Something powerful moved through Keokuk County across decades, leaving torn screens, enormous footprints, and witnesses who could never shake the feeling that they were being watched. As more sightings accumulate, the pattern suggests a presence that has been there far longer than anyone realized.

"Lon, I want to tell you about something that happened on New Year's Eve in 1972. I lived in the small town of Delta, Iowa, in Keokuk County. It was about 11:30 PM, and I was lying in front of the TV, dozing off. Suddenly, I woke up with the feeling that someone was watching me. At first, I thought it was one of my brothers playing a joke on me.

Out of nowhere, I heard something walking in the brush next to the house, and then we all heard something howl. Shortly after, whatever it was ripped the window screen from top to bottom. My older brother and I grabbed our shotguns and waited for our parents to come home. When they arrived, they sensed something was wrong and had the neighbors call the police. We lived next to the railroad tracks, and the window that had been torn faced them.

The police said it was just someone on drugs wandering around barefoot in the snow. After they left, I went outside to investigate. I thought the police had messed up the tracks, but I found two footprints. I was able to fit both of my feet into one track with room to spare. I wore a size seven shoe, so those tracks were huge. Our windows were higher than usual, which meant whatever ripped the screen had to be quite tall. It was pretty scary. After that, I spent a lot of time down by the river, trying to figure out what might be out there. Thanks, G"

Another Report to BFRO from Keokuk County, Iowa:

Year: 2010

Season: Summer

Month: June

Date: 16

State: Iowa

County: Keokuk County

Location Details: I live in the Skunk River Valley.

Nearest Town: Ollie

Observed: On June 16, 2010, I was with my friend when I heard the dogs barking loudly. I went to the living room window and looked out; the dogs were running up the driveway that leads west. I saw what appeared to be a prominent figure running down my driveway. It looked like a shadow darker than the tree shadows on the ground and was bigger than a person, but I could not determine its exact height. The next day, another friend and I were walking on my farm when we found a footprint in a cornfield east of my house. We took three pictures of the footprint.

Also noticed: We found one footprint in the mud of our cornfield the next day.

Other Witnesses: One person who thought she saw what I pointed out.

Other Stories: Yes, there was a sighting a few weeks earlier in Jefferson County, which borders my county.

Time and Conditions: It was 3:30 AM on a clear night, and a security light was casting shadows on the tree. What I saw was darker than the tree's shadow.

Environment: A gravel driveway surrounded by woods.

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Follow-Up Investigation Report by BFRO Investigator Adam Newman:

I spoke with the witness by phone and found him to be credible. He discussed his observation without deviating from his original report. The creature he observed was initially standing next to a tree in front of his house, in the shadow of a security light. When the creature turned and ran from this position, the witness could see that it was one solid dark color. It ran on two legs at a high rate of speed. I asked the witness for as much detail as possible and was impressed by his honesty in admitting he could not provide any more.

The next day, the witness and a family member found large, human-like footprints in a nearby cornfield. The prints were estimated to be about 14 inches long, larger than his size 12 shoes. Photographs of the prints were taken with a cell phone camera.

The witness was eager to meet in person to discuss the incident, and we met to talk at length. Unfortunately, the photos were unclear, showing only a depression in the soil.

The witness stated that very loud, powerful screams are often heard in various locations within a few miles of the incident, particularly along the river valley. He vividly remembers one evening sitting at the edge of a field, hearing screams from more than one location, as if in response to one another.

Another incident he related occurred one evening when he and a friend were hunting in a wooded area. They heard rocks being thrown at them; none struck either of them, but it was evident that something was targeting them. They left the area immediately and could not offer a logical explanation.

About three years ago, he and a couple of friends went camping along a stream on the property. He didn't recall anything unusual happening that evening. They left a large fire burning before turning in. While lying awake, a huge shadow passed over their tent. They remained still, unsure of what to do. Shortly after, something shook their tent with considerable force and then left the campsite.

The witness asked many questions about the creature's diet. I responded as honestly as I could, mentioning various plants, nuts, and berries. When I explained that deer could also be a food source, he described a deer kill he had come across where both back legs were violently broken, the skin near the chest was removed, the ribcage was separated, and the internal organs were missing from the area. He found this occurrence disturbing enough to give him nightmares.

The witness is seventeen years old, and this property belongs to his grandparents. He has spoken with them, and they are aware that something unusual is occurring around their property. However, they are unwilling to allow me to conduct an on-site visit.

There have been at least three other separate sightings in the area, and further investigations are ongoing.

Notably, there is a heavily wooded area along the south side of the South Skunk River that locals have referred to as the "Monkey Den" for many years. A small schoolhouse in the area, officially known as "School Number Nine," has also been called the "Monkey Den School" by those who attended in the early 1900s. This nickname originates from people being screamed at by something in the timber for many years. It is suspected that there has been a sasquatch presence along this particular stretch of the South Skunk River Valley for about a hundred years or more.

HAVE YOU OBSERVED OR ENCOUNTERED THE 'CHICAGO MOTHMAN?' PLEASE SEND ME YOUR REPORT! USE THE REPORT LINK LOCATED AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE. THANKS! LON