The following report was received by Unsolved Mysteries after the release of their Mothman episode (Vol. 4, Ep. 5; The Mothman Revisited) and later sent to investigators Lon Strickler (Phantoms & Monsters) and Tobias Wayland (The Singular Fortean Society), both of whom were featured in the episode.
According to the report sent to Unsolved Mysteries:
It was March 5th, 2024, and I was going to Culver’s for my free birthday burger with my son and was waiting at the drive-thru pick-up window at about 5:30 p.m. It was turning dark, and I was looking at the sky when I saw this creature-like figure with large, greyish-black wings and grey muscular legs. It looked like it took a frog leap off of a rooftop and sprung through the air super-fast and looked as if it landed four blocks southwest at a community park called Circle Park in Evergreen Park, Illinois.
I felt compelled to report this sighting after my daughter informed me of the episode on Unsolved Mysteries about the encounters and sightings of Mothman in the Chicagoland area.
Strickler said he was able to make contact with the witness via email, which led to a phone interview.
The witness agreed to the use of her first name, Lisa.
“She stated that on Tuesday, March 5th, 2024, while waiting for an order in the drive-thru at the Culver’s restaurant located at 9515 S Kedzie Ave, Evergreen Park, Illinois, she observed a flying humanoid figure in the sky. Evergreen Park, Illinois is a suburb located southwest of downtown Chicago,” Strickler said. “The humanoid was flying very quickly and seemed to be leap-frogging across the sky, quickly moving from one point to another.”
Strickler went on to say that Lisa described the creature’s wings as “angel-like.” These wings, she said to the investigator, “never unfurled, but remained stationary, extending from the back.”
Furthermore, he related, the winged humanoid “had very long legs, and the overall body was estimated at seven feet in length, though it was large enough that details were observed. The legs were quite muscular and defined. The humanoid was greyish-black colored from head to toe.”
A map of the sighting area. The red arrow indicates the direction the witness would have been facing, and a red circle has been drawn around Circle Park. It is worth noting that the witness did not have line of sight on the park and would have had to guess where the creature landed. (Google Maps)
Lisa reportedly observed the creature from around one block away and watched as it “descended and most likely landed in Circle Park, which is a few blocks southwest of the Culver’s restaurant,” Strickler said.
“Lisa was very cooperative, precise, and forthcoming while describing her observation,” Strickler said of the witness.
Because of its proximity to other sighting locations, the creature described in the above report could be related to the larger Lake Michigan Mothman phenomenon. Those sightings are commonly reported within a few-hundred-mile radius surrounding Lake Michigan, including every state bordering the great lake.
The sightings ostensibly began in the spring of 2017, but more historical accounts are being reported as more people become aware of the phenomenon. They generally take place in the evening or at night, often in or near a park or natural area, and around water. Witnesses consistently describe a large gray, brown, or black, bat or bird-like creature, sometimes with glowing or reflective red, yellow, or orange eyes, and humanoid features such as an upright, bipedal posture are often reported. Some witnesses have reported feeling intense fear and an aura of evil emanating from the creature they encountered. Many of the sightings are also of something seen only briefly or are described only as a flying creature with few details, which leaves open the possibility that a misidentified large bird—such as a heron or crane—or some type of anomalous avian species could explain some, although certainly not all, of the encounters. A number of associated high strangeness incidents have also occurred alongside the creature sightings. These include reports of UFOs, other anomalous flying creatures and mysterious humanoids, parapsychological phenomena, and bizarre events experienced by those investigating the sightings.
To report a sighting reach out to us directly at The Singular Fortean Society through our contact page.
You can view a timeline of the sightings so far here.
A map of the sightings, compiled by Lon Strickler, is available here.
TO REPORT YOUR OWN ENCOUNTER WITH THE IMPOSSIBLE, REACH OUT TO US DIRECTLY AT THE SINGULAR FORTEAN SOCIETY THROUGH OUR CONTACT PAGE.
