On April 28th, 2019 a person identifying himself only as ‘Mr. Robbins’ contacted the Singular Fortean Society via our contact page.

Dear SFS,



I am writing as someone with some information regarding recent sightings of a winged creature with red eyes near Woodstock, Illinois. I am writing under an assumed name because, as a professional with a serious career, I do not wish what I know and have to suggest to you associated with my name. There are many Sunday skeptics out there, and when knowledge of an unexplainable or occult nature is shared it can ruin an individual's good name. Thus, I ask you not to try to track me or discover my identity. I assure you, all I have to say is genuine as I have heard and experienced it.



Regarding the winged creature recently spotted near Woodstock, IL: it is the very same as the entity called, "the moth man," who is associated with Point Pleasant, WV, ca. 1966-67. I am originally from S.W. Pennsylvania and have lived extensive periods in West Virginia and Ohio. Further, I was raised in a certain secret spiritual sect with knowledge of this creature and other matters not of relevance here—though I may share that the sect marked me out when I was a child as one of an elect few called the watchers. Finally, I will share that I myself have seen the creature in March of 2016 on I-76 East, east of Youngstown, OH: at the time, I was driving with my uncle through a construction area such that the highway was narrowed from two lanes to one; ahead, behind, and to my left were tractor trailers, the last of which was attempting to merge to avoid the closed lane. I had no place to merge to avoid an accident, and it was then, in a grassy patch of berm to the right, atop a small hill near the treeline, that I saw the entity. It at first appeared as a man dressed head to toe in black. It bounded down the hillock, swerved and dashed toward the highway, then leapt into the driving lane just in front of my vehicle. It was at this point, I slammed on the brakes, seeing, as I did so, the entity sail dead-center in front of me and vanish. Instantaneously, I remembered the truck behind me and checked my rearview. It had disappeared. I looked to my uncle, and he seemed as spooked as me. "Did you see it?" he said, without my saying a word.



Now, my reason for sharing this is I am in Woodstock at present too. This is for a good reason, and I will say I am meant to be here for the same reason the creature is: it and my forebears and myself are sent to the same places, to interpret these signs for the uninitiated. The entity has many names; you may call it, or think of it what you please: it is called the Angel of Death in the Book of Exodus, and it is a harbinger of tragedy. The tragedy that was impending in the Woodstock area was the death of AJ Freund. However, tragedies in nearby Chicago and Indiana have yet to unfold and are impossible to foretell except to say that they will occur in those places the creature has been spotted. They may include any untimely death of innocence, and mind you, I am being intentionally vague, as it is simply impossible to know what the entity foretells in detail.



That said, unless sightings near Woodstock continue, the people of Woodstock may know that the entity has passed on to other business. As for myself, I will be here in the greater-Chicago area as long as it is, then will remove to its next location. I understand the impulse to believe this message is a load of malarkey, but again, as with all experiences with the supernatural, it is simply impossible to replicate spiritual truths on command for scientific purposes, and therefore any attestation to them is viewed with derision. And yet, I assure you that I myself have had many such experiences, with my childhood premonition of 9-11 documented in vivid description in my medical records in 1996—when my school insisted my parents have me treated for epilepsy, as this condition and vivid auras was a more comfortable explanation for my teachers and classmates for the semi-conscious states I would enter, followed by vivid descriptions of catastrophes I'd seen. Also, let my insistence on anonymity act as evidence, for certainly I am sane enough to know such claims cannot be made in my own name. Like all of my ilk, I am a gray man—if only to show I am not making such claims in hope of fame or fortune, or from madness—and I only write you now to allay any fears of the community of Woodstock and to warn the people of Chicago. Impending catastrophes are foretold for Chicago, but the tragedy of AJ Freund is likely all that will befall its sleepy exurb. As for the entity, it is whatever you wish to interpret it as, as per your religious views, but it is a reality and, while not evil itself, it may be found anywhere there is impending human evil afoot.



Yours Respectfully,

Mr. Robbins



P.S.: Do not attempt to contact me. The email address given is a dummy address. I will contact you further should the need arise.

Investigator Tobias Wayland responded using the email address provided, and, as promised, it had been disabled.

The enigmatic Mr. Robbins is not the first person to suggest that Mothman is a harbinger of disaster; the idea originated in the tragedy of Point Pleasant’s Silver Bridge collapse following that area’s spate of sightings in the late 1960s. The Singular Fortean Society is reluctant to make such determinations regarding these or other sightings, and has deliberately chosen not to intertwine AJ Freund’s heartbreaking fate with the Lake Michigan Mothman investigation due to the absence of any evidence to tie that tragedy to the sightings. Terrible things happen all of the time without any flying humanoids being reported. The mere presence of a handful of ‘Mothman’ sightings in the same vicinity is a remarkably tenuous link, and was never pursued out of respect for those grieving the loss of AJ. The Society reserves the right to amend its opinion on this issue if and when new evidence comes to light, but for now it serves no useful purpose to include the tragedy.

The Singular Fortean Society was unaware of any secret spiritual sect’s involvement in the case prior to this missive—assuming it is authentic and not a hoax or delusion—and will publish any further correspondence in an effort to illuminate the mystery.

This is the latest news in a string of ‘Mothman’ sightings from within a few hundred mile radius surrounding Lake Michigan, including every state bordering the great lake. These sightings ostensibly began in the spring of 2017, but more historical accounts are being reported as more people become aware of the phenomenon. They generally take place in the evening or at night, often in or near a park, and around water. Witnesses consistently describe a large, gray or black, bat or bird-like creature—although in a small number of cases the creature was described as insect-like—sometimes with glowing or reflective red, yellow, or orange eyes, and humanoid features such as arms and legs are often reported. Some witnesses have reported feeling intense fear and an aura of evil emanating from the creature they encountered. Many of the sightings are also of something seen only briefly or are described only as a flying creature with few details, which leaves open the possibility that a large bird or bird-like being could explain some—although certainly not all—of the encounters.

To report a sighting 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.

Reports from the Void is a repository to share those stories for which we do not have enough information to make a full report. This is usually because of little or no communication from the witness following their initial submission. We will always provide as much information as possible regarding any correspondence during our attempts to speak with those involved.

This series is meant only to present you with the full breadth of the information sent to us, and makes no judgments towards the veracity of any stories shared within it.

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