CLOSE-ENCOUNTER CASE ID:

Flatwoods Monster Encounter - 1952

Group of witnesses encountered large, hooded entity and crashed object on Flatwoods hilltop, with physical symptoms and trace evidence following close encounter.

FILE METADATA CLOSE-ENCOUNTER
DATE: 1952-09-12
LOCATION: Flatwoods, West Virginia, USA
COORDINATES: 38.6673° N, 80.6434° W
SOURCE: Multiple witnesses, newspaper reports, military investigation
TAGS:
entity-encounter craft-landing multiple-witnesses west-virginia 1950s

Flatwoods Monster Encounter - September 12, 1952

Executive Summary

The Flatwoods Monster incident, also known as the Braxton County Monster case, occurred on September 12, 1952, when a group of local residents encountered a large, hooded entity near a crashed or landed object on a hilltop in Flatwoods, West Virginia. The case involves multiple witnesses, physical symptoms consistent with exposure to irritating substances, and became one of the most famous entity encounters in UFO history.

Background and Setting

Flatwoods, West Virginia

Community Description:

  • Small rural town in Braxton County
  • Population approximately 300 residents
  • Close-knit community where most residents knew each other
  • Located in mountainous region of central West Virginia

Geographic Context:

  • Isolated valley community
  • Surrounded by forested hills and mountains
  • Limited outside communication in 1952
  • Rural farming and mining area

The Witnesses

Primary Witnesses:

  • Eugene “Gene” Lemon (age 17) - National Guardsman
  • Kathleen May (local teacher and mother)
  • Eddie May (age 13) - Kathleen’s son
  • Fred May (age 12) - Kathleen’s son
  • Neil Nunley (age 14) - neighbor boy
  • Ronnie Shaver (age 10) - neighbor boy
  • Tommy Hyer (age 10) - neighbor boy

Witness Credibility:

  • All well-known local residents
  • No history of hoaxes or unusual claims
  • Children from respectable families
  • Adults considered reliable community members

Initial Sighting and Investigation

The Fireball Observation

Time and Circumstances:

  • September 12, 1952, approximately 7:15 PM
  • Clear evening with good visibility
  • Multiple residents observed bright object
  • Object appeared to crash or land on nearby hill

Object Description:

  • Bright red fireball streaking across sky
  • Appeared larger than typical meteor
  • Changed direction before apparent impact
  • Trail of fire or sparks observed
  • Landed on or behind Bailey Fisher farm property

Witness Distribution:

  • Object observed from different locations in town
  • Multiple independent observers
  • Consistent description of trajectory
  • Apparent landing site identified

Decision to Investigate

Group Formation:

  • Eddie and Fred May witnessed fireball from school playground
  • Ran home to tell mother Kathleen May
  • Gathered neighborhood children for investigation
  • Eugene Lemon joined group as adult supervisor

Equipment and Preparation:

  • Eugene Lemon carried flashlight
  • No other equipment or weapons brought
  • Expected to find conventional aircraft crash
  • Group walked up hill toward impact site

The Encounter

Approach to Landing Site

Terrain and Route:

  • Steep hillside climb through wooded area
  • Fisher farm property on hilltop
  • Difficult terrain in gathering darkness
  • Strong, unpleasant odor detected during ascent

Initial Observations:

  • Red pulsating light visible through trees
  • Mist or vapor in the air
  • Metallic or burning smell intensifying
  • Dogs in area acting strangely agitated

Object Discovery

Craft Description:

  • Large, dark object approximately 50 feet diameter
  • Dome or spherical shape partially visible
  • Red pulsating light from central area
  • Object appeared to be resting on ground
  • Metallic surface with smooth appearance

Environmental Effects:

  • Dense mist or fog surrounding object
  • Strong, acrid odor causing nausea
  • Vegetation appeared wilted or damaged
  • Unusual silence in surrounding area

Entity Encounter

Initial Entity Sighting:

  • Large figure observed near oak tree
  • Approximately 10-12 feet tall
  • Hooded or cowled appearance
  • Glowing red eyes visible in flashlight beam

Physical Description:

  • Towering height, much taller than human
  • Dark, flowing robe or covering
  • No visible arms or legs
  • Spade-shaped or pointed head
  • Metallic or reflective qualities

Entity Behavior:

