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Momo: The Strange Case of the Missouri Monster
When a faceless, hair-covered entity emerged from the wooded hills of Louisiana, Missouri on July 11, 1972, no one could have predicted the terror and frenzy that would follow. The apparent beast – which walked upright and carried the remains of a dead animal – was first spotted by three young witnesses as it lurked in the shadows of Marzolf Hill behind their home. Within a short time, others caught glimpses of the hairy thing as it stalked the countryside while eerie lights were seen streaking across the sky. Stories of the strange phenomena quickly made headlines across America, as reporters dubbed the beast “ the Missouri Monster.” As the frenzy continued, waves of vigilante monster hunters descended upon the small town as local authorities plunged into the thick woods in search of the alleged creature. Paranormal investigators uncovered a similar history of sightings along the Mississippi River, far beyond the small town. Whatever was happening in the sleepy hills of Missouri had been going on for far longer than anyone imagined, and would continue for years to come as Momo’s legend lived on amid steady reports of hairy creatures in the Midwest countryside. Now, for the first time, the strange story of the legendary Missouri Monster comes to life in its fascinating from the Bigfoot-like creature sightings to the associated phenomenon of unexplained objects in the sky and disembodied voices. Follow legend hunter, Lyle Blackburn, as he makes his own journey to uncover the truth behind one of the greatest monster tales to ever rise from the hills and hollers of the American Midwest.
178 pages, Paperback
Published February 26, 2019
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60 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 12, 2019
Lyle Blackburn is fast becoming the best in the biz when it comes to investigative reporting of Amercia's cryptids, especially the big hairy ones that walk on two feet. Momo is another home run - a well-researched look into a flap of possible Bigfoot sightings in the early 70s. Several unique angles are explored and some of the stories had my hair standing on end. A great addition to my cryptid bookshelf.
November 24, 2022
The small town of Louisiana, Missouri had a strange summer in 1972 when a creature put it briefly made it famous, but was it real or fake? Momo: The Strange Case of the Missouri Monster by Lyle Blackburn goes into detail of the two months that the creature made life interesting in corner of the Show Me state.
Over the course of almost 140 pages of text, Blackburn details the strange events that occurred in Louisiana, MO over the course of July and August 1972 as well as the surrounding area along the western side of the Mississippi River with some reports across the river in Illinois as well. Not only does he describe the encounters or sightings of a large, black haired bipedal entity but of footprint finds and the sighting of strange orbs of light around town that just added to the “strangeness” of that summer especially when he gives context to similar things occurring in Pennsylvania that attracted UFO investigators. While Blackburn doesn’t dismiss the possibility of pranks in some of the instances he details in the books—in fact a set of footprints is confessed to being fake—but there are two instances which to him one in July 1971 and the initial incident in July 1972 of the Momo phenomenon that make him believe there is substance to something strange having lived in the area.
Momo: The Strange Case of the Missouri Monster is a fascinating read of how a small town and the surrounding area experienced something weird roaming the area. Lyle Blackburn not only lays out the facts in well-written manner and gives his opinion, but he allows the reader to make up their own mind as well.
Over the course of almost 140 pages of text, Blackburn details the strange events that occurred in Louisiana, MO over the course of July and August 1972 as well as the surrounding area along the western side of the Mississippi River with some reports across the river in Illinois as well. Not only does he describe the encounters or sightings of a large, black haired bipedal entity but of footprint finds and the sighting of strange orbs of light around town that just added to the “strangeness” of that summer especially when he gives context to similar things occurring in Pennsylvania that attracted UFO investigators. While Blackburn doesn’t dismiss the possibility of pranks in some of the instances he details in the books—in fact a set of footprints is confessed to being fake—but there are two instances which to him one in July 1971 and the initial incident in July 1972 of the Momo phenomenon that make him believe there is substance to something strange having lived in the area.
Momo: The Strange Case of the Missouri Monster is a fascinating read of how a small town and the surrounding area experienced something weird roaming the area. Lyle Blackburn not only lays out the facts in well-written manner and gives his opinion, but he allows the reader to make up their own mind as well.
May 17, 2020
What the hell happened in the town of Louisiana, Missouri in 1972? Multiple fascinating reports and interactions with Momo (the Missouri Monster) come in from a plethora of reliable witnesses. Mass hysteria - unlikely. A Bigfoot like cryptic? Hoax or pranks? Otherworldly creature or something related to the UFOs seen in the area? Make your own decision after reading Blackburn’s detailed analysis and investigation into the bizarre Momo phenomenon.
January 20, 2021
A fun read for avid fans of cryptid lore. The rush of Momo-related details — i.e., possible UFO connections, disembodied voices, lights in the skies — tends to tip the proceedings into the "too good to be true" category. But the author at least considers the probability that a hoax is the explanation for all the strange happenings in July 1972. Sometimes, people see what they want to see.
December 3, 2019
As a child growing up in 1970s rural Texas, musician and author Lyle Blackburn read books and saw films about Bigfoot and other cryptozoological oddities, his imagination stirred. Indeed, all of his professional work in literature and film, the excellent The Beast of Boggy Creek (2012), a comprehensive history of the now-legendary sightings of an ape-like creature in and around Fouke, Arkansas—preserved for posterity in the classic 1972 film The Legend of Boggy Creek—and Beyond Boggy Creek (2017), a follow-up book on other Southern creatures, are essentially nostalgic; they are an attempt to pay tribute to these now classic monsters and to recapture that feeling of childlike wonder. Blackburn initially intended to include the Momo incident—Momo is short for Missouri Monster—in Beyond Boggy Creek, yet space considerations and the fact that the area isn't technically the American South (it's actually the southeastern Midwest) prevented its inclusion. Instead, Blackburn has devoted an entire book, Momo: The Strange Case of the Missouri Monster, to the fabled creature.
The Momo sightings occurred in the summer of 1972 in the small town of Louisiana, Missouri, in the northeastern part of the state. These sightings resulted in local panic. Hunting posses irritated local law enforcement, and considerable media attention gave birth to a short-lived local tourist industry. Momo, a seven-foot tall, smelly hairy humanoid creature with a large, pumpkin-shaped head, was first reported in 1971 by Joan Mills and Mary Ryan. Yet the sighting the following year, on 11 July 1972 by two children in their backyard at the base of Marzolf Hill, which borders the western edge of the small river town, initiated the two month-long flap. The children reported seeing a large, hairy, man-like creature speckled with blood that appeared to be carrying a dead dog or goat (or possibly its offspring, as Blackburn reports). Additional encounters followed throughout July and August, before eventually tapering off. These subsequent sightings were often accompanied by a "strong garbage smell," ringing sounds, disembodied voices (one asked for coffee), growls and yelps, and strange lights (described as "fireballs") that descended from the sky above Marzolf Hill before descending into the woods. A search of those woods turned up an abandoned building that was permeated by a strange, foul odor, in which was found a large nest.
In some ways, the Momo incident is similar to Mothman, another creature encounter that occurred along with a variety of other Fortean phenomena such as strange lights in the sky and UFO sightings. Indeed, both events occurred during that wonderful, colorful mid 1960s-mid 70s period of high strangeness, in otherwise unexceptional, off-the-beaten-path, river towns.
In these previous books, and in his latest, Blackburn shows himself to be a capable researcher. He tracks down historical newspapers and other records, and collects new interviews with surviving eyewitnesses and others involved in order to present as complete a history as possible. He presents his evidence in a clear, straightforward, engaging, yet casual manner. Among the various appendices, Blackburn presents an helpful timeline and breakdown of the sightings along with a handful of maps, web links, and photos. There are provocative detours into local Native American folklore that concern a race of hairy humanoids that descended from the sky, the 19th century "Blue Man," a wild man spotted by European settlers in and around the Louisiana area, and various local encounters with Bigfoot. There's also a rather specious claim of a Minnesota Iceman-like fairground ape man said—by a single witness—to have made its way around Louisiana in 1964, four years prior to the appearance of the famous Iceman (and which we can safely assume was probably the Iceman).
Blackburn lays out the evidence for Momo and addresses a number of potential explanations. Was the creature an extraterrestrial visitor or a Keelian interdimensional being, or more prosaically a bear or a well-orchestrated hoax? While bears are not native to northeastern Missouri, a bear sighting did occur near Louisiana just one month before Momo's initial 1971 appearance, and it is possible, as Blackburn allows, for southern bears to make their way north following the Mississippi River. What's more, numerous witnesses described the monster as "bear-like" despite its apparent bipedalism. Indeed, the relative proximity of the creature to eyewitnesses—it was most often seen at a distance—misidentifications, and the resultant hysteria over the course of the summer in 1972, may have led to less than accurate perceptions of the creature's identity. Similarly, the mysterious lights reported were often seen in proximity of railroad crossings, witnessed at regular intervals, and in one instance, two "apple-sized" lights appeared to "signal back and forth." One might expect that lights at railroad crossings might exhibit similar properties and behavior, a possibility that Blackburn fails to consider. If Momo is not a man-like ape (or ape-like man), then, in consideration of the evidence, Blackburn suggests that the hoax theory the most probable explanation, for, while the hoax theory cannot explain close-up encounters or the strange odors or sounds, in Blackburn's weighing of the evidence, a hoax seems more likely than an out-of-place bear or especially an extraterrestrial or interdimensional visitor.
