YEAR: 1988

SEASON: Winter

MONTH: December

DATE: Wednesday

STATE: Missouri

COUNTY: Cass County

LOCATION DETAILS: It was on the dirt road between South Prospect and S Groh road. On the dirt road heading east.

NEAREST TOWN: Cleveland

NEAREST ROAD: Route Y

OBSERVED: I was just 16 years old. My brothers best friend had been over earlier that day/evening. He needed a ride home and I asked my parents if I could take him home. They said yes, so the three of us got into my dad's 1980 Ford Ranger F-150 which was 4 wheel drive and seemed somewhat lifted. I would say the truck stood an easy 6 foot tall.

So, my brothers friend lived about two to three miles from us but off of the dirt/gravel road. It was a clear night and it was pretty dark out at this time. As I rounded the final turn to his house my lights caught something in front of us. This bi-pedal being stood an easy seven foot tall, was covered in light brown fur and jumped into the ditch and on a single leg, jumped the fence to keep cattle in. This was impossible for a person to do. I couldn't believe what I just saw. My brother's friend leaned over and said, did you just see that?? So, all three of us seen bigfoot that night many years ago.

ALSO NOTICED: Not that I can recall. The windows were up because it was cold out, so didn't hear anything prior to the sighting.

OTHER WITNESSES: Yes, two other witnesses. Just being passengers in the truck.

OTHER STORIES: Many, were my brother's friend lived, his dad had seen it at least twice on their own property.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Evening just after dusk.

ENVIRONMENT: Rural, somewhat wooded, and isolated.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Carter Buschardt:

This area is within 25-30 miles of my location and I am quite familiar with it. I had a long conversation with the witness. These are the events as they happened. The witness was headed out from his parent home to take his buddies home. This area is large tracts of farmland, mostly soybean and corn and a good sized river, the Grand river with numerous tributaries. The cab of the truck was 6ft or so, about head high. His friends lived close and there were only three turns to get to his destination which was just a few miles. He saw the creature and it was walking along the road on the same side he was driving. As soon as his headlights hit it, it took a half turn towards a fence line.

The creature stepped into the ditch (18 inches to 2 ft. deep). As he stated it jumped on one leg (right leg) and cleared the barbed wire fence. Fence is around 4 ft. tall so this was a jump of 6 ft. on one leg. He was driving about 20-25 miles per hour since they were slowing anyway as they approached the house. He used the truck height to gauge the height of the creature.

Description: "7ft tall at least give or take & light brown or dirty blond hair, not fur". Total length of sighting was 3-5 seconds max. He said nothing and just kept driving, thinking he was the only one who saw it. As he stated, his brothers friend asked " Did you just see that"?. None of them wanted to be the first to admit to the others they had just seen "something" but they all DID see it.

Witness is now retired military and the event is as fresh as if it happened last week. This area has numerous other reported sightings over the last several decades, and there are conservation areas and ample habitat.

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.