Night Terrors: The Tall Man

I had a run-in with someone I presume was either a Man in Black or an undercover FBI Investigator a few years ago living in Wisconsin. During the summer of 2004, we'd had an intruder try to get into the window of my 6 year old stepson's bedroom on two occasions.

The first, a dark man was standing outside the window trying to get the window screen off. I chased the man into the back yard and he ran into the neighbor's yard. We called the police and they came to search, but didn't find anything other than foot prints through our rosebushes.

The second night, my stepson came to my bedroom because someone had been talking to him while he was trying to sleep. I went out the front door, and a man was standing outside the windows between the house and a large bush. Again, he ran. This time, I was armed with my 12 gauge. I yelled out after him "If you come back, I will shoot you."

This continued the following night only this time, I chased the man around the house and into the back yard. The neighbors had left their lights on, so I was able to chase him another block before I lost him in the woods at the edge of town.

The woods fell down into a hillside ravine facing the railroad tracks and I decided not to follow him. The police came and searched the woods, but came up empty handed. They increased their night time patrols for the next month and we no longer had any additional problems.

This experience terrified my wife, step-daughter, and step-son. For about a month, both stepkids slept in our bedroom every night. My stepson would have nightmares about the man trying to get into his bedroom. If either of the stepkids went into their bedrooms at night, they would only do so if my wife or me were standing int he doorway.

There were several nights that I would sit up int he living room, shotgun on my lap until everything quieted down.

The Tall Man

A week later, I came home to find a Ford Crown Vic sitting in front of the house. The car was empty and I didn't think much of it. Later that afternoon, there was a knock at our door. I greeted the visitor who was a tall skinny man in a black suit with a black hat on his head.

He was very creepy, reminding me of the preacher from Poltergeist II. He had said he'd heard of the intruder and was investigating. I walked over the property lines with him explaining what had happened. He didn't say much at all, but when we reached the property line, he removed his hat to reveal a freckled bald head.

The man was very pale and white like a Mortician. He looked into me with cold eyes and said.

"Such a young man with a young family. Now don't you go acting foolish by chasing a stranger into the woods at night. Its very dangerous. Keep your family safe, Mr. Smith. But keep your doors and windows locked. This will go away. It always does." At that, the man turned around and left the yard.


The Ford Crown Victoria sat in front of the house a few more nights but that was the last I saw of the man in the suit. The strange thing about the encounter was the reaction of our animals. When he came to the door, both of our dogs bared teeth and growled at him.


He casually reached down to pet them and they scampered away scared to hide under the kitchen table. I have neither seen the two dogs act that way before.

A few years later, I met the local FBI Agent as he worked in the same building as I. I asked him about the agent and he wasn't familiar with my description. I asked if there might have been an investigation into my intruder and he replied that the FBI normally doesn't investigate such things unless a federal crime had been committed.

He was perplexed by my story but said I may have been dealing with a Private Investigator. But that was all he could think of.
Sources:

Images: White Crown Vic Stock Photo, iStock
Still images of Julian Beck, Poltergeist II (movie) All Rights Owned by the perspective owners.