There are other minor drawbacks to Blackburn's book, some subject verb and tense agreements and other grammatical errors. Less forgivably, the index is woefully incomplete. Finally, at only 132 pages of text, and with several lengthy, nearly superfluous digressions (the Iceman red herring in particular), the book is fairly slight and one is left with the impression that, whatever Blackburn's feelings on the matter, perhaps Momo is not entirely deserving of a book-length treatment. Nevertheless, Blackburn's ability at conveying the strange atmosphere of this bygone era, his "feet-on-the-ground" approach to research, and his perceptible enthusiasm for his subject matter represent the book's greatest strengths and, as such, for the most part make up for its various weaknesses. As an example of regional folklore and an incident of high weirdness, the Momo sightings are among the most memorable of the high strangeness era. If, as in L.P. Hartley's description, the past is a foreign country, what then can we really know of the impenetrable woods of these lonely and distant places? -- Eric Hoffman, Fortean Times
The Momo sightings occurred in the summer of 1972 in the small town of Louisiana, Missouri, in the northeastern part of the state. These sightings resulted in local panic. Hunting posses irritated local law enforcement, and considerable media attention gave birth to a short-lived local tourist industry. Momo, a seven-foot tall, smelly hairy humanoid creature with a large, pumpkin-shaped head, was first reported in 1971 by Joan Mills and Mary Ryan. Yet the sighting the following year, on 11 July 1972 by two children in their backyard at the base of Marzolf Hill, which borders the western edge of the small river town, initiated the two month-long flap. The children reported seeing a large, hairy, man-like creature speckled with blood that appeared to be carrying a dead dog or goat (or possibly its offspring, as Blackburn reports). Additional encounters followed throughout July and August, before eventually tapering off. These subsequent sightings were often accompanied by a "strong garbage smell," ringing sounds, disembodied voices (one asked for coffee), growls and yelps, and strange lights (described as "fireballs") that descended from the sky above Marzolf Hill before descending into the woods. A search of those woods turned up an abandoned building that was permeated by a strange, foul odor, in which was found a large nest.
In some ways, the Momo incident is similar to Mothman, another creature encounter that occurred along with a variety of other Fortean phenomena such as strange lights in the sky and UFO sightings. Indeed, both events occurred during that wonderful, colorful mid 1960s-mid 70s period of high strangeness, in otherwise unexceptional, off-the-beaten-path, river towns.
In these previous books, and in his latest, Blackburn shows himself to be a capable researcher. He tracks down historical newspapers and other records, and collects new interviews with surviving eyewitnesses and others involved in order to present as complete a history as possible. He presents his evidence in a clear, straightforward, engaging, yet casual manner. Among the various appendices, Blackburn presents an helpful timeline and breakdown of the sightings along with a handful of maps, web links, and photos. There are provocative detours into local Native American folklore that concern a race of hairy humanoids that descended from the sky, the 19th century "Blue Man," a wild man spotted by European settlers in and around the Louisiana area, and various local encounters with Bigfoot. There's also a rather specious claim of a Minnesota Iceman-like fairground ape man said—by a single witness—to have made its way around Louisiana in 1964, four years prior to the appearance of the famous Iceman (and which we can safely assume was probably the Iceman).
Blackburn lays out the evidence for Momo and addresses a number of potential explanations. Was the creature an extraterrestrial visitor or a Keelian interdimensional being, or more prosaically a bear or a well-orchestrated hoax? While bears are not native to northeastern Missouri, a bear sighting did occur near Louisiana just one month before Momo's initial 1971 appearance, and it is possible, as Blackburn allows, for southern bears to make their way north following the Mississippi River. What's more, numerous witnesses described the monster as "bear-like" despite its apparent bipedalism. Indeed, the relative proximity of the creature to eyewitnesses—it was most often seen at a distance—misidentifications, and the resultant hysteria over the course of the summer in 1972, may have led to less than accurate perceptions of the creature's identity. Similarly, the mysterious lights reported were often seen in proximity of railroad crossings, witnessed at regular intervals, and in one instance, two "apple-sized" lights appeared to "signal back and forth." One might expect that lights at railroad crossings might exhibit similar properties and behavior, a possibility that Blackburn fails to consider. If Momo is not a man-like ape (or ape-like man), then, in consideration of the evidence, Blackburn suggests that the hoax theory the most probable explanation, for, while the hoax theory cannot explain close-up encounters or the strange odors or sounds, in Blackburn's weighing of the evidence, a hoax seems more likely than an out-of-place bear or especially an extraterrestrial or interdimensional visitor.
