construction site. His observations, of something unusual, provide support for the claims made by Vance and Workman earlier that morning.

"It was Bigfoot..."

At 12:30 AM on July 31st, Chuck Vance and Jerry Workman said they were frightened by a dark, 12-foot tall creature with arms that hung to its knees and red eyes. They said it ran with great speed across the construction site on two legs. They were emphatic about the creature's height when we spoke with them⁽¹⁾. They were equally emphatic that what they saw was not a bear.

Nevertheless, in dim light under stressful conditions it seems that judging the height and type of a large animal might be a difficult task. For the sake of comparison, let's consider some additional facts: The American Black Bear typically ranges in weight from 125 to 400 pounds and may reach a length of 5 feet (see Figure 15). They can rear-up on their hind legs and assume a vertical posture, but only for limited periods and they cannot run in this position⁽²⁾.

Perhaps they did mistake a bear for a tall, hairy monster with long dangling arms and glowing, red eyes. Then again, perhaps not. Figure 16 is a representation of what Chuck and Jerry described. Their claim has similarities to many of the alleged Bigfoot/Sasquatch reports that have accumulated over the years. However, the 12-foot height they insist on is at the very upper limit of the ranges that are given in such reports. A more common span of height would be seven to nine feet. The forward angle of the torso and long arms they mentioned are both typical Sasquatch features. The workers did not detect the pungent odor that accompanies many, but not all, Bigfoot sightings⁽³⁾. The red eye-glow they reported is another attribute that can be found throughout Bigfoot literature. If their claims were unique and unprecedented it would be easier to discount them. However, during the last thirty years there have been a number of similar sightings in Anne Arundel and other Maryland counties. Interestingly, within a 20-mile radius of Arundel Mills, there have been at least 10 sightings of a similar nature (see Figure 17).

Conclusion

A most compelling aspect of this case is its multiple-witness status. There are two witnesses who basically described seeing the same thing. And a third witness, reluctant to discuss the matter in depth, but from whom enough detail was obtained to show some consensus. Ultimately, for what Chuck and Jerry said they saw and even Officer DiPietro's claim, support consists primarily of anecdotal testimony. Beyond mashed grass and inconclusive soil impressions, no physical evidence was found.

The logical explanation for this case is that all concerned parties observed a bear at the Arundel Mills construction site. On the part of the witnesses, an assumption is made that the states of mind and environment of being too tired, too frightened, too distant, too dark, and too imaginative have all interplayed to craft this drama.

From the respective viewpoints of the police, the DNR, and especially the Arundel Mills administrators, it's much more "comfortable" to envision a bear on some nocturnal quest for discarded food than a huge, dark, bipedal creature with glowing, red eyes and unknown motives.

1. During the interview, for reference Chuck Vance compared the creature's height to some young Sycamore trees we were standing next to. The trees ranged in height from 10 to 12 feet.

2. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Biologue on the American Black Bear, http://species.fws.gov/

3. At interviews they were asked about unusual odors during the sighting. They did not recall any.

Go To Credits page

Back to Page 9