Last week I received an email forwarded to me by my friend and colleague Pennsylvania UFO / anomalies investigator Stan Gordon. The witness was seeking help after they encountered an unknown being or cryptid in the Denver, CO metro area. I have included the original email with personal & specific location information redacted.
Since receiving the email, I have talked to the witness and put them in contact with a well-known crypto-investigator. I have also consulted with another fortean investigator familiar with the area. The witness is fearful that this cryptid may hurt someone and was eager to find someone who would take them seriously. The investigation is now underway.
I am asking that anyone who has encountered a similar cryptid in the Denver area or at another location, to please contact me at lonstrickler@phantomsandmonsters.com. I will post an update when new information is available:
I never expected to have a conversation like this but I don't know where to go to. I've always believed there is more to the world than what we know but late at night this Saturday 3/14/15 I had a terrifying encounter with something completely unexplained. I'm writing this to you because after researching for something comparable, the only close reference I could find was on your website. It sounds similar to the Nov. 20 2011 Mud Creek Road Creature.
I really wish I had seen a Bigfoot or an alien. At least those are more well known. I told my parents and my closest friend about this so far because I had to talk to somebody but it sounds completely crazy even to myself as I tell it. I work in a professional field and I feel like I can't tell anyone around me without sounding like I'm going off the deep end but I need to talk to somebody and I'm also concerned that this this thing is still around Denver as we speak.
The details:
I was at a friend's house in the (redacted) suburb of Denver on Saturday 3/14/15. (redacted) This house is surrounded by typical Denver suburbs but does butt up right next to an area of open space. She lives on a very large lot (acre and a half possibly) with an 8 ft solid stone type fence along the back of the property and a shorter 5 ft iron fence that divides the front yard from the back. She had explained that she has coyote problems there so she's very careful when letting her dog out at night. He's a very old pug. A bit deaf and can't see to well either. I can hear the coyotes when I'm there and there are rabbits everywhere. We regularly find evidence of rabbit kills around the yard. So when she takes her dog out at night she takes a very large flashlight (twice the size of a large maglite) and shines it around the yard first and then lets him out but stays right next to him the whole time with the flashlight on. She also insisted I do the same. I grew up in the desert and have seen plenty of coyotes and they are pretty small and typically cowards. I thought she was being overly paranoid about it but it may have saved my life on Saturday night.
The encounter:
I went out, explored the yard and shined the flashlight around the yard all over the area we would be. We don't take them all that far from the back door to use the bathroom since her dog is fairly disabled these days. I saw nothing and let the dogs out with me. I kept very close to them because I promised I would. A small but important detail here and one that I feel may have saved me. Part of the iron fence between the front and back yard butts up to the driveway.
I was standing around 20 yards from the back door and around 10 yards from the iron fence. I had my back to the iron fence and the dogs close. This is where I feel like I sound weird but here goes. I heard what to me sounded like hoof beats running extremely fast up from behind me. In my head I had just enough time to think why am I hearing hooves??? I knew a horse made no sense but I know the sound of hooves. I knew an animal was coming straight at me. I turned expecting a coyote even though the sound made no sense. As I turned around to the fence, something I can hardly describe had just launched off the ground from the driveway. It was moving extremely fast and cleared the fence easily. I was more like it had jumped from farther back in the driveway so it's trajectory would land it closer to us at that speed. As i said, we were only 10 yards from the fence but this thing was just moving so fast.
I would guess I had about 1 second tops to register the sound I heard (thanks to the concrete on the driveway) and realize something was happening. Since I expected a coyote as I turned around all I could think of was to stick out my arms and make myself look bigger as well as kind of shield the dogs near me. I screamed "NO" as loud as I could an caught this thing in the flashlight beam as I turned around. It was coming straight at me and I had a split second to step aside slightly as it landed just a few feet from me. It was still going full speed when it hit the ground. Like fast predator speed. It touched down quickly on all fours but immediately rose back up to two legs and continued running at full speed toward the back fence. My dog gave a very short chase (just a few steps really) but could never keep up at that speed. This thing continued running straight at the back stone fence very fast. The back fence is around 30 yards from where I was standing when this took place and 8 ft tall. I heard it's steps moving away and followed it with the flashlight. I did not actually see it jump the back fence but I lost it in the confusion heading that direction almost too quickly to have stopped. Also, I didn't hear any steps through the wide gravel border surrounding the fence. I can only assume it cleared the back fence as easily as it cleared the front even though it is much higher.
The creature:
I'll start by saying that I have been into the outdoors all my life. I grew up in a smallish desert town and my family has 2 cabins in the mountains. Most of my free time revolves around the outdoors and I have seen all types of wildlife. Bears, cougars, wolves, coyote, etc.. I mention those because they are predators. This was a predator also but nothing like these animals. This was so unlike anything I have ever seen it's actually very hard to describe but I'll do my best.
