S9: Chicago Mothman - Weekend Replay

Author and researcher Lon Strickler will join us tonight to discuss reports of a winged creature in the Chicago skies.

The presence of strange winged beings is as old as the human imagination. In the late Summer of 2011, reports of Mothman-like flying humanoids began to surface in the city of Chicago. After three brief sightings, there were no further accounts. Then, unexpectedly, in early 2017, a smattering of encounters emerged from different locations throughout the Chicago metro area until fifty sightings were reached before the end of the Summer. Why Chicago? Why now? This book will examine the witness accounts and the investigator's thought processes as these incidents were brought to our attention. The sightings continue… but we are determined to find the truth.

 In West Virginia folklore, the Mothman is a humanoid creature reportedly seen in the Point Pleasant area from November 15, 1966, to December 15, 1967. The first newspaper report was published in the Point Pleasant Register, dated November 16, 1966, titled "Couples See Man-Sized Bird ... Creature ... Something".[1] The national press soon picked up the reports and helped spread the story across the United States. The source of the legend is believed to have originated from sightings of out-of-migration sandhill cranes or herons.[2][3]

The creature was introduced to a broader audience by Gray Barker in 1970,[4][5] and was later popularized by John Keel in his 1975 book The Mothman Prophecies,[6] claiming that there were supernatural events related to the sightings and a connection to the collapse of the Silver Bridge. The book was later adapted into a 2002 film starring Richard Gere.[7]

An annual festival in Point Pleasant is devoted to the Mothman legend.[8]

On November 15, 1966, two young couples from Point Pleasant—Roger and Linda Scarberry and Steve and Mary Mallette—told police they had seen a large white creature whose eyes "glowed red" standing at the side of the road near "the TNT area," the site of a former World War II munitions plant.[9][10][11] Linda Scarberry described it as a "slender, muscular man" about seven feet tall with white wings and said that she could not discern its face due to the hypnotic effect of its eyes.[12] Distressed, the witnesses drove away at speed and said the creature flew after their car, making a screeching sound. It pursued them as far as Point Pleasant city limits.[9]

Other people reported similar sightings during the next few days after local newspapers reported it. Two volunteer firemen who saw it said it was a "large bird with red eyes." Mason County Sheriff George Johnson commented that he believed the sightings were due to a huge heron he termed a "shitepoke." Contractor Newell Partridge told Johnson that when he aimed a flashlight at a creature in a nearby field, its eyes glowed "like bicycle reflectors." Additionally, he blamed buzzing noises from his television set and the disappearance of his German Shepherd dog on the creature.[2] Wildlife biologist Robert L. Smith at West Virginia University told reporters that descriptions and sightings all fit the sandhill crane, a large American crane almost as tall as a man with a seven-foot wingspan featuring circles of reddish coloring around the eyes. The bird may have wandered out of its migration route and was unrecognized initially because it was not native to this region.[2][3]

Batman and his antagonist, Killer Moth, are varyingly cited as influences for the term "Mothman."

Due to the popularity of the Batman TV series at the time, the fictional superhero Batman and his rogues gallery were prominently featured in the public eye. While the villain Killer Moth did not appear in the show, the comic book influence of both him and Batman is believed by some to have influenced the coinage of the name “Mothman” in the local newspapers.[13]

Do you frequently miss episodes of Mysterious Radio? Don't worry; here are some tips to ensure you never miss out again:

1. If you haven't already, follow or subscribe to the show to receive updates on new episodes. Even if you have already done this, it's a good idea to click the option again to ensure that you are still subscribed. This is especially important!

2. Turn on notifications for new episodes in your podcast app.

3. Make sure that your device allows notifications from your podcast app.

4. If your app has the option, swipe down to refresh the list of episodes.