YEAR: Since 1996

SEASON: Spring

DATE: All year long

STATE: Alabama

COUNTY: St. Clair County

LOCATION DETAILS: I-59 to exit 174 into Steele

NEAREST TOWN: Steele

NEAREST ROAD: Canoe Creek Rd.

OBSERVED: See investigator comments below.

ENVIRONMENT: Hardwoods, pine, undergrowth, and streams

Follow-up investigation report:

There were four witnesses in this report but I only got to talk to the two main witnesses. These events happened at D.B.'s residence. They were just teenagers when all this first started with them back in 1997. D.B. and R.E. have been friends for three years at least.

D.B. first had an encounter when they went to camp out in the woods about 1500 yds. from their house. He and three other friends were going back to get more gear they left at the RXR tracks. Being dark, D.B. heard a noise and turned his flashlight towards it. He saw something go into the squat position and looked like it was rubbing its eye's. He said it had came from a hut and after he saw it, he told his friends to run as he was running past them. After they composed themselves, they still camped out that night, but no one would go out the tents the rest of the night.

On another occasion, D.B. was walking home from the woods and felt like something was watching him. He turned and saw this thing hide behind some weeds and bushes about twenty yds. behind him, but he could still see it from the chest up. It had black hair and skin color, a rounded head, and square shoulders and jaw. He said he could also see ears but they were laid back.

Later, R.E. heard the cat making some noise at the corner of the porch. He went to check on the cat when he saw a tall figure standing in the front yard. He said it was about six foot tall and told D.B. to get something to help him with. They had chased it back towards the woods and saw it jump across the RXR tracks. At this point, they felt like they were going into its territory and decided not to pursue.

There was also one night when the dog sounded like it was hurt and they went to check on him. They found the dog lying on the ground and could see again a tall figure standing behind a tree. The dog got away and when they checked him out, they found scratches across the belly like something had raked him. They also said during all these events they could hear growls and something walking around.

In another encounter, R.E. and D.B. were walking the RXR tracks in the late afternoon when they saw something leap from a tree about 50 ft. up. It went across the RXR tracks and landed at the base of another tree. As it jumped from the first tree they estimated it was 6ft. tall. It went into a ball, then grabbed the base of the second tree.