Class C Second-hand BFRO #2806

The "Big Muddy Monster" flap of Murphysboro

1980 Carbondale, Jackson County, Illinois

Account

In the late 1970s to early 1980s, residents around the Big Muddy River reported a foul-smelling, hairy hominid-like creature. Witnesses described seeing and hearing it near the river and finding footprints, with size and color accounts varying. The writer compiled these secondhand accounts and notes the creature was never reported as violent.

Summary drafted by AI from the source report and checked by code before I publish it. The witness's own words remain with the publisher — read the original report .

What was reported

Every kind of observation in the account. Select one to find other encounters with it.

Sightings

Sounds

Physical traces

Other senses

Described appearance

In the source's own words, field by field. Hover a field's marker to see where it was read.

Height src
from 4 foot to 7 foot tall
Build src
big boned man around 6 foot 4
Hair colour src
from black to brown to reddish, dirty brownish color
Other features src
hair matted with mud and plant material

Facts & provenance

Each value names where it came from.

Date
1980
Stated BFRO report #2806 · BFRO report, labelled field: Year
Place
Carbondale, Jackson County, Illinois
Stated BFRO report #2806 · BFRO report, labelled fields: State, County, Nearest Town, Location Details
Map point
37.74, -89.36 (± 1000 m)
Stated BFRO map layer · BFRO published map layer · read with 85% confidence
BFRO map layer point for report 2806 (3 decimals, no boundary)
Account type
Second-hand
Stated BFRO report #2806 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Witness was
hunting, fishing, driving and daily routines
Stated BFRO report #2806 · BFRO report, “Other Witnesses” section · read with 70% confidence
Witness's word for it
The Big Muddy Monster
Stated BFRO report #2806 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Source classification
Class C
Stated BFRO report #2806 · BFRO classification label

Evidence & investigation

What the source says was found or done. Claimed evidence is listed as claimed; the Anomadex has not examined it.

Tracks

Footprints reported as a noticed sign.

BFRO report, “Also Noticed” section

Source timeline

Every record this entry is built from, earliest known first. Records are versioned and never edited in place.

  1. Published 1999-06-13 Retrieved 2026-09-25 Version 1 Hash e28b42618233
    BFRO - Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization
  2. BFRO map layer Reference
    Retrieved 2026-09-24 Version 1 Hash cfb8a3d423b7
    BFRO - Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization

The report refers to

  • “at least one article in one of the local papers”
    Not in the Anomadex yet