The Mothman of Point Pleasant

From November 1966 to December 1967, residents of Point Pleasant, West Virginia reported encounters with a large, winged humanoid creature with glowing red eyes. The sightings ended abruptly with the tragic Silver Bridge collapse, forever linking the Mothman legend with disaster.

First Sighting

November 15, 1966:

• Two couples driving
• Near TNT area
• Large winged creature
• Red eyes
• Chased their car

The Witnesses

Roger and Linda Scarberry:

• Steve and Mary Mallette
• Terrified
• Reported to police
• Story spread
• Others came forward

The Creature

Witnesses described:

• 7 feet tall
• Gray or brown
• Huge wings
• Glowing red eyes
• Humanoid shape

The TNT Area

Location significant:

• Abandoned WWII munitions plant
• Isolated area
• Multiple sightings
• Strange phenomena
• Eerie location

The Wave

Following months:

• Many more sightings
• Different witnesses
• Same description
• Community alarmed
• National attention

John Keel

Author investigated:

• Spent months in Point Pleasant
• Interviewed witnesses
• “The Mothman Prophecies”
• UFO connections
• High strangeness

The Silver Bridge

December 15, 1967:

• Bridge collapsed
• Rush hour traffic
• 46 people died
• Tragedy struck
• Sightings stopped

The Connection

Many believed:

• Mothman warned of disaster
• Harbinger of doom
• Vanished after collapse
• Prophetic presence
• Supernatural link

Men in Black

Keel also reported:

• Strange visitors
• Warning witnesses
• MIB phenomena
• Telephone oddities
• High strangeness

Theories

Various explanations:

• Sandhill crane
• Owl misidentified
• Mass hysteria
• Supernatural being
• Interdimensional entity

Physical Evidence

None recovered:

• Only eyewitness accounts
• No photographs
• No specimens
• Testimony only
• But consistent

The Film

2002 movie:

• “The Mothman Prophecies”
• Richard Gere
• Based on Keel’s book
• Brought new attention
• Cultural phenomenon

The Statue

Point Pleasant today:

• Mothman statue
• Mothman Museum
• Annual festival
• Tourist attraction
• Town identity

Significance

Mothman significant for:

• Extended sighting wave
• Consistent descriptions
• Disaster connection
• Cultural impact
• Mystery endures

Legacy

The Mothman remains one of America’s most famous cryptids. Whether supernatural harbinger or misidentified bird, the creature captured Point Pleasant’s identity and continues to draw visitors seeking to understand the strange events of 1966-67.