YEAR: 1970

SEASON: Spring

MONTH: May

DATE: 15

STATE: Virginia

COUNTY: Loudoun County

LOCATION DETAILS: NEAR OLD MERRITT FARM

NEAREST TOWN: PURCELLVILLE VA

NEAREST ROAD: ROUT 722

OBSERVED: IN MAY 1970 MY BUDDY AND I WERE RIDING IN HIS 1957 WILLIES JEEP IN THE W&O RAILROAD TRACK IN PURCELLVILLE, VA ABOUT TEN PM WHEN WE ENCOUNTERED A LARGE BIPEDAL ANIMAL CROSSING THE TRACKS APROX 70 TO 100 YARDS IN FRONT OF US. IT TOOK ABOUT THREE STEPS TO CLEAR APPOX. 30 FT FROM SHOULDER TO SHOULDER ACROSS THE TRACKS. THE ANIMAL LOOKED ROUGHLY 7 TO 8 FEET TALL, COVERED IN REDISH GREY HAIR. IT HAD LONG ARMS, LONG LEGS, BROAD SHOULDERS, AND NO DISERNABLE NECK. AS IT GLANCED A LOOK AT OUR VEHICLE I COULD TELL THE CREATURES FACE WAS APE LIKE IN NATURE. THIS ALL HAPPENED VRY FAST. MY BUDDY AND I LOOKED AT EACH OTHR IN ASTONISHMENT, SLAMMED THE JEEP IN REVERSE, AND GOT THE HELL OUT OF THERE!

OTHER WITNESSES: 2 WITNESSES, JUST HANGING OUT DRIVING ON THE RAILROAD TRACKS

TIME AND CONDITIONS: APPROX. 10PM DARK BUT CLEAR

ENVIRONMENT: BRIARS AND BRUSH ON EACH SIDE OF THE TRACKS AND FARMLAND AND SOME WOODS

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator R. Monteith:

I spoke with the witness several times on the phone. He is a very credible, well-known family business owner. The interesting thing about this report is that it wasn’t until many years later he realized what his encounter was with. In 1970, both teenagers at the time in rural Virginia had never heard of bigfoot.

During the end of his senior year in Loudoun Valley High School, the witness and his friend would occasionally joy ride on the train tracks. His friend’s jeep tires fit perfectly on top the tracks. One night while driving they saw a large, dark, hairy creature cross the tracks diagonally toward them, about 70 – 100 yards ahead. The creature was very fast, crossing across the entire track area in 2 – 3 steps.

Area where teens witnessed the crossing:



The boys, being in an open vehicle and not knowing what they just saw were very scared. They stopped the vehicle and reversed as fast as they could to the next road crossing. The witness laughed as he described how the tires had fallen off the tracks in their haste, and how they bumped all the way back.

In describing the animal’s build he said it was lean and very athletic. The witness compared it to American Swimmer Michael Phelps' body.

The bigfoot crossed the tracks left to right, coming from a wooded area heading towards a very large local farm. The farm grew corn and raised cows.

He observed the following in the headlights.

- It was 7 - 8 feet high.
- It was a reddish brown – with some gray in color.
- It had very long arms, long legs and broad shoulders.
- It had no discernible neck.
- It had a short forehead, and appeared “ape like” in face.
- The hair was thick – he could not see skin.
- It did not seem to look at them.

About BFRO Investigator R. Monteith:

Re Monteith has had a life-long interest in Bigfoot and has an extensive background in outdoor land and ocean survival as well as mountaineering. She has tran-sailed the Atlantic, backpacked in remote places throughout the world and has climbed three of the seven summits. She studied International Relations at Florida International University, and is a Financial and Real Estate Consultant. She has participated in many private expeditions as well as the 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2015 BFRO North Florida Expeditions and the 2013 BFRO UP Michigan & Alabama Expedition. She also organized Florida's 2017 Town Hall Meeting. She was an Executive Producer of the documentary film, "Skunk Ape Lives" and featured as a Crypto Expert on The Science Channel's television show, Strange Evidence for seasons 2 - 5.