2009: The Pumpkin Man

On July 17, 2009, self-described 'paranormal investigator' Joshua P. Warren was being interviewed by George Noory on the Coast to Coast AM radio program, a popular late night program in the United States devoted to stories of the strange, paranormal, and conspiratorial. They were largely discussing the topic of the unexplained lights said to appear around Brown Mountain in North Carolina, USA, and Warren's belief that there is a secret government base under the mountain, when Warren mentioned something that had not been nationally known previously regarding the phenomena in the area.

        Warren explained to both Noory and the listeners that people living in the area of the Pisgah National Forest, within which Brown Mountain resides, spoke of a strange creature they had named the "Pumpkin Man" which they believed was lurking in the forests. According to Warren, people in both Asheville and Morganton, two towns located near the national forest, had seen the creature both stalking campsites in the park and sometimes floating in the air in a "little bubble." Warren described the strange creature as humanoid, between four and six feet tall with a "branch-like" skinny body, branches for arms and legs, and with a shriveled face with piercing, glowing red eyes.

        Warren further explained that there had been a series of murders in the area of Brown Mountain that had been comitted by a man wearing a pumpkin mask... when caught, this man claimed to have been following orders from the 'Pumpkin Man' who wanted to protect the forest.

        In a later interview on June 18, 2014, Warren re-described the Pumpkin Man as having a large head and looking a bit "alien" -- so the new implication was that the being was actually somehow related to the monsters known as 'Grays' that are believed to be associated with UFO phenomena, and are typically described as short, skinny, and with a large head and large, black eyes. This then implies a connection between the odd lights seen around Brown Mountain with UFO phenomena, with a further implication of possible government involvement with the monster if the proposed secret base is actually under the mountain. Warren also added that the Pumpkin Man could disappear and appear at will, which he felt meant the creature had an 'interdimensional' aspect to it.

But...

        I went digging and cannot find any evidence that a series of murders occurred on or around Brown Mountain; and I suspect that if a series of murders had occurred, especially with a guy wearing a pumpkin mask, then somewhere out there someone would have made note of it. Given this is the only part of Warren's reporting that resembles a set of facts that should be in the public record, it's not a good sign.

        Add to that the fact that every mention of the 'Pumpkin Man' I can find can be traced directly back to one of Warren's interviews, and the clear conclusion is that the legend of the 'Pumpkin Man' is simply the invention of Warren himself. I won't speculate why.