Skeptics UFO Newsletter

Magazine Overview

Title: Skeptics UFO Newsletter
Issue: #36
Date: November 1995
Publisher: Skeptics UFO Newsletter
Editor: Philip J. Klass

This issue of the Skeptics UFO Newsletter (SUN) critically examines claims related to UFO phenomena, focusing on debunking alleged evidence and exposing falsehoods within the UFO research community.

TELEPHONE IN "ALIEN AUTOPSY" REVEALS FILM IS HOAX

The lead article exposes a significant anomaly in the "Alien Autopsy" movie, which purports to depict a 1947 autopsy of an extraterrestrial. Philip J. Klass highlights that a modern wall telephone visible in the film was not introduced by American Telephone & Telegraph Co. (AT&T) until 1956. This detail, spotted by Tom Holzel, a former AT&T employee and current vice president of a Northern California electronics company, suggests the film could not have been shot in 1947. Holzel confirmed this by consulting a book on telephone history, which indicated the Dreyfuss-designed wall telephone, identical to the one in the film, debuted in 1956.

The article also touches on the film's broadcast history, noting its airing on the Fox TV network and subsequent repeats, as well as broadcasts in Europe.

"Alien Autopsy" Owner Refuses To Provide Film Sample For Tests

London movie distributor Ray Santilli, who had agreed to provide a film strip for analysis by Eastman Kodak, reportedly backed out. Santilli claims he was overruled by the film's alleged owner, Volker Spielberg of Hamburg, Germany. Robert Shell, editor of "Shