July 26, 1972

Man Reports Seeing ‘Hairy Creature’ In Woods Near Cole Hollow Road

The Pekin Daily Times

A Peoria youth reports he has seen a large, hairy creature in the East Peoria area near Cole Hollow Road.

Randy Emert, 18 of 3527 Twelve Oaks, Peoria says he and many friends have seen some type of “hairy” creature in the woods near Cole Hollow Road in East Peoria. Randy says he first saw the “creature about two months ago but that he didn’t report it at that time because ” people would think we’re crazy.”

When he heard about the story of a “monster” sighted in Louisiana, Mo., he decided to come forward with his own story. Randy said he first heard about a “creature” in the Cole Hollow Road area about a year ago from a friend. He reports he has seen it twice in the last two months. He claims there are footprints “all around up there,” and that they show three big toes.

Randy describes the “creature” as being between 8 and 12 feet tall, “kinda white and it moves quick.” The teenager also claims he has heard the “creature” several times and says it “lets out a long screech kinda like an old steam engine whistle, only more human.”

He says a friend in Wisconsin has photographs of the footprints. Randy says many of his friends have seen the footprints or the “creature” but don’t want their names mentioned. He says he is not ” doing this for publicity, “adding he “believes this is for real.”