YEAR: 1990

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: October

DATE: 10-20-90

STATE: Michigan

COUNTY: Isabella County

LOCATION DETAILS: Specific directions are edited, but about 2-3 mile east of Soaring Eagle Casino, off M-20.

NEAREST TOWN: Mt. Pleasant, Mi.

NEAREST ROAD: (edited)

OBSERVED: After remaining quiet about this for over ten yrs, here is what happened to us.
My wife and I and 10-yr-old daughter were at a birthday party at (edited). We were the last to leave. We backed out of the drive, lights still off so as to not flash them into the neighbor's trailer. As I headed towards M-20, I reached for the lights... at the same time, we all spotted a large striding figure approaching the road from the east.
The fluid motion of the creature stunned me and I only managed to turn on the parking lights before it took two strides and passed directly in front of the car. I had jammed on the brakes and came to a stop.
In three more strides the creature stood across the road where a trail led into the woods (behind the church on the corner). It's eyes glowed green at us as it paused to stare a moment, and then turned into the woods.
Stunned, we sat frozen, and then someone said "floor it...". I did, and we stoppped at the intersection and looked at each other. I turned the lights on and we agreed we had all seen "something", but would discuss it later.
The creature stood between 6'5" and 7'5" tall, was dark brown in color, had course hair, and a rounded head. The massive ARMS swung at its sides as it walked and it's strides were nearly 8 feet apart. I later measured the site and estimated the strides.
We all agreed on the color, height, eye color, head, and strides. It's left hand had been placed on the hood of the car as we surprised this animal...it hurried to cross the road...it's hand was at the level of the hood.
So as to not collaborate a story, we all wrote down what we had seen and then compared...that was two weeks later.
This was no fabrication, and no halucination. What stirred us from our silence was a report for this county a few years ago, listed here on your site under Isabella Co., Mi., we heard it on the radio and were amazed. The site they reported, on Leaton Road, was only two miles away from our encounter site.
Their report was dismissed as "unreliable", but the coincidence was too strong. I have a degree in Sociology and Anthropology from Central Michigan University, and I DID NOT take our incident lightly.

P.S. Incidently, the trail leading into the woods follows a power line clearing that skirts houses all the way to Leaton Rd., and then crosses to the north. Is this coincidental also?

ALSO NOTICED: It turned and stared at us for a good ten seconds... it's motions were clearly bipedal, not bear-like or otherwise, and in fact, it was an experience of both fear, and beauty.

OTHER WITNESSES: Two, riding with me in the car...daughter in back seat leaning forward on our seats...wife in front seat...NO ALCOHOL or DRUGS in ANY of us!

OTHER STORIES: Yes, two miles east, on Leaton Rd., Isabella co., Mich., as I found on your site and as reported on our local news. Several years ago.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: 11 pm, weather clear, no fog, no rain. Starlight, no moon.

ENVIRONMENT: Typical eastern woodlands, no pines nearby, just saplings near the roadside, and a forest of younger maples, birch, cottonwoods, etc.

Follow-up investigation report:

Follow up with this witness went well. Even though I know exactly where the site is, we will be meeting soon to take a look together. With the sighting being almost twelve years old, the on-site inspection is more social than scientific, especially because we only live about thirteen miles from each other. Any updates or revisions will be posted.