DECATUR, Ind. (WANE)— If you’ve been in Decatur in October in the past 10 years, chances are you’re familiar with the man who who runs around town dressed as Michael Myers. If you’re not from Decatur, maybe you’ve seen one of the viral videos on social media.
The horror film Halloween, released in October 1978, chronicles the fictitious character of Michael Myers who as a child is institutionalized after stabbing his 15-year-old sister to death. Years later he goes on a terror rampage on Halloween. The film thrust Jamie Lee Curtis into stardom.
Evan Zimmerman is the man behind “Michael Myers of Decatur.” Since his wife posted a video on Facebook that went viral within 24 hours, “Michael Myers of Decatur” has gained more than 1 million likes on Facebook and 2.6 million followers on TikTok.
When Zimmerman is not haunting the streets of Decatur, he serves in the U.S. Air Force. He took on the Michael Myers persona more than 10 years ago, in 2012 after he came home from deployment. He wanted to get involved after missing many holidays.
“One day we just went shopping at a Halloween store with the kids and he saw a mask and he was like I’m getting this,” his wife, Sabrina, said. “And then he just started walking around with it.”
According to Sabrina, her husband’s obsession didn’t really have an evolution. It was rather instantaneous.
“At first it was funny and then it was becoming like a nightly thing in October,” Sabrina said. “He’d just be missing. I’d be like ‘Where’s your dad?’ He was just gone.”
The commitment reached new heights when Evan purchased a 25-foot Michael Myers for the front yard and even bought a car and turned it into a replica of the station wagon from the movie, and named it the Stabbin’ Wagon. The Halloween decorations go out as early as September 1st for the Zimmerman’s.
“He told me he bought this 7-foot blow up Michael Myers and I’m like annoyed,” Sabrina said. “But then I came home and it was 25 feet. I was just like ‘Stop putting stuff in the yard!'”
As far as they know, the Zimmerman’s have had fans drive from as far as Rhode Island to see “Michael Myers of Decatur” in action.
WANE 15 has learned that “Michael Myers of Decatur” will not be returning next year as he has been deployed again.
