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URECAT - UFO Related Entities Catalog

URECAT is a formal catalog of UFO related entities sightings reports with the goal of providing quality information for accurate studies of the topic. Additional information, corrections and reviews are welcome at patrick.gross@inbox.com, please state if you wish to be credited for your contribution or not. The main page of the URECAT catalog is here.

AUGUST 13, 1965, MONROE, MICHIGAN, USA, CHRISTINE VAN ACKER AND RUTH OWENS BLACK:

Brief summary of the event and follow-up:

On August 11 or 13, 1965, near Monroe, Michigan, USA, Christine van Acker, aged 17, wwas driving to bring back home her mother, Rose Owens, on a road in a wooded area in the night.

Whereas she negotiated a turn of the road, a 2.10 height meters hairy and dark creature arrived on the road, and she had to brake. One moment later, the monster introduced an arm in the car by the open window and clutched Christine van Acker by the hair with its enormous hairy hand, with rough and black hairs with bleached ends, while growling. Its hand became entwined in the hair of the panicked girl, who stalled the car when she tried to accelerate away.

An understandable panic ensued, the two women screamed, Christine van Acker honked the car's horn repeatedly, and the creature eventually retreated to the woods.

Moments later, David Thomas, aged 22, came by, alerted by the sound of the car's horn, and found Mrs. Owens standing on the road and Christine van Acker draped on the steering wheel.

Miss van Acker had bruises at her face, and her photograph was published in the newspapers and magazines through the country, since the experience drew the attention of the national medias for there had already been many stories of upright half-men half-animals creatures in June and July of this year.

The locals over-reacted and organized a posse armed with weapons with guns and forks and searched the wooded countryside finding anything. These people thought that the creature could be a radiation-spawned mutant caused by the nearby Enrico Fermi atomic plant, where gates and to be closed and guard increased in result of these rumours and tensions.

The event attracted the curious, a restaurant owner was happy enough to declare that he does not care what the creature is as long as it stays in the area.

Thereafter, the story made the "Bigfoot" books and websites and even some UFO books.

Basic information table:

Case number: URECAT-000630
Date of event: August 11 or 13, 1965
Earliest report of event: August 17, 1965?
Delay of report: Days?
Witness reported via: Not known.
First alleged record by: Newspaper.
First certain record by: UPI newswire.
First alleged record type: Newspaper.
First certain record type: Newswire.
This file created on: May 13, 2008
This file last updated on: May 13, 2008
Country of event: USA
State/Department: Michigan
Type of location: Road from car.
Lighting conditions: Night
UFO observed: No
UFO arrival observed: No
UFO departure observed: No
UFO/Entity Relation: None
Witnesses numbers: 2
Witnesses ages: 17, and adult.
Witnesses types: Not reported. Mother and daughter.
Photograph(s): No.
Witnesses drawing: No.
Witnesses-approved drawing: No.
Number of entities: 1
Type of entities: Humanoid or animal
Entities height: 2.10 meters
Entities outfit type: None.
Entities outfit color: None.
Entities skin color: Black, dark.
Entities body: Not reported.
Entities head: Not seen.
Entities eyes: Not seen.
Entities mouth: Not seen.
Entities nose: Not seen.
Entities feet: Not reported.
Entities arms: Not reported.
Entities fingers: Not reported.
Entities fingers number: Not reported.
Entities hair: Entirely covered of spiky hair.
Entities voice: None heard.
Entities actions: Bumped into car, passed an arm inside, grabbed witness at the hair.
Entities/witness interactions: passed an arm inside, grabbed witness at the hair.
Witness(es) reactions: Observed, fainted, fled.
Witness(es) feelings: Frightened.
Witness(es) interpretation: Not reported.
Explanation category: Probable confusion, bear.
Explanation certainty: High.

Narratives:

[Ref. up1:] UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL:

Blonde Gets Black Eye as "Thing" Attacks Car

Monroe, Michigan. -- What weighs more than 400 pounds, smells moldy, growls like a mad dog, and dislikes automobiles?

Answer - the Monroe County Monster. That was the latest on the "thing" that has been sighted here and there in Monroe County during the past two months by at least 16 persons, including Christine Van Acker, a 17-year-old blonde.

Miss Van Acker, who goes to a beautician school here, has a black eye she said was inflicted by the monster Friday night.

State police were checking her story and patrolling the area at night northeast of the southern Michigan city. Miss Van Acker gave this story of the encounter:

"I was driving mother, Mrs. Rose Owens, home. Suddenly there was this bump and a hairy arm grabbed me by the hair. It wasn't human or anything. I tried to go faster but the car stalled."

