In the summer of 1969, strange things began happening in Tarrant County, Texas. Just outside of Fort Worth, sightings of the Lake Worth Monster, also known as Goatman, were first reported. The monster was first sighted near Greer Island on Lake Worth. Just after midnight, on July 10, John Reichart, his wife, and two other couples sat in their parked car. The group reported to police that a creature leapt from the trees above them onto their vehicle. The monster tried to grab Reichart’s wife, but he was able to start the car and speed away. The couples described the monster as “part man part goat” with fur, scales, and long claws. An 18-inch-long scratch down the side of Reichart’s car lent evidence to their report. The three couples were terrified. The Fort Worth police, believing their story, launched an investigation. This was big news.
The next day the Fort Worth Star Telegram featured a frontpage story on the monster. The headline read “Fishy Man-Goat Terrifies Couples Parked at Lake Worth.” News of the incident spread quickly. Radio and television coverage spread the story. Soon carloads of people began to descend on Greer Island. Many were armed and ready for a monster hunt.
The day after the initial attack, the creature was spotted again, appearing on a bluff overlooking the lake. Up to forty spectators were present, including members of the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Dept. Witnesses reported that the monster became agitated and howled as it moved, eventually hurling a tire approximately 500 feet towards the crowd. The ter- rified onlookers, including the deputies, dodged the tire and fled
the scene.
These witnesses confirmed
the earlier reports, describing the creature as whitish-gray and hairy, approximately 7 feet tall and weighing about 300 pounds.
The creature was not spotted again until November 7. Charles Buchanan claimed that he was asleep in the back of his truck near Greer Island when the creature attacked him. Buchanan apparently escaped unhurt after offering the beast a bag of chicken. He reported that the monster swam back to the island after eating his chicken, and he was unharmed.
In late 1969, Fort Worth res ident and monster enthusiast Sallie Ann Clarke published a book entitled The Lake Worth Monster of Greer Island. In the book she presented multiple eyewitness accounts and other information on the monster, including locations of all sightings of the creature. It is interesting to note that some residents in the area claimed that they’d been chasing the monster for years. They had originally referred to the creature as the “Mud Monster.”
Special note – there is one known photograph of the Lake Worth Monster, taken in 1969. It shows a large, gray-haired creature, but few details can be seen. Its validity has never been con- firmed.
The Lake Worth Monster was not seen again until 1973. On March 13, Mark Fricke, a 19-year-old security officer from Carswell Air Force Base was enjoying the evening at Holiday Park, located about 15 miles from Lake Worth. Fricke claimed he saw a large unidentifiable crea ture splash through the water and disappear into the brush after emitting a strange howl. Fricke reported the incident to the Benbrook Police Department, and a search party was sent out, but the creature was never found.
Craig Woolheater, of the Texas Bigfoot Research Center, believes the Lake Worth Monster is a real creature. He speculates that this Goatman is an undiscovered primate species that walks on two legs. He may be right.
In doing research for this column, I was fascinated to learn that there is such a thing as the Texas Bigfoot Research Center. Apparently, the Lake Worth Monster, or Goatman, would fall loosely under the Bigfoot clas- sification. And there are other groups throughout the country, including the Texas Bigfoot Research Conservancy, and the North American Wood Ape Conservancy.
It is interesting to note that for more than 400 years, humans in North America have reported seeing large, hairy, man-like animals in the wild. These sightings continue today.
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