YEAR: 1979

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: November

STATE: Texas

COUNTY: Lamar County

NEAREST TOWN: Direct

OBSERVED: I was riding in the car with my friend, she was driving. It was the opening weekend of deer season, full moon, very bright. We were on a one lane gravel road in the Direct Bottoms. We saw less than 100 feet away from us a creature cross the road from left side of road to right. It was 7 to 8 feet tall, with long gray hair. It walked right in front of us. Its arms were longer than a man's, swinging them as it walked. It stepped right over a barbed-wire fence. A mile down the road, we turned around and got stuck in a wheat field. We were stuck 30 minutes. After we got the car unstuck, we went back the same way as we came in. We were scared that we would encounter the creature, but there was no sign of it. After all this time, I would love to see that creature again.

ALSO NOTICED: It was 7 to 8 feet tall, light gray in color. Long gray hair, laying down smooth from head to toe. Standing upright, longer arms than a man's. No reaction from the creature as the car approached. It walked fairly slow, in no hurry.

OTHER WITNESSES: My friend.

OTHER STORIES: I had heard stories about Bigfoot in Oklahoma.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Full moon, very bright.

ENVIRONMENT: Farms in the area, also a good amount of trees.

Follow-up investigation report:

I talked to the witness on 5/01/02. The witness is from the Paris, TX area in Lamar County. She had an event happen in 1979 that has had a profound effect on her life. She said that "It was an experience that I will never forget".

She was riding with a friend on a one-lane gravel road in the Direct Bottoms. It was a night with a very bright full moon. It was the first day of deer season. As they were driving down the road, they saw a tall, hairy, grayish creature cross the road in front of them. She said that it was 7 to 8 feet tall, covered with smooth gray hair. It's arms hung down lower than a man's would. She said that it walked fairly slow, almost deliberately, as if it was in no hurry.

They were fairly frightened as the area was very deserted. They went about a mile down the road and attempted to turn around in a wheat field. The car got stuck. The witness had to get out and try to free the car. She was frightened because of the creature that they saw, thinking it might still be in the area. After 30 minutes or so, they got the car free. They had to do back the same way they came in but did not see any sign of the creature.

Witness will try to locate her friend who was also a witness to the event. She has not had contact with her for 15 years or so.

There were reports of a creature that was dubbed the "Manimal" that was seen in the Direct area in the late 60's and early 70's. This was reported in Fate Magazine in the September 1971 issue.

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