YEAR: 1973

SEASON: Summer

STATE: Virginia

COUNTY: Fairfax County

LOCATION DETAILS: Pohick Road at Newington Forrest just east of Magic Leaf Road, near Fort Belvoir.

NEAREST TOWN: Springfield, Newington Forrest

NEAREST ROAD: Pohick Road near Magic Leaf Rd

OBSERVED: I was driving down Pohick Road in Fairfax one evening, this animal walked out from behind a road sign, stopped, stared at me, then with one stride it was on the other side. He went into the woods.

OTHER WITNESSES: My kids were in the back seat, but they didn't see it.

OTHER STORIES: None in that area, some in Mt Vernon

TIME AND CONDITIONS: It was late evening, almost dark. The weather was clear.

ENVIRONMENT: At the time there was a lot of trees and creeks. I haven't been there in years, it is more developed now.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Cathy Betz:

I spoke to this witness by phone and although it has been some 35 years since she had this encounter, she had numerous details to add to this report. To her, it seemed like yesterday and the sighting was "burned into her memory".
-It took place in the summer evening about 9pm in 1973 while driving down Pohick Road with her children.
-The weather was clear and calm.
-While driving down this, then rural road, a 6'-7', 300lb-400lb, orangy-brown, bipedal creature stepped out into the road in front of her car.
-After one stride the creature was in the middle of the road and upon seeing her headlights, stopped and turned towards her and paused, as if surprised.
-The witness stated that when it turned towards her, it turned at the waist and that its head and torso turned as one unit.
-The witness stated that it was only two to three yards away from the hood of the car and her first impression of the creature were of its eyes.-"The eyes were huge and dark" and it had "that deer in the headlights look".
-Being in her headlights and only two-three yards away from the creature, the witness was able to see other details. She stated that the creature had a pot-belly, as if it "had worms, or was pregnant", its hair was "unkept, hanging and matted" and resembled the hair texture and color of an orangutan. She stated that its shoulders were wider than its hips, it had longer hair on its legs and shoulders than on its belly and that it had no discernible genitalia.
-She described the head as, "almost like a baby's head that had just been born", conical, or "coneheaded on the top and flat in the back".
-The eyes were deep-set and dark with big eyebrows. The brow was pronounced, the lips were thin with no noticeable teeth since its mouth was closed and there was no discernible ears or neck. The nose was flat, with big, wide nostrils that went down to its lips and it had a big jaw.
-The arms and legs were muscular. It had long arms that hung below the knees and its hands were curled into fists. It had a longish body.
-When asked to compare this creature to the Patterson Creature, the witness stated that although it had a pot-belly and was very muscular, it was thinner to the point of almost looking malnourished.
-Because of the close proximity to the hood of her car she could not see the lower legs or feet.
-After staring at each other for a few moments, the witness stated that it crossed from the middle of the road onto the shoulder in one stride and that its gait was smooth and fluid.
-She stated that although it resembled a human in basic anatomical structure, it didn't walk or look human. She said the neck, torso and shoulders stayed fixed while its arms swung forward and its knees flexed in a peculiar manner.
-The sighting area is now heavily developed compared to when the witness had her sighting. It is fairly close to some inlets of the Chesapeake Bay and there are several State Parks and wilderness areas in the vicinity.

About BFRO Investigator Cathy Betz:

Cathy has been a nurse for over 27 years and currently works in a busy ICU. An amateur naturalist, Cathy has been intrigued by the bigfoot phenomenon from an early age.
Attended the following expeditions:
- The 2006 Florida Expedition
- The 2007 North Carolina Expedition
- The 2008 South Florida Expedition
- The 2008 North Florida Expedition
- The 2009 Central Florida Expedition
- The 2009 Utah Expedition
- The 2010 TN Survey Expedition
- The 2011 East Texas Expedition
-The 2012 North FL Expedition
-The 2013 Michigan Upper Peninsula Expedition
For more information, please see the Florida BFRO