A Municipal Judge, a Mysterious Creature, and a Night That Still Haunts Bucyrus
6 min read
By Logan Andrew | Editor-in-chief, FreeWire
Bucyrus, Ohio, is no stranger to strange tales, but one of its most bizarre has been hiding in plain sight. Judge Shane Leuthold, a respected figure in the city’s municipal court, once had a terrifying encounter that sounds like something straight out of The X-Files or a Stephen King novel. And he didn’t just tell the story to a few friends — he told it on camera for a nationally distributed documentary about werewolves.
Leuthold’s chilling experience was featured in American Werewolves, a 2022 documentary directed by Seth Breedlove and produced by Small Town Monsters, a company known for investigating cryptid legends across the United States. The film, which is available on Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, and Blu-ray, explores real-life encounters with what some believe to be the legendary Dogman — a cryptid described as a massive, bipedal wolf-like creature.
And in this case, the Bucyrus Dogman had a starring role.
The Night That Changed Everything
Leuthold recounts that in August of 1985, when he was a high school athlete, he set out for an evening run near his home on State Route 4 North. The only viable running path at the time led him down the road, a quiet country stretch bordered by cornfields and soybean fields — the kind of place where the only sound is the whisper of the wind through the crops.
It was a clear night, perfect visibility. But as he neared a roadcrossing on his way back home, an eerie sensation settled in: he was being watched.
Stopping in his tracks, he scanned the darkened landscape. The woods bordering the road stood silent. He saw nothing. He heard nothing. Just as he was about to brush it off and keep running — the corn moved.
And not just a rustle. A large section of the stalks swayed, as if something massive was pushing through them. Then, suddenly, it stopped.
Leuthold took off running.
Whatever was in the field? It ran with him.
The Chase
Unlike a startled deer bolting away, this thing paced him, matching his speed. When he stopped — it stopped. When he ran — it ran.
“I remember stopping and thinking, how does it know that I stopped?” he recounted.
It became clear to him: he was being stalked.
Realizing that his home was to the left at the end of Temple Road, he made a snap decision. If this thing stayed in the corn, and he turned left? He’d run straight into it. Instead, he veered right, toward a friend’s house. But before he reached safety, the thing emerged from the corn.
It was at least six feet tall, with pointed ears, a massive chest, and the head of a dog.
“It looked just like the Egyptian god Anubis,” he later recalled.
For a fleeting moment, the two locked eyes. Then, as Leuthold sprinted toward his friend’s house, the creature dropped to all fours — and chased him.
Escape and Reflection
Desperate, Leuthold threw himself over the chain-link fence surrounding his friend’s in-ground pool, gashing his side in the process. He then dove into the water, sinking to the bottom, bracing for whatever came next.
But when he finally surfaced?
Nothing.
No shadow. No sound. No sign of the monstrous pursuer.
Bolting into the house, soaking wet and out of breath, he slammed the door behind him. His friend, startled, screamed. Leuthold screamed back. Then, gasping, he demanded that they turn off the lights.
For years, he told very few people what he had actually seen. He relayed the story to friends, but left out the part about the creature itself, fearing ridicule. Only decades later did he come forward in American Werewolves, connecting his experience to similar sightings across the Midwest.
And perhaps most intriguingly — he no longer believes it was just an unknown species of animal.
“I think these are supernatural creatures,” Leuthold now says, adding that he later discovered Indian burial grounds near [the] road, leading him to believe this being was something beyond mere flesh and blood.
More content, including the clip of Judge Leuthold speaking about his encounter, after this...
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The Bucyrus Dogman?
For those unfamiliar with cryptid lore, the Dogman is a creature often described as a tall, bipedal, canine-like entity that lurks in rural areas across the United States, particularly in Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Sightings date back decades, and reports eerily match what Leuthold described that night in 1985.
But what makes this case truly unique isn’t just the details of the encounter — it’s the credibility of the witness. A municipal judge, known for interpreting the law and delivering justice, would seem to be an unlikely candidate for a cryptid witness.
Yet here we are.
Public Reaction & Unanswered Questions
As of now, it’s unclear whether this story has made waves in Bucyrus legal circles, but it’s bound to spark conversation, debate, and probably a few jokes around town. Does Judge Leuthold still believe he was chased by something paranormal? Would he be willing to discuss the event today? And most importantly —
Has anyone else seen something similar in Crawford County?
One thing is certain: Bucyrus officially has its own X-File. And its most unexpected witness? The man in the robe, presiding over municipal court.
About the Author
Logan Andrew is the founder and editor of FreeWire, a Northwest Ohio-based digital media company dedicated to providing straightforward, fact-based reporting on local issues. With a focus on transparency and accountability, Logan works to amplify community voices while holding public officials to their word.
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