There are other minor drawbacks to Blackburn's book, some subject verb and tense agreements and other grammatical errors. Less forgivably, the index is woefully incomplete. Finally, at only 132 pages of text, and with several lengthy, nearly superfluous digressions (the Iceman red herring in particular), the book is fairly slight and one is left with the impression that, whatever Blackburn's feelings on the matter, perhaps Momo is not entirely deserving of a book-length treatment. Nevertheless, Blackburn's ability at conveying the strange atmosphere of this bygone era, his "feet-on-the-ground" approach to research, and his perceptible enthusiasm for his subject matter represent the book's greatest strengths and, as such, for the most part make up for its various weaknesses. As an example of regional folklore and an incident of high weirdness, the Momo sightings are among the most memorable of the high strangeness era. If, as in L.P. Hartley's description, the past is a foreign country, what then can we really know of the impenetrable woods of these lonely and distant places? -- Eric Hoffman, Fortean Times
October 13, 2021
Subtitle: The Strange Case of the Missouri Monster
If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you already know that my hometown went through a Bigfoot scare back when I was 10 years old – I even based one of my books on it. I became aware of this book while listening to some podcasts concerning an alleged 1941 UFO crash in Missouri. The hosts referred to another episode concerning MoMo, so I listened to that too, and discovered this book. My hopes weren’t that high for it, as I was expecting it to be rehashed accounts of the more spectacular elements of the story. I was pleasantly surprised by it when I got finally got the chance to read it.
One of the things that impressed me about it was that the author was not content to simply serve up stories and bits of information that are commonly repeated across the internet. He actually visited the town, spoke to some of the people who had encountered the monster, and visited the library there to view their archives of the town’s newspaper from the time of the flap. Blackburn also took the time not only to visit the sites of alleged MoMo incidents, but also got to know Louisiana, MO in general.
He also acknowledged rumors that have gotten more prevalent in recent years that the incidents were the results of a hoax instigated by three boys who were in high school at that time. While I give those rumors more credence than he does because I know some of the people who have spoken out about them, I can respect that the author didn’t ignore those reports.
I gave MoMo five stars on Goodreads. I enjoyed reading Blackburn’s investigation of that unusual summer, and appreciate the respectful way he approached the monster, the witnesses, and my hometown.
If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you already know that my hometown went through a Bigfoot scare back when I was 10 years old – I even based one of my books on it. I became aware of this book while listening to some podcasts concerning an alleged 1941 UFO crash in Missouri. The hosts referred to another episode concerning MoMo, so I listened to that too, and discovered this book. My hopes weren’t that high for it, as I was expecting it to be rehashed accounts of the more spectacular elements of the story. I was pleasantly surprised by it when I got finally got the chance to read it.
One of the things that impressed me about it was that the author was not content to simply serve up stories and bits of information that are commonly repeated across the internet. He actually visited the town, spoke to some of the people who had encountered the monster, and visited the library there to view their archives of the town’s newspaper from the time of the flap. Blackburn also took the time not only to visit the sites of alleged MoMo incidents, but also got to know Louisiana, MO in general.
He also acknowledged rumors that have gotten more prevalent in recent years that the incidents were the results of a hoax instigated by three boys who were in high school at that time. While I give those rumors more credence than he does because I know some of the people who have spoken out about them, I can respect that the author didn’t ignore those reports.
I gave MoMo five stars on Goodreads. I enjoyed reading Blackburn’s investigation of that unusual summer, and appreciate the respectful way he approached the monster, the witnesses, and my hometown.
May 23, 2019
Lots of interesting accounts of sightings and very well wriften.
