The Mothman of Point Pleasant

Between November 1966 and December 1967, the small town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia was terrorized by a creature unlike any other—a tall, winged being with enormous, glowing red eyes that seemed to hypnotize those who saw it. Over a hundred witnesses reported encounters. Then, on December 15, 1967, the Silver Bridge collapsed during rush hour, killing 46 people. The Mothman was never seen again. Was the creature a warning? A cause? Or something else entirely?

The First Sighting

November 12, 1966

Five men digging a grave in a cemetery near Clendenin, West Virginia saw something that would mark the beginning of the phenomenon:

A large, winged creature rose from the nearby trees and flew over their heads. They described it as a “brown human being.”

This sighting received little attention at the time.

November 15, 1966 — The TNT Area

The event that sparked widespread reports occurred at a former World War II munitions storage area north of Point Pleasant:

The Witnesses: Two young couples—Roger and Linda Scarberry and Steve and Mary Mallette—were driving through the abandoned TNT area around 11:30 PM.

What They Saw: Near an old generator plant, they spotted two large, glowing red eyes. As they watched, a creature stepped into their headlights:

• Approximately 6-7 feet tall
• Gray or brown in color
• Large wings folded against its back
• No visible head—the eyes appeared to be in its chest area
• Muscular, humanoid body

When they fled, the creature spread its wings and pursued their car—keeping pace at speeds over 100 mph.

The Sheriff’s Report

The terrified witnesses went directly to the Mason County Sheriff’s office. Deputy Millard Halstead found them so disturbed that he filed an official report. When he returned to the TNT area to investigate, his radio was overwhelmed by strange static.

The Sightings Continue

November-December 1966

Reports flooded in from across the Point Pleasant area:

The Mason Family: Newell Partridge saw the creature in a field, its eyes reflecting like “bicycle reflectors.” His German Shepherd chased it and was never seen again.

Connie Carpenter: Reported the creature standing near her car. Its eyes “went right through me.”

Marcella Bennett: Saw the creature rise from the ground behind a parked car. She was paralyzed with fear; her infant daughter had to be taken from her frozen arms.

Multiple TNT Area Sightings: The abandoned munitions bunkers became a hotspot. Groups of young people would drive there hoping (and fearing) to see the creature.

The Descriptions

Witnesses consistently reported:

• Height: 6-7 feet
• Wingspan: 10-15 feet
• Color: Gray, brown, or black
• Eyes: Large, round, glowing red
• No audible sound except for a humming or squeaking
• Speed: Extremely fast flight
• Effect: Hypnotic eyes that induced paralysis and terror

The Name

A newspaper editor, copying the then-popular TV series “Batman,” dubbed the creature “Mothman.” The name stuck.

Strange Phenomena

The Men in Black

Witnesses reported visits from strange men:

• Dressed in black suits
• Speaking in monotone voices
• Claiming to be government agents
• Warning witnesses not to discuss their sightings
• Displaying odd behavior (not understanding common objects)

These “Men in Black” added another layer of strangeness to an already bizarre situation.

UFO Reports

The Mothman period included numerous UFO sightings:

• Strange lights over the Ohio River
• Disc-shaped objects near the TNT area
• Bright aerial phenomena witnessed by multiple people

Some researchers connect Mothman to UFO activity.

Poltergeist Activity

Some witnesses reported phenomena beyond creature sightings:

• Objects moving in their homes
• Strange phone calls with metallic voices
• Electronic disturbances
• Premonitions and prophetic dreams

The Prophecies

Multiple witnesses reported that they received telepathic communications from the creature or associated entities, predicting disasters and global events.

The Silver Bridge Collapse

December 15, 1967

At 5:00 PM, during rush hour traffic, the Silver Bridge connecting Point Pleasant to Gallipolis, Ohio collapsed without warning.

The Tragedy:

• 31 vehicles fell into the Ohio River
• 46 people died
• Two bodies were never recovered
• The collapse took less than one minute

The Aftermath

Investigation revealed a single eyebar in the suspension chain had failed due to a small defect and years of stress corrosion. The bridge was carrying more than its intended load.

But the official explanation didn’t satisfy everyone.

The Connection

After the bridge collapse, Mothman sightings effectively stopped. The creature that had terrorized Point Pleasant for 13 months simply vanished.

Theories:

• Mothman was a warning, trying to alert people to the disaster
• Mothman caused the disaster
• The collective trauma of the collapse ended the mass delusion
• Mothman’s mission (whatever it was) was complete

The Investigation

John Keel

Journalist John Keel investigated the Point Pleasant phenomena extensively. His 1975 book The Mothman Prophecies documented:

• Over 100 witness interviews
• The MIB encounters
• UFO connections
• The psychological impact on the community
• His own strange experiences during investigation

Keel became convinced something genuinely anomalous was occurring—though he doubted extraterrestrial explanations.

Scientific Explanations

Sandhill Crane: Skeptics suggest witnesses saw a large sandhill crane—which can stand 5 feet tall with a 7-foot wingspan and has red patches around its eyes.

Owl: Large owls, particularly barred owls, have reflective eyes that can appear red in headlights.

Mass Hysteria: Initial sightings created expectation, leading to additional “sightings” of ordinary phenomena.

Against These Explanations:

• Witnesses were familiar with local wildlife
• The creature’s size exceeded any known bird
• The speed and behavior don’t match any known animal
• The psychological effects were unlike ordinary scare experiences

Legacy

The Mothman Statue

Point Pleasant embraced its strange history. A 12-foot stainless steel Mothman statue stands downtown, designed by artist Bob Roach.

The Mothman Festival

Every September, thousands gather in Point Pleasant for the Mothman Festival—celebrating (and investigating) the 1966-67 events.

The Mothman Museum

A museum in Point Pleasant preserves artifacts, witness accounts, and ongoing research into the phenomenon.

The Pattern

Mothman has become the template for a phenomenon: a strange creature appearing before disasters:

• Before the Chernobyl disaster, workers reportedly saw a large, winged creature
• Before bridge collapses worldwide, witnesses have reported Mothman-like figures
• Before 9/11, some claimed to see a winged figure near the World Trade Center

Whether these are genuine connected phenomena or pattern recognition in hindsight remains debated.

What Was Mothman?

Cryptid: A unknown biological creature—perhaps a surviving pterosaur or undiscovered species.

Ultraterrestrial: A being from another dimension or plane of existence.

Harbinger: An entity that appears before disasters—either as a warning or a cause.

Mass Hallucination: A shared delusion driven by fear, suggestion, and media attention.

Something Else: Something we have no framework to understand—a phenomenon that defies our categories.

The Question

Point Pleasant has returned to normal. The bridge was rebuilt. Life goes on.

But for 13 months in 1966-67, something visited this small town. Something with wings and glowing red eyes. Something that chased cars, paralyzed witnesses, and appeared in the dreams of those who saw it.

Then 46 people died, and Mothman vanished.

Coincidence? Warning? Cause? Or something stranger still?

The creature has never returned to Point Pleasant. But perhaps it’s watching somewhere else now, appearing before the next disaster, showing its red eyes to those who have no idea what’s coming.

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For over a year, Mothman haunted Point Pleasant. Witnesses saw something impossible—a creature from nightmare or elsewhere. Then the bridge fell, the deaths mounted, and Mothman disappeared. The people of Point Pleasant have never forgotten what they saw. And somewhere, perhaps, Mothman hasn’t forgotten them either.