R.I.P. Linda Godfrey

By Tim Binnall

Coast to Coast AM is saddened to share the news that 'Beast of Bray Road' author and pioneering 'dog man' researcher, Linda Godfrey, has passed away. She famously entered the world of the paranormal when, while working as reporter for a small Wisconsin newspaper in 1991, she heard reports of a strange werewolf-like creature that had been spotted in the area. Although admittedly skeptical of the accounts, Godfrey documented them in a landmark article titled 'The Beast of Bray Road,' which sparked something of a sensation and led to her writing a series of stories as more witnesses came forward with their own tales of encountering the unnerving bipedal canine cryptid.

Godfrey's journalism background gave her the ability to look at the controversial subject matter in an open-minded yet factual manner and her coverage of the creature captured the imagination of the public in a profound way. Over time, this resulted in the 'dog man' carving out a niche in the cryptozooligical community that today nearly rivals that of Sasquatch with an abundance of books, articles, movies, and TV programs devoted to the mysterious 'monster.' Having put the 'beast' on the proverbial map with her initial article and subsequent research, Godfrey served as the preeminent expert on the oddity for thirty years and made a multitude of media appearances, including numerous times on Coast to Coast AM, detailing her investigations into the creature and other cryptids.

To that end, over the course of her prodigious career in the paranormal, Godfrey expanded her scope of research to include Bigfoot as well as other curious 'monsters' said to have been seen in the American Midwest and ultimately wrote a whopping 19 books on these topics. She was also a fixture at paranormal conferences, where she formed enduring friendships with her fellow researchers while also collecting new accounts from astounded witnesses. By way of her work documenting the 'dog man,' Godfrey left an indelible mark on the world of high strangeness and will be deeply missed by both her colleagues as well as all those who were riveted by her coverage of the creature that, in a testament to her influence, many simply know as the 'Beast of Bray Road.'