The Enfield Horror – a Review

One of my readers asked me what I thought about the creature known as the Enfield Horror. If you haven’t heard the story, here it is in a nutshell:

The Story

On the night of April 25, 1973, in Enfield, Illinois, a child named Greg Garrett was playing in his backyard when he was attacked by a strange-looking creature. The creature had three legs, two “arms” that stuck straight out of its breast, a slimy gray skin, short claws and reddish eyes. It stomped on Greg’s foot and sent the child crying hysterically into his home.

Shortly after, the Garrett family’s neighbors, the McDaniels, had an encounter with the creature. The parents came home to find their two children terrified by something trying to break into the house. At that point something started to scratch at the front door so Mr. McDaniels opened the door to see the same creature described by young Greg. He quickly retrieved his .22 pistol and shot the creature four times. The animal hissed and ran away, covering an area measuring between 50-75 feet in three leaps and disappeared into the brush.

A few days later, May 6, McDaniels was awakened by a strange howling. He ran to the front door and looked out only to see the same creature at some distance, hanging out around a nearby railroad track. Then the creature walked further down the line, out of sight.

News spread of the encounter, and soon after a group of men discovered the creature hiding in some underbrush. They opened fire on it, but the creature leapt away at an astonishing speed.

Finally, the news director of radio WWKI in Kokomo, Indiana  said he and three companions spotted the creature near an abandoned house in the same general area as the McDaniels’  home. They purportedly got a recording of its disturbing scream.

In my research I learned that the sightings of this creature appeared approximately 30 years apart over the last century. But now it has been 40 years since the last sightings.

What to Make of All This

My first thought was that this must be a demon based on the description. As I thought it over, though, I could see the possibility that it might just be an earthly creature with some defects. For instance, if you sit a dog on its tail, the fore legs stick out of its breast which is how the “arms” of the Enfield Horror were described. It had three legs, but that could have been a genetic defect in the animal, especially as the third one was described as smaller.

One account described the beast as hairy, while another said it had a slimy gray skin. Maybe it was advanced mange.

When the Illinois state troopers arrived to investigate at the McDaniels’ home, the foot prints left behind were described as dog-like, and there were scratches on the siding of the home.

Missing Information

It’s hard to come to any conclusion for several reasons:

1. The eyewitnesses would have to be tracked down (if they’re still alive), and interviewed. We don’t know what kind of folks they were/are, such as if they’re prone to hoaxing, drug users, or suffering from a mental illness. We learn a lot just by talking to people.

2. The news director from the radio station recorded the howls/screams of the creature — where is the recording? I searched the internet and was unable to find it. If someone can find it, please link us to it in the comments section.

3. Several accounts I’ve read link the creature’s appearance to an increase in UFO sightings in the area and suggest that the creature is an escaped “pet” of the aliens.  No one has photos of the supposed UFOs sighted during that time?

Unless this creature starts appearing again to give today’s cryptozoological investigators a chance to find and perhaps study it, we’re never going to know for certain.

My best guess is that this was a genetically mutated dog with the mange.

What do you think it was?

15 comments

  1. with all the experiments on animals by our government, could have been one of them that escaped, ya never know!

      • I must agree with Eileen, there is a fair possibility that it is something the government hasnt told us about… i mean, its not the first time the government has done something without telling the people about it; plus i think the mutated animal theory loses some vaildness for me since the sightings are through a 30 year timespan; I personally dont remember any dogs, or whatever creature that could be, that can live that long in the wild, even with its ability to jump

  2. Without pictures or physical evidence of some kind to back up the stories, I don’t think there can be an answer. The fact that it has been 40 years since the last sighting does lead one to believe that whatever it might have been is now dead.

  3. Loren Coleman who investigated the Enfield Horror case had an interesting theory on what the Horror was. A so-called phantom kangaroo. The description fits and kangaroos were seen at the same time in Indiana and Chicago.

    • That’s interesting John. I’m trying to get my head around the concept of a “phantom kangaroo”, though. It’s hard enough for me to believe in ghosts, much less phantom kangaroos. By the same token, I respect a lot of Coleman’s Bigfoot research and experiences, so I think I’ll leave this one as a big question mark for now! LOL!! Thanks for sharing!

  4. I saw this thing!!!! I was camping with my friends and I saw a greenish dog like creature in the distance!! Please reply!

  5. I’ll tell you the story. Me and my friends Ben,Luke,and maya we’re taking a hike in are retreat at are church so we thought it would be cool to explore. So then we saw a bunch of random abounded houses in the area. Then suddenly we saw a object get shot at a deer that was by us. But there was no one in the archery range. After that I looked around since I have a scientific mind and watch a lot of shows about unknown creatures and then I saw about 50 feet away from me I saw a scaly green dog like creature that scared the crap out of me. When I went back to camp I drew a picture of it. But no one believed me. But some people said they heard weird sounds In the woods. When I went home my parents were surprised to since I was crying with fear etc. so I went on my ipad to find this creature online and I found this.. It looked exactly like it!! Please interview me or comment.

    • Hi Tyler! That sounds like a very frightening encounter!

      When did this happen (date/day/time of day)?

      You were the only one who saw it, correct?

      Where did you see it (state, town nearby, name of park area)?

      Did you find a photo online that looks sort of like what you saw? If so, please email a copy of the photo to cryptoville@hotmail.com

      Did your parents believe that you saw this thing?

      Thanks! … Susan (CryptoVille)

      • Hi, I was at hustonville Illinois in the middle of a thick forest. we went about 10 weeks ago and it was about noon. And yes my parents did believe me.

        • Have there been other sightings of this creature that you’ve heard of? I mean, lately or in the last few years?

          Also, did you find a picture that looks pretty close to what you saw?

          It’s getting late here in CryptoVille, so we can continue this tomorrow. If I can get enough data, I’ll put a post out about it, if you like.

          Good night!

  6. Judging from what I’ve read, I’ve calumniated a conclusion based upon logical reason. I deduce that this ‘creature’ is most likely a myth rued by a community of people and boasted by the media for one reason or another. The reasons being:

    1) The manner in which the creature is depicted, as well as its incredible strength (jumping 50-75 ft. in only 2-3 leaps). If this is a deformed animal such as a dog, or even wildcat of some sort, it would not have such strength to preform jumps like that with merely three feet/legs.

    2) If it were a real creature, then why hasn’t any more been found or any pictures taken? Whether a mutation or new species.

    3) What’s the history of the small town? What would popularity gain them? Possibly more tourism to aid in business or possibly some sort of award?

    4) Whats the biography and sociology of these so-called witnesses?

    Being a reasonable, logical person, I highly doubt that these were real events and carried about by a new species; I reject this being a supernatural event and label it as myth.

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