The Grinning Man (sometimes known as Indrid Cold) is an entity first spotted in the 1960s in New Jersey. The Grinning Man is uniformly described as a tall man, wearing a shiny metallic-like set of green overalls, bearing a wide grin and beady eyes. Disturbingly, witnesses described that The Grinning Man had no visible ears or nose. The entity's skin is described as being tan or greenish. One witness also stated that The Grinning Man was wearing a black belt. The Grinning Man is sometimes connected with UFO activity and the Mothman cryptid.
History of Sightings[]
Several sightings of The Grinning Man were recorded by John A. Keel, the author of "The Mothman Prophecies".
In October 1966, two boys (James Yanchitis and Marvin Munoz) spotted a strange man standing behind a fence. They described the man as having a "big grin" and, supposedly, someone in that neighborhood also reported being chased by a greenish man.
Other reports placed The Grinning Man in West Virginia, about 40 miles away from the Mothman sightings. In November 1966, Woodrow Derenberger was driving home when he heard a crash. He stopped his car and saw a strange vehicle come alongside next to him. Allegedly this vehicle was pouring fire from both ends and was similar to a kerosene lamp in shape. An individual exited the vehicle, supposedly The Grinning Man, dressed in metallic green overalls. This characteristic fits with what was reported by Yanchitis and Munoz a month earlier. The individual identified themselves as "Indrid Cold" and supposedly interrogated Derenberger telepathically about UFO sightings in the area.
The Grinning Man was also sighted in Point Pleasant WV, where the Mothman sightings took place. This leads some to associate the Grinning Man with the Mothman.
Association with UFO Activity[]
The Grinning Man (in the Derenberger case) seemed very interested in UFO activity in the area. This suggests that The Grinning Man, if real, might be some form of extraterrestrial life. However, this UFO connection is only present in the Derenberger case.
Speculation[]
Skeptics assert that The Grinning Man is nothing more than exaggerated reports of a man who, while creepy, may not be paranormal in origin.