The following account was received by Manuel Navarette at UFO Clearinghouse:
Date of Incident: July 3, 2019
Date of Submission: November 18, 2019
Location of Sighting: Rosemont, Illinois
Summary: Winged humanoid sighting
I’ve been following your investigations into the Chicago Mothman for about a year and a half now and I’ve always been skeptical and always thought there was a logical explanation for them until I had a sighting myself. It was after reading the latest sightings in Rosemont that I decided to write in and report mine. I work for a company that services billboards along the expressway. We service both the static boards as well as the electronic ones that are popping up all over the place. I was working on a billboard that is alongside The Jane Addams Tollway (I-90). It sits behind the MB Bank building in Rosemont just off of Evenhouse Avenue.
I was working on replacing some lights that shine up onto the board and about to wrap it up and come down. As I was gathering some tools, I saw something out of the corner of my eye and turned to see a large black animal that was coming down toward the nearby Des Plaines River. At first, I thought it was a crow but then realized that this thing was way too big to be a crow. It was black, but the wings had a sort of sheen to them and were not as black as the rest of his body which was solid black. It flapped its wings faster as it descended and then disappeared behind the tree line on what looked like the opposite bank of the river. I did not see anything else and after that. I came down off the board and put my tools away and left the area. I was a bit of a chicken and decided not to walk toward the trees to see if I could find or see something. I enjoy reading your blog and will continue to follow the investigations and hope this sort of sighting helps you guys. BR
Investigators Note:
I spoke with the witness at length about the sighting. He stated that he had just finished replacing some lights on the billboard and was putting all his tools away when he saw the entity. Per the witness, at the initial sighting, the entity was flying north parallel to the Des Plaines River descending down to the bank of the river next to St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery. At first, the witness stated that he thought it was a crow but realized that it was not making any noise. He stated that he sees crows in and around the river all the time and they are always cawing and making a racket and that this object was not making any noise whatsoever. He estimated that it was about 6 feet tall but could not give a definitive answer as there were no points of reference to compare it to.
The witness said he watched it for a few seconds before he lost sight of it when it went below the treeline on what seems to be the opposite bank of the river. The witness said he came down from the billboard and started putting his tools back in the truck and left the area. When asked if he walked toward the area to investigate, he stated that he was too “Chickensh**” to go find out and left without investigating.
After talking with the witness, he seems very grounded and down to Earth and shows no signs of fabricating any of this story. When asked questions designed to divert the path or embellish the story, the witness stayed on course and stuck to the original description of his reported encounter. When asked why it took so long to report the sighting the witness stated that he initially forgot about the sighting until reading about the other more recent Rosemont sightings and that is what triggered him to report his sighting.
It is the investigator’s opinion that the witness’s report is valid and in initial indicators of hoaxing or fabrication exist. A field investigation of the area is required and will be updated when it is completed. MN
Have you had a sighting of a flying humanoid or huge bat-like creature in the Chicago, Illinois metro area or nearby? The entity has also been referred to as the 'Chicago Phantom', 'Chicago Mothman', 'Chicago Owlman' & 'Chicago Man-Bat.' Please feel free to contact me at lonstrickler@phantomsandmonsters.com - your anonymity is guaranteed. Our investigative group is conducting a serious examination of his phenomenon. We are merely seeking the truth and wish to determine what eyewitnesses have been encountering. Your cooperation is truly appreciated. You can call me directly at 410-241-5974 as well. Thanks...Lon Strickler #ChicagoPhantom #ChicagoMothman
Lon Strickler & Phantoms & Monsters 'Encounters' and more recent titles - 7 books available
Encounters with Flying Humanoids: Mothman, Manbirds, Gargoyles & Other Winged Beasts
THE OWLMAN AND OTHERS
The Mothman Prophecies: A True Story
The Mothman of Point Pleasant
Mothman: Real Life Sightings
