September 12th marks the anniversary of one of the most legendary and mysterious encounters in American cryptid history—the night the Flatwoods Monster was first seen. Known as one of West Virginia’s most iconic cryptid stories, the event sparked decades of speculation, fear, and fascination. While many people are familiar with the original encounter, there are many other lesser-known stories that add even more intrigue to this chilling legend.
On September 12, 1952, around 7:00 PM on a Friday evening, a group of young boys consisting of Eugene Lemon (17), Neil Nunley (14), Eddie May (13), Freddie May (10), and Ronnie Shaver (10) were playing football on the lawn of Flatwoods Elementary School. Suddenly, they saw what they described as a fireball streaking across the sky before appearing to land on a nearby hilltop just past the Fisher Farm. Unsure if it was a meteorite, a plane crash, or something else, the boys ran to Eddie and Freddie’s grandparents’ house to report what they’d seen. Kathleen May, their mother, was there and decided to join the group as they set out to investigate.
As they climbed the hill, they noticed a pulsating light and heard hissing and banging sounds. The air was thick with a strong sulfur-like odor. When they reached the top, they saw something they would never forget—a strange craft resting in the clearing. Before they could turn to flee, they spotted movement near a tree. Shining their flashlight toward it, they saw a creature unlike anything they had ever seen. It was approximately 12 feet tall with a round, blood-red face, glowing eyes, and a spade-shaped head covering that resembled a helmet. Its body appeared to be made of some sort of green metallic material. Terrified, the group ran for their lives as the creature hovered after them, spraying an oily substance in their direction. Though they managed to escape, each member of the group felt ill for several days after the encounter.
The story quickly spread and the witnesses, now famously known as The Seven, gained national attention. They even traveled to New York City to appear on television shows and share their terrifying story. The incident cemented the Flatwoods Monster’s place in cryptid history and inspired countless theories about what they had witnessed.
The very next night, on September 13, 1952, George and Edith Snitowsky were driving with their young son along a remote stretch of Route 4 between Clay and Braxton County when their car suddenly stalled. The road was empty, the night silent and dark. As they tried to figure out what had happened, they saw a strange violet-colored glow coming from the woods. Curious and uneasy, George got out to investigate, but Edith suddenly screamed a warning. Behind him stood a massive creature, 10 to 12 feet tall, hovering just above the ground. George sprinted back to the car, and the terrified family ducked down as the creature circled their vehicle, seemingly inspecting it. After several tense moments, the entity floated back to the glowing craft, which then lifted silently into the sky. As soon as it was gone, their car roared back to life, and they fled to a diner in Sutton to tell their story.
Around this same time, another local resident, Audra Harper, had her own frightening encounter. While walking with her friend Betsy to a nearby store one evening, the two noticed a strange glowing ball of fire on a hillside. Initially dismissing it as someone hunting, Audra didn’t think much of it—until the light vanished and a towering dark figure appeared in its place. The figure, three times the size of a man, began to follow them. Terrified, they ran for nearly a third of a mile before the creature finally stopped at a gate, as if unable to cross an unseen boundary. They reached safety and later got a ride home from a local man, but the encounter left them shaken for life.
Another woman reported a separate sighting around the same period. While driving to church late one evening, she saw a burst of orange light in the sky. At first, she thought it was a flare or fire, but as the glow descended into a nearby field, she realized something far more unsettling was happening. Near the light, she spotted a tall, dark figure. When its glowing eyes turned toward her, she sped away in terror and didn’t stop driving until she reached town. Locals whispered about these mysterious lights for months, believing they were connected to the Flatwoods Monster.
The legend didn’t end there. In 1993, roughly 40 years after the original encounter, a chilling report emerged from near the Flatwoods Regional Jail. A witness claimed to have seen a massive fireball land in the snow. When it vanished, a towering creature appeared, resembling a giant wolf. The creature then morphed into a massive black humanoid before disappearing into thin air, leaving the witness stunned and terrified.
During this period, there were numerous UFO sightings throughout the area. One mechanic reported seeing a UFO crash near the Elk River. A hitchhiker reported seeing a bright object streak across the sky. Even decades later, stories continued to surface. One long-time fan of Spooky Appalachia shared that his mother and uncle saw an orange fireball around the same time as these original events, alongside several other townsfolk. The sheer number of reports makes it difficult to dismiss the Flatwoods Monster as pure legend.
Was the Flatwoods Monster an alien visitor, a cryptid, or something even stranger? While we may never know for sure, the sightings continue to captivate people around the world. Today, the small town of Flatwoods embraces its cryptid fame, and the mystery lives on—reminding us that some questions may never be answered.
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