I was expecting a coyote as I turned around. The combination of expecting a coyote but seeing something so completely alien, and the fact that it was moving so fast and coming straight at me made it very hard to take in as it flew towards me. It was very large and pitch black. It was not long haired but I would say a thin layer of hair over black skin or possibly a full layer of short black hair? I thought I heard hoof beats but I never did get a clear look at the feet. I would assume it was actually claws on concrete.
As it was coming over the fence it also seemed bigger than when it landed. I would not say it had wings but it felt like extra skin?
It hit he ground right behind us and exactly behind where I had just been. That's where I got good light on it. It was still moving so fast. It touched down and immediately stood back up while running. It's head was lower than mine but still quite tall. Over 5 feet. It was not standing totally erect like a person so it was probably even taller and it was also still running.I barely looked down on its face and I'm 5'10. It hit the ground with enough weight that I felt it's weight vibrate through my feet as well as the first couple of heavy steps it took as it passed me. The extra skin (wings possible?) made it very hard to judge weight but the body was large.
It was almost coal black. To the point that the main body almost seemed to absorb my flashlight beam as it ran off. Like a matte black. As it stood up the legs seemed to be backwards jointed like a dog. Some of the only color I saw on it was a bit of brown running down the legs. Picture Doberman coloring.It was very very close (I'm still surprised we didn't touch) and the legs seemed very strong. I could see muscle definition almost like a mans legs. The main body was thick but because of the skin thing which I'm still having hard time describing. A close comparison would be like a cape almost. There was very little definition around the front. I saw the arms sticking out but there was nowhere close to the definition in the legs.The arms were much smaller and again, I did not get a good look at the hands.
The back was broad but the anatomy was very hard to process with the skin.
The head looked like a combination of things. Much like a wolf but thicker and less elongated like a bear scull. Canine teeth were visible. It was already passing me as it continued running and was looking over at me. Teeth were definitely bared. It did seem to have a lighter (grey) colored streak along its jaw. Really the only other color I saw on its body. The eyes looked yellow in my flashlight. I don't know if they were reflecting of if it was the true color since we were so close. I feel like they were reflecting but I can't be positive.
I had a dog within a few feet on either side of me. It landed and ran between myself and one of the dogs but did not try at all to snatch it nor did it reach out to grab me. The dog would have been easy pickings at that speed. I have the distinct impression that it was coming for me and I just happened to move out of the way and it was already passing too fast to grab.
This thing made no sound at all except for the hoof type sound of feet on the concrete and the steps through the yard. On the grass it was almost silent except for the first few steps closest to me.
I called my parents in the morning and the best way I could describe it with normal animals was wolf, bear, bat, and possibly monkey but mostly monkey because it was on 2 legs.
This whole thing has me feeling pretty shaken. Once this thing disappeared, I was alone in the dark with just the flashlight but I had already lost site of it. I wasn't sure if it had even left the yard and might be circling around. I have worked in clubs in my life and have been stabbed and also shot at but I have never been more scared in my life than in the silence after this thing passed me. I was absolutely terrified as I tried to wrangle the two dogs to the house. I slowly backed up and ran the flashlight all around me. I wanted to run but I couldn't leave the dogs out there. I'm not a religious person and never have been but to be totally honest, as I backed towards the house that scared, the first thought that came to mind was that I had seen a demon. It sounded crazy to me but I just couldn't process what had just happened on any rational level. I still can't. I don't believe in demons and I don't think it was one, but a couple days ago I didn't believe I might have an encounter with an unknown creature like this either.
It scared me so bad that I can't even open a door at night without getting full body goosebumps and even looking out windows in the dark has me uncomfortable. It's strange to say and irrational but I'm currently scared of the dark. My body is physically reacting uncontrollably.
I would appreciate a response from you ASAP. I really need to talk to somebody about this and I don't know who to talk to without being judged as crazy. Also, this thing is still in Denver or possibly coming from the nearby foothills into town. That house is not all that far from open mountain terrain but still several miles. If nothing else, could you put me in touch with somebody local to speak with?
Thanks for any advice you may be able to give. I don't know where to start here. Something like this is way out of my wheelhouse.
Sincere Regards, E
UPDATE: We have sketches provided by the witness (holding back on publishing for the moment). The investigators have met with the witness today and are in the field tonight (Monday). Once again, please forward any information that you have on this cryptid. Send to lonstrickler@phantomsandmonsters.com. Thanks...Lon
American Monsters: A History of Monster Lore, Legends, and Sightings in America
Tales of the Cryptids: Mysterious Creatures That May or May Not Exist (Darby Creek Publishing)
Cryptozoology A To Z: The Encyclopedia of Loch Monsters, Sasquatch, Chupacabras, and Other Authentic Mysteries of Nature
It Was a Dark and Creepy Night: Real-Life Encounters with the Strange, Mysterious, and Downright Terrifying
