Geographical Index > United States > Texas > Matagorda County > Report # 8832
(Class B)
Submitted on Friday, June 11, 2004.
While driving, young woman has afternoon sighting near South Texas Project.
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YEAR: 2004
SEASON: Spring MONTH: June DATE: 6/9/04 STATE: Texas COUNTY: Matagorda County NEAREST TOWN: Bay City OBSERVED: My grandaughter was driving and spotted a man in a field where men are never seen as it is flood for rice. She went back to see what he was doing. As this is a very senstive area due to 9/11. As he came closer she could see he was huge, then she could see the hair he was covered with. He was bending over as if looking for something doing this several times she was still at good distance. She knew no one would believe her so she took several pictures. Two of which came out. One coming and the other going away after she honked her horn. We think these pictures could be of great interest. They were just taken Wednesday [June 9, 2004]. Thanks for your time.
OTHER STORIES: yes TIME AND CONDITIONS: Daylight around 2:30 pm
Follow-up investigation report:
The original report was submitted by the witness’s grandmother. Since investigators were able to meet with and interview the witness in person, this report is a Class A.
Investigators from the BFRO met with the witness, her mother, and representatives of two local law enforcement agencies at 2:00 PM on 19 June 2004. Investigators noted that the area is sparsely populated and within a few miles of a wildlife management area. Directly adjacent to the rice field is approximately 5,000 acres of heavily wooded, private land that abuts the Colorado River. A nature reserve is adjacent to the rice field on the opposite side from the wooded, private land. Of additional interest, a nuclear power plant is not far away. Permission to access the rice field had been obtained by one of the officers, who unlocked the gate for the vehicles. Three hours were spent on site.
The witness’s photographs were immediately presented following introductions and exchanges of contact information. The witness said she noticed something odd in the field as she drove past the field ten days earlier. She turned around and observed what appeared to be a large bipedal creature apparently searching through the mud and/or shallow water. She stopped and took some pictures through her car window (the unknown subject is shown circled in red). The photographs and negatives were loaned to the investigators for further examination.
Both law enforcement officials subsequently investigated the sighting and discovered large humanlike tracks in an area of the rice field identified by the witness.
The field was later flood irrigated, but many of the tracks remained visible. One of the officers, a tracker who had also worked three years as a government trapper, relocated some of the footprints for the team. The tracks measured approximately fifteen inches by six and one half inches; the step interval (heel to heel) was about thirty-six inches.
As described by the officers, the tracks came from and returned to a 5,000 acre parcel of forested private property adjacent to the back of the field. Neither officer had previously approached the fence; there was no evidence of human disturbance. The fence at the probable point of entrance/exit was examined for hairs, but none were found. An earlier request for permission to enter this land had been refused.
What appeared to be part of a single track was observed in the earth sloping up to the fence from the field border. It looked like the front part of a track and measured about six inches in width by about eight inches in length. The print depression, which measured three inches in depth, had accumulated a few leaves. The leaves were removed to better photograph the print, revealing that the bottom of the print included a leaf which had been firmly flattened and pressed into place.
Attempts were made to recreate the witness’s photographs, with her assistance, using the same kind of disposable Kodak camera used by the witness.
Scans and microscopic examinations of the film did not reveal significant additional detail. Comparisons of a witness photo with a recreation photo were hampered by the poor quality of the images imposed by the constraints of the optics at the distance involved.
Nevertheless, the human subject (left half of the recreation photo) shows clothing edges, blocks of color, and skin tones. The unknown subject appears to be uniformly grayish in color. The size of the unknown subject is difficult to assess, but it does not appear that the part which is visible is larger than the 5’ 8” human.
A local crop consultant has informed investigators that there is a possibility that he was in the field on the day of the incident with chaps and rubber boots on. That being said, the track found at the fence line seemed to indicate that something with toes, a very wide foot, and a lot of weight walked up the bank. In addition, the crop consultant stated that he had no memory of any cars pulling up to the gate or honking the horn.
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