Texas Bigfoot Research Conservancy

Investigator's Comments

Ken Stewart

This investigation was conducted as a result of an incident that allegedly occurred near the Sabine River in Vernon Parish in September 1995.

The witness is a former military pilot with an extensive number of flying hours. Being a pilot myself, I can attest that military pilots are very keen in observing and evaluating their surrounding environment. I interviewed the witness at length both by phone and in person and found him to be extremely credible. He and his son met me at the nearby airport and drove me to the location, which is approximately two and one-half miles east of the Sabine River and ten miles southeast of the Toledo Bend Reservoir. He reenacted the drive and described some additional details of the incident.

The witness recalled that the incident occurred at dusk which would have been about 7:30 PM. While driving a sedan with headlights on, he was traveling at or under the speed limit; the observation lasted about five seconds. He commented that he could still see the countryside without headlights.

The subject was squatting with the left arm extended outward from the body towards the road and appeared to be supporting the torso’s weight. The body was facing away from the car. The torso was hunched over and was approximately parallel to the ground. The witness described the position as being similar to a crouched football lineman in a three-point stance. The subject appeared to be using its right hand for either digging or eating something on the ground -- the witness could not tell specifically what it was doing due to the angle of its body relative to the passing car.

As the car approached, the witness noticed the subject’s head was turned toward the car; the head and eyes pivoted and tracked the car as it passed. Of particular note to the witness was the reflection of the subject’s eyes, which he recalled as being amber or gold. The witness stated that the color was the same as a Rottweiler that he once owned. I reviewed our sightings database and found that a gold or yellow shine is common with a number of reported night sightings.

The witness emphasized with certainty that the animal was not a man, bear or a chimpanzee. He pointed out that one of his relatives once owned a chimp and that he was very familiar with their appearance.

He stated that the subject was close to the edge of the highway and that a passenger would have been able to reach out and slap its head as the car passed it.

The witness estimated the subject to be about six and one-half feet tall with a medium build, weighing approximately 250 pounds. He described the color as dark brown or black. He was uncertain about the length of hair on the body but thought the hair on top of the head was relatively short. Also, he believed there was facial hair. When asked about the shape of the head, he described a pointed skull appearance. This description fits that of sagittal crest which are present on robust great apes like gorillas and orangutans. The witness could not recollect seeing the subject’s feet or hands.

The witness said he was prompted to submit his report after seeing a TV documentary on the subject and reading a similar Sabine Parish sighting report from the TBRC website. That reported sighting occurred in September 1998 and involved an alleged bigfoot sitting on the side of the road and apparently killing an animal. When he read the report, he stated the hair stood up on his arms and the back of his neck because of the similarities.

After my on-site interview with the witness, I conducted an aerial reconnaissance of the surrounding area, noting that pine and hardwood forest is abundant around and between the sighting location, and the nearby Sabine River.

The Texas Bigfoot Research Conservancy has investigated three reported incidents approximately ten to fifteen miles east of this location. In addition, there have been numerous reports in the Sabine River basin.

I could discern no deception on the part of the witness. To the contrary, my assessment is that he was telling the truth and that he believes that he did in fact encounter a form of wildlife that he could not readily identify. My firsthand and extensive evaluation of the witness only strengthened the veracity of the report. So, in conclusion, the strength of the witness, and a history of similar observations in the area suggest to me that this report is reliable and likely factual in nature.