An attendee at the NPMH Union Convention in Chicago, Illinois in August 2016 observes a winged humanoid from his hotel room in Millennium Park.
I received the following email on April 10, 2024:
"Hi, Lon. I can't believe I found this! I was at a convention in Chicago in 2016. I saw the Chicago Mothman from my hotel window. I tried to take photos and still have them. I'm not a nut. I'm a union official for the USPS and was attending our convention. I would be glad to send you what I have. Please contact me. My name is Joe Palau and I live in Brooklyn, NY."
NOTE: After I contacted Joe, I was told that he would go on the record by allowing me to publish his name and offer other personal information. I truly appreciate Joe's willingness to give his testimony.
Eyewitness Joseph Palau, an NPMH Union shop steward and World Trade Center 9/11 survivor, who was representing his Local Union (USPS, NYC) was attending the 2016 National Convention, which is scheduled to take place at the Fairmont Millennium Park Hotel in Chicago, Illinois during the week of August 22, 2016. He was staying at the same hotel, located at 200 North Columbus Drive.
During the first night of Joe's stay (August 21, 2016 at at around 10PM CT) he received a telephone call from a hospital in New York City informing him that his mother was rushed to the emergency room. He was told that he would be kept updated during the night, so he decided to stay awake.
Very soon after he got off the telephone with the hospital, he looked out his hotel room window, which was located on the east side of the building on the 8th floor. He observed a large black object at window level, gliding over North Columbus Drive, between the east side of the hotel and the building across the street. His first thought was that it was a black garbage bag, though soon realized that the altitude of this object was much higher than a garbage bag would typically be seen. Then he imagined that it was an over-sized kite or drone, but it was night time and that was probably not the correct identification.
As he continued to watch the object, it became apparent to Joe that this was clearly a dark-colored, 6-foot-long humanoid with wide wings that was slowly gliding to the left of his room. He also observed that the winged humanoid seemed to be watching a window on the building across the street, northeast of his hotel (Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel).
He continued to watch the winged humanoid for several minutes as it continued gliding back and forth between the building. He also noted that he never saw any flapping of the wings, and that the winged humanoid continued to glide at different altitudes, constantly watching the building on the eastern side of the street. He also noted that the street and building were well-lit, even at that altitude, and that the winged creature was fully visible, though he couldn't distinguish fine details, including the eyes or the makeup of the wing structure.
Then suddenly, as the creature flew by his window, heading south on North Columbus Drive, the winged humanoid vanished. Joe remained vigilant, hoping to get another look at the winged entity, but he never saw it again.
For almost 7 1/2 years he kept his encounter private until he recently heard me on a podcast interview describing the Chicago Mothman sightings in the Chicagoland region. He had never heard of the phenomenon until he heard the podcast. He immediately contacted me.
I conducted an extensive interview with Joe and found him to be quite articulate and forthright. He stated that he has never believed in the paranormal and cryptids, but that he is now convinced that this winged humanoid actually exists. He also stated that he believed that this was an interdimensional being with supernatural abilities by evidence of what he observed that night.
Below are the photographs Joe provided to me, including an attempt to photograph the winged humanoid, only to capture the camera flash on the window:
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The following images were obtained by me:
Have you had a sighting of a winged humanoid or huge bat-like creature in the Chicago, Illinois metro area / Lake Michigan region? 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. 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.
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