New Witness Reports Sighting of Red-Eyed, Winged Humanoid near O'Hare Airport

The Singular Fortean Society was contacted recently by a man who said that he’d seen a red-eyed, winged humanoid while driving near Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on the night of December 6th.

After a brief email exchange, investigator Tobias Wayland was able to speak to the witness over the phone.

The witness, who agreed to the use of his first name, Daniel, said that he works in cargo for an airline in the airport and had left work early that night to go meet friends.

"I was the last one to get out of work," he said. "I normally work until 11 pm, but we got out a little earlier than expected. Around 10:15 or 10:20 pm is when I left. I [was driving] down West Higgins, and I was headed to the bar to meet up with one of my friends from work. [To my left, in a large patch of grass] is where I saw it."

"It was dark, and there’s a building with a certain amount of light [near the sighting area]. I was able to take a glimpse at it while I was driving," Daniel continued. "I saw headlights coming towards me as well. I’m always looking at that side because there’s deer there. I’m always eager to look there to see them. I can tell the difference between a deer and what I saw. What I saw was not a deer."

According to Daniel, the creature he saw matched exactly what was described by the witness on November 26th, who said he had seen a seven-foot-tall “person with wings” near the loading dock for Nippon Cargo Airlines. Except, said Daniel, the thing he saw had red eyes. He said he was able to estimate the creature’s height by comparing it to a nearby fence.

Also present was the feeling of evil described by the previous witness.

Daniel said that he was ready to dismiss his sighting until he found an article online describing the other man’s experience.

"That was really weird because, honestly, I thought I was going crazy at first. I said to myself, 'No, that can’t be it. I don’t think I saw that,'" he said. "After that, once I saw the article [the day after my sighting], I thought ‘Okay, I must not be going crazy, because Nippon is not far from where [my sighting took place].’ That was the craziest part. I kind of freaked out. I saw that something wasn’t right. I saw it the same way that the other gentleman saw it. It felt really evil. It had those red eyes. How could any creature have those?"

"I thought I was going crazy, man. I thought I was going crazy, until I read the article. I must not be the only one who’s seeing this stuff," Daniel added. "Maybe it was just the fear I felt, but honestly, it didn’t feel good at all. It was one of the creepiest things I’ve ever seen in my life."

Lon Strickler of Phantoms & Monsters also spoke to this witness, and found his testimony to be credible, matching what was told to Wayland.

This map provided by the witness shows his route (in blue) and the area of the sighting (circled in red). (Google)

This map provided by the witness shows his route (in blue) and the area of the sighting (circled in red). (Google)

This sighting location is less than 15 miles west of Lake Michigan.

Several other sightings have been reported in the same area, including the November 26th sighting, an October 30th sighting of a large, winged humanoid in Park Ridge, an October 29th report of a winged humanoid accompanied by several other beings, an October 19th sighting of a “giant-sized bat” outside of the Edward Hotel in Rosemont, an October 5th sighting of a "tall creature" with "bright red eyes" and "large wings” near Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, and a report from July of a six-foot-tall creature flying over the Des Plaines River near Rosemont, Illinois.

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. Sightings of weird winged beings around Lake Michigan have been reported at all hours, 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.  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 avian being could explain some encounters. Sightings of anomalous avians, including thunderbirds and pterosaurs, are often reported in or near the same locations as those where witnesses have reported winged humanoids. 

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.

To report your own encounter with the impossible, reach out to us directly at the Singular Fortean Society through our contact page.

If you enjoyed this article and would like to support the Singular Fortean Society, please consider becoming an official member by signing up through our Patreon page—membership includes a ton of extra content and behind-the-scenes access to the Society’s inner workings.

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