The Wolf Pack Incident of Palmyra, Maine: A Terrifying Encounter in the Woods
A family was stalked by a pack of wolves under mysterious circumstances—what was behind the aggressive behavior of these wild animals?
Case File: The Wolf Pack Incident
Case No.: 09WP-2011-ME
Classification: Cryptid Encounter – Hostile Presence
Location: Palmyra, Maine, USA
Date of Incident: Fall 2011
Filed by: Martin Family and Paranormal Investigators
Status: Closed – Witness Relocated, No Evidence Found by Authorities
Incident Summary
Initial Report:
In 2011, the Martin family moved into an old farmhouse located in Palmyra, Maine. The property was isolated, surrounded by dense woods, making it an ideal location for privacy. Initially, the family enjoyed their new home and the peaceful environment, but that all changed one fateful night. The Martins experienced an encounter with what they described as a pack of five werewolves or bipedal wolf-like creatures that terrorized them throughout the night.
The incident occurred after the family noticed strange pulsating lights coming from the woods surrounding their home. Believing the lights could be caused by poachers or trespassers, the family decided to investigate. As they approached the source of the lights, they suddenly vanished, and the family was left with an overwhelming feeling of dread. They retreated to the safety of their home, but soon realized they were not alone.
In the darkness, they noticed five sets of glowing eyes staring at them from the treeline. It was then that they understood they were dealing with something far beyond the realm of normal wildlife. The creatures, which they later described as standing about seven feet tall, covered in light brown to dark brown fur, and possessing large hunchbacks, began to circle the home, their massive fluorescent greenish-yellow eyes glowing in the dark.
Phenomena Overview
The Martins quickly locked themselves inside the house, hoping that the creatures would lose interest and leave. However, the entities continued to stalk the home, moving around the property and seemingly probing for ways to enter. The family retreated to the master bedroom, barricading the door and arming themselves with knives, hoping to defend themselves if the creatures broke in.
Auditory Phenomena:
Throughout the night, the Martins could hear the creatures moving around the property. They heard rustling noises in the grass, heavy footsteps, and strange, demonic growling sounds. It was unclear if the growls were a form of communication between the creatures or directed at the family, but the sounds added to the overwhelming sense of terror. The creatures seemed to encircle the house, with the family noting that their movements could be heard from three different sides, given the positioning of their bedroom at the end of the house.
Physical Presence:
The creatures were described as having long ears that extended upwards, and their fur was noted as being smooth on their bodies but wild and tufty around their heads. Their eyes were reported to be unnaturally large, with an intense glow that added to their menacing appearance. The Martins noted that, despite the creatures’ intimidating presence, they did not attempt to break into the home, instead choosing to linger and watch.
Footprints and Physical Evidence:
The next morning, as daylight finally broke, the family cautiously left their barricaded bedroom. Outside, they found large footprints left in the dew-soaked ground, along with trampled grass and other signs of disturbance near the house and around the farm pond. Attempts to photograph the creatures or collect more substantial evidence were unsuccessful. The family did manage to take some pictures of the footprints, but these were later lost when their phone was replaced.
Investigation Overview
Initial Encounters and Documentation:
The Martins did not initially report the incident to authorities, fearing that they would not be taken seriously. When they eventually contacted the police, they were met with skepticism, and no formal investigation was conducted. The family began to look for a new place to live, feeling unsafe in their own home.
Paranormal Investigations and Media Coverage:
The case eventually gained attention when it was featured in Paranormal Witness (Season 3, Episode 9). The story of the Martin family’s encounter with what they described as werewolves captivated viewers, and the case was subsequently investigated by paranormal enthusiasts. No further physical evidence was uncovered, but the witness testimony remained consistent, and the details provided by the Martins matched other cryptid sightings reported in remote areas.
Physical and Emotional Impact on the Witnesses:
The encounter had a profound effect on the Martin family. They reported ongoing feelings of unease and expressed a desire to leave the property as soon as possible. They eventually moved away from the farmhouse, purchasing a new home far from the site of the incident. The family described the experience as life-altering, with Shelley Martin stating that it had made her more cautious and aware of the unknown.
Documented Phenomena
Five Bipedal Creatures: The beings were described as standing roughly seven feet tall, covered in fur, with long ears and glowing fluorescent greenish-yellow eyes.
Auditory Disturbances: The family heard growling, rustling, and the heavy footsteps of the creatures as they moved around the house throughout the night.
Physical Evidence: Large footprints were found around the property the next morning, along with signs of trampled vegetation near the pond.
Press Coverage and Public Reaction
Media Coverage:
The Wolf Pack incident was featured prominently in the Paranormal Witness series, bringing widespread attention to the case. It also received coverage in cryptid and paranormal forums, where it was compared to other dogman or werewolf sightings in North America.
Public Reaction:
The public’s response was mixed—some viewed the incident as a legitimate cryptid encounter, while others were more skeptical, suggesting that the family may have encountered large animals or even that the event was a hoax. Despite the mixed reactions, the case remains one of the more famous werewolf-related encounters, and it continues to be a topic of interest among those who study cryptozoology and the paranormal.
Case Status
Final Assessment:
The Wolf Pack case remains unsolved. The creatures that terrorized the Martin family have not been identified, and no conclusive evidence was ever obtained to verify the nature of the encounter. The family eventually left their home in Palmyra, seeking safety and peace of mind. The case is notable for the consistency of the witness testimony, as well as the detailed descriptions of the creatures, which match those reported in other alleged dogman encounters.
In the fall of 2011, the Martin family moved into a rustic, charming farmhouse on the outskirts of Palmyra, Maine. Surrounded by thick woods and miles away from their nearest neighbors, it seemed like an idyllic place for Shelley, her husband Eric, and their young daughter to start anew. The isolation that first attracted them to the property now offered them a retreat from the hustle and bustle of modern life—a chance to raise their daughter in a peaceful setting, away from prying eyes and the noise of urban living.
