The following first-hand account, and follow-up report, were submitted by the witness today (Monday, August 14, 2017):
Hello Mr. Strickler,
My name is OS and I believe I have seen the Mothman. My encounter took place back in March. It was in Tinley Park at the corner of 174th PL and 66th Ave.
I was walking my dog at around midnight and he suddenly stopped at the corner. As I looked down at him I saw him staring off. As I looked up I saw and heard something “swoooshhhh” overhead.
I didn’t know what it was. I have heard of big birds coming down and taking small dogs (we have a Pomeranian) so naturally I looked around more for what it may have been and began walking toward a tree in front of a house.
As I got to the tree I noticed my dog looking across the street. So I tried to see where he was looking. And my eyes went up to the rooftop across the street and there is when I noticed something big on the top of the roofline. It was as if it was crouching. I didn’t know what the heck it was, so I slowly moved toward it while fumbling to get my phone. As I turned the led light on on my phone, and aimed it at the roof (not a very bright light) I kept walking towards it. As I got about halfway in the street with my dog behind me, it seemed to have shot up and then it took a sharp downward turn down behind that house.
It was something big. As I have told people, as that thing was crouched on the rooftop, it was almost next to the chimney and it made the chimney look small.
I’ve attached a rough “map” of where we were and from what direction it swooped down and what rooftop it landed on.
I’m not sure if you’ll believe me or not, but I’d like only my initials used if you plan on using this story.
My wife is the one who told me about these encounters. Her and my mother-in-law where the first ones I told as soon As I returned from walking our dog.
Thanks again.
OS
I contacted OS with additional questions, then received this follow-up:
Hello Lon,
It was March 16th, 2017 right after 12:00am. Our dog liked taking late night walks. From what I saw when it flew above us it was not black in color, it was more of a dark brown. Because at the corner where we were standing are telephone poles and a streetlight at the end of the street where we were. This helped in showing the color a bit.
It was hard to get a specific description of it. I just know that it was big. The way it sat on the roofline and the lights behind it from the train station and bars in the downtown area, that back lighting helped in me seeing the crouched positioning it was in. The way it was crouching, it had bold shoulders. Odd, kind of the way a wide gargoyle would be perched. I can’t say the eyes were red though. It was just a slight reflection cat/dog eye reflection if you know what I mean. All dark in color except for the reflections. That is the reason I was trying to get my phone out to try to shine more light at it. It was odd.
You’d figure that our dog would have been going nuts at it, but it wasn’t. It seemed just as intrigued as I was.
When it did leave the roof it kind of shot up a couple feet and then shot straight down behind the house. And it was gone.
I carried a streamlight after that. But of course I didn’t get to see it again.
It was just strange to come back from Saudi Arabia where I was working, to be back in time to see my son born...then to see this being a week later.
NOTE: Kind of difficult to determine the size of this being. But judging by the photo of the roof and chimney, and that it was crouching, it was probably similar in size if compared to the other sighting descriptions. Some of the early 2017 sightings were in South Chicago, in the same general direction of Tinley Park. This sighting gives us more of an idea how this being moves about. Any updates will be included with this post. This sighting has been added to the Chicago Phantom / Owlman / Mothman / Man-Bat / Flying Humanoid Reports - Chicago Metro Area - Interactive Map
The Phantoms & Monsters 'Encounters' series - 5 books available
Encounters with Flying Humanoids: Mothman, Manbirds, Gargoyles & Other Winged Beasts
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The Mothman Prophecies: A True Story
Return of the Prophecies of Mothman