The girl fainted. Mrs. Owens, who jumped out of the car and ran for help, described the ordeal like this.

"The first I knew there was this bang and an arm came through the window. Christine yelled, 'Mommy, help me! Oh my God, help!' I told her to get the car going... but it stalled. The monster had his paw entwined in her hair and kept banging her head on the side of the car and I decided the best thing to do was go for help. When I got back with other people, Christine was semi-conscious, and the monster was gone."

The monster was at least seven feet tall, weighed about 400 pounds, and it had a long reach.

It was all covered with black, bristly hair, and towards the end of the hair it was silver. You couldn't see its face, there was so much hair. And it growled. It had a real growl, and definitely was not a bear. Christine said she was sure it was not a bear because bears have fur and this thing had prickly hair like thorns. She also said she was sure it was not a prankster "because nobody human would do anything like that!"

The monster sightings have occurred in Frenchtown and Ashe townships within the last 60 days. One man reported the monster climbed onto his car, and thumped on the roof and fenders before disappearing into the woods. A woman reported she saw the monster and it smelled moldy.

[Ref. sa1:] SAGA MAGAZINE:

The magazine indicates that in the Summer of 1965, a hairy monster man terrorized residents during of Monroe County, Michigan.

Teen-aged Christine Van Acker and her mother, Rose Owens, declared a man-like beast attacked them when their automobile stalled on a lonely highway.

[Ref. tf1:] "TRUE FRONTIER" MAGAZINE:

The magazine indicates that in August 1965, the Sasquatch had returned to Michigan with at least 15 people claiming personal encounters with the hairy giant.

17-year-old Christine Van Acker of Monroe told newsmen that the creature had jumped into the road and reached into an open car window to grab her by the hair while she was driving with her mother. She sported a black eye as physical evidence of the nightmarish incident.

[Ref. jb1:] JANET AND COLIN BORD:

The authors indicate that on August 13, 1965, near Monroe, Michigan, Christine van Acker and her mother Mrs. Ruth Owens saw a black 7 feet Bigfoot reach into the car and give Christine a black eye.

The authors indicate that the sources are True magazine June 1966; Green, "Sasquatch: The Apes Among Us", p.201; Curt Sutherly, "Case History of a UFO Flap", Official UFO december 1976, p.59; Strange Life Sourcebook, compiled by William Corliss, 1976, vol. B1 p.21; Place, Bigfoot All Over the Country pp. 105-106; and Green, "The Sasquatch File" p.40.

[Ref. cc1:] LOREN COLEMAN AND JEROME CLARK:

The authors indicate that on August 13, 1965, a huge, dark, hairy creature attacked Christine Van Acker as she sat with her mother in their car near Monroe, Michigan.

A photograph of Christine van Acker's face with a highly visible black eye appeared in many newspapers around the country the next day.

[Ref. go1:] GODELIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:

The ufologist indicates that on August 13, 1965, in Canada, in Monroe in Ontario, Christine Van Acker had the surprise of her life by seeing a being of more than 2 meters in height with hairs "like spikes" approaching her car with open window. The creature put a hand inside by the window, and bruised Christine van Acker's left eye.

Godelieve van Overmeire indicates that the source is Jean Ferguson in "Les Humanoïdes...", Leméac publisher, Ottawa, 1977, page 123, 124.

[Ref. rh1:] RICHARD D. HENDRICKS:

The author indicates that a description of an overall hair-covered body, with hair six to eight inches long and the lack of distinguishing facial features fits the description of three cases including the 1965 creature that attacked Christine Van Acker near Monroe, Michigan.

[Ref. ft1:] THE FORTEAN TIMES:

An article on Bigfoot mentions that a Bigfoot attacked Christine Van Acker near Monroe, Michigan in 1965.

[Ref. cs1:] CURT SUTHERLY:

Author and journalist Curt Sutherly explains that on August 11, 1965, near Monroe, Michigan, 17-year-old Christine van Acker was driving, with her mother Rose Owens as passenger.

Curt Sutherly explains that the press stories were somewhat conflicted, but essentially, Miss van Acker was negotiating a curve in the road when a hairy 7 feet tall creature stepped onto the road, causing her to brake in panic, and an instant later, the upright monster reached through the open window.

Mrs Owens said she looked over and there was "this huge hairy hand on top of her [Chrsitine's] head."

A commotion ensued, both women screamed, Christine van Acker repeatedly sounded the car's horn, and the creature retreated in the woods.

A few moments later, David Thomas, 22, came by alerted by the car's horn sounds, and discovered Mrs Owens "standing on the road south of the car and Christine draped over the steering wheel."

