Narrator: IN LOUISIANA,
A LEGENDARY MONSTER,
AN EXTRAORDINARY ENCOUNTER...
Stewart: IT STOOD UP.
IT STOOD UP ON TWO LEGS.
I WAS TERRIFIED.
I SAW IT. I HEARD IT.
IT'S REAL.
Narrator: A HUNTER LUCKY TO MAKE IT OUT ALIVE.
I'VE NEVER, IN MY LIFE,
HAD SOMETHING STARE INTO MY EYES THAT EVIL, NEVER.
Narrator: LIGHTNING SURVIVORS
MYSTERIOUSLY TRANSFORMED INTO SUPER PSYCHICS.
I DIDN'T WANT TO BE ABLE TO SEE ALL THESE SPIRITS.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER THEY WERE DANGEROUS.
Benser: IT'S A VERY EERIE FEELING.
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO LEAVE YOU ALONE UNTIL YOU HELP THEM.
[ SCREAMS ]
-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
Narrator: TWO STATES, TEXAS AND LOUISIANA,
JOINED AT THE HIP
BY AN OLD CROOKED WATERWAY
SNAKING ITS WAY THROUGH BAYOU COUNTRY,
THE SABINE RIVER,
WHERE THICK WOODS AND CYPRUS SWAMPS CONVERGE.
STRANGE SIGHTINGS HAVE COME TO LIGHT,
REPORTS OF AN UNKNOWN WATERBORNE BEAST --
POWERFUL, PREDATORY,
STALKING ANY THAT VENTURES TOO CLOSE TO ITS TURF.
Moore: YOU HAVE REPORTS OF PEOPLE SEEING SOMETHING STRANGE.
CREDIBLE PEOPLE REPORTING INCREDIBLE THINGS.
Wooley: THEY'VE HEARD SCREAMING, HAD STUFF THROWN AT THEM,
STOMPING, TREE SHAKING --
THERE'S SOME PRETTY WILD THINGS GO ON DOWN THERE.
Stewart: I KNOW PEOPLE THAT FISH
THAT WILL NOT GO UP AND DOWN THAT RIVER AT NIGHT
BECAUSE OF THEIR FEAR.
BECAUSE THEY'VE EITHER SEEN SOMETHING
OR THEY'VE HEARD SOMETHING
THAT HAS JUST SCARED THEM TO DEATH.
Narrator: LEGENDS OF THE CREATURE GO BACK
TO THE EARLY CHOCTAW NATIVE AMERICANS
LIVING ALONG THE RIVER.
THEIR WORD WAS "NALUSA FALAYA" --
THE LONG, BLACK, EVIL BEING.
Moore: THERE ARE LEGENDS AND REPORTS
OF THESE MYSTERIOUS SORT OF APE-LIKE,
HUMANOID TYPE CREATURES
GOING BACK FOR HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF YEARS.
Blackburn: IT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THE SABINE RIVER.
A LOT OF SIGHTINGS OF THIS CREATURE OCCUR
IN AND AROUND THAT BODY OF WATER,
AND, OF COURSE, ONCE THE MEDIA OR THE LOCALS
PICK UP ON THIS,
THEY DUBBED IT "THE SABINE THING."
Narrator: EVEN TODAY, RESIDENTS SWEAR THERE'S SOMETHING
IN THIS RIVER BASIN --
A CREATURE STILL UNIDENTIFIED AND DANGEROUS.
Moore: YOU HAVE PEOPLE REPORTING FINDING FIVE-TOED TRACKS.
SOME ARE BIGGER THAN YOU HAVE ANY OTHER CREATURE TO BE
OUT IN THE WOODS
OF SOMETHING THAT LOOKS ESSENTIALLY LIKE A HUMAN FOOT,
THAT'S NOT MATCHING ANY OF THE NATIVE WILDLIFE.
Narrator: NEAR THE NORTHERN END OF THE SABINE NATIONAL FOREST,
ONE EXPERT OUTDOORSMAN
HAS HAD TWO STARTLING ENCOUNTERS WITH THE SABINE THING.
Stewart: WHEN I GREW UP,
IT WAS ALWAYS REFERRED TO AS "CROQUE MITAINE,"
WHICH IS A CAJUN WORD THAT MEANS "BOOGEYMAN."
Narrator: JEFF STEWART IS A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF EAST TEXAS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE AROUND HERE DON'T WANT TO ADMIT
THAT THEY BELIEVE IN THE SABINE THING.
BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO GET RIDICULED,
THEY DON'T WANT TO GET MADE FUN OF,
THEY DON'T WANT TO BE BELITTLED,
BUT IN SECRET, THEY BELIEVE.
Narrator: IN 1986,
JEFF WAS CAMPING AT THE SABINE RIVER WITH FRIENDS
WHEN HE HAD AN EXPERIENCE
THAT WOULD CHANGE HIS VIEW OF THE MONSTER
FROM FAIRY TALE TO FACT.
Stewart: WE'D FISHED ALL DAY,
AND WE HAD CAUGHT QUITE A NUMBER.
OOH, DINNER!
AND WE WOULD SKIN OUR FISH AT THAT HAND PUMP WELL.
THAT'S FOR THE HOGS.
AND WE WOULD LEAVE THE ENTRAILS ON THE GROUND
FOR RACCOONS OR HOGS OR WHATEVER
TO COME AND EAT DURING THE NIGHT,
AND WE WOULD SLIP BACK OVER THERE WITH A FLASHLIGHT
AND SHINE THEM AND WE'D SHOOT THEM.
YEAH, TARGET PRACTICE, RIGHT?
POOR HOGS, THEY'RE ONLY HUNGRY.
ALL RIGHT, COME ONE, LET'S GO FRY THESE UP.
WE'LL BE BACK, HOGS.
Narrator: THE LEFTOVER CATFISH
ATTRACTED SOME UNWANTED ATTENTION.
