On September 12, 1952, a group of children in Braxton County, West Virginia, witnessed something that would shatter the quiet of their mountain town—a 10-foot-tall creature with glowing red eyes and a helmet-shaped head. What followed wasn’t folklore. It was one of the most thoroughly documented and chilling cryptid encounters in American history.

In this episode, we unravel the full story of the Flatwoods Monster: a case supported not only by eyewitnesses, but by physical evidence, medical records, and official investigations. From the initial sighting of a fiery object streaking across the sky to two close encounters that left witnesses physically ill and investigators baffled, this wasn’t a hoax—it was a mystery that refused to fade. You’ll hear how a terrified group, led by a National Guardsman, came face-to-face with something that emitted toxic mist and moved in unnatural ways. We examine the physical traces left behind—radiation hotspots, metallic fragments, scorched vegetation—and the disturbing medical symptoms that followed.

 Despite explanations ranging from mass hysteria to barn owls, none have accounted for all the evidence.The Flatwoods case drew national media, Project Blue Book, and decades of scientific analysis. Modern experts have verified the trauma of the witnesses and found clues suggesting advanced technology far beyond what was available in the 1950s. To this day, the encounter remains unsolved—but not forgotten. Flatwoods now honors the event with a museum and festival, keeping alive the story of the night something not of this world may have crashed in the hills of West Virginia.