Written By Ken Hulsey
In 2009, a filmmaker who called himself Count Zee contacted me about a movie he was making. The film focused on MOMO, a local legend in Missouri about a Bigfoot-like creature with a pumpkin head that terrorized the area near the Mississippi River in the early 1970s. At the time, I was happy to provide publicity for his movie project, as I was already involved with several independent projects featuring monsters and local legends. A film about a giant, pumpkin-headed Sasquatch was right up my alley.
After writing a few articles, I lost contact with Zee, and my work faded into obscurity. Fast forward to today—I’ve been busy writing articles about local monster stories leading up to Halloween, and my mind wandered back to that obscure little film from 2009. As cheesy as a movie about a pumpkin-headed Sasquatch may sound, I've always been fascinated by the fact that MOMO is reportedly based on a real creature. Eager to uncover the tale behind this legendary monster, I found a compelling article by Kathy Weiser-Alexander on Folklore of America that delves into the history of this enigmatic being.
The "Missouri Monster," nicknamed Momo, was reported to have a large, pumpkin-shaped head covered in thick, black fur. So much fur shrouded its face that only its glowing orange eyes were visible. This 7-foot-tall, hairy creature was first spotted by two young boys and their sister on the edge of the woods near Louisiana, Missouri. The children also claimed the beast emitted a foul stench and was carrying a dead, bloody dog.
In the weeks following the children's initial sighting, a growing number of people claimed to have spotted the mysterious creature. Witnesses described sightings along the Mississippi River and other nearby waterways, with some reporting brief glimpses of something moving in the woods, strange beastly odors, and unsettling cries, growls, and inhuman screams.
Richard Alan Murry, a lifelong local who had served as the town's fire chief and sat on the city council, was one of the witnesses. Murry reported that while driving along a small creek running through the town, he saw something moving in the nearby woods. When his headlights illuminated the upright figure, the creature quickly fled and vanished from sight. Murry later stated, "I thought it was just nonsense, but then I actually saw something.""
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