An unexpected roadside sighting near Rough River in 2020 led Owensboro resident and registered nurse John Reiners to explore a decades-old mystery — and ultimately write his second book.
Reiners, who has lived in Owensboro for 18 years, was traveling to his family’s cabin to isolate after testing positive for COVID-19 when he encountered what he describes as a large, upright creature crossing the road.
“I saw this creature on all fours in the headlights of my car — and then it stood up,” Reiners said. “When I got to the cabin, I realized I believed I saw Bigfoot.”
The encounter launched a 3-year research project into eyewitness accounts, folklore, and scientific theories surrounding quadrupedal Sasquatch — lesser-known reports of creatures that walk on all fours. That work is now the subject of his latest book, Crouching Behemoth: Quadrupedal Sasquatch.
The book takes a deep dive into a less commonly discussed aspect of Sasquatch lore. While many people picture Bigfoot as a tall, bipedal forest dweller, Reiners’ research suggests that reports of four-legged movement date back decades — and could offer new insights into the creature’s behavior.
“I didn’t go looking for this subject — it found me,” Reiners said. “After I shared my experience, I started hearing from others who had seen something similar. That pushed me to dig deeper.”
His research included analyzing more than 100 eyewitness reports, interviewing alleged witnesses, and studying patterns in the movement, physical descriptions, and locations of quadrupedal sightings.
“I wanted to approach this with as much objectivity and curiosity as possible,” Reiners said. “There’s more out there than we realize, and when multiple people who don’t know each other describe the same behavior, it’s worth examining.”
Reiners is no stranger to storytelling. His first book, More Than Just Fishing, explored his lifelong passion for fishing and the bond he shared with his father. While that memoir-style work focused on personal reflection, his new release takes a different direction — shifting into the realm of cryptozoological investigation.
“It’s definitely a niche topic, but the feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive,” he said. “There’s a real hunger out there for respectful, serious research into this phenomenon.”
Crouching Behemoth is currently available exclusively on Amazon. The book’s cover was designed by local artist Landon Shepherd. Reiners said his work captures the mysterious and elusive nature of the creature. He hopes the book will spark conversations and encourage readers to examine the Sasquatch legend more closely, especially in the regions he knows best.
In the meantime, he’s enjoying the chance to talk with readers and skeptics alike.
“I don’t need everyone to believe what I saw,” Reiners said. “But I do want people to be open to the possibility that we haven’t discovered everything yet.”
