YEAR: 2005

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: September

DATE: May 30 & Oct 1-19

STATE: West Virginia

COUNTY: Barbour County

LOCATION DETAILS: Rt. 250 north between Belington and Philippi, Two miles from US 250

NEAREST TOWN: Philippi

NEAREST ROAD: Three miles

OBSERVED: I am a carpenter, self-employed; at times my job will be many miles away from my home. When I take one of these it fits my life style perfectly because I enjoy camping, so there is a perfectly good reason to be in my favorite place the great outdoors.

This summer while at my tent home there was many times this strange sound could be heard. It was not like any I had heard before. The sound would awaken me, always after midnight. My camp sight was in a low part of a meadow.

When I was awakened by the moans, I noticed the sound was one following the next ( moannnnnnn -- 1234-- moannnnnnn --- 1234 --- moannnnnnnn. The long hours I worked kept me from looking for any tracks, the weather had been very dry this summer.

The camp was hidden under four trees in which had low hanging branches. Near by perhaps three hundred yards was a large forest. One day I went down a near by road which took me to the Tygart Valley River, nearly two miles away from camp. This was new to me. The forest and large rocks were on both sides of the road. There were no sounds during the day. A number of times there would be walking sounds near camp at night. I saw nothing with my flashlight.

OTHER WITNESSES: None

OTHER STORIES: No. I only know one family close to this area. They have told me of chickins coming up missing rather often.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: The several times the long moanings took place were after midnight. The weather was warm and dry.

ENVIRONMENT: A large field half surounded by a rather dense forest of mixed trees, old logging and gas well roads. There was one small home of an old man and nothing more but some small cabins beside the river.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Stephen Willis:

The sounds were heard over a long period of time while the witness camped near his jobsite. He occasionally heard wood knocking and the sounds of bipedal walking trailing him along the woodline. The source of the footfalls always remained out of sight, just behind vegetation.

There is abundant game in the area as deer, bear, turkey, and squirrel are seen around the camp. He has not told anyone living near the area about the sounds he experienced. Coyotes are seen and heard in the Tygart River valley. He had listened to the sound recordings on the BFRO website but any distant sounds may have been coyotes.

He searched the internet for Sasquatch information following his experience and discovered the BFRO webpage. Speaking to an investigator was a relief to the witness. He had nobody to talk with about the incident near his home in Elkins, WV.

About BFRO Investigator Stephen Willis:

Grew up in central West Virginia. Retired from the US Army in 2003. Small manufacturing business owner. Lived for almost 7 years in Germany and 1.5 years in the Mideast.