August 8, 2019
A blast back to my childhood
Being a Missouri native (and, at the time, the impressionable age of 7), I remember well the events of 1972 concerning Momo. Reading this book brought back picture-perfect memories. Despite living across the state on the out-skirts of Kansas City, I remember the nightly local news (KC stations) reporting on the latest Momo sightings. I even remember people claiming to have seen Momo on our side of the state. I even remember a retort that showed a drawing of Momo with an actual pumpkin head. Thinking back now, this big event probably ignited (of not already, then added fuel to) my passion for everything unexplainable and monsters. I want to believe they are real. And to this day, every time I journey into the woods, I keep hoping to catch a glimpse for myself. Thanks for the great trip down memory lane!!!
Being a Missouri native (and, at the time, the impressionable age of 7), I remember well the events of 1972 concerning Momo. Reading this book brought back picture-perfect memories. Despite living across the state on the out-skirts of Kansas City, I remember the nightly local news (KC stations) reporting on the latest Momo sightings. I even remember people claiming to have seen Momo on our side of the state. I even remember a retort that showed a drawing of Momo with an actual pumpkin head. Thinking back now, this big event probably ignited (of not already, then added fuel to) my passion for everything unexplainable and monsters. I want to believe they are real. And to this day, every time I journey into the woods, I keep hoping to catch a glimpse for myself. Thanks for the great trip down memory lane!!!
April 20, 2024
The Story on Momo
This was another wonderful investigative book by Lyle Blackburn. His books stand out due to the expert and thorough research done regarding the subject. He gives history and describes the location as he has visited, many interviews with witnesses and shares his research highlights. All of this in an entertaining book with a sense of humor that does not mock the subject or witnesses. He covers additional topics that may relate and points of view both pro and con. I love the sightings included at the back of the book and the many lovely photographs included that showcase the area. I have a number of his books and enjoy everyone. He finds the perfect balance. If you see his name on a book, just buy it, it’s worth your time. He is also featured in the media giving expert opinions.
This was another wonderful investigative book by Lyle Blackburn. His books stand out due to the expert and thorough research done regarding the subject. He gives history and describes the location as he has visited, many interviews with witnesses and shares his research highlights. All of this in an entertaining book with a sense of humor that does not mock the subject or witnesses. He covers additional topics that may relate and points of view both pro and con. I love the sightings included at the back of the book and the many lovely photographs included that showcase the area. I have a number of his books and enjoy everyone. He finds the perfect balance. If you see his name on a book, just buy it, it’s worth your time. He is also featured in the media giving expert opinions.
January 2, 2020
This was a pretty compelling and definitely creepy read. It’s also quite short and written in a easy to read style. The chapter headings can be quite cheeky and fun in a punny sort of way. Lyle Blackburn is definitely one of the best writers of this type of book. I am currently also reading Lizard Man and The Beast of Boggy Creek by him, I also have his follow up Beyond Boggy Creek. I enjoy books about cryptids and those of paranormal subjects matter, not that I believe *necessarily* in the beings or phenomena in and of themselves, but I do believe that people are having some level of truly unexplainable experiences and that fascinates me to no end with regards to the human experience and ideas of consciousness. Definitely recommend.
December 26, 2019
There's nothing true horror fans like better than hunting an actual monster, and I loved being swept away with Missouri's version of Bigfoot. Filled with info about sightings and every theory possible, the book chronicles the horror that folks who trod this dangerous hill and outlying areas unfortunately saw. They know from first-hand experience that seeing an actual beast is creepier than any horror novel or movie. Plus you get manifold pictures and even a song. And the thing was also seen in Pekin, Illinois, where I live! This book is excellently done.
November 5, 2021
Fascinating!
I first heard about momo from a book by Brad Steiger. I was amazed there was a whole book devoted to momo. I became hooked on Lyle Blackburn because of his excellent research abilities. Not sure what folks were seeing in Missouri. But they saw something. Keep writing LB, and I will keep reading!
I first heard about momo from a book by Brad Steiger. I was amazed there was a whole book devoted to momo. I became hooked on Lyle Blackburn because of his excellent research abilities. Not sure what folks were seeing in Missouri. But they saw something. Keep writing LB, and I will keep reading!
July 8, 2019
Great account of a lesser known Bigfoot story. Lots of great information. Easy reading style as well. Worth the read.
July 8, 2019
Pretty Dang Good Book!
September 10, 2019
I've wanted a book like this for a while, since there really isn't much information on Momo that can be found on the internet aside from what Wikipedia says. This is made wore by the fact that a recent urban legend - hoax shared the same name. This book was entertaining without overstaying it's welcome, and was a fun read. will look the author up for more.
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