Unraveling the Mystery: The Legend of the Beast of Grafton

Our story begins in the town of Grafton in Taylor County, WV, in 1964. Grafton is located about 35 minutes from Morgantown and was first settled in 1852 by construction crews for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. It was chartered in 1856. During the Civil War, it served as a crucial rail center and was occupied by both the North and South at various times. Grafton is home to both of West Virginia's National cemeteries and the International Mother's Day Shrine, as it is where Mother's Day originated.

On June 16, 1964, Robert Cockrell, a journalist for the Grafton Sentinel, finished work at about 11:00pm and started his journey home. He drove along Rt 119, following the western bank of the Tygart River. It was late, and his car was the only one on the road. As he navigated a curve, he

encountered what he described as a "huge white obstruction" or mass standing between the road and river bank. The creature was slick looking with white skin and no head. It's head seemed to be resting in the middle of its chest. It barely moved as he drove past but Robert could tell it was alive. The thing seemed to be made entirely of muscle with white seal like fur.

In a state of panic, Robert accelerated rapidly and headed to his home. Once there, he contacted his friends, Jerry Morse and Jim Mouser, to accompany him back to the location on the road to investigate the creature and determine what it was. Robert and his two friends arrived at the area. Robert parked his 1956 Buick in a gravel pit and the three friends got out to investigate.

There was no creature to be seen but the grass was trampled down in the area where it had been standing by the road. There was also a low whistling sounds coming from the direction of the river that also seemed to follow them as they investigated. Finding nothing, they returned to the Buick and got in but the car wouldn't turn over right away. Eventually it started and they left.

The following day at work, Robert Cockrell kept silent about his sighting. However, he soon learned of other reports describing a creature without a discernible head, standing 8-10 feet tall. After receiving over 20 calls regarding the creature, Robert eventually shared his experience and wrote an article. The town was swept up in monster hunting fever. Groups formed, and people began searching for the creature. More than 100 individuals joined the search. Although additional sightings were reported, no solid evidence was found.

Gray Barker, a writer renowned for his focus on UFOs and other paranormal phenomena, believed the creature was of alien origin. He thought the whistling sound came from a nearby alien craft, which also caused electrical interference and led to the car's starting issues. Barker hypothesized that aliens released their "animals" to test the environment, akin to how humans sent dogs and monkeys into space.

After a long period without sightings, the Grafton Monster, also referred to as the Headless Horror, slipped into obscurity. It was "rediscovered" in 1995, leading to its appearance in the Fallout 76 video game, which quickly brought it back into the spotlight. In June 2024, the first Grafton Monster Festival was hosted in Grafton, WV. This year, the second annual festival is scheduled for June 13-14th. Who knows, perhaps the monster will make another appearance.