YEAR: 2005

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: December

DATE: 12

STATE: West Virginia

COUNTY: Tyler County

LOCATION DETAILS: Southeast of Sistersville WV. Along county road 3 miles from the Ohio River.

NEAREST TOWN: Sistersville

NEAREST ROAD: State Rt. 18

OBSERVED: I was out for a ride on road bicycle and had to stop on the side of the road to take a nature break. The section of road where I took my break had woods on both sides of the road. The right side of the road where I was stopped at was at the base of a banked hill.

The opposite side of the road dropped down into a valley where a creek ran through it. There were no houses close in the area, and I was really out in the country. As I was taking my break all the sudden this rock goes flying across the road in the air about 15 ft off to my right shoulder. I just caught it going through the air out of the corner of my eye.

I turned just in time to look across the road and see it land on the other side of the road. I looked up the hill to see who could have been throwing it, but could not see anyone. The hill had a very steep slope to it and most of the leaves had fallen off the trees, so it was easy to see deep into the woods.

Getting a weird feeling I finished my business, and got back on the pedals and left the area. I heard no sounds, nor did I did smell any orders. But the location I was at no one could have seen me coming and climb this hill fast enough to get out of my line of sight. of sight.

OTHER WITNESSES: None

OTHER STORIES: NO

TIME AND CONDITIONS: cloudy, about 14:00 Hours

ENVIRONMENT: wooded area, creek, rolling mountain ranges

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Stephen Willis:

Contacted the witness on 29 Dec 05. He stated that the rock throwing incident was unusual for two reasons. There were no other people or vehicles along the road he traveled; and the rock was the size of his hand. He saw the rock travelling in an arc, about 12 feet off the ground at the apogee.

I asked if there were any rocky outcroppings which the rock may have fallen off. He stated the hillside, while steep, was coverd with the normal duff found in a hardwood forest. There were no outcroppings visible and the hillside leveled off above the embankment.

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.