The Dover Demon

Over two consecutive nights in April 1977, three separate groups of teenagers in Dover, Massachusetts, encountered an identical bizarre creature. The beings had large, melon-shaped heads, glowing orange eyes, and thin, spindly bodies. The consistency of independent accounts remains unexplained.

The First Sighting

April 21, 1977, approximately 10:30 PM:

• Bill Bartlett (17) was driving with friends
• His headlights illuminated a strange creature
• It was crouched on a stone wall
• It turned and looked at him with glowing orange eyes

Bartlett’s Description

Bill Bartlett described:

• A watermelon-shaped head
• No nose, mouth, or ears visible
• Large, glowing orange eyes
• Thin, spindly body
• Long fingers gripping the wall
• Approximately 3-4 feet tall
• Skin like “wet sandpaper”

The Second Sighting

Same night, about an hour later:

• John Baxter (15) was walking home
• He saw a figure approaching
• As it got closer, he saw it wasn’t human
• It stopped and stared at him from 25 feet away

Baxter’s Account

John Baxter saw:

• Same large head, thin body
• Standing by a tree
• Long fingers wrapped around the trunk
• It watched him before retreating

Third Sighting

April 22, 1977:

• Abby Brabham (15) and Will Taintor (18)
• Driving on a different road
• Saw a similar creature by the roadside
• Large head, thin body, glowing eyes

Independent Reports

Crucially:

• The witnesses didn’t know each other well
• They reported before comparing stories
• Descriptions matched precisely
• No apparent motive for hoax

The Name

The “Dover Demon” was named by:

• Loren Coleman, cryptozoologist
• He investigated the case
• The name stuck
• The creature became famous

Investigation

The case was investigated by:

• Loren Coleman
• Other cryptozoologists
• Local newspapers
• Researchers who found witnesses credible

The Witnesses

The teenagers were considered:

• Normal, well-adjusted
• With no history of unusual claims
• Genuinely frightened
• Consistent in their accounts

No Prior Sightings

Notably:

• No similar creatures had been reported in Dover before
• No sightings occurred after April 1977
• The creature appeared briefly and vanished
• No explanation for its presence or departure

Possible Explanations

Various theories proposed:

• Alien being
• Unknown animal
• Mass hallucination
• Elaborate hoax (but no evidence)
• Misidentified moose calf (but descriptions don’t match)

Physical Evidence

Unfortunately:

• No physical evidence was found
• No photographs were taken
• Only eyewitness testimony exists
• The creature left no traces

Significance

The Dover Demon is significant for:

• Multiple independent witnesses
• Consistent descriptions
• Brief, mysterious appearance
• No explanation found
• Becoming a famous cryptid case

Legacy

The Dover Demon remains one of America’s most intriguing cryptid encounters. The agreement between unconnected witnesses, brief appearance, and lack of any explanation have kept the case in serious discussion for decades.