Miss van Acker had bruises on her face, and her photograph was published in the newspapers and magazines across the country, as the experience drew the attention of the national media as there had already been numerous stories of giant hairy upright creatures in June and July that year.

The local people escalated the episode out of control and a posse of vigilante armed with firearms and forks searched the wooded countryside without finding anything. These people believed that the creature could be a radiation-spawned mutant from the nearby Enrico Fermi Atomic Power Plant, where operators had to close the gate and increase the guard in result of the rumour and the tension.

The event attracted the curious, and Sutherly notes that one restaurant owner was happy enough to say that "I don't care what (the creature) is as long as it stays around."

[Ref. ge1:] GEORGE EBERHARDT:

The author indicates that on August 13, 1965, Christine Van Acker was driving with her mother in a wooded area near Monroe, Michigan, when out of nowhere, a hairy giant stepped in front of the car. In her panic, Christine can Acker hit the brake instead of the gas, and the car died. The smelly, seven-foot-tall, apelike creature grabbed the top of her head and then retreated into the woods, and Christine ended up with a black eye.

[Ref. lc1:] LOREN COLEMAN:

The cryptozoologist indicates that on August 13, 1965, in Monroe, Michigan, Christine van Acker and her mother Mrs. Ruth Owens had an encounter with a black 7-feet tall Bigfoot, who reached inside their car, giving Christine a black eye.

[Ref. bf1:] "BIGFOOT FACT OR FANTASY?" WEBSITE:

This website indicates in a listing that on August 13, 1965, near Monroe, Michigan, Christine van Acker and her mother Mrs. Ruth Owens Black saw a 7-feet Bigfoot reach into the car and give Christine a black eye.

[Ref. ac1:] "ASSOCIATED CONTENT" WEBSITE:

In a "bigfoot" article, the website indicates that a famous sightings occurred in Monroe, Michigan in 1965 and made several local newspapers: 17 year old Christine Van Acker and her mother were driving on a dark country road on August 11, 1965, when a giant hairy man who appeared to be at least seven feet tall and completely covered with black hair, stepped out in front of their car.

The girl hit the brakes, causing the car to stall. As she frantically tried to restart the engine, the creature reached into the car with a long, hairy arm and hit her in the eye, giving her bruise.

The girl and her mother managed to escape and went to the local police where they told their horrifying story. The next day, newspapers carried a photo of Christine Van Acker's black eye and a harrowing tale of her account.

[Ref. ws1:] "WINTER STEEL PARANORMAL WEBSITE":

The website indicates that in 1965, Christine Van Acker was driving with her mother in a wooded area near Monroe, Michigan, when out of nowhere, a hairy giant stepped in front of the car. In her panic, Christine can Acker hit the brake instead of the gas, and the car died. The smelly, seven-foot-tall, apelike creature grabbed the top of her head and then retreated into the woods, and Christine ended up with a black eye.

Points to consider:

Note about the date: the UPI newswire for August 17, 1965 indicates that it occurred the previous Friday. The previous Friday was on August 13, 1965. It is however possible that this day was when the story appeared in the local press; which would explain why some authors date the occurrence August 11, 1965.

Ours debout

"What weighs more than 400 pounds, smells moldy, growls like a mad dog, and dislikes automobiles?" asked the UPI newsman.

A bear, quite simply, but it seems that one preferred to make a Bigfoot out of it - or even a ufological close encounter of the third kind.

It appears in the UPI newsbrief that someone probably told the girl that was a bear. The girl rejected that obviously because she was probably a city girl who never saw a bear that close, and thought that they were to have "fur", hair soft like that of teddy bear, whereas her monster had rough hairs, which is indeed the case with bears - but certainly not like spines, she would have had traces of that.

In any case, it is obvious that this is not an investigated business but a press story, and that nobody in UFO and Bigfoot literature considered it useful to think before noting it down as a Bigfoot or UF-humanoid case.

List of issues:

Id: Topic: Severity: Date noted: Raised by: Noted by: Description: Proposal: Status:
None.

Evaluation:

Probable confusion, bear.

Sources references:

* = Source I checked.
? = Source I am told about but could not check yet. Help appreciated.

Document history:

Authoring

Main Author: Patrick Gross
Contributors: None
Reviewers: None
Editor: Patrick Gross

Changes history

Version: Created/Changed By: Date: Change Description:
0.1 Patrick Gross May 13, 2008 Creation, [up1], [sa1], [tf1], [jb1], [cc1], [go1], [rh1], [ft1], [cs1], [ge1], [lc1], [bf1], [ac1], [ws1].
1.0 Patrick Gross May 13, 2008 First published.

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This page was last updated on May 13, 2008