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Cryptid

Flatwoods Monster

A bright light fell from the sky. Local boys and a mother went to investigate. They found a 10-foot creature with a spade-shaped head, glowing face, and clawed hands hovering above the ground. The smell made them ill. Braxton County's terror had arrived.

September 12, 1952
Flatwoods, West Virginia, USA
7+ witnesses

The Braxton County Monster

On September 12, 1952, witnesses in Flatwoods, West Virginia encountered a terrifying 10-foot creature after a bright object fell from the sky. With its spade-shaped head and hovering body, the Flatwoods Monster became one of America’s most frightening cryptid encounters.

The Light

What started it:

  • September 12, 1952
  • Bright light
  • Fell from sky
  • Landed on hill
  • Fisher Farm

The Witnesses

Who went to look:

  • Kathleen May (mother)
  • Eddie May (son)
  • Fred May (son)
  • Tommy Hyer
  • Neil Nunley
  • Gene Lemon
  • Dog

The Investigation

Going up the hill:

  • Flashlights
  • Dog led way
  • Strange mist
  • Pungent odor
  • Eyes burned

The Creature

What they saw:

  • 10 feet tall
  • Spade-shaped head
  • Glowing face
  • Dark body
  • Clawed hands

Physical Details

Description:

  • Ace of spades hood
  • Orange face
  • Red eyes
  • Green body
  • Pleated skirt-like

The Hover

Not standing:

  • Floated above ground
  • Gliding motion
  • Toward witnesses
  • Hissing sound
  • Terrifying approach

The Smell

Noxious odor:

  • Made them sick
  • Metallic smell
  • Burning sensation
  • Lingered on clothes
  • Caused illness

The Retreat

What happened:

  • Creature approached
  • Witnesses fled
  • Down the hill
  • Pure terror
  • Life-changing

Physical Effects

Aftermath:

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Throat irritation
  • Swelling
  • Doctor visited

The Investigation

Who came:

  • A. Lee Stewart Jr.
  • Newspaper editor
  • Investigated scene
  • Found traces
  • Documented accounts

Physical Evidence

What was found:

  • Skid marks
  • Oily substance
  • Burned grass
  • Strange tracks
  • All documented

The Drawing

Famous image:

  • Kathleen May’s description
  • Illustration made
  • Iconic image
  • Spade head
  • Green body

Air Force Explanation

Official position:

  • Meteor
  • Barn owl
  • Misidentification
  • Case closed
  • Locals disagree

Why Not Owl?

Problems:

  • Size (10 feet)
  • The smell
  • Physical effects
  • Multiple witnesses
  • Coordinated details

The Museum

Current status:

  • Flatwoods Monster Museum
  • Local celebration
  • Anniversary events
  • Chairs shaped like it
  • Tourist attraction

Significance

Multiple witnesses to a 10-foot hovering creature after a UFO landing, with physical effects and evidence.

Legacy

The Flatwoods Monster represents one of America’s strangest encounters—a creature so bizarre and terrifying that witnesses were physically sickened, and no explanation has ever satisfied those who were there.