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Credibility: ★★★★★ 5/5
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Threat Level: HIGH (HIGH — twenty-one witnesses, zero agencies accepting the call)
The Missouri Monster is standing in federally managed wetlands. The federal agency managing those wetlands would like you to know that is not their problem.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Louis District issued a written statement Tuesday confirming that the entity observed standing in the Big River floodplain buffer zone near Morse Mill, Missouri — described by twenty-one witnesses over a thirty-six-hour period as large, bipedal, and smelling strongly of decomposing vegetation and something witnesses struggled to name but several independently called ‘like a tire fire, but sad’ — does not constitute a navigable waters event under current statutory language and is therefore outside their jurisdiction. The statement was three paragraphs long. The third paragraph reminded recipients that the Corps’ public affairs office closes at four-thirty.
For those keeping a running tally at home, and I know some of you are, this brings the total number of agencies that have formally declined jurisdiction over Momo this calendar year to four. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources declined in February on the grounds that the entity had not been collected, tagged, or introduced, and therefore could not be managed under their wildlife framework. The EPA regional office in Kansas City deferred in March, citing ongoing review of whether the entity’s documented presence constitutes a point or non-point source concern. FEMA’s response, received in April, was technically a form letter, but staff here examined it carefully and we are treating it as a declination. Now the Corps. I have written all of this by hand. I will continue to do so.
What The Buffer Zone Is, And What Is Currently Standing In It
The federally designated floodplain buffer zone in question runs approximately two miles along the Big River south of Morse Mill and is maintained under a joint stewardship agreement between the Corps and Jefferson County. Its purpose is to absorb floodwater, filter runoff, and support riparian habitat. It is not, the Corps has clarified in writing, designed or designated to address the presence of an approximately seven-foot biped that witnesses describe as having entered the zone from the tree line at dusk on Monday, remained stationary for a period witnesses estimate at forty minutes, and then moved further into the buffer, away from the road, in what witness Darla Fench of House Springs called ‘not a hurry, exactly, but like it had decided something.’ Jefferson County has not yet returned our calls. We note this without emphasis.
It wasn’t aggressive. It wasn’t doing anything you’d call threatening. It was just standing there in about eight inches of water looking at the tree line like it was waiting on somebody who was late. And then it walked off. I’ve lived here thirty years. I know what I saw.
— Darla Fench, witness, House Springs, Missouri
FIELD ALERT
The Morse Mill buffer zone is accessible via two county roads, both of which remain open. WTC does not recommend accessing the buffer zone on foot after dusk. WTC does not recommend accessing the buffer zone before dusk either. If you are planning to access the buffer zone, please review our standard field guidelines and then reconsider. Intern Greg has been asked specifically not to drive to Jefferson County this week. This has been confirmed with him directly and in writing.
FAST FACTS
• Momo — Missouri Monster — first reported in Louisiana, Missouri, 1971–1972. Described consistently as large, dark, hair-covered, bipedal, with a pronounced odor.
• The Morse Mill buffer zone encompasses approximately 340 acres of riparian wetland. Federal management responsibility under the joint stewardship agreement is, per the Corps, subject to interpretation.
• Twenty-one witnesses reported the entity over a thirty-six-hour window beginning Monday at approximately 7:40 p.m. No witness reported injury. Fourteen witnesses reported they did not go back to their cars immediately, and four of those said they were not sure why.
• The Corps’ written declination noted that the agency’s remit under the Clean Water Act applies to ‘waters of the United States’ and adjacent wetlands and that the entity’s presence, while noted, does not alter the hydrological classification of the site. The letter was signed. The signature was legible. We confirmed this.
We’re not saying nothing is there. We’re saying whatever is there is not a navigable waters issue. That’s a meaningful distinction from where we sit.
— Corps of Engineers St. Louis District, public affairs, written statement
The question of who does hold jurisdiction over an entity of Momo’s description standing in a federally adjacent wetland buffer is not one any office has been willing to answer directly. WTC has submitted requests to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the office of the Jefferson County Executive. We have also submitted a request to a federal interagency coordination body whose name we are not, for reasons that were explained to us but not in a way that resolved anything, able to publish. The radio on my desk has been running about three tones higher than usual since this story broke Monday night. I have not yet been able to correlate that to anything. I am noting it here because I note things.
WTC will continue to cover this story. If you are in Jefferson County and you have seen something in or near the buffer zone, you can reach our tip line through the standard channels. If the Corps issues a follow-up statement, we will report it. If any agency accepts jurisdiction, we will report that too. I have been at this desk long enough to know that both of those things are possible. I have been at this desk long enough to know that possible and likely are different measurements. I’ll have coffee made. This is Hal Ridgeway, WTC.
halridgeway@whatthecryptid.com
Harold "Hal" Ridgeway · Lead Anchor — WTC
