Curious Louisiana connects readers with our newsroom's reporting. Earning its name from the abundance of honeybees (Louisianas state insect) that once inhabited the isle, Honey Island is one of the most pristine marshlands in the United States. Honey Island Swamp, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana If Ford invented the swamp monster for notoriety or hunting rights, why did he hide the majority of his evidence? That sinister figure standing behind mangled tree branches and staring you down with haunting yellow eyes? [4], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}301302N 893859W / 30.21722N 89.64972W / 30.21722; -89.64972. He described the creature as being over seven feet tall, having dingy, grayish hair, yellow eyes, and being accompanied by a disgusting stench. Somehow, the marshy surroundings feel both very earthy (you are, after all, surrounded by muddy water) and ethereal, especially when the light flickers through the trees while the silence swells and pulses over the water, interrupted only by the soft humming from bugs and the occasional splash of an oar. "The Honey Island Swamp is a real place. Honey Island Swamp is located in St. Tammany Parish in eastern Louisiana, about 37 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of New Orleans by road. People of all races gave him a wide berth because his reputation as a heartless scoundrel was well-known. Too afraid to move, he watched as a figure about 8 feet tall and hairy from head to toe passed slowly below him, eventually disappearing further into the woods. Hamilton - Head split in half by Victor with a hatchet. They provide two options, drive-up and hotel pickup. By the late 1990's, the swamp was recognized as so dangerous that the public was banned from entering. His hunt ranged from the northern reaches of the swamp southward to Lake Borgne and the Gulf of Mexico. The PRWMA is swampy in the south, more hardwood bottomland to the north, home to black bears, feral pigs, cougars, nutria and an abundant year-round and migratory bird population. With the head of a werewolf and the body of a man, the creature is said to prey on misbehaving children and dates back to medieval France. They were not successful until they reached McNeil, a small community north of Picayune. After he retired, he spent a lot of time at the camp documenting wildlife and eventually the creature we call the Honey Island Swamp Monster.. "Reporting a sighting of Bigfoot, Sasquatch and even the Honey Island Swamp Monster does not get you labeled a crazy person anymore, and therefore, those who believe eyewitnesses are not labeled crazy either," said Dana Holyfield, granddaughter of Harlan Ford a man often credited with having the first recorded encounter with the purported swamp monster. Victor was cruelly taunted for his deformities by other children, and one Halloween night three teenagers - Sampson Dunston, his brother, and a third boy named Trent - set the Crowley house on fire in an effort to force Victor out so they could see him. Rainbow-hued in the summer and crystalline in the winter, this salty lake has inspired battles, temples, and plenty of awe. Samuel M. Barrett/Doug Shapiro - Neck broken by Victor. If you've got a. Learning that a man named Jesse Favre had signed the register, Sheriff Bontemps ordered Deputy Albert Smith to organize a posse to search Honey Island Swamp. Honey Swamp Monster High Doll WoldingsCorner (61) $45.69 Honey Island Swamp Massacre Survivor T-shirt , BRUJAS y VAMPIROS BrujasYVampiros (382) $19.99 FREE shipping Honey swamp freak du chic monster high doll LittleMissBrownStuff $43.22 More colors Known Factions In-universe, this total is not known with precision for a number of reasons, such as the extreme mutilation of the corpses, the great size of the crime scene, predation on and environmental damage to victims' remains, and the discovery of remains belonging to people Victor Crowley killed years or decades earlier. Because the murderer fled into Hancock County, its sheriff, Joe Bontemps, formed a posse to search the swamp for Jackson and clues. Sabrina Caruthers. [8], Today, the creature is still purported to inhabit the swamp and the bayous along the Pearl River. Of those killed, 27 of them - more than half - were first responders from various agencies responding to earlier murders. He let his mind wander. You can not see 10 feet in front with a truck light on and my uncle was already there field dressing about 15 catfish and a logger head turtle. Welcome to The Honey Hole, A Little Piece of Heaven in God's Country. Musician/band Photos See all Videos See all 0:06 Can't wait to get into it at d.b.a. Alias When word of the murders reached Picayune, the townspeople were up in arms and were soon joined by local farmers with whom Mingee and McLemore had worked to rid local crops of the sweet potato weevil. We love getting to showcase all of the incredible things about our great state. Etsy shops never receive your credit card information. He decided to bring his camera with him every time he went to his camp. Honey Island earned its name due to the abundance of honey bees once seen on a nearby isle. Retired Avenger, current NFL free agent. Reverend Zombie - Cut in half with a hatchet and pulled out of his skin by Victor. On a trail near a small watering hole, Ford noticed what looked like the aftermath of a fatal fight for survival. A large, bi-pedal creature is faintly seen in the video roaming the woods from about a hundred yards away. GO SWAMP: Louisiana's Northshore. Caught unawares, Favre was quickly handcuffed, and a search of the cabin uncovered a gold Elgin watch, a gold fob, and a fountain pen hidden in a pot on the stove. Please try again. According to Breaux, as Hubert retold the story, he began clenching his teeth and breathing rapidly as if he were reliving a terrifying experience. According to the deputies, the Honey Island Swamp was a hellhole where criminals and monsters thrived. 