YEAR: 2001

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: July

DATE: 27

STATE: Michigan

COUNTY: Cass County

LOCATION DETAILS: (edited)

NEAREST TOWN: Dowagiac

NEAREST ROAD: (edited)

OBSERVED: My friend and I were sitting in my basement watching T.V. when our pet goose started to make weird noises. we went outside and heard sticks and branches breaking, so we went inside and each grabbed flashlights. we saw a animal across the street from our house and we came closer. We were about 30 feet away and saw it was in the woods crouching down (sitting like a dog). We both noticed that it had long grayish brown hair, orange eyes, a big chest, and it looked like an above average ape or gorilla. every time we would take our lights off of it, it would move around looking nervous. when our flashlights were on the animal, it would freeze like a statue. After about 10 minutes of looking at it across the street in the ditch right on the line of the woods, our flashlights were starting to get dim, so we went inside to get my car keys so I could put my headlights on him. It took me approx. 20 seconds to get the keys and get back outside, by that time he was gone.

ALSO NOTICED: when the goose started to get upset, we went outside to hear a bunch of sticks and branches breaking.

OTHER WITNESSES: Just the 2 of us. (note: It came up during investigation that there is a probable 3rd witness. A car drove by during their sighting, and has been back in the area recently driving slowly, as though looking for something. It is not believed that the driver knows that there were these other witnesses. The family is watching for the car and will try to talk to the driver.)

OTHER STORIES: Have heard about the Sister Lakes Monster. Sister Lakes is right down the street from me.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: It was 2:30 a.m., it was dark and the weather was clear

ENVIRONMENT: (edited)

Follow-up investigation report:

I spoke with the Witness (age 23) and he related the encounter easily and with much detail. He said that he and his friend told the rest of the family about it the next morning, and that his mother was quite concerned. I also spoke with her. Both she and her son are very credible, and are agreeable to me making a brief on-site inspection at some future time.

In speaking with them both, another aspect of the encounter came out that was not included in the original report. As the son and his friend were watching the BF, a car drove by. Since then, the same car (from appearances) has been seen driving slowly down the road as if looking for something. The witness and his family are trying to be ready if the car drives by again so they can talk to the driver. They do not believe the driver knows that they saw the BF also.