- Class 1a
- Class 1, Corroboration: Reports involving a sighting, and accompanied by another form of support.1a A sasquatch/bigfoot specimen has been collected (alive or dead).
- Class 1b
- Class 1, Corroboration: Reports involving a sighting, and accompanied by another form of support.1b A report investigation results in a sasquatch observation or the documentation of clear tracks or other forms of physical evidence by an investigator.
- Class 1c
- Class 1, Corroboration: Reports involving a sighting, and accompanied by another form of support.1c An investigator determines that a visual encounter with a sasquatch/bigfoot by a very reliable observer is a distinct possibility, tangible corroborating evidence is documented, and all other sources can be reasonably ruled out.
- Class 1d
- Class 1, Corroboration: Reports involving a sighting, and accompanied by another form of support.1d A visual encounter with a sasquatch/bigfoot is a distinct possibility involving two or more reliable observers, and all other sources can be reasonably ruled out.
- Class 2
- Class 2, Competency: Reports involving sightings by professionally trained or highly skilled observers.2 Investigator determines that a visual encounter with a sasquatch/bigfoot is a distinct possibility, the observer is exceptionally trustworthy, professionally trained, and experienced in the outdoors and/or is accustomed to looking for and recording details (e.g., biologist, anthropologist/archaeologist, ranger, trapper/tracker/seasoned hunter, bird watcher, game warden, naturalist, law enforcement), and other explanations can be reasonably excluded.
- Class 3a
- Class 3, Credibility: Sightings or possible wood ape evidence reported by credible witnesses.3a Investigator determines that a visual encounter with a sasquatch/bigfoot is a distinct possibility, the observer is credible, and all other sources can be reasonably ruled out.
- Class 3b
- Class 3, Credibility: Sightings or possible wood ape evidence reported by credible witnesses.3b Unidentifiable vocalizations were reported and there is accompanying tangible evidence to possibly indicate the presence of a sasquatch/bigfoot, the observer is very reliable, and other sources can be reasonably ruled out.
- Class 3c
- Class 3, Credibility: Sightings or possible wood ape evidence reported by credible witnesses.3c No visual encounter occurred, but physical evidence was found to indicate the presence of a sasquatch/bigfoot (tracks, hair, scat, etc.), the observer is very reliable, and other sources can be reasonably ruled out.
Case: 01020015
Class 3aTwo young people on a picnic have visual encounter.
Report Details
Occurrence date: Summer/1969
Location: Ellis County, TX
Nearby/Vicinity: Sardis
Time / Conditions: Dusk — Wooded, we were on a farm and surrounded by other farms.
# of Witnesses:
Location: Ellis County, TX
Nearby/Vicinity: Sardis
Time / Conditions: Dusk — Wooded, we were on a farm and surrounded by other farms.
# of Witnesses:
Witness Account:
It happened in the summer of 1969. My friend was 17 and I was 16 years old. He lived on a farm south of Hwy. 287 and Sardis, Texas. Late in the day, we decided we'd have a picnic. We got in his car and went through a gate into a pasture area which had a pond with tall reeds growing around it (probably less than 100 yards away from where we were). The surrounding area had lots of small creeks and was fairly heavily wooded. There was also flat farmland and pastures in the area. At that time, the area was not as heavily populated as it is today. I would describe it as having been fairly isolated. My friend brought a rifle with him and his German Shepherd was also with us. I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary until the dog started acting strange. He started pacing and growling and making strange noises. Finally, he arched his back and neck. His hair then stood straight up on his neck. He starting barking and jumping. I have never seen a dog behave the way he did, before or since. I looked around and when I looked toward the pond, there was an ape-like creature that appeared to be observing us.