2023 Atlas Obscura. The Honey Island Swamp Monster has been called many different namesLouisianas Bigfoot, the Bayou Beast, and even the Wookiee, not to be confused with Chewbacca (for all my fellow Star Wars fans out there). Missing from McLemore were an automatic pistol and gold watch. I saw something tall moving, unlike any creature I have seen move on two legs through water, unimpeded. Stubby", "From Artemis Fowl to a vodka-guzzling dragon", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Honey_Island_Swamp_monster&oldid=1132470788, The Honey Island Swamp monster was the subject of, The creature was featured in an episode of, The creature was featured in a segment of the series, It was featured in a segment of a 2012 episode of, A version of the Honey Island Swamp monster is included in the, This page was last edited on 9 January 2023, at 01:26. Victor Crowley (2017) Action, Comedy, Family, Horror, Thriller. 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Trent - Curb-stomped against a table by Victor. Benson tells the story on his swamp tours when people ask and also keeps a plaster cast of Harlans swamp-monster footprint impression, given to him by Dana. Only 1 left in stock - order soon. Three reports of Jacksons vengeance bear repeating. See item details for return and exchange eligibility. Frequently referred to as beast in the story, the part-man, part-animal with piercing yellow eyes has appeared in several anecdotes by self-styled witnesses since the 1960s. New Orleans, Louisiana, USA . If you've never explored this emerald oasis, you're in for a real treat. Tour-takers appreciate the experienced guides' narrative skills as well as the opportunities . The inciting event of the massacre was the killing of Sampson Dunston, one of Victor's original killers, and his son Ainsley. Layton - Decapitated by Victor with a hatchet. What is the Honey Island Swamp Monster? A theme park that suffered massive flooding during Katrina was abandoned, and now proves irresistible to trespassing explorers. Theres all kinds of wildlife that inhabit Honey Island, but legend has it, the swamp is home to something that is much more wild. It holds the greatest aquatic species diversity in all of Louisiana. Legends of a giant beast terrorizing the region stretch back to Native American lore, but modern sightings began in 1963, when two FAA air traffic controlmen and local outdoorsmen set up camp in the interior of the marshs seventy thousand acres. Dana Holyfield is the granddaughter of Harlan Ford and has continued her grandfathers research in the form of a documentary, a book titled Honey Island Swamp Monster Documentations, and more. Ford took the track castings to the local game warden and LSUs College of Agriculture to be analyzed, but they could not identify what kind of animal left these tracks. However, once Jackson made it to Honey Island Swamp, he faded into the surroundings as did the alligators, snakes, and his fellow denizens of the marsh. "The Legend of the Honey Island Swamp Monster" is an extremely low-budget bigfoot pseudo-documentary made by Dana Holyfield, granddaughter of the late Harland Ford, whose 1963 Louisiana swamp bigfoot footage inspired the project. Curious Louisiana answers. The Honey Island Swamp is a marshland located in Louisiana in St. Tammany Parish. 2017year. Box 3356 - Bay Saint Louis, MS 39521 -, Battle of Pass Christian - Bedsheet Surrender, Richmond Barth, Hancock County's American Sculptor, The Old Time Church - Reflections of S. G. Thigpen. The Honey Island Shooting Range, located on the Pearl River Wildlife Management Area (WMA), will be closed beginning June 11, 2021, for renovation and infrastructure improvement, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) announced. To find out more contact us at 800.838.9199 . The sun sets in the Western sky and illuminates the Louisiana horizon a wondrous glow. The inaugural Honey Island Swamp Fest was held June 3, 2017, in Pearl River. The Honey Island Swamp Massacre was a killing spree committed over several days by the ghost Victor Crowley. I think its fascinating,'' said Brettel. Marybeth also survived, though how she escaped is unknown. The Honey Island Swamp Massacre is the name given to the mass murder of 49 people in Honey Island Swamp, Louisiana by the ghost Victor Crowley over one week in February 2007. Etsys 100% renewable electricity commitment includes the electricity used by the data centers that host Etsy.com, the Sell on Etsy app, and the Etsy app, as well as the electricity that powers Etsys global offices and employees working remotely from home in the US. All of her works can be found at HoneyIslandSwampMonster.com. But for decades, hes wondered about one of the swamp's fabled creatures the Honey Island Swamp Monster, a legendary 500-pound beast that some claim hides amid the cypress trees andmurky waters. Curious Louisiana explains it's not all random. Ainsley Dunston - Ripped in half by Victor. Titles Covers. By the time Amanda, Winslow, and Marybeth arrived with the ashes of Victor's father, only EMT Andrew Yong was still alive. Rick - Blown up by Deputy Cory Schneiderman with a rocket launcher. Out hunting for deer, Hubert was perched atop an oak tree when he heard heavy sounds approaching from the woods behind him. A monster? On December 19, 1675, Native American and Colonial forces clashed in a battle that would go down in history as the "Great Swamp Fight." Today, this monument pays tribute to the brave soldiers on. Purposes Camels and crocodiles share the black waters of this stunning Saharan oasis. Mystery of the Honey Island Swamp-Rat Killings. Sunday Mirror, 24 Jan. 1943. 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