  • Appeared to float rather than walk
  • Made hissing sound when illuminated
  • Moved toward witnesses aggressively
  • Witnesses fled immediately in terror

Immediate Aftermath

Physical Symptoms

Kathleen May:

  • Severe nausea and vomiting
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Throat irritation and burning
  • Symptoms persisted for several days

Children’s Symptoms:

  • Similar nausea and respiratory irritation
  • Burning sensation in nose and throat
  • Some developed temporary rashes
  • Symptoms varied in severity

Eugene Lemon:

  • Most severe symptoms of group
  • Violent vomiting throughout night
  • Throat swelling and irritation
  • Required medical attention

Return to Town

Immediate Response:

  • Group fled down hill in panic
  • Returned to May household in terrified state
  • Kathleen May contacted local authorities
  • Sheriff and deputy responded to scene

Community Reaction:

  • Word spread quickly through small town
  • Many residents gathered at May house
  • Mixed reactions of belief and skepticism
  • Media interest developed rapidly

Official Investigation

Law Enforcement Response

Sheriff Robert Carr:

  • Responded to scene within hours
  • Accompanied by Deputy Burnell Long
  • Investigated hilltop location at night
  • Found no evidence of crashed aircraft

Crime Scene Findings:

  • Strong, lingering metallic odor present
  • Vegetation appeared disturbed or damaged
  • No physical evidence of craft or entity
  • Tracks or impressions not clearly visible

Military Investigation

Suspected Air Force Interest:

  • Military personnel reportedly visited area
  • Investigation details not publicly released
  • Possible classified assessment conducted
  • No official military statements issued

Blue Book Classification:

  • Case may have been investigated by Project Blue Book
  • No official Blue Book file publicly available
  • Incident occurred during peak UFO wave period
  • Classification and conclusions unknown

Physical Evidence Analysis

Environmental Effects

Vegetation Damage:

  • Plants in area appeared wilted or burned
  • Damage pattern centered around reported landing site
  • No conventional explanation for plant damage
  • Effects persisted for several weeks

Soil Analysis:

  • Limited soil testing conducted
  • No anomalous chemical composition found
  • Possible trace metal contamination reported
  • Results not definitively conclusive

Medical Documentation

Symptom Analysis:

  • Symptoms consistent with chemical exposure
  • Respiratory irritation and nausea pattern
  • Similar to effects of irritating gas or vapor
  • Medical evaluation confirmed physical symptoms

Doctor’s Assessment:

  • Local physician examined affected witnesses
  • Confirmed genuine physical symptoms
  • No evidence of psychosomatic illness
  • Symptoms consistent with toxin exposure

Alternative Explanations

Conventional Aircraft

Military Aircraft Theory:

  • Possible military jet crash or emergency landing
  • Experimental aircraft testing in area
  • Pilot in survival gear mistaken for entity
  • No missing aircraft reports filed

Problems with Aircraft Theory:

  • No wreckage or debris found
  • No missing pilot reports
  • Entity description inconsistent with human
  • Object characteristics unusual for aircraft

Natural Phenomena

Meteor and Owl Theory:

  • Bright meteor observed by multiple witnesses
  • Barn owl in tree mistaken for entity
  • Fear and darkness distorting perceptions
  • Chemical smell from natural sources

Issues with Natural Explanation:

  • Entity size and behavior inconsistent with owl
  • Physical symptoms unexplained by fear alone
  • Multiple witness consistency argues against misidentification
  • Environmental effects not explained

Hoax or Fabrication

Publicity Motivation:

  • Potential media attention and tourism
  • Children’s imagination and exaggeration
  • Adult participation in elaborate hoax
  • Financial gain from story sales

Evidence Against Hoax:

  • Genuine physical symptoms documented
  • Multiple independent witnesses
  • No financial gain achieved
  • Consistent accounts over decades

Media Coverage and Cultural Impact

Initial Publicity

Newspaper Coverage:

  • Local papers covered story immediately
  • Regional and national media attention
  • Associated Press picked up story
  • Magazine articles and features published

Radio and Television:

  • Interview requests from multiple stations
  • We The People television program appearance
  • National radio show discussions
  • Documentary coverage over years

Long-term Cultural Influence

Monster Legend:

