YEAR: 2026

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: June

DATE: 12

STATE: Texas

COUNTY: Upshur County

LOCATION DETAILS: It was around these coordinates
32.56393° N, 95.02969° W

NEAREST TOWN: Between Big Sandy and Wilkins

NEAREST ROAD: Hwy 80

OBSERVED: i was driving down highway 80 in east Texas between Big Sandy and Wilkins. It is where 80 turns into a 2 lane road and dense woods on either side. It was 1:20 am on Friday June 12, 2026. It was stepping out of the woods on the eastbound side like it was going to cross the road. I had my bright lights on and I saw it clear as day. When it saw my headlight a it turned facing me as it turned back into the woods. Its face still looking in my direction as it took one stride back into the woods.

Its hair was matted with a brownish red look and its face was not like you see in pictures. It did have the ape like nose but its mouth was more human-like instead of an ape or chimpanzee. Its eyes didn’t glow but did reflect the light enough to look hazy reflective.

I got such a good look at its face that I can still see it. Its face was elongated not round. I figured it would have more facial hair but its was more skin than hair. It did have hair around the face that looked more like a mane. It was 7-8 foot tall and about 3-4 foot wide at the chest. By the time I passed it, it had already disappeared into the dark woods.

ALSO NOTICED: No

OTHER WITNESSES: No

OTHER STORIES: No

TIME AND CONDITIONS: 1:20 am clear night and I had my bright lights on

ENVIRONMENT: Dense wooded area on both sides of a 2 lane highway

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Matthew Moneymaker:

I spoke with with Dustin at length by phone. He is a credible witness. He lives in Marshall Texas and has worked in the gas and oil industry in East Texas for over 20 years, after serving with the US Marines.

His wife was with him in the car. She did not see the sasquatch because she was looking down at her phone when they passed it. When her husband Dustin slowed down dramatically after passing it, he told his wife what he saw. He wondered whether he should turn around and go back to the spot. She said no to that and insisted they continue home.

Earlier that evening the couple had been at Dustin's mother's home in Terrell Texas to help install window AC units because the central HVAC system went out. They were driving home from that when the incident occurred.

When Dustin drives from his home in Marshall Texas to and from his mother's place in Terrell, he usually takes the larger Interstate 20 between the two towns. This was the first time he opted to take Highway 80 instead. He took this small rural highway late at night because trafffic was backed up on Interstate 20, as if there was a traffic accident.

When there is a major interstate a few miles away, like the 20, with consistent traffic 24/7 on a wide roadway ... then little highways running roughly parallel, like Hwy 80, are disfavored by drivers late at night because of the risk of hitting deer if you're driving fast. It's much safer to drive along the parallel interstate where you're not right up against thick woods on both sides.

Dustin honestly had no idea that this location of his sighting has four (4) higher-probability factors intersecting at the same place: 1) Dense woods in East Texas, 2) Railroad bed, 3) Powerline route, 4) Feeder creek for the Sabine River (Little White Oak Creek).

The sasquatch was very close to the edge of the two lane highway. Dustin was travelling at roughly 60 miles per hour but the sasquatch was fully lit up by Dustin's high beams. It was still facing toward Dustin's car as he came to within 30 feet of it. Dustin got a very good look at its face. He is willing to work with a sketch artist to make an accurate depiction of it.

There's no way to know if this sasquatch is the same tall sasquatch (7-8 footer) that keeps being seen by motorists near the Sabine River, but a good sketch with accurate fur colors and fur pattern will be the first step in identifying individuals if there's more than involved in the local sightings.

If you live in the counties near the Sabine River anywhere along that 70 miles stretch between Lake Tawakoni and Longview, you should buy yourself a good dash cam. Those counties are Rains, Van Zandt, Wood, Smith, Upshur and Gregg.

If Dustin had a dashcam running that night he would now have some compelling video footage. I myself would have paid for the footage right away. I would have at least covered the cost for his gas driving to his mother's house that day, and the cost for his dash cam, and the costs for the window AC units he installed at his mother's house ... even without the receipts! :)

Here are other published reports from vicinity of the Sabine River in that 70 mile stretch west of Longview. The sort order of reports below is from oldest to most recent. The older reports in the BFRO database typically do not have location details as specific as more recently posted reports. Why? Over the years it became easier for witnesses to figure out the GPS coordinates for their incident location using Google Maps. Google did not exist when this database first launched in the mid-1990's.

-- 1975, Van Zandt County: Two boys have afternoon sighting out behind family land in Sabine River Basin

-- 1976, Upshur County: Sighting by a man on horseback of two large creatures near Gladewater

-- 1978, Gregg County: Sighting by a fisherman at night near Kilgore, and separate nighttime sighting by a family in a mobilehome

-- 1987, Gregg County: While hunting in Sabine River bottoms, two boys have daytime encounter

-- 1992 or 93, Wood County: Hog hunter encounters unknown animal near Sabine River

-- 1996, Wood County: Night time road crossing observation

-- 2004, Smith County: Teenager hears vocalization at night and has possible sighting not far from Sabine River

-- 2006, Wood County: Woman describes husband's daytime sighting on ranch near Quitman, TX

-- November 2025, Smith County: Trucker describes daylight sighting outside Garden Valley -- 20 miles NW of Tyler

(See also the many Facebook comments about this November 2025 report, which contain more information from locals.)

-- December 2025, Smith County: Bigfoot howls heard west of Hideaway Lake, 9 miles south of Sabine River

About BFRO Investigator Matthew Moneymaker:

Matthew Moneymaker is originally from the Los Feliz District of Los Angeles, California.

- Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).

- Juris Doctorate (Law degree) from University of Akron School of Law

- Founder of the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization,1995.

- Writer and co-producer of the Discovery Channel documentary "Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science", 2001.

- Co-producer of the TV Series "Mysterious Encounters" for the Outdoor Life Network (OLN Channel), 2002.

- Producer of the "2003 International Bigfoot Symposium" (Willow Creek Symposium) DVD set, 2004.

- Co-host of "Finding Bigfoot" on Animal Planet Channel, 2010 - 2017.

- Current Director of the BFRO

- Available for private bigfoot expeditions and conferences. To inquire please email ContactUS@BFRO.net