LATER THAT NIGHT, JEFF DECIDED TO GO BACK TO THE WELL
TO SEE IF ANY SCAVENGERS HAD TURNED UP.
Stewart: I TOLD MY FRIENDS,
"COME ON, LET'S GO OVER AND CHECK OUT THE GUT PILE
AND SEE WHAT'S HITTING THE GUTS."
AND, OF COURSE, NOBODY WANTED TO GO.
Narrator: HE WASN'T EXPECTING ANYTHING BIGGER
THAN A RACCOON OR A HOG.
I COULD SEE THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING EATING AT THE GUTS.
AND I RAISED MY RIFLE.
AND WHEN I GOT PROBABLY ABOUT 20 YARDS,
IT STOOD UP.
IT STOOD UP ON TWO LEGS.
[ GROWLING ]
I WAS TERRIFIED.
IT WAS LOOKING ME DEAD IN MY EYES.
IT WAS VERY SIMILAR TO HUMAN EYES.
I NEVER -- I'VE BEEN HUNTING THESE WOODS
EVER SINCE I WAS BORN.
I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS.
Narrator: INTERRUPTING THE CREATURE'S MEAL,
JEFF WONDERED, WAS HE NEXT ON THE MENU?
Stewart: IT SEEMED LIKE FOREVER,
BUT IT COULD ONLY HAVE BEEN JUST A MATTER OF SECONDS.
Narrator: JEFF RAN BACK TO CAMP AND TRIED TO WARN HIS FRIENDS.
THEY THOUGHT HE WAS PULLING A PRANK.
Stewart: I WAS REALLY SCARED.
I STAYED AWAKE ALL NIGHT LONG, CLUTCHING THAT .22 RIFLE,
WAITING FOR THE SUN TO COME UP.
Narrator: THE NEXT MORNING,
JEFF FINALLY GOT HIS FRIENDS TO GO BACK TO THE WELL SITE.
SEE, GUYS -- THE GUTS ARE GONE.
THEY'RE NOT EVEN HERE. COMPLETELY GONE.
YEAH, MUST BE THE SABINE THING.
AND ON THE GROUND RIGHT BY THE GUT PILE,
THERE WERE TRACKS.
AND I WEAR A SIZE 14EEE,
AND WITH MY SHOE ON,
I COULD STEP IN THE FOOTPRINT OF A BAREFOOT TRACK.
LOOK AT THESE FOOTPRINTS, SERIOUSLY, GUYS.
HERE'S ONE RIGHT HERE, TOO.
Stewart: MY FRIENDS STILL WOULDN'T BELIEVE ME.
SO, AT THAT MOMENT, I DECIDED NOT TO TELL ANOTHER PERSON.
I KEPT MY ENCOUNTER WITH THE SABINE THING A SECRET.
I DIDN'T TELL A SOUL.
Narrator: JEFF'S ENCOUNTER
WITH THE INFAMOUS CREATURE OF THE SABINE
LEFT HIM WARY.
I THOUGHT ABOUT IT EVERY TIME I WENT IN THE WOODS,
EVERY TIME I WENT HUNTING.
I NEVER WENT OUTSIDE WITH MY CHILDREN WITHOUT BEING ARMED.
Narrator: HE KNEW THESE CREATURES WERE OUT THERE.
MANY LOCALS WOULD READILY AGREE.
ONE MAN WHO VENTURED INTO THESE WOODS
WILL NEVER GO BACK AGAIN.
Wooley: I FELT LIKE I NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING.
[ RUSTLING ]
HE'S TEARING THE WOODS DOWN TO GET TO ME.
HE WAS MOWING DOWN BRIARS,
AND HE WAS JUST LETTING OUT A GOD-AWFUL SCREAM,
HOLLERING.
I'M HAVING TO RUN FOR MY LIFE.
Narrator: THE SABINE THING --
TERRIFYING, TWO-LEGGED, HAIRY BEAST
RUMORED TO ROAM THE SABINE RIVER BASIN
ALONG THE TEXAS-LOUISIANA BORDER.
Blackburn: IF YOU LOOK AT THE AREA WHERE IT'S SIGHTED,
ALONG THE SABINE RIVER,
WHICH RUNS ALONG THE BORDER OF TEXAS AND LOUISIANA,
THERE'S BEEN HUNDREDS OF SIGHTINGS OVER THE YEARS.
Narrator: ONE COLD EVENING IN FEBRUARY OF 1996,
JEFF STEWART AND HIS FATHER WERE FISHING.
Stewart: WE HAD CAUGHT QUITE A LARGE NUMBER --
PROBABLY ABOUT 100, 150 POUNDS' WORTH OF FISH.
Narrator: IT WAS GETTING DARK,
SO THEY DECIDED TO KEEP THEIR CATCH IN THE RIVER OVERNIGHT.
WELL, I'M TIRED.
WE'LL COME BACK, CLEAN UP TOMORROW.
Stewart: WE HAD PUT OUR FISH IN THIS COOP,
AND WE HAD FLOATED IT PROBABLY 20 FEET OUT INTO THE WATER.
WE WERE TIRED FROM THE DAYS' FISHING,
SO WE WE WENT HOME.
[ GRUNTING ]
THE NEXT MORNING
WHEN WE PULLED UP TO WHERE WE HAD HAD THE FISH TIED OFF...
...THE BOX WAS PULLED COMPLETELY OUT OF THE WATER.
SOMETHING HAD UNTIED A KNOT -- DIDN'T GNAW INTO IT --
AND THEN IT HAD DEPRESSED THE SPRING LATCH
AND OPENED IT...
THIS THING WAS TIED TIGHT.
...REACHED IN, PULLED OUT FISH,
EATEN THE SOFT, FLESHY PARTS FROM THEIR SIDE,
AND THREW THE BONES AND HEADS ON THE GROUND.
SOMEBODY UNTIED IT.
OR SOME THING.
