Bigfoot Encounters
Ripley, Jackson County, West Virginia
June 14, 2006
Approx 7:00p.m. Clear & warm night
Location: West of Interstate 77.
Near the junction of Highway 21 and Dog Fork Creek Road.
General Land Use Description: Rural residential area with small farms along the creeks. Mountain foothills.
Nearest Lakes or Streams: Dog Fork Creek nearby, 20 miles east of the Ohio River.
Witness Profile: 28 year old married female resident of the area.
Activities of Witness Prior to Encounter/Incident: Searching for a missing dog.
Details of Encounter/Incident: The family's young Beagle had left the yard during the afternoon and began chasing a rabbit on the hillside behind the home. The dog had not returned at sunset, and the witness thought the dog might be lost. About twilight she drove up the hill using a road which followed a pipe line. She stopped the vehicle at a point below a wide ledge or "bench" which was about 200 yards below the crest of a ridge.
She got out of the vehicle and started calling and whistling for the dog. After a few minutes she heard something crashing through the brush as it ran off the ridge toward her. As she stood there she saw a white or grey human-like form running out of the brush and onto the ledge above her. The creature stopped on the back side of the ledge so that she could only see the upper part of its body. It then moved along the ledge until it was concealed about 35 yards from her. At that time the animal emitted a deep, powerful noise that became a load scream. The sound terrified the witness, and she turned to get in the vehicle. When she did she saw the animal run back into the brush on the hillside. She listened as the animal crashed through the brush, and she watched as it broke into the open just behind the crest of the ridge. The animal then stopped, looked at her and repeated the sounds it had just made. At that time the witness was shaking so badly she could barely get back in the vehicle, and when she did, had trouble starting and driving the vehicle off the hill.
When she got home she found the Beagle on the front porch. She then called her Stepmother and told her what had happened. The witness's stepmother immediately called this investigator.
Description of Animal: The witness only saw the animal's upper body since it was on the ledge above her when first seen, and was behind the crest of the hill the second time. All that she could tell about it was its upper body was not much larger than her own, and that it was a solid white or greyish color, moved through the brush with great speed and much noise. At all times the animal was standing or running erect on two feet. She stated the upper portion of the body she was able to see was about three and one-half feet in height.
Description of Related Sounds: The witness stated that the sounds made by the animal were unlike any that she had ever heard directly, or heard on TV or movies. She could only say that the sounds started with a loud guttural noise and ended in a deep scream.
Other Details: About 8:00pm CST on June 16, 2006 the writer talked to the witness by telephone and confirmed that her account of the event was the same as that given me by her stepmother. Family members are reportedly returning to the site on Saturday, June 17, 2006 to see if that might obtain hair samples from the brush through which the animal traveled during the incident.
Historical Notes: This area has generated numerous enigmatic animal reports. Two such reports are referenced above.
Report recorded by:
Tal H. Branco, Field Researcher/Investigator, The RFP Research Project
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