In the quiet town of Murphysboro, nestled amid the thick forests and open fields of southern Illinois, a cryptic tale unfolds—a tale of strange encounters and an elusive creature known as the Murphysboro Mud Monster. As we delve into this fascinating legend, we’ll embark on a journey through the summer of 1973, exploring the bizarre series of sightings, the eerie nocturnal encounters, and the enduring mystery that has left both locals and enthusiasts intrigued for decades.
The Murphysboro Mud Monster Unveiled:
The monster was first seen around midnight on June 25, 1973. A young couple, Randy Needham and Judy Johnson, were parked near a boat ramp into the Big Muddy River near Murphysboro when they heard a strange, roaring cry that shattered the stillness of the night. It came from the nearby woods and both of them looked up to see a huge shape lumbering toward them. Whatever it was, it continue to make the horrible sound and they later described the noise as “something not human”.
According to their account, the monster was about seven feet tall and covered with a matted, whitish hair. The “fur” was streaked liberally with mud from the river. By the time the creature approached to within 20 feet of them, they quickly left the scene. They went directly to the Murphysboro police station.
A short time later, Officers Meryl Lindsay and Jimmie Nash returned to the area and surveyed the scene. Although skeptical, they were surprised to find that a number of footprints had been left in the mud. The footprints were “approximately 10-12 inches long and approximately three inches wide”. At 2:00 AM, Nash, Lindsay, another officer named Bob Scott, and Randy Needham returned to the scene again. This time, they discovered more tracks and Lindsay left to go and get a camera. The others followed the new footprints, tracing their path along the river.
Suddenly, from the woods about 100 yards away, came the creature’s terrifying scream. They didn’t wait to see if they could spot the monster and instead, made a quick retreat for the patrol car. After waiting in the darkness for a little while, they got back out again and spent the rest of the night trying to track down a splashing sound they heard in the distance. Things quieted down after daylight, but the next night, the creature was back!
The first to see the monster this time was a four-year old boy named Christian Baril, who told his parents that he saw a “big white ghost in the yard”. They didn’t believe him, but when Randy Creath and Cheryl Ray saw an identical monster in a neighboring yard just ten minutes later, Christian’s parents, and the police, quickly reconsidered the little boy’s statement.
Randy and Cheryl spotted the monster at about 10:30 PM, while sitting on the back porch of the Ray house. They heard the sound of something moving in the woods near the river and then spotted the muddy, white creature staring at them with glowing pink eyes. Cheryl would insist that the eyes were actually glowing and were not reflecting light from some other source. They estimated that it weighed at least 350 pounds, stood seven feet tall, had a roundish head and long, ape-like arms. Cheryl turned on the porch light and Randy went for a closer look. The creature seemed unconcerned and finally ambled off into the woods. Investigators would later find a trail of broken tree branches and crushed undergrowth, along with a number of large footprints. They also noticed a strong odor left in the monster’s wake, but it didn’t last for very long.
The officers who arrived on the scene, Jimmie Nash and Ronald Manwaring, quickly summoned a local man named Jerry Nellis, who had a trained German Shepherd that was often used by the police department as an attack dog and to search buildings and track suspects. The dog immediately was sent in pursuit of the monster. He managed to track the creature through the woods and down a hill to a small pond. Eventually, the trees and undergrowth became too thick for the dog to continue and it was pulled off the track just moments after almost pulling its handler down a steep embankment. The officers began searching the area with flashlights and the dog began sniffing near the trees, hoping to pick up the scent again. He then set off toward an abandoned barn, but refused to go inside. In fact, the animal began shaking with fear and barking.
Nellis called the two officers over and they opened the barn and went inside. After a few moments, they realized that it was empty. The three men were puzzled. The dog had been trained to search buildings and Nellis could not explain why it had refused to enter the barn. A short time later, the search was called off for the night.
The Mud Monster was reported two more times that summer. On the night of July 4, traveling carnival workers stated that they spotted the creature looking at some Shetland ponies that were being used for the holiday celebration. Then, on July 7, Mrs. Nedra Green heard a screaming sound coming from a shed on her rural farm. She did not go out to investigate.
So what was the Murphysboro Mud Monster? Local authorities admitted that they didn’t know. “A lot of things in life are unexplained,” Police Chief Toby Berger admitted at the time, “and this is another one. We don’t know what the creature is, but we do believe what these people saw was real.”
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper, the Mud Monster emerged again as a possible culprit to an attack that allegedly occurred at the Rend Lake campground near Benton in August 1989. During the attack, gaping holes were left in a tent and animal blood was left behind at the scene. The attack was later determined to have been from dogs, but that didn’t stop local residents from speculating about the Murphysboro Mud Monster again!
In the 1989 newspaper reports, Jerry Nellis, the dog handler in the original case stated his own theories on the famous case, which left he and the other witnesses to the events as “hunted” as the Mud Monster itself. Reporters and “monster hunters” came from everywhere asking questions about the case but Nellis maintained that “in my opinion … we were tracking a bear.”
But for the rest of Southern Illinois (the news story continued) and for every outdoorsman who has, as Nellis suggests, “seen something we can’t make out just beyond the headlights,” that original vision reported to police on June 25, 1973, is all we need to imagine..
Tracking the Enigma:
In the subsequent weeks, sightings persisted, involving a four-year-old boy, carnival workers, and local residents, each contributing to the lore surrounding this mysterious creature. Law enforcement, armed with trained dogs, embarked on pursuits through the Shawnee National Forest, tracing the monster’s path through the wooded terrain. Yet, despite their efforts, the Murphysboro Mud Monster remained an enigma, disappearing as mysteriously as it appeared.
Reflecting on the Legends:
The Murphysboro Mud Monster, although largely absent from recent headlines, resurfaced in 1989 during a campground attack, reigniting speculation about its existence. Jerry Nellis, a key figure in the original investigation, offered his theory—could it have been a bear? However, the ambiguity surrounding that fateful summer night persists, leaving us to ponder the unexplained just beyond the headlights.
The Allure of Local Legends:
Southern Illinois, like many regions, boasts its share of local legends that capture the imagination. The Murphysboro Mud Monster, with its eerie charm, adds to the tapestry of folklore that defines the area. Local authorities, acknowledging the reality of what witnesses saw, only deepen the intrigue surrounding this elusive creature.
Conclusion:
As the Murphysboro Mud Monster continues to reside in the collective memory of southern Illinois, it beckons us to consider the mysteries that linger in the shadows. Whether a product of folklore, misidentifications, or a creature truly beyond our understanding, the legend endures. So, the next time you find yourself traversing the wooded landscapes of Murphysboro, keep an eye out for the unexplained, for in the heart of southern Illinois, the Mud Monster’s legacy persists—a testament to the enduring allure of local legends.
Explore the mysterious Murphysboro Mud Monster and delve into the heart of southern Illinois folklore. Join our community of enthusiasts as we unravel the enigma and share your own tales of the unexplained. The legend lives on, and your insights could be the key to unlocking the secrets of this elusive creature.
