Emailed Report Describes Encounter with Seven-Foot-Tall, Black, Red-Eyed, Winged 'Man' near Park Ridge, Illinois

Lon Strickler of Phantoms & Monsters received an email recently from a witness who described seeing a large winged humanoid while driving to their home in Park Ridge, Illinois, on the night of October 30th.

I was driving home north on Talcott Road at about 9:30 pm on the evening of Wednesday, October 30th. As I was approaching the intersection with Boardwalk Place, I saw something walk across the road. At first, I thought it was a deer as we get them every now and again. That changed when this thing stopped in the middle of the road and faced me head-on. I panicked and came to a stop. That is when this thing spread out with what looked like enormous wings and screeched at me before bounding towards the woods. This thing looked like a seven-foot man, thin and with two very large red eyes that were illuminated. My headlights were on this thing and it was solid black, it looked like it had skin and not feathers. The wings looked like they were attached to its back. I was scared half out of my wits and there was no way in Hell I was going to get out of my car and go after it into the woods. I slammed my foot on the accelerator and took off for home where I told my husband about it. It was his idea that I report this to you.

Strickler contacted the witness to request an interview, but received the following response:

Hello Lon,
I would rather not talk to anyone. I would rather correspond via email as to protect myself. It's nothing against you, but I don't want my kids to find out and have them think I'm seeing things.
I hope you understand.

"I have good reason to believe that what was stated in the email is true," Strickler said of the report. "I received a bit more information from the witness today. I did some research on the witness and the identification and other personal information checks out. The encounter and description in the account was never changed. Hopefully, [this witness] or others will eventually come forward with further details."

The sighting location is bordered to the west by the Algonquin, Iroquois, and Chippewa Woods, through which runs the Des Plaines River, and is just over 10 miles west of Lake Michigan.

This is the same area as several other recent sightings, including an October 29th report of a winged humanoid accompanied by several other beings, an October 5th sighting of a "tall creature" with "bright red eyes" and "large wings” near Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, and an October 19th sighting of a “giant-sized bat” outside of the Edward Hotel in Rosemont.

This is the latest news in a string of ‘Mothman’ sightings from within a few hundred mile radius surrounding Lake Michigan, including every state bordering the great lake. These sightings ostensibly began in the spring of 2017, but more historical accounts are being reported as more people become aware of the phenomenon. Sightings of weird winged beings around Lake Michigan have been reported at all hours, often in or near a park, and around water. Witnesses consistently describe a large, gray or black bat or bird-like creature—although in a small number of cases the creature was described as insect-like—sometimes with glowing or reflective red, yellow, or orange eyes; and humanoid features such as arms and legs are often reported. 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 large avian being could explain some encounters. Sightings of anomalous avians, including thunderbirds and pterosaurs, are often reported in or near the same locations as those where witnesses have reported winged humanoids.

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, and an interactive map here.

To report your own encounter with the impossible, reach out to us directly at the Singular Fortean Society through our contact page.

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