Wells said.

She said no official records of the bigfoot-related investigations that took place from 1973 to 1981 could be found, although police involvement was well-documented by Carroll County Times reporters, other media and eyewitness accounts. Some have speculated the missing records indicate a cover-up of additional information the government had about the creature that was not available to the public.

The Last Sighting

Former Sykesville resident Lon Strickler was allegedly the last person to file a police report involving the Sykesville Monster, according to Wells. Strickler's story will be featured in the "Monsters and Mysteries in America" episode.

In a telephone interview this week, Strickler said he was fly-fishing on the Patapsco River May 9, 1981, about a mile downstream of downtown, when the creature was flushed out of the brush on the opposite bank by a stray dog.

Strickler said the monster stood up to 8 feet tall and was covered in dark, matted hair everywhere except his face and the pads of his feet.

"It was making a ticking sound," said Strickler, which he took to be the sound of the creature clicking his teeth together.

The creature had a strong, musky scent that Strickler said he smelled from about 25 yards away before the creature fled into the woods.

"He kind of looked like a Neanderthal," except for the thick pelt of dark brown hair, Strickler said. "He was definitely male. I could see his genitalia."

Strickler went to a nearby bar to call police, he said, and by the time he returned to the site minutes later, a state police cruiser was already there. He was ordered to leave immediately, he said, but he returned an hour later.

"The place was crawling with people" upon his return, Strickler said.

He said he tried to get more information and called news media about the incident the following day, but no one would talk to him.

"I was always amazed at how quickly the police got there," Strickler said. "There was some type of cover-up."

He said the incident led him to investigate the Sykesville Monster on his own and write a book about his research and his encounter. These days he runs the website http://www.phantomsandmonsters.com and hosts a weekly radio show about strange phenomena.

The Children of Monster Town

Growing up in bigfoot territory was an unforgettable experience for many. Upon hearing about the upcoming television show, people who grew up in Sykesville recalled the days of their youth spent scaring each other with tales of the creature or attempting to track him to his lair. But, the dark of night brought on fears of a more sinister creature.

Tom Boone lives in Pennsylvania now, but he grew up in a farmhouse on Klee Mill Road. About age 10, he said he was awakened one night by a loud noise that he thought could have been the monster.

"I can still hear it in my mind, what it sounded like," he said. "I've never heard anything like it since. We lived in the country all our lives and I know what bobcats and dogs and cats sound like. Nothing ever made a roaring noise like that."

He described a whirring sound so loud it was as if it was put through an amplifier. The sound continued near the house and then moved behind the church next door and into the woods, he said. Boone said he could hear it breaking limbs and branches as it crashed through the woods.

State police came after his mother called and stayed in the church parking lot throughout the night, he said.

"For years when I told people about it I got goose bumps," Boone said. "It was creepy."

Larry Bennett, of New Windsor, spent his 1980s childhood in Sykesville. He agreed that the nights could be terrifying. He grew up on Gaither Road and often fished with his friends in the Patapsco River.

"We never saw anything, but we heard things crashing in the woods and we ran away," he said.

During the day, the gang of boys enjoyed the river and the woods together. Sometimes, one in the group might sneak away and cause a ruckus with monkey sounds, he said.

It was an ideal setting under the sun. However, said Bennett, none of the boys was tempted to stay out after dark.

"It's funny, hometown stuff, but it kind of stuck with us," he said. "I still don't want to go out there after dark."

Shelley Colson Ostrum said she also experienced some nighttime chills related to the monster, especially when her brother tried to scare her; but what she remembers most about the creature is a treasured childhood memory.

"How many kids get to go hunting for bigfoot with their parents?" she said.

She grew up on Snowdens Run Road, and her parents took her and her brother walking down the railroad tracks on weekends. They challenged the kids to find the monster's footprints.

"My kids look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them I used to look for bigfoot with my parents," Ostrum said. "I'm so looking forward to that show." - Carroll County Times

Here's a promo clip ---> Monsters and Mysteries in America: Hiding Evidence of the Sykesville Monster

Monsters of Maryland: Mysterious Creatures in the Old Line State

The Maryland Bigfoot Digest: A SURVEY OF CREATURE SIGHTINGS IN THE FREE STATE

Phantoms & Monsters: Cryptid Encounters

Phantoms & Monsters: Strange Encounters

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