  • Flatwoods Monster became part of West Virginia folklore
  • Annual monster festival held in town
  • Tourist attraction and economic benefit
  • Merchandise and commemorative items

UFO Research Impact:

  • Included in major UFO case compilations
  • Subject of numerous books and articles
  • Influenced entity encounter research
  • Template for similar case investigation

Scientific Analysis

Symptom Evaluation

Toxicological Assessment:

  • Symptoms consistent with chemical exposure
  • Respiratory irritant effects documented
  • Nausea and vomiting patterns analyzed
  • Recovery time and progression noted

Environmental Chemistry:

  • Possible airborne irritant at scene
  • Natural gas or chemical emission theories
  • Industrial pollution source investigation
  • No definitive source identified

Psychological Factors

Group Psychology:

  • Shared experience and suggestion effects
  • Fear response amplification in group
  • Memory contamination through discussion
  • Expectation bias following fireball sighting

Witness Reliability:

  • Individual interview inconsistencies
  • Age factors affecting perception
  • Stress and fear impact on memory
  • Cross-contamination of accounts

Modern Research and Analysis

Contemporary Investigation

Frank Feschino Jr. Research:

  • Extensive investigation by dedicated researcher
  • Historical document analysis
  • Witness re-interviews and follow-up
  • Military involvement theory development

Updated Evidence:

  • Enhanced photograph analysis
  • Additional witness discovery
  • Government document review
  • Timeline reconstruction efforts

Scientific Reevaluation

Modern Technology Application:

  • Computer enhancement of available evidence
  • Advanced chemical analysis techniques
  • Meteorological data correlation
  • Astronomical event verification

Interdisciplinary Approach:

  • Collaboration between researchers
  • Medical, chemical, and psychological analysis
  • Historical and military document research
  • Environmental science applications

Witness Long-term Impact

Personal Consequences

Kathleen May:

  • Maintained story accuracy throughout life
  • Suffered some ridicule and skepticism
  • Became reluctant to discuss incident
  • Never changed core account details

Child Witnesses:

  • Varied reactions to publicity and attention
  • Some embraced experience, others avoided discussion
  • Psychological impact varied among individuals
  • Most maintained belief in experience authenticity

Community Effects

Flatwoods Impact:

  • Divided community opinion on incident
  • Economic benefit from tourism interest
  • Local pride and identity associated with case
  • Annual celebration and commemoration

Research Significance

Investigation Methodology

Multi-Witness Case Studies:

  • Importance of independent interviews
  • Group psychology considerations
  • Physical evidence preservation
  • Medical documentation value

Entity Encounter Research:

  • Template for similar case investigation
  • Behavioral pattern analysis
  • Environmental effect documentation
  • Symptom correlation studies

Academic Interest

Folklore and Cultural Studies:

  • Modern legend development
  • Community response to anomalous events
  • Media influence on story evolution
  • Cultural interpretation of unknown phenomena

Anomaly Research:

  • Scientific approach to extraordinary claims
  • Interdisciplinary investigation methods
  • Evidence evaluation standards
  • Witness credibility assessment

Conclusions

The Flatwoods Monster incident remains one of the most intriguing entity encounter cases in UFO history. The combination of multiple witnesses, documented physical symptoms, and environmental effects provides substantial evidence for some form of anomalous event, regardless of its ultimate explanation.

The case demonstrates the challenges facing investigators of extraordinary claims and highlights the importance of rapid response, thorough documentation, and scientific analysis of physical effects. Whether representing genuine contact with non-human entities, misidentification of conventional phenomena, or a complex psychological event, the Flatwoods incident continues to generate research interest and debate.

The lasting impact on witnesses, the community, and UFO research underscores the significance of the case and its continued relevance to anomaly studies. The documentation of physical symptoms and environmental effects provides valuable data for comparative analysis with similar cases and contributes to our understanding of close encounter phenomena.

Key Research Elements

Evidence Documentation:

  • Multiple witness testimony consistency
  • Physical symptom medical documentation
  • Environmental effect verification
  • Media and official response documentation

Investigation Lessons:

  • Importance of immediate response
  • Medical evaluation of witnesses
  • Environmental analysis requirements
  • Community impact considerations

The Flatwoods Monster case continues to serve as a benchmark for entity encounter investigation and remains an active subject of research and analysis more than seven decades after the original incident.