In April, 1973, a young boy is attacked by a very strange creature in his Enfield, Illinois, backyard.
Soon after, another family encounters an odd creature that tries to break into their house.
What was this 'horror' that stalked people and homes near the Enfield railroad?
Soon after, another family encounters an odd creature that tries to break into their house.
What was this 'horror' that stalked people and homes near the Enfield railroad?
A "Thing" Stalks through the Night
Where the 'thing' tried to enter the McDaniels house. One of the most bizarre stories to appear in cryptozoological lore is the story concerning a creature that appeared on a cold night in April 1973, and quickly instilled fear into the town of Enfield, Illinios. Multiple witnesses would see it, and one was even supposedly attacked by it, but since that night there have been no more sightings of the bizarre entity.
On the night of April 25th, 1973, a young boy by the name of Greg Garrett claimed he was in his backyard when he was approached by a small creature "that had three legs, grey slimy skin and short claws". More alarming however was the creatures blood red eyes. The boy would claim that the creature "stamped" on the boys feet with three clawed foot-like appendages that apparently tore his tennis shoes to pieces. He ran into his house and told his parents what had occurred, but they found no sign of the creature.
It was half an hour later that the creature made itself known again as a family who lived nearby to the Garretts were to encounter possibly the same creature. Henry McDaniel and his wife returned home around 9:30pm to find their son and daughter in a state of terror. They told their parents that a "thing" had tried to break into the house through the front door and also attempted to enter via an air conditioner mounted in a window. A scratching noise was then heard by all and they determined it to be coming from outside of the front door.
On the night of April 25th, 1973, a young boy by the name of Greg Garrett claimed he was in his backyard when he was approached by a small creature "that had three legs, grey slimy skin and short claws". More alarming however was the creatures blood red eyes. The boy would claim that the creature "stamped" on the boys feet with three clawed foot-like appendages that apparently tore his tennis shoes to pieces. He ran into his house and told his parents what had occurred, but they found no sign of the creature.
It was half an hour later that the creature made itself known again as a family who lived nearby to the Garretts were to encounter possibly the same creature. Henry McDaniel and his wife returned home around 9:30pm to find their son and daughter in a state of terror. They told their parents that a "thing" had tried to break into the house through the front door and also attempted to enter via an air conditioner mounted in a window. A scratching noise was then heard by all and they determined it to be coming from outside of the front door.
Drawing of the "horror". Henry, not really believing the tale his children had told him and assuming that a stray cat was perhaps scratching for food, decided to open the front door and was met by what he described as a "pink-eyed monstrosity!"
“It had three legs on it, a short body, two little short arms coming out of its breast area and two pink eyes as big as flashlights. It stood four and a half feet tall and was grayish-colored… it was trying to get into the house!”
Backing away from the door the horrified McDaniel family watched as their father and husband slammed the front door and went to retrieve from a nearby closet his flashlight and pistol. Returning to the door, he opened it and faced the creature again, this time opening fire at it. He claimed to have hit it at least once in four shots but the creature just "hissed" at him, like a cat, before it supposedly took off covering at least 50 feet in what seemed like three long leaps towards a railroad enbankment at the front of the house.
Local authorities were called and when they arrived at the house the only evidence they found that anything had happened were strange scratches at the side of the house and a series of dog-like prints in sand at the side of the yard. The unusual prints had six toe pads and, even more intriguingly, represented a three footed “animal” with one track being slightly smaller than the others.
“It had three legs on it, a short body, two little short arms coming out of its breast area and two pink eyes as big as flashlights. It stood four and a half feet tall and was grayish-colored… it was trying to get into the house!”
Backing away from the door the horrified McDaniel family watched as their father and husband slammed the front door and went to retrieve from a nearby closet his flashlight and pistol. Returning to the door, he opened it and faced the creature again, this time opening fire at it. He claimed to have hit it at least once in four shots but the creature just "hissed" at him, like a cat, before it supposedly took off covering at least 50 feet in what seemed like three long leaps towards a railroad enbankment at the front of the house.
Local authorities were called and when they arrived at the house the only evidence they found that anything had happened were strange scratches at the side of the house and a series of dog-like prints in sand at the side of the yard. The unusual prints had six toe pads and, even more intriguingly, represented a three footed “animal” with one track being slightly smaller than the others.
The old Enfield Depot (now demolished). Not even a fortnight later, Henry McDaniel would claim to see the creature again, this time in the middle of the night as the creature ambled its way down the railroad track, Henry McDaniel watching it from his front door.
Soon afterwards the media got wind of the story and the town was inundated with reporters, curiousity seekers, paranormal researchers and groups of armed amateur monster "hunters" who all started patrolling the town, especially near the railroad. Sometime soon after a half-dozen or so young men apparently found the creature hiding under some bushes and started shooting at it, but the creature was seen running away from them at, what one eyewitness claimed, an "ungodly"speed. One major difference reported was the fact that the young men described it as being hairy, a feature missing from the original reports.
A similar looking creature was said to have been seen sometime soon after by four more eyewitnesses who claimed to have recorded the banshee-like cries of the creature, while it stood near an abandoned house that stood not far from the Garrett and McDaniel homes.
Noted cryptozoologist Loren Coleman appeared in town soon after and over the years, along with other famous cryptid cases, has investigated the Enfield Horror. He claimed to have heard the creature himself while investigating eyewitness accounts in Enfield and wrote about the case in the July issue of Fate Magazine of 1974.
Many people in Enfield at that time have claimed that they saw UFO's in the area over the last week of April 1973, leading many to speculate it was perhaps an alien life form that had got lost from its 'mother ship'. Many have also said it was a demon of some sort.
Whatever the creature was, if indeed these stories are true, it has not been seen or heard from since 1973.
What do you think of the Enfield Horror?
Soon afterwards the media got wind of the story and the town was inundated with reporters, curiousity seekers, paranormal researchers and groups of armed amateur monster "hunters" who all started patrolling the town, especially near the railroad. Sometime soon after a half-dozen or so young men apparently found the creature hiding under some bushes and started shooting at it, but the creature was seen running away from them at, what one eyewitness claimed, an "ungodly"speed. One major difference reported was the fact that the young men described it as being hairy, a feature missing from the original reports.
A similar looking creature was said to have been seen sometime soon after by four more eyewitnesses who claimed to have recorded the banshee-like cries of the creature, while it stood near an abandoned house that stood not far from the Garrett and McDaniel homes.
Noted cryptozoologist Loren Coleman appeared in town soon after and over the years, along with other famous cryptid cases, has investigated the Enfield Horror. He claimed to have heard the creature himself while investigating eyewitness accounts in Enfield and wrote about the case in the July issue of Fate Magazine of 1974.
Many people in Enfield at that time have claimed that they saw UFO's in the area over the last week of April 1973, leading many to speculate it was perhaps an alien life form that had got lost from its 'mother ship'. Many have also said it was a demon of some sort.
Whatever the creature was, if indeed these stories are true, it has not been seen or heard from since 1973.
What do you think of the Enfield Horror?
By Matty Sweeney 2014
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