The vast reaches of forest and open fields in southern Illinois, combined with the sparse population in some areas, invite occurrences of strangeness that are rare in bustling cities. The Shawnee National Forest, with its miles of untouched territory, is a prime example. Some believe that within this expanse, strange beings occasionally pass through, unseen by human eyes.
In the summer of 1973, the town of Murphysboro, located in southwestern Illinois, became the epicenter of a series of bizarre monster sightings. The creature, now known as the “Murphysboro Mud Monster,” appeared without warning and vanished just two weeks later, leaving behind confused witnesses, baffled law enforcement, and a lasting legend.
The first sighting occurred around midnight on June 25, 1973. A young couple, Randy Needham and Judy Johnson, were parked near a boat ramp on the Big Muddy River when they heard a strange, roaring cry that shattered the stillness of the night. It came from the nearby woods, and both looked up to see a huge shape lumbering toward them. The creature emitted a horrifying sound, described as “something not human.”
According to their account, the monster stood about seven feet tall and was covered in matted, whitish hair streaked with mud from the river. As it approached within 20 feet of them, they fled to the Murphysboro police station. Officers Meryl Lindsay and Jimmie Nash returned to the scene and, despite initial skepticism, found a number of footprints in the mud. These prints were “approximately 10-12 inches long and about three inches wide.”
At 2:00 AM, Nash, Lindsay, another officer named Bob Scott, and Randy Needham returned to the scene. They discovered more tracks, and Lindsay left to get a camera. The others followed the new footprints along the river. Suddenly, from the woods about 100 yards away, the creature’s terrifying scream pierced the night. The officers quickly retreated to their patrol car. After waiting in the darkness for a while, they resumed their search, following a splashing sound in the distance. Things quieted down after daylight, but the next night, the creature returned.
This time, a four-year-old boy named Christian Baril saw the monster first, describing it as a “big white ghost in the yard.” His parents didn’t believe him until Randy Creath and Cheryl Ray saw the same creature in a neighboring yard ten minutes later. The police quickly reconsidered the boy’s statement.
Randy and Cheryl saw the monster at about 10:30 PM while sitting on the back porch of the Ray house. They heard something moving in the woods and saw the muddy, white creature staring at them with glowing pink eyes. Cheryl insisted that the eyes were actually glowing, not reflecting light. The creature 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 moved closer. The creature seemed unconcerned and eventually ambled off into the woods. Investigators later found a trail of broken tree branches, crushed undergrowth, and large footprints. They also noticed a strong odor, but it dissipated quickly.
Officers Jimmie Nash and Ronald Manwaring summoned Jerry Nellis, a local man with a trained German Shepherd used by the police for tracking. The dog immediately picked up the monster’s scent, leading the officers through the woods to a small pond. The undergrowth became too thick for the dog to continue, and it was pulled off the track. The officers searched the area with flashlights, but the dog began shaking with fear and barking when it approached an abandoned barn.
Nellis called the officers over, and they cautiously entered the barn. It was empty, puzzling the men as the dog had been trained to search buildings. A short time later, the search was called off for the night.
The Mud Monster was reported two more times that summer. On July 4, carnival workers claimed to see the creature near Shetland ponies used for a holiday celebration. On July 7, Mrs. Nedra Green heard screaming from a shed on her farm but did not investigate.
The identity of the Murphysboro Mud Monster remains a mystery. Local authorities admitted they didn’t know what it was. “A lot of things in life are unexplained,” Police Chief Toby Berger said, “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, the Mud Monster resurfaced in August 1989 as a possible culprit in an attack at the Rend Lake campground near Benton. Gaping holes were left in a tent, and animal blood was found at the scene. The attack was later attributed to dogs, but speculation about the Murphysboro Mud Monster persisted.
In 1989, Jerry Nellis, the original dog handler, shared his theories on the case. Despite being “hunted” by reporters and “monster hunters,” Nellis maintained, “in my opinion…we were tracking a bear.” However, for many in southern Illinois, the original vision reported to police on June 25, 1973, continues to fuel the imagination.
