Delve Report - 1996 07 - July

Magazine Overview

DELNE REPORT, July 1996 issue, is a newsletter of unusual reports published on an irregular schedule, serving as an exchange publication with others of a like nature. Comments are to be sent to Gene Duplantier in Willowdale, Ontario, Canada. The issue features a prominent headline about a missing entrepreneur and includes articles on astronomy, folklore, technology, and UFOs.

Missing Entrepreneur Left No Tracks Up to His Vanishing Point

This article by Kelly David details the mysterious disappearance of Philip "Taylor" Kramer, a computer entrepreneur from Thousand Oaks, California, who vanished a year prior on February 12, 1995. Kramer, described as a strapping 6-foot-5-inch family man, left his home to pick up a business associate at the airport and never returned. Investigators have been left with no physical clues; his ATM and credit cards remain unused, and his green Ford van has never been found. His family has received numerous tips, ranging from psychic visions to reports from welfare workers, but no concrete evidence has emerged. His father, Ray Kramer, expresses a weariness of unsubstantiated claims, stating, "I will look at everything, but no firm evidence has come in." The search has cost over $75,000, with his sister, Kathy Kramer, dedicating herself full-time to the effort. A private investigator, Charles Carter, calls the case highly unusual due to the complete lack of evidence despite many circumstances and possibilities. Kramer's disappearance was featured on "The Phil Donahue Show" and "Unsolved Mysteries," generating many leads that ultimately led nowhere. In the days before his disappearance, Kramer and his father believed they had made a significant mathematical discovery related to faster-than-light information travel. Kramer's business had also recently emerged from bankruptcy. His wife, Jennifer, recalls him making calls promising a "biggest surprise" and stating, "Whatever happens, I'll always be with you." A final, alarming call to a 911 operator stated, "This is Philip Taylor Kramer, and I am going to kill myself." However, relatives and police doubt he could have killed himself and hidden his body and van. Speculation includes possibilities like being in a government protection program, being hijacked, kidnapped, or suffering amnesia. His mother, Mary Ann, from Ohio, suggests the possibility of a plane landing and taking him to South America. The article concludes by noting that despite all speculation, the family is no closer to finding him.

Solar Finding Renews Hope We're Not Alone

This article by K.C. Cole reports on the discovery of a solar system strikingly similar to our own, located just over eight light years from Earth. Astronomers presented evidence at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Madison, Wisconsin, suggesting the fourth nearest star from our sun has a Jupiter-sized companion orbiting at a distance similar to Saturn, and possibly a second, smaller companion near the asteroid belt. This discovery, made by George Gatewood of the Allegheny Observatory, adds evidence to the theory that planets are common and could potentially harbor life. Unlike previous discoveries of bizarre planetary systems, this one resembles our own, with planets orbiting in a flat plane. While the planets are likely gas giants, lacking terra firma, the discovery is significant. The observatory had been tracking the star Lelande 21185 for over six decades using a 76-centimetre telescope.

UFO Watcher Held in Radium Murder Plot

This brief AP report from Bellport, New York, states that John Ford, the head of a Long Island UFO club, has been charged with conspiring to commit murder. Police found lead canisters containing radium in his home, which he allegedly planned to use to kill Republican officials by spreading it on their car seats and in their toothpaste.

Tales of Bloodthirsty Beast Terrify Mexico

This article by Mark Fineman explores the phenomenon of the chupacabras, or "goat-sucker," which has captivated and terrorized Mexico. The saga began in Sinaloa when a farmer reported 24 sheep dead with their blood sucked dry after seeing a giant, bat-like creature. Mexican television broadcast the story, leading to widespread panic and the belief that the beast was extraterrestrial. Federal experts attributed the sheep deaths to natural predators like coyotes, but the public, traumatized by political assassinations, crime, and economic crisis, was ready to believe in the beast. The chupacabras has since been sighted and blamed for attacks nationwide. The article recounts an incident where Abigael Carlos Tobon, a nurse, fell down stairs, and her family, influenced by the chupacabras rumors, believed an animal had bitten her. Her brother, Jose, a civil engineering student, acknowledges the cultural capacity for fantasy in Mexico and the influence of the economic crisis on people's beliefs. Guadalupe Loaeza, a Mexican author and social analyst, notes that surrealistic things happen in Mexico and that the current climate makes people believe anything can happen. The article also mentions that scientists from a local university and the state zoo in Sinaloa investigated the attacks, finding evidence of wild dogs, and a man who claimed to be attacked later admitted to a brawl. Despite scientific explanations, the rumor persists, fueled by a "huge psychosis."