At the time, I didn't want to believe what I was seeing. If not for the behavior of the dog, I might have thought it was a prank. It was an ape-like creature but not an ape. The way I think of it now is that it looked like what you would think a very ancient, primitive man might look like, but still retaining some ape-like qualities. It was just getting dark but was not completely dark, so I can't describe certain details such as facial features. Maybe I can't remember some of the details because I was so frightened. It was a silhouette mostly. It had its right arm outward and away from its body, holding the reeds to one side and just appeared to be peeking around the reeds and observing us. It was very powerfully built, especially in the shoulder and chest area. It was covered with hair and looked like it had no neck. I can't describe the exact hair color because of the time of day. The left arm was hanging down at its side and it extended to a length just to its knees.
We were so frightened at what we saw, my friend yelled for me to get in the car. He picked up some items, we ran to the car and drove away. The dog was following us. I remember being afraid because he had to stop and get out of the car to open a gate. I didn't look back. I asked him what it was and he said he didn't want to talk about it. I never mentioned the incident to him again.
Physical evidence:
As far as I know, my friend didn't go back to look for physical evidence.
Sounds:
No, it was perfectly still and quiet. It just appeared to be observing us.
Investigator's Observations
Investigator(s): Jerry Hestand
This investigation was conducted as a result of an incident that allegedly occurred south of Sardis, in Ellis County, Texas, between Waxahachie and Midlothian in the summer of 1969.
I interviewed the witness on 2 May 2002. She indicated that the site of the incident at the time was heavily wooded; there were many creeks in the area also. The witness described the day as a typical warm, sunny summer day in Texas.
At the time of the incident, the witness was 16 years old. She was picnicking with her boyfriend at the time, who was 17 years old. The picnic area was on the property of the boyfriend?s parents, on a pasture before it sloped down to a pond at the bottom of the slope. The witness recalled that she and her boyfriend were watching his battery-operated television. At some point, the boyfriend?s dog appeared upset and frightened. The dog had locked eyes onto something that greatly disturbed him. When the couple looked to see what the dog was staring at, they reportedly saw a powerfully-built ape-like figure peeking at them from behind some reeds.
The couple was less than the length of a football field away from the subject. The witness could not recall any physical details except that it stood erect and was well over six feet in height, was covered with hair, was dark in color and was powerfully built. The witness said she was certain that the subject was not human because it was much bigger and hairier than a human. The witness remembered that the subject seemed to have little or no neck and its head may have been ?slightly pointed.? The subject appeared to be watching the couple and their dog.
The witness told of how the couple quickly left in his car. Out of fear of ridicule, the witness refused to tell anyone of the incident except her mother. Her mother did not act very surprised.
This investigation was conducted as a result of an incident that allegedly occurred south of Sardis, in Ellis County, Texas, between Waxahachie and Midlothian in the summer of 1969.
I interviewed the witness on 2 May 2002. She indicated that the site of the incident at the time was heavily wooded; there were many creeks in the area also. The witness described the day as a typical warm, sunny summer day in Texas.
At the time of the incident, the witness was 16 years old. She was picnicking with her boyfriend at the time, who was 17 years old. The picnic area was on the property of the boyfriend?s parents, on a pasture before it sloped down to a pond at the bottom of the slope. The witness recalled that she and her boyfriend were watching his battery-operated television. At some point, the boyfriend?s dog appeared upset and frightened. The dog had locked eyes onto something that greatly disturbed him. When the couple looked to see what the dog was staring at, they reportedly saw a powerfully-built ape-like figure peeking at them from behind some reeds.
The couple was less than the length of a football field away from the subject. The witness could not recall any physical details except that it stood erect and was well over six feet in height, was covered with hair, was dark in color and was powerfully built. The witness said she was certain that the subject was not human because it was much bigger and hairier than a human. The witness remembered that the subject seemed to have little or no neck and its head may have been ?slightly pointed.? The subject appeared to be watching the couple and their dog.
The witness told of how the couple quickly left in his car. Out of fear of ridicule, the witness refused to tell anyone of the incident except her mother. Her mother did not act very surprised.
