YEAR: 1997

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: September

DATE: 12

STATE: Missouri

COUNTY: Lawrence County

LOCATION DETAILS: I was halfway between Marionville and Aurora driving east..some traffic..saw something move at edge of tree line. it was off to my left. North of the road.. actually it looked like it was climbing up a tree or coming down a tree... did NOT know what I saw...but as soon as possible I pulled over and turned around and went back and it was gone..so I went home and drew a sketch of it...and forgot about it...I did not have internet then...when the Bigfoot programs started I watched them and that is when I knew what I had seen... actually it was difficult to draw..I couldn't get the head right and it seem to not have a neck..I think the head was kind of pointed? not round..

NEAREST TOWN: between Marionville and Aurora

NEAREST ROAD: on 60 highway

OBSERVED: I am 70 years old and have only started to tell a few people ...They either say I am lying or don't know what I saw...they just laugh..I used to drive truck and have seen lots of wild life..I have been in 48 states and lots of Canada. My son has seen them down by the lake..table rock, cape fair area.. he hunts and fishes a lot..

ALSO NOTICED: I seemed to have long hair on its arms and legs and a funny shaped head...

OTHER WITNESSES: I was alone that day...

OTHER STORIES: I have looked it up and there have been sightings in Lawrence Co...

TIME AND CONDITIONS: clear around 4 or 5 in the afternoon the sun was at my back I was driving east.

ENVIRONMENT: This is farm country..lots of peach and apple orchards..lots of streams and ponds and wild life...I have seen bears in the area..It was to big for a black bear..this was at the edge of a grove of trees, close to lots of trees, ponds, small game..bridges (train tracks)

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Carter Buschardt:

Spoke with witness via phone. She was driving northeast from Aurora, Mo. to Marionville Missouri, mid November 1997. Speed was about 50 MPH or less because of 2 lane country highway. She saw the creature off to the left of the highway (2 lane) appx 150 ft. away. It was under a grove of trees and her initial impression was it was reaching up for a branch to climb up the tree, but it could have as easily been coming down. It's right arm had a hold of a branch and the arm was fully extended over its head. The right leg was also raised up in a climbing position. The creature was "darker than the tree" but she did not want to say it was black, but more of a very dark brown. The creature had much longer hair flowing off the back of its arm and leg than the rest of the body. Estimate of the body hair was a few inches long, but the hair on the backs of arm and leg were "flowing" so it would be in the 10-12 inch range. The creature had no neck and a conical head. Estimate of height would be in the 8 ft. range minimum. She is 5ft tall and she estimated she would have come up to its waist or stomach area. Next to the grove of trees was a cattle ranch, and she said "this thing dwarfed the cattle" and these were Charolais cattle, which are actually a good sized breed. It was muscular and firm. As she mentioned, when she saw it, she turned around and went back, because she really had no idea what she had just seen. When she got back to the site, it was gone. When she got home, she tried to draw it but the "head just kept coming out wrong". She was trying to draw what she saw but "her mind kept making the head round" and it was not round. It "came to a point" and she agreed that conical was a perfect description. She did not have internet at the time, as she and her husband were truckers and did not have internet because they were always gone and had no use for it. Once the TV show came out she then realized exactly what she saw. No doubt in her mind whatsoever. She has moved several times since the sighting and has lost the drawing, but could draw it again today. The creature had its back to her the entire time so there is no facial description. She is retired, just turned 71. As she mentioned, she told a few folks and they scoffed at her, so she has kept it to herself until now. "At 71, I have nothing to hide and nothing to lose, so if people don't believe me, tough". Her recollection of the event was clear as a bell, as if it happened yesterday. I have no reason to doubt her story.

About BFRO Investigator Carter Buschardt:

Carter is originally from Texas & moved to Missouri in 1988. Professional drummer for 20 years. Improv & sketch comic and writer for 5 years. Lighting technician for major touring groups for several years. Experienced outdoorsman and was a trained investigator for MUFON. Studied Herpetology in college. Longtime special interest in Sasquatch long term habituation, burial research, infra sound, language & stick structures. He led three Missouri BFRO Public Expeditions:, 2012 & 2013 & 2014. Led public expedition for BFRO in Illinois in 2019.Participated in Iowa, 2012 Illinois. Michigan 2016. Private Expeditions: Illinois 2011, 2012, 2013. Missouri 2011, 2012 (3) 2013(2) 2014. Iowa 2012, 2014 & 2015. Consulted on two Animal Planet Finding Bigfoot TV shows. Expedition leader in Missouri 2013 (1) & 2014 (2) & Illinois Expedition 2019 (1). Led night ops on numerous BFRO expeditions. Hosted a public Town Hall meeting in Missouri in 2017.