The Martins quickly settled into their new home, enjoying the open fields, forest trails, and the calm evenings that descended upon their property as dusk fell. The old farmhouse had been neglected for some time, but they found joy in restoring it. They were unaware, however, that the tranquility they cherished would soon turn into an ordeal of unimaginable fear—an experience that would shake them to their core and eventually drive them from their dream home.
One particular night, as they sat together in the living room, Shelley and Eric noticed a strange phenomenon in the woods just beyond the edge of their property. They observed pulsating lights flashing intermittently through the dense trees. The lights were unlike anything they had seen before—faint glimmers of reddish-orange, flickering in and out of sight, like embers dancing on the night breeze. Concerned that it might be poachers, trespassers, or even someone in need, Eric decided to venture outside to get a closer look. Shelley, equally curious and wanting to ensure her husband’s safety, followed closely behind.
Together, they made their way into the woods, their footsteps crunching softly on the fallen leaves. As they drew nearer to the lights, a sudden silence fell over the forest—an unnatural stillness that seemed to swallow all sound. The hairs on the back of Shelley’s neck stood on end, and she couldn’t shake the sense that they were being watched. Before they could reach the source of the lights, they suddenly vanished, leaving behind nothing but the dark, cold emptiness of the forest. The couple stood there for a moment, listening intently, but the only sound they heard was their own uneasy breathing. The unsettling quiet urged them to turn back, and they hurriedly returned to the house, leaving behind an eerie silence in the woods.
Back inside, they locked the doors and decided to call it a night, hoping that whatever they had seen was nothing more than an illusion—a trick of the light or perhaps just their imaginations. They retreated to the warmth of their living room, hoping that the strange event would fade from their thoughts. But soon after, they began to sense that something was not quite right.
Suddenly, from the treeline, five sets of glowing eyes stared at them through the windows—eyes that were large, bright, and an unnatural fluorescent greenish-yellow. As the creatures emerged from the darkness, the family caught their first glimpse of what would terrorize them for the entire night. The creatures were massive, standing nearly seven feet tall, covered in light brown to dark brown fur, and possessing a distinct, hunched posture that gave them an eerie, beast-like silhouette. The most distinctive feature of these creatures was their ears—long and pointed, sticking up several inches above their heads—and their glowing eyes, which seemed to pierce through the darkness.
Panic set in, and the Martins rushed to secure their home, locking the doors and windows as they moved from room to room. They gathered their daughter and their two dogs and barricaded themselves in the master bedroom, dragging furniture in front of the door and arming themselves with whatever they could find—kitchen knives and a bat. Their hearts pounded as they listened for any sign of movement, any indication that the creatures were attempting to enter the house. They could hear heavy footsteps outside, circling the property, the creatures moving with a deliberate, predatory intent that chilled them to the bone.
The creatures began to move around the farmhouse, and soon the family realized that the beings were systematically probing their defenses. They heard the creatures rustling in the grass, their footsteps heavy enough to make the ground tremble beneath their feet. The growls that emanated from them were deep, guttural, and almost seemed to have a rhythmic quality—as if the creatures were communicating with each other. The Martins’ two dogs, usually protective and vocal, cowered under the bed, too terrified to make a sound. Shelley and Eric’s fear was palpable, and they clung to each other, hoping and praying that the thin walls of their home would keep whatever was outside at bay.
Throughout the long hours of the night, the creatures continued their relentless stalking. The Martins, unable to sleep, kept vigil in the master bedroom, every creak of the floorboards or gust of wind outside sending them into heightened alertness. The creatures made no effort to enter the house forcibly—they did not bang on the doors or shatter the windows—but their presence alone, the way they circled and watched, seemed almost calculated, as if they were testing the family, trying to see how they would react.
As the hours crept by, dawn finally began to break. The creatures seemed to retreat as the first rays of sunlight touched the farmhouse, slipping away into the woods, their glowing eyes fading into the distance. The Martins slowly emerged from their barricaded room, their bodies aching from the tension and fear they had endured all night. They cautiously stepped outside, the early morning light revealing a scene that confirmed their worst fears.
Around the house, large footprints—impossibly large for any known animal—were embedded in the soft, dew-covered ground. The grass near the farm pond was trampled flat, the once tall reeds crushed under the weight of whatever had lurked there the night before. The ground was scarred with the signs of the creatures’ passage, their presence undeniably real. Shelley tried to take photos of the footprints with her phone, but these were lost when her phone was replaced soon after.
The experience left the Martins shaken to their core. They knew they could no longer stay at the farmhouse—the very walls that had once symbolized security and comfort now felt like a thin, fragile barrier against a world filled with unknown horrors. They immediately began making plans to move, unwilling to spend another night in a home that had turned into a nightmare. The family eventually relocated, finding a new home far away from the site of their terrifying ordeal.
The Martins would later recount their story to friends, neighbors, and eventually to paranormal investigators. The story of their encounter made its way to Paranormal Witness, where it was shared with the wider public, captivating viewers and dividing opinions. Some believed the Martins had truly encountered something beyond explanation—cryptid creatures, perhaps even werewolves, stalking the woods of Maine. Skeptics dismissed the story as either an elaborate hoax or a misidentification of known wildlife, but for the Martins, the terror of that night was all too real.
For Shelley Martin, the events of that night changed her perception of the world forever. She described it as a humbling experience—an encounter that forced her to confront the possibility that there are things in this world we simply do not understand. Since the incident, Shelley has taken every precaution to ensure her family’s safety, always letting someone know where she is going and when she will return. The memory of the creatures, the feeling of being hunted, lingers with her to this day.