Lon Strickler of Phantoms and Monsters was contacted recently by a witness who, along with her family, claims to have had many run-ins with a shapeshifting flying humanoid throughout the midwest and southeast United States—including in the greater metropolitan area of Chicago. The witness included a timeline with her statement, detailing the years and locations of sightings spread out over five decades.

According to the list sent to Strickler, the witness and her family have witnessed the winged creature in the following times and locations.

Racine Street, Chicago 1970

1751 W. Berwyn St, Chicago 1970-1974 (several sightings)

1713 Catalpa Ave, Chicago 1974

1864 N. Heritage St, Chicago 1975

Lake Michigan while fishing on shoreline, northern Indiana 1977

Ravenswood Hospital, Chicago 1978 & 1979

River Park, Chicago 1979 & 1980

Des Plaines, Illinois 1980

Massillon, Ohio 1980

Lake Michigan 1981

Meadow Bridge, WV 1982

Fort Randolph, WV 1982

Charmco, WV 1983

Hines, WV 1984

Leslie, WV 1984

Orint Hill, WV 1985

Statesville, NC 1987-2017 (several sightings)

Cabin in Pigeon Forge, TN in July 2017 (last sighting)

It's a shape shifter...but I think it's original form is about 7 ft tall creature with wings that span 6 ft or so. It has a goblin-like face and ears with bat-like wings, but way more flexible. It's real dark brown, almost black in color. It has red eyes that almost glow in the dark. It has claw-like feet and very long fingers and arms. Arms are not connected to the wings...they are separate. Wings are more like on its back like a birds. Has a long tail and pointed at the end. It's extremely fast in this form. Other forms it transforms into are:

- A moth-like creature. In this form its hands and wings are attached and it's closer to 6 ft tall with long teeth.

- It also takes the form of a bat but bigger...3 ft in size with red eyes and black in color with long teeth. It's not super fast in this form but faster than a human being.

- It can also take on a goblin-like creature, hands and wings are separate. Gray and black in color with long teeth, human-like hands but long claws and sharp talons on its feet and drools. Red and brown eyes 3 1/2 foot tall. Slowest form, however it's still as fast as a cat when it needs to move. Licks itself in this form, like it's cleaning it's claws. Has a tail maybe 2 ft long. It has been inside several homes we have lived in. It hates dogs. It perches up high to avoid being seen. It hides in the shadows, like it's stalking you...similar to a feline. It has an odor almost like a musty or moss-like scent. Once you smell it you never forget it. It's mean in nature and likes to show it's in control. No matter the form, it also has a loud screeching sound. It's hard to explain. No...I do not have a photo of it and I cannot explain why my family has seen it so many times. I have no answers but I know it's real.



Example of an incident, which occurred on the Lake Michigan shoreline in north Indiana. I was about 10 yrs old (around 1977). We had gone to visit my cousins and went fishing. We cleaned the fish at the lake and left the fish heads and scales on the river bank. This being flew down ate the remains. My cousin said as long as you give back it won't bother you. They had seen it several times before.

Strickler was able to speak to the witness directly, who told him that at one point the being lived next to her family in an abandoned warehouse.

"When the witness and I talked, she described that the winged being lived in a vacant warehouse next door to their home on 1751 W. Berwyn St. in Chicago (Anderson neighborhood)," said Strickler in his blog. "This occurred during 1970-1974, and the being was observed many times by the family. When the family moved, it continued to follow them near their new location."

Despite the repeated sightings, hard evidence was not forthcoming; although Strickler was impressed by the witness's sincerity.

"The being made itself known to the witness after she became an adult. No one has been able to obtain a photograph. Her and the family wish to remain anonymous...though the witness has been very forthcoming to me during our conversation and subsequent follow-up emails. It's obvious to me that she wishes for the encounters to end," he said.

Investigators speculate that the family's experiences could be related to the recent spate of flying humanoid sightings surrounding Lake Michigan. Most of the sightings have taken place near the lakefront within a few miles of Lake Michigan, although there are some reports coming from the suburbs surrounding Chicago. The sightings generally take place in the evening or at night, often in or near a park and around water, and witnesses consistently describe a large, bat or bird-like creature with humanoid features; although in one case the creature was reportedly "insect-like."

To report a sighting, contact Lon Strickler at lonstrickler@phantomsandmonsters.com or call him directly at 410-241-5974; fill out UFO Clearinghouse's contact form to get in touch with Manuel Navarette; or reach out to us directly at The Singular Fortean Society through our contact page.

You can view a timeline of the sightings so far here, and an interactive map here.