Mexico: Media Feed Fears of Vampire

This article continues the discussion on the chupacabras phenomenon in Mexico, highlighting how media coverage has amplified public fear. The creature has become a widespread conversation topic, with computer-graphics designers creating composite drawings based on eyewitness accounts. "Web pages" dedicated to the chupacabras have gained popularity. Radio stations are playing dedicated merengue tunes, and markets are selling chupacabras dolls. Guadalupe Loaeza reiterates that the Mexican culture has a great capacity for fantasy and that surrealistic things occur. She attributes the heightened belief to the economic crisis, assassinations, and general instability, creating a climate where people feel anything can happen. The article includes a dialogue from a dinner party where guests, including professors and an economist, seriously discuss the chupacabras, with theories ranging from pollution to a government distraction tactic or a messenger. The impact in the countryside is severe, with peasants attacking caves to burn out bats, leading to public denouncements by the Environment Secretary. Scientific reports and autopsies consistently attribute alleged chupacabras attacks to natural predators like coyotes and wild dogs. Despite investigations in Sinaloa that captured wild dogs and led to a confession of a brawl, science has not dented the rumor, with officials stating there are no extraterrestrials or vampires, only a "huge psychosis."

Independence Day No Hit with Believer in Extraterrestrials

This report from Montreal features Rael, a self-proclaimed extraterrestrial ambassador, who criticizes the movie "Independence Day." Rael, author of "Space Aliens Took Me To Their Planet," believes the movie misrepresents beings from space, whom he claims are peaceful and loving. He suggests the movie, financed by the CIA and U.S. army, is designed to promote fear and despair, especially after the "Russian menace" has been eliminated, by creating a space enemy to justify the need for weapons.

Brain Waves Give Power to Switch on a Light

This Reuter report from Sydney, Australia, describes how scientists have discovered a way to use brain waves to switch on a light. By placing electrodes on the skull and connecting them to an amplifier and transmitter, a person can use the minute voltage in their brain waves to control electric devices. Health science professor Ashley Craig at Sydney's University of Technology explained that they have identified signals within the brain that can be controlled and used to activate devices. During a demonstration, scientist Les Kirkup used his brain waves to turn on a desk lamp. The scientists are studying this technology to develop applications for the severely disabled.

It Was Nessie, Witnesses Say

This report from London describes a sighting at Loch Ness where sixteen people witnessed a mysterious object moving at high speed across the lake, leaving a whitewater wake. Tourist David Neeld suggested it was the Loch Ness Monster, stating, "I cannot find a rational explanation for what I saw." The object was spotted by Kate Munro, joint owner of the Craigdarroch House hotel. She alerted her husband and 14 guests, who also observed the object. They described it as something large moving at high speed under the loch's surface. Locals in the hotel bar also suggested it was Nessie. Another tourist, Karen Hemingway, described the sighting as "certainly quite strange."

48% of Americans Believe in UFOs

This graphic displays a Newsweek poll indicating that 48% of Americans believe in UFOs. It also features a cartoon of Bill Gates, labeled "Wealthiest Guy on Earth," with a quote attributed to him: "...AND I HAVE LANDED AND TAKEN CONTROL OF YOUR WORLD."

Animal Bites Off Arm of Girl Bearing Gift

This brief report from Torgau, Germany, states that a brown bear bit off the arm of a nine-year-old girl who climbed a barricade at a zoo to present the animal a rose.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of DELNE REPORT revolve around the unexplained, the mysterious, and the potentially extraordinary. The magazine showcases a blend of true crime (the missing entrepreneur), folklore and mass hysteria (chupacabras), scientific discovery with potential implications for life beyond Earth (new solar system), and speculative phenomena (UFOs, Loch Ness Monster). There's a clear interest in cases that defy easy explanation and tap into public fascination with the unknown. The editorial stance appears to be one of reporting on these unusual occurrences, presenting different perspectives, and allowing readers to draw their own conclusions, while also acknowledging the role of media and societal factors in shaping beliefs. The inclusion of scientific findings alongside more anecdotal reports suggests an open-minded approach to exploring various phenomena.