YEAR: 1979

SEASON: Winter

MONTH: December

STATE: Georgia

COUNTY: Richmond County

LOCATION DETAILS: US Army Signal School-Fort Gordon-Small Arms Impact Area. This was in a ravine where a spring fed rill forms the headwaters of South Prong Creek. It is the center branch of three which form the creek.

OBSERVED: While preparing to check inside the brush that ringed the stream inlet area, a large man/ape creature,10' to 10'6" tall (estimated weight 1100 lbs.) approached me with an unhurried pace at a distance of approximently 20 feet. The body except for the Face and Palms of the hands were covered with neat short (one inch)dark brown to black hair flecked with gray hair. The attitude was not especially threatening. It was more like a positive defensive move.The face was rather like a Gorilla(Dark skin and Dark deep set eyes, the head sloped back and was neanerthal shaped, had no eyebrows,prominent lips but not protruding, jutting square chin, no ears or teeth were seen,prominent nostrils slight nose (not flat like a gorilla) and an aged look to the face. The body was all big boned muscle, no body fat and had thick arms and legs. It made no vocal sounds and I did not notice any odor. I backed out of the ring of brush and walked quicky back to my truck. It did not pursue me!

ALSO NOTICED: A footprint measuring 22 inches in length,the heel width of 6" with the ball width 9",was found.The toes went on an angle but evenly straight in line. Numerous piles of sand approximently 3 gallon size,were on the flat ground of the open ravine floor outside the brush. Roughly 20 to 30 piles which were checked to see if they were ant hills, upon kicking a few of them, there were no ants. A vomit pile was also found which looked like it may have contained deer skin with hair attached , egg corns not well chewed. A stool pile of deerskin,egg corns,and tree bark was also found. A tree with bark stripped from it approximently 8 to 10 feet high was noticed.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Approximately 2:00 pm.

ENVIRONMENT: A draw or ravine with hills along each side which were covered with dead( dormant) grass one foot tall and scattered scrub oak brush on the hills/des. the floor of the ravine.Which was fairly flat and open except for a tight ring of brush around the stream.Inside the brush the area was clear around the stream except for a small tree here and there. Elevation of the stream 380' and surrounding hills 500'

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Matthew Moneymaker:

Painting by artist in collaboration with the eyewitness:

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