THERE'S NO CREATURE THAT LIVES IN EAST TEXAS THAT COULD PULL --
WE'RE TALKING 150 POUNDS' WORTH OF FISH
AND MAYBE ANOTHER 40 OR 50 POUNDS' WORTH OF BOX.
AND I NEVER WILL FORGET.
MY DAD TURNED AND HE LOOKED AT ME
AND HE SAID, "IT'S TRUE. IT'S REAL."
Narrator: AFTER 10 YEARS OF DOUBT,
A GIANT WEIGHT HAD BEEN LIFTED.
Stewart: THERE'S BEEN SO MANY NIGHTS
I'VE CAMPED OUT DOWN THERE AND HEARD STRANGE SCREAMS,
AND IT WILL MAKE THE HAIR STAND UP
ON THE BACK OF YOUR NECK.
THE SCREAMS THAT I'VE HEARD IN THE PAST
ARE DEFINITELY FROM THE SABINE THING.
I SAW IT.
I HEARD IT.
IT'S REAL.
I KNOW IT'S REAL.
Narrator: JEFF STEWART WAS FORTUNATE.
THE BEAST HE ENCOUNTERED WASN'T DIRECTLY CONFRONTATIONAL.
OTHERS HAVEN'T BEEN SO LUCKY.
CAJUN COUNTRY NATIVE MIKE WOOLEY WAS A LIFELONG HUNTER.
ONE NIGHT IN THE WOODS COMPLETELY CHANGED HIS VIEW
OF THE REGION IN WHICH HE LIVES.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME HE'S COME FORWARD ON TV
TO SHARE HIS STORY.
Wooley: FOR 20 YEARS,
I KEPT MY ENCOUNTER WITH THE SABINE THING
PRETTY MUCH TO MYSELF
BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID OF RIDICULE.
I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO BE LABELED AS A CRAZY.
Narrator: DECEMBER 1981, 3:00 A.M.
ON THAT CHILLY NIGHT,
MIKE WOOLEY WAS SETTLING INTO HIS DEER STAND
NEAR THE EASTERN BANK OF THE SABINE RIVER.
RIGHT OFF THE BAT, HE COULD TELL SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT.
Wooley: I NOTICED THAT THE WOODS WERE REAL QUIET THAT DAY.
I MEAN, YOU COULD HEAR A PIN FALL.
THERE WAS NO CROWS CALLING, NOTHING.
I MEAN, JUST TOTALLY DEAD.
[ RUSTLING ]
THIS LITTLE, YOUNG DOE,
SHE COME RUNNING UP THROUGH THIS THICKET.
SHE COME STRAIGHT TO MY DEER STAND
AND LAID DOWN AT THE BOTTOM OF MY DEER STAND.
SHE WAS ACTUALLY TOUCHING THE BOTTOM OF MY DEER STAND.
BREATHING HARD. SHE HAD BEEN RUN.
Narrator: MIKE FIGURED A BUCK WAS PURSUING THE DOE.
[ RUSTLING ]
THEN I SAW SOMETHING COME UP,
AND IT GOT BEHIND A TREE ABOUT 2:00 POSITION.
IT WAS A BIG, TALL, BLACK, HAIRY CREATURE
OR SOMETHING.
8 FOOT TALL, 500 POUNDS, 3 1/2 FOOT SHOULDERS.
IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE.
SOMETHING AIN'T RIGHT.
HE'S A MONSTER.
[ GROWLING ]
I WAS AFRAID IF I TOOK MY EYES OFF HIM FOR A SPLIT SECOND,
HE WOULD CHARGE ME.
[ ROARING ]
Narrator: THE SABINE RIVER, LOUISIANA.
IN DECEMBER 1981,
DEER HUNTER MIKE WOOLEY WAS DEEP IN THE WOODS.
AFTER AN EXHAUSTED DOE COLLAPSED AT HIS TREE STAND,
MIKE IS CONFRONTED WITH A PREDATORY BEAST...
...THE LEGENDARY SABINE THING.
FOR MIKE, IT WAS KILL OR BE KILLED.
[ RUSTLING, GROWLING ]
Wooley: I HAD A PRETTY GOOD, HIGH-POWERED DEER RIFLE,
BUT I WAS AFRAID THAT IF I SHOT THE THING,
I'D MAKE IT MADDER AND I WOULD BE IN TROUBLE.
THE EYES WERE JUST -- THEY WERE HORRIFYING.
THEY WERE DEMONIC.
I'VE NEVER IN MY LIFE
HAD SOMETHING STARE INTO MY EYES THAT EVIL.
HE LET ME KNOW THAT HE WASN'T INTIMIDATED,
THAT HE WAS READY FOR WAR.
HE WAS, LIKE, IF I WANTED TO MAKE THE FIRST MOVE,
DO IT, AND HE'D FINISH IT.
I WAS BRINGING MY FINGER AROUND TOWARD THE TRIGGER
AND HE LET OUT A GROWL, A SCREAM.
[ HOWLING ]
IT FELT LIKE GETTING HIT BY A 70-MILE-PER-HOUR WIND.
[ HOWLING ]
Wooley: I JUST AUTOMATICALLY DROPPED MY RIFLE.
I KNEW RIGHT THEN
THAT THAT WAS SOME KIND OF COMMUNICATION.
I KNEW SOMETHING'S COMING TO JOIN HIM.
[ HOWLING ]
Wooley: I KNEW THAT WHEN YOU GOT TWO ON ONE,
THE DECK'S STACKED AGAINST YOU.
YOU AIN'T GOT A CHANCE.
THAT WAS THE TURNING POINT
THAT I KNEW THAT I MIGHT NOT MAKE IT OUT OF THERE.
I FELT LIKE I NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING.
Narrator: MIKE MADE A MAD DASH FROM THE TREE STAND...
...HOPING HE COULD OUTRUN THE THING.
Wooley: HE WAS COMING AFTER ME.
HE'S TEARING THE WOODS DOWN TO GET TO ME.
HE WAS MOWING DOWN BRIARS,
AND HE WAS JUST LETTING OUT A GOD-AWFUL SCREAM, HOLLERING.
I'M HAVING TO RUN FOR MY LIFE.
Narrator: WITH HIS TRUCK IN SIGHT,
MIKE STOPPED, READY TO TAKE A STAND.
AND I SWING AROUND, AND I JUST POP A SHOT OFF.
[ GUNSHOT ] [ HOWLING ]
Narrator: IT GAVE MIKE THE TIME HE NEEDED
TO GET TO HIS TRUCK AND HIT THE ROAD.
[ TIRES SQUEALING ]
Wooley: I JUST HAMMERED HARD AS I COULD TO GET OUT OF THERE.
I KNEW RIGHT THEN THAT THE CREATURE WAS TRYING TO KILL ME.
Narrator: MANY HAVE WONDERED
IF THE STORIES ABOUT THESE CREATURES ARE REAL.
RECENTLY, ONE TEXAS RESIDENT,
THIS TIME ARMED WITH HIGH-TECH SURVEILLANCE GEAR,
SET ABOUT PROVING ITS EXISTENCE ONCE AND FOR ALL.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EXPERT BRUCE DENSFORD
THOUGHT HIS HIGH-TECH SKILLS
COULD BE USEFUL FOR BIGFOOT RESEARCH.
Densford: BEING THAT I WAS IN I.T.,
I HAVE KIND OF A FINGER ON WHAT WAS COMING DOWN THE PIKE
AS FAR AS NEW TECHNOLOGY COMING IN.
Narrator: MONSTERS LIKE THE SABINE
ARE NOTORIOUSLY TOUGH TO TRACK.
WHAT IF WE GAVE THEM A DOSE OF BIG BROTHER?
Densford: WITH MODERN TECHNOLOGY,
WE CAN NOW PUT CAMERAS ON THAT, WE CAN PUT AUDIO THERE.
WE MAY HAVE AS MANY AS 15 RECORDERS IN THE FIELD
ON ANY GIVEN NIGHT.
AND IT PUTS US IN A WHOLE BUNCH OF DIFFERENT PLACES
AT THE SAME TIME, EFFECTIVELY.
Narrator: RECENTLY, BRUCE AND A RESEARCH TEAM WENT OUT
IN HOPES OF DOCUMENTING CREATURES LIKE THE SABINE THING.
TAKE THIS GOPRO RIGHT HERE THAT'S ON,
AND I WANT YOU TO SET IT UP...
THEY QUICKLY GOT TO WORK
INSTALLING AN ARRAY OF SURVEILLANCE GEAR.
Densford: THE THOUGHTS ARE THAT MOST OF THE ACTIVITY DOES HAPPEN
BETWEEN, LIKE, 8:00 IN THE EVENING
UNTIL, YOU KNOW, MAYBE 6:00 OR 7:00 IN THE MORNING.
CAN YOU HAND ME THOSE SILVER BOXES?
WE ALL DISPERSE AT THAT POINT AND GO PUT OUR STUFF OUT.
WE USE GAME CAMERAS,
WHICH ARE KIND OF A COMMON STAPLE
OF PRETTY MUCH ALL THE RESEARCH GROUPS.
BUT WE HAVE HAD INCIDENTS, IN FACT, SEVERAL INCIDENTS,
WHERE WE'VE HAD BAIT TAKEN
THAT A GAME CAMERA WAS DEAD SOLID ON IT
AND IT'S GONE IN THE MORNING AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY PICTURES.
AND THAT HAS US A LITTLE BAFFLED.
Narrator: BUT BRUCE HAD A BACKUP PLAN.
HE ALSO INSTALLED AUDIO RECORDERS TO RUN
THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT.
WHEN THE REST OF THE TEAM TURNED IN,
BRUCE STAYED UP --
HIS EYES AND EARS ON HIGH ALERT.
Densford: I WAS SITTING THERE IN THE CAR, JUST KIND OF LISTENING.
I WAS GONNA BASICALLY BE THE SENTRY
TO FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS, IF ANYTHING.
[ YELPING ]
IT WAS CERTAINLY SOMETHING I'D NEVER HEARD BEFORE.
ONE OF THE OTHER GUYS YELLED AT ME,
SAYING, "HEY, DID YOU HEAR THAT?"
AND I SAID, "YEAH, I HEARD IT.
HEY, WE GOT SOMETHING THAT'S CLOSE."
GET THAT LIGHT OFF.
AND IT SCREAMED AGAIN.
[ HOWLING ]
KIND OF A RASPY SCREAM.
SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE A...
[ IMITATES HOWLING ]
KIND OF LIKE THAT.
WE GOT THAT ONE.
[ HOWLING ]
YEAH, WE DEFINITELY GOT THAT ONE.
IT LASTED LONG ENOUGH
THAT IT WOULDN'T BE ANYTHING REALLY SMALL
'CAUSE THE LUNG CAPACITY WAS GREATER.
Narrator: TEXAS WILDLIFE EXPERTS EXAMINING THESE AUDIO RECORDINGS
BELIEVE THEY SIGNIFICANTLY DEPART FROM VOCALIZATIONS MADE
BY THE AREA'S NOCTURNAL COYOTES OR OWLS.
THESE ANIMAL CALLS HAVE NO KNOWN IDENTITY.
THE SABINE THING HAS BEEN A LEGEND FOR CENTURIES.
NOW WITH MONSTER HUNTERS COLLECTING EVIDENCE
USING SURVEILLANCE GEAR,
PERHAPS WE'RE CLOSER TO FINALLY CATCHING ONE.
Wooley: BEFORE, I'D HAVE TO SAY I WAS A SKEPTIC.
NOW, AFTER WHAT I'VE SEEN,
I DON'T GO HUNTING ANYMORE.
I DON'T GO IN THE WOODS ANYMORE.
BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT THESE CREATURES CAN DO.
THESE CREATURES ARE THERE,
THEY'RE ALIVE AND WELL,
AND THEY WILL HURT YOU BAD.
[ THUNDER CRASHING ]
Narrator: A BLAST OF LIGHTNING --
NATURE AT ITS MOST VIOLENT AND LETHAL.
WHILE THE ODDS OF BEING STRUCK ARE EXTREMELY RARE --
ONE IN A MILLION...
[ ELECTRICITY CRACKLES ]
...EACH YEAR, WORLDWIDE,
SOME 20,000 PEOPLE DIE FROM LIGHTNING.
THEN, THERE ARE THE MYSTERY CASES --
PEOPLE WHO SURVIVED A BOLT OF LIGHTNING...
...AND WERE TRANSFORMED IN THE MOST BAFFLING WAYS.
Benser: EVEN THOUGH I WASN'T HAPPY
THAT I WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING,
IT ENHANCED MY ABILITY TO SEE WHAT I SEE.
Narrator: PSYCHICS WHO CAN SOMEHOW SENSE THE DEAD.
Shane: FEELING HOW SOMEONE DIED
IS THE MOST TERRIBLE FEELING YOU COULD FEEL.
[ SCREAMING ]
I SENSED HER BEING BEING BEATEN, KICKED.
EVERY HORRIBLE ACT POSSIBLE.
AND THE FEAR THAT THE VICTIM HAD...
[ SCREAMS ]
...I COULD FEEL.
[ THUNDER CRASHING ]
Narrator: ALONG COLORADO'S FRONT RANGE,
IN AN AREA NEAR HORSETOOTH ROCK,
LIGHTNING STORMS ARE KNOWN TO ERUPT WITH SUDDEN FURY.
[ THUNDER CRASHES ]
JULY 7, 1997.
UNAWARE OF ANY POTENTIAL DANGER,
SHANE SMITH AND HIS FRIEND KERSTI MACK
WERE HIKING NEAR HORSETOOTH ROCK.
THE DAY WAS BEAUTIFUL.
IT WAS CLEAR, SUNNY,
SO WE DECIDED IT'S A GREAT DAY TO GO HIKING.
WHEW.
WOW.
HEY, STORM'S MOVING IN QUICK.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO HEAD DOWN SOON.
YEAH, WE'LL KEEP OUR EYES OPEN.
THANKS. [ THUNDER RUMBLING ]
WE SAW THE LIGHTNING SORT OF DANCING AROUND IN THE DISTANCE.
[ THUNDER CRASHING ]
THE VIEW WAS AMAZING.
WE DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
Mack: WE EVEN SAW LIGHTNING BOLTS GOING ON AROUND US.
I WAS JUST KIND OF AWESTRICKEN HOW BEAUTIFUL IT WAS
AND HOW MAGNIFICENT,
SO IT WAS JUST LIKE IN... IN A THEATER TAKING IT ALL IN.
[ THUNDER RUMBLING ]
SO CRAZY. IT'S FREEZING ALL OF A SUDDEN.
Narrator: SUDDENLY, THE COUPLE FELT
AN ODD VIBRATION IN THE AIR.
MAYBE WE SHOULD GET OUT OF HERE.
[ THUNDER CRASHES ]
THAT'S WHEN I STARTED TO GET A LITTLE AFRAID,
AND WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO GET DOWN
AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
BUT IT WAS TOO LATE.
THERE WAS A BOOM SOUND, AND SUDDENLY...
AND FOR A SPLIT SECOND
I SAW SHANE TURNING INTO A WHITE, MOLTEN BEING.
I'D NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS.
[ ELECTRICITY CRACKLING ]
I THOUGHT, "OH, MY GOD, I COULD DIE."
AND I CAN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING ELSE BUT THAT.
Narrator: SHANE WAS UNDER DOCTORS' CARE FOR MONTHS.
Shane: I COULDN'T PUT A SENTENCE TOGETHER.
I COULDN'T READ.
I WENT THROUGH A LOT OF PAIN.
Narrator: THE STRIKE HAD ROTATED HIS PELVIS,
PUSHED VERTEBRAE INTO HIS HEAD,
DISRUPTING THE FLOW OF SPINAL FLUID IN HIS BRAIN.
LIGHTNING HAD DEVASTATED SHANE'S BODY.
KERSTI.
YOU'RE GONNA BE OKAY.
BUT WITHIN HIS MIND, THERE WERE CHANGES AS WELL.
SHANE HAD ALWAYS BEEN AN INTUITIVE PERSON.
NOW THOSE PERCEPTIVE POWERS TOOK OFF.
Shane: I NOTICED SOMETHING WAS DIFFERENT.
I STARTED TO SENSE THINGS MORE DEEPLY.
I STARTED TO SEE SPIRITS.
I KNEW THEY WERE IN THE SPIRIT WORLD,
BUT I WAS JUST SHOCKED
THAT I WAS ABLE TO SEE THEM SO CLEARLY.
I COULDN'T CONTROL ANY OF IT,
WHEN I SAW IT OR WHEN IT HAPPENED.
[ THUNDER CRASHING ]
Narrator: SHANE'S UNUSUAL ABILITIES WOULD BECOME OBVIOUS
TO HIS BUSINESS PARTNER, BRUCE SMITH.
AS REAL-ESTATE INVESTORS,
WE'RE OFTEN GOING TO HOUSES
TO JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THEM
AND SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE.
Narrator: BRUCE REMEMBERS ONE ENCOUNTER WITH SHANE'S ABILITIES
THAT WAS PARTICULARLY EERIE.
Bruce: WE HAD JUST ACQUIRED A NEW HOME
AND WE WERE GOING TO REHAB IT,
AND WE WERE IN THE MOBILE HOME WITH OUR INSPECTOR.
Narrator: ONCE SHANE ENTERED,
HE KNEW RIGHT AWAY THEY WEREN'T ALONE.
I HEARD A NOISE, AND I FELT AN EXTRA PRESENCE.
I LOOKED UP AND NOTICED
THAT THERE WAS A SPIRIT OF A YOUNG MAN.
HE TOLD ME THAT HE WANTED ME TO GIVE A MESSAGE TO HIS MOTHER.
TELL MY MOTHER NOT TO BE IN ANGUISH ANYMORE.
I'M OKAY.
Narrator: A WEEK LATER,
THE TRAILER PARK MANAGER CONFIRMED SHANE'S VISION.
THERE WAS AN INCIDENT WHERE A YOUNG MAN WHO HAD LIVED THERE
JUST GOT HIS DRIVER'S LICENSE
AND IT WAS AN ICY DAY
AND HE HAD SPUN OUT AND HE HAD HIT SOMETHING
AND DIED RIGHT THERE ON THE LOT.
AND IT WAS EXACTLY WHAT SHANE HAD DESCRIBED.
Narrator: IT WASN'T LONG
BEFORE WORD OF SHANE SMITH'S PSYCHIC ABILITIES
STARTED TO SPREAD.
IN AUGUST 2012,
SHANE RECEIVED A CALL
FROM FORMER SHERIFFS DEPUTY TODD BAKER.
BAKER WAS WORKING ON A CASE
INVOLVING THE DISAPPEARANCE OF A TEENAGE GIRL.
IT WAS A YOUNG FEMALE WHO HAD BEEN MISSING
FOR ABOUT FIVE MONTHS AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
THE POLICE HAD LABELED THIS CASE
AS A TROUBLED TEEN THAT JUST RAN AWAY.
Narrator: WITH THE INVESTIGATION STALLED,
TODD BAKER SUGGESTED THE FAMILY TAKE A CHANCE
ON A PSYCHIC LIKE SHANE SMITH.
[ SCREAMS ]
I FELT HER PAIN. I SAW HER INCREDIBLE FEAR.
THE ONLY THING SHE WANTED TO DO WAS ESCAPE,
AND THERE WAS NO ESCAPE.
[ SCREAMING ]
Narrator: IN 1997, NEAR FORT COLLINS, COLORADO,
SHANE SMITH NARROWLY SURVIVED GETTING HIT BY LIGHTNING.
SOON, HE NOTICED A SUPERNATURAL SIDE-EFFECT,
LEADING SHANE TO TAKE ON AN EXTRAORDINARY CALLING
AS A PSYCHIC INVESTIGATOR
HELPING FAMILIES TRAUMATIZED BY CRIME.
Shane: I GOT A CALL FROM TODD.
HE SAID, "HE HAVE AN INVESTIGATION."
HE DIDN'T TELL ME WHAT IT WAS.
HE TOLD ME NOTHING ABOUT IT.
HE JUST BASICALLY HAD ME GET IN THE CAR, AND WE WENT.
Narrator: FORMER SHERIFFS DEPUTY TODD BAKER
STARTED OFF SHOWING SHANE AN AERIAL MAP OF THE REGION.
YOU READY FOR THIS?
YEAH.
I ASKED SHANE, I SAID, "BY LOOKING AT THIS MAP,
"IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN TELL ME?
DO YOU FEEL ANYTHING?"
YEAH, I FEEL LIKE THESE TWO AREAS.
OKAY, SO, LIKE...
THERE WERE TWO AREAS ON THE MAP
HE INDICATED THAT HE FELT SOMETHING.
THIS ONE HERE? THAT'S WHAT I SAW.
THAT THESE TWO AREAS WERE QUITE IMPORTANT TO THE CASE.
Narrator: THE FIRST AREA WAS A WOODED AREA
NEAR THE AIRPORT --
A LOCATION NOT KNOWN TO BE CONNECTED TO THE CASE.
THE SECOND AREA HE PINPOINTS IS UNCANNY --
A DOWNTOWN INTERSECTION,
THE LAST PLACE THE MISSING GIRL WAS SEEN.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK.
YOU'VE DONE AN AMAZING JOB.
SHANE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOME OF THE MISSING TEENAGER...
[ KNOCK ON DOOR ]
HI.
GOOD EVENING. HOW ARE YOU?
I BROUGHT SHANE WITH ME.
I THINK HE'S GOING TO BE A GREAT ASSET.
PLEASE FIND MY LITTLE GIRL.
MAY I?
Man: YOU'RE WELCOME. DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO.
Baker: WE ALLOWED SHANE TO MOVE THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE,
TOUCHING PERSONAL ARTIFACTS --
DIARIES, BOOKS,
A SHIRT IN THE CLOSET.
THINGS THAT WERE CLOSE TO THIS GIRL.
Narrator: SHANE STILL HAD NEXT TO NO INFORMATION
ABOUT THE CASE.
THAT WAS ABOUT TO CHANGE.
AND SUDDENLY I FELT LIKE I WAS BEING STRANGLED.
[ GIRL SCREAMING ]
I FELT LIKE I WAS BEING HIT IN THE HEAD OVER AND OVER.
I SAW A TREE WITH A LONG, OVERHANGING BRANCH.
MOM.
PLEASE HELP ME.
Shane: I SAW HER FEAR.
HER INCREDIBLE FEAR.
ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?
IT WAS EXTREMELY PAINFUL
TO GO THROUGH WHAT SHE WAS GOING THROUGH.
WHAT DID YOU SEE?
I SAW A TREE.
I DESCRIBED THE AREA THAT IT WAS IN,
DESCRIBED THE TREE,
KNEW IT WAS BY A ROAD.
OH, THAT TREE.
LET ME SEE THE PHOTOS.
Narrator: WHEN SHANE DESCRIBED THE PLACE,
THE GIRL'S MOTHER REMEMBERED A PICTURE SHE HAD OF THE AREA.
THIS IS THE TREE! THIS IS IT!
[ SOBBING ]
THEY KNEW WHERE THEY NEEDED TO GO NEXT.
Shane: WHEN WE GOT TO THE LOCATION,
IT WAS EXACTLY WHAT I HAD SEEN IN MY VISION.
I HEARD THE GIRL SAYING, "MOM, MOM, PLEASE HELP ME."
Girl: [ Echoing ] MOM, MOM, PLEASE HELP ME.
THIS IS WHERE YOUR LITTLE GIRL WAS.
[ MUFFLED SCREAMING ]
[ SCREAMING ]
I KNEW WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO HER. I KNEW HOW IT HAPPENED.
I COULD EXPLAIN IT ALL JUST AS IF IT WERE HAPPENING THEN.
THE HARDEST THING WAS TO TELL THAT MOTHER
THAT HER CHILD WAS DEAD.
[ SOBBING ]
AND IT WAS ALMOST LIKE SHE JUST KIND OF ALREADY KNEW IT.
Baker: THE FAMILY THEN TOOK THE INFORMATION
THAT WE HAD GOTTEN FROM SHANE
AND THEY PROVIDED THAT INFORMATION
TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
Narrator: SEVERAL MONTHS LATER,
THE GIRL'S BODY WAS DISCOVERED SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT...
...THE LOCATION THAT SHANE HAD POINTED OUT ON THE MAP.
THAT MADE ME FEEL AMAZING,
KNOWING THAT I HELPED THIS WOMAN GET SOME KIND OF CLOSURE
WITH HER POOR DAUGHTER.
Narrator: AS BAFFLING AS THESE CASES ARE,
THERE MAY BE A PHYSIOLOGICAL EXPLANATION.
PEOPLE GAIN NEW ABILITIES AS A RESULT OF A LIGHTNING STRIKE
BECAUSE LIGHTNING DAMAGES BRAIN CELLS.
[ THUNDER CRASHES ]
A HUGE AMOUNT OF NEUROTRANSMITTERS
RELEASED ALL AT ONCE,
SO IT'S FLOODING THE BRAIN WITH THESE NEUROTRANSMITTERS
THAT ARE BASICALLY EXCITING THE BRAIN.
OVER A PERIOD OF ABOUT FOUR WEEKS,
IT CAN CREATE NEW CONNECTIONS IN THE BRAIN,
AND THOSE NEW CONNECTIONS CAN GIVE PEOPLE ABILITIES
THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE BEFORE.
Narrator: SHANE'S IS NOT THE ONLY CASE
OF LIGHTNING INDUCING DRAMATIC TRANSFORMATIONS.
IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, IN 1952,
15-YEAR-OLD SONIA BENSER WAS ON THE BEACH
WHEN A STORM SUDDENLY ROLLED IN.
LET'S GO. LET'S GET HOME.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE ONLY THING CLOSE BY
WAS A METAL ROOF WITH SOME POLES.
SO WE RAN A LINE.
AND I WAS ON THE END, AND MY FRIEND WAS NEXT TO ME.
THERE'S THIS TERRIBLE CRACKING SOUND.
[ ELECTRICITY CRACKLING ]
AND THEN THE NEXT THING I KNOW,
MY LEGS WERE KNOCKED OUT FROM UNDER ME
AND I WAS LYING ON THE GROUND.
Narrator: SOMEHOW, SONIA SURVIVED THE LIGHTNING STRIKE.
EVEN STRANGER,
HER NATURAL INTUITION INTENSIFIED
AS IF SUPERCHARGED.
Benser: IT ENHANCED A GIFT THAT I HAD WHEN I WAS BORN.
IT GETS STRONGER AND STRONGER.
AND I'VE FOUND I CAN DO THINGS
SOMETIMES I DIDN'T KNOW I COULD DO.
Narrator: AN EXPERIENCE WOULD OCCUR
THAT CONFIRM THESE GIFTS.
ALL DRESSED UP TONIGHT, SWEETHEART?
I WAS INVITED TO A PARTY.
THANKS FOR STOPPING.
SO I CALLED A CAB.
524 DOVER, PLEASE.
I GOT IN THE TAXI,
AND I GUESS WE WERE MAYBE HALFWAY THERE...
WELL, IT'S SUPPOSED TO GET BETTER OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES.
...AND I STARTED GETTING THIS TERRIBLE FEELING.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE A BELL CLANGING IN MY HEAD.
IT'S TELLING ME, "SOMETHING BAD'S COMING.
SOMETHING BAD'S COMING."
[ BELL RINGING ] AND THEN...
IT'S ALMOST LIKE A MOTION PICTURE IN MY HEAD,
AND IT'S MOVING AND IT'S SHOWING ME ALL THESE THINGS.
[ SCREAMS ]
SIR!
Narrator: UNABLE TO ENDURE IT ANY LONGER,
SONIA TOLD THE DRIVER TO STOP AND LET HER OUT.
TURN AROUND!
STOP!
WHAT WERE ALL THOSE TERRIFYING IMAGES?
A FATAL CAR CRASH
JUST AFTER THE TAXI HAD DROPPED HER OFF.
Benser: WHEN I SAW ON THE NEWS WHAT HAD OCCURRED,
I JUST THANKED GOD THAT I WASN'T IN IT.
BECAUSE OF MY ABILITY,
BECAUSE OF MY PSYCHIC FEELINGS,
IT PROTECTED ME.
Narrator: FIVE DECADES AFTER THE LIGHTNING STRUCK,
SONIA BENSER'S TELEPATHIC GIFTS HAVE MADE HER FAMOUS.
SONIA'S PSYCHIC ABILITIES WOULD ONE DAY PUT HER
IN THE MIDST OF A VIOLENT CRIME CASE
PLAYED OUT IN THE VIRGINIA SWAMPS.
Benser: THEY HADN'T FOUND THE BODY,
SO THEY WEREN'T SURE WHAT REALLY HAPPENED.
MAYBE YOU COULD HELP US...
FIND SOMEONE?
HE'S IN THE WATER.
Narrator: GETTING STRUCK BY LIGHTNING
OFTEN MEANS INSTANT DEATH.
SONIA BENSER IS ONE OF THE MYSTERIOUS EXCEPTIONS.
SHE NOT ONLY SURVIVED THE STRIKE,
SONIA DEVELOPED A PSYCHIC SIXTH SENSE.
OVER THE YEARS,
SHE'S USED HER LIGHTNING POWERS
TO HELP SOLVE CRIMES THAT HAVE STYMIED LAW ENFORCEMENT.
PATRICK McGUIRE,
A FORMER REPORTER FOR THE BALTIMORE SUN,
WAS A WITNESS TO ONE OF SONIA'S MOST REMARKABLE CASES.
THE NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, REGIONAL OFFICE OF THE SECRET SERVICE
HAD BEEN INVESTIGATING A COUNTERFEITING CASE
FOR QUITE A WHILE.
Narrator: THE CRIME INVOLVED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
IN COUNTERFEIT BILLS,
AND, PERHAPS, A MURDER.
THREE PEOPLE HAD BEEN CONVICTED OF COUNTERFEITING
AND WERE IN PRISON.
THE ONLY LOOSE END
WAS THAT ONE OF THE SUSPECTS THEY COULDN'T FIND,
AND HE SEEMED TO HAVE DISAPPEARED.
Narrator: A KEY SUSPECT, WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN.
THAT'S WHERE SONIA BENSER COMES IN.
HAVE A SEAT.
McGuire: THE AGENT IN CHARGE TOLD HER
THAT HE NEEDED HER HELP
IN FINDING THIS FELLOW THEY WERE LOOKING FOR.
THAT'S ALL HE SAID. HE DIDN'T MENTION ANYTHING ELSE.
AND SHE SAID,
"I GET THE FEELING THAT YOU'RE FROM THE GOVERNMENT."
Benser: WHEN HE FIRST ASKED ME ABOUT THE CASE,
I GAVE HIM THE INITIALS, FIRST AND LAST, OF THE VICTIM.
Narrator: WITH SONIA'S HELP,
THE INVESTIGATION TURNED TO AN AREA OF SWAMPLAND
IN SOUTHERN VIRGINIA.
Benser: I SAW THE SWAMP, AND I KNEW IT WAS VERY ISOLATED.
I KNEW THAT THERE WAS A HUNTING LODGE.
I KNEW THERE WERE DOGS THERE.
AND I SEE THE LETTER "P."
THE AGENT IN CHARGE --
THIS DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO HIM --
"P" AND THE BARKING DOGS.
AND THEN SHE SAID, "ABOUT THIS FELLOW YOU'RE LOOKING FOR,
HE'S DEAD, ISN'T HE?"
AND SHE SAID, "HE'S IN THE WATER."
Narrator: THE SEARCH TOOK THEM DOWN A LONG, WINDING ROAD.
McGuire: THEY'RE DRIVING INTO THE SWAMP,
AND OUT OF THE BLUE, SONIA SAYS, "HE'S WITH US."
AND THE AGENT IN CHARGE SAID, "WHO'S WITH US?"
AND SHE MENTIONS THE NAME OF THIS MISSING MAN.
"HE'S IN THE CAR."
Benser: AND HE KEPT ON APPEARING TO ME,
AND IT'S A VERY EERIE FEELING.
YOU'RE NOT ALONE,
AND THIS PERSON'S THERE --
OR THE SPIRIT, SOUL.
AND THEY WANT HELP,
AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO LEAVE YOU ALONE
UNTIL YOU HELP THEM.
STOP. WE'RE HERE.
Narrator: SPREAD BEFORE THEM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WOODS
WAS A LARGE, OPEN, SWAMPY AREA.
[ DOGS BARKING ]
THAT'S WHEN THEY SAW THE KENNEL
WITH THE DOGS BARKING.
AND UP ABOVE THE KENNELS, THERE IS A SIGN.
Benser: THE NAME BEGAN WITH A "P."
AND THAT'S WHERE THE LOCATION WAS.
Narrator: SONIA FOUND THE PLACE
WHERE THE SECRET SERVICE NOW BELIEVE
THE VICTIM WAS KILLED.
HE HAD DEFINITELY BEEN TIED AND BOUND,
AND I FELT ALL THE THINGS HE HAD EXPERIENCED,
LIKE I DO WITH EVERY CASE THAT I GET LIKE THIS.
AND IT WAS ALMOST LIKE LIVING IT AGAIN WITH HIM,
LIKE I WAS THERE WHEN IT HAPPENED.
HE'S TIED UP IN THE WATER.
McGuire: SHE GOT THIS FEELING
THAT THE BODY WAS CONNECTED SOMEHOW TO SOMETHING ROUND.
AT ONE POINT, SHE SAID MAYBE A WELL.
AND SHE SAID, "THAT'S IT.
THAT'S IT. HE'S IN A CULVERT."
IT WAS RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF ME.
EVERYTHING I HAD VISUALIZED WAS THERE.
IT GIVES YOU A FEELING OF SATISFACTION
THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO HELP SOMEONE.
Narrator: SOMEHOW, SONIA WAS ABLE TO CONNECT THE AGENTS
TO A STRING OF CLUES --
PEOPLE'S NAMES, INITIALS, AND DETAILS ABOUT A MURDER
IN THE MIDDLE OF A DESOLATE VIRGINIA SWAMP.
ANOTHER REMARKABLE DISPLAY OF SONIA'S PSYCHIC GIFTS.
A MYSTERIOUS LEGACY
OF THE LIGHTNING SHE ENCOUNTERED DECADES EARLIER.
YOU CAN'T REALLY EXPLAIN IT
BECAUSE SOME THINGS ARE INEXPLAINABLE.
THE LOGIC SAYS, "THIS IS CRAZY,"
BUT THEN, HOW DO THESE THINGS HAPPEN?