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YEAR: 2018
SEASON: Winter
MONTH: January
DATE: 29
STATE: Missouri
COUNTY: Clinton County
LOCATION DETAILS: It was on I-35 South around mile marker 3738 I later found out there is a state park there called Wallace State Park that I had just passed and it was a couple miles it seem like from that place
NEAREST TOWN: Holt
NEAREST ROAD: I35 south
OBSERVED: I was driving on I-35 southbound going around a curve I was driving my semi when I saw kinda forward a very tall brown mass was walking on two legs from the grassy area by the road way, it took 3 steps into the woods. It happened so fast within seconds and it was gone.
ALSO NOTICED: I reported it to the highway patrol I told the lady I talked to on the phone that I had saw this and so I reported it I asked her if they've had any sightings ever in that area she said no I asked her are there bears in Missouri she said no there's only mountain lions sometimes occasionally
OTHER WITNESSES: I'm not sure if any of the cars behind me saw it but I was thinking that in my mind I wonder if any of these people saw it but I didn't notice anyone pulling over
OTHER STORIES: I was trying to go online and see if there's any sightings there I was talking to my cousin when I was telling them what I saw he was online looking at the state park and he said he found some info that somebody had sited a Bigfoot around that State Park in 1992
TIME AND CONDITIONS: 4:15 pm sunny no clouds
ENVIRONMENT: It was a wooded environment I didn't see any houses or anything else my semi was in the lead there was no cars in front of me they're only cars behind me and when I saw it there wasn't anything there to make it walk into the woods but I think my semi startled it I was still a ways away
Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Brian R. Woods:
When I spoke with the witness, it had only been about 24 hours since the sighting took place.
The witness was traveling southbound on Interstate 35, between Cameron and Holt, Missouri. It was approximately 4:15 pm on January 29, 2018. Sunset was still nearly an hour away (5:36), and temperatures hovered near 30° F. As his truck entered a gradual highway curve to the left, his eyes locked on a large, tall, brown “mass" moving in front of a treeline ahead. For several seconds, as his truck barreled closer, he got an increasingly clearer view of this large mass, that quite obviously, was standing on two legs, walking. In our phone conversation, I asked him for more details on the movements. He said it was almost like it was “marching", but with a bilateral bend at the knees. We talked about it being similar to how humans walk up a steep incline, with knees bent. He described the sasquatch as seeming deceptively slow, despite the large area it covered with each step.
By the time his truck arrived to where the sasquatch had been standing, it had slipped into the trees, and vanished from sight completely. As he whisked past the spot, he scanned the trees, but saw nothing. With traffic not far behind him, he was unable to reduce his speed safely for a better look. It's likely that the other drivers did not see the sasquatch, as he sits higher up in his truck than most other vehicles. After a few seconds of amazement, the witness began taking careful note of his current location, the time, visual landmarks, etc. He assessed that he had been right at mile marker 35. The town of Holt, Missouri was just ahead.
The witness estimates that the figure had to be around 10 feet tall in order for him to catch a glimpse from the original distance. The size, along with the consistent brown color that covered it's body were strong indicators, in his mind, that this was not a person. There were no vehicles parked along the highway, and no sign of any road crew. Later that same day, the witness researched the area, and noted that just to the north of his sighting was Wallace State Park. Twisting creeks frequently come close to the Interstate for miles, with wooded areas concealing hills and the periphery of pastures. On the 31st of January, the day after I spoke to the witness, I drove to the same area. I wanted to retrace that portion of his drive, and have a better idea of the immediate landscape. I also visited Wallace State Park, which I am familiar with.
Concerning the Highway Patrol's claim that there are no bears in Missouri, that's actually not true. According to Missouri Black Bear Project, there are black bears in south and central Missouri. Northern counties in the state are not on the department's radar, though, for bear populations.
The witness remarked that his “mind was blown” from the experience, and he was so intrigued and energized by what he saw, he hardly slept that night. He replayed the events in his mind, and carefully considered common explanations that might take the mystique out of the sighting. He confidently stands by what he has reported. He accepts that some will be skeptical, as he was, and we talked about how there are very few other experiences that are relatable to seeing something that we are told doesn’t exist. I found the witness to be consistent with details, well spoken, and just as amazed as anyone else would be.
About BFRO Investigator Brian R. Woods:
Brian is a former Emergency Medical Technician, as well as an outdoor enthusiast, and proud Scouting father. He's been a lifelong resident of the Midwest, surrounded by many miles of Missouri forests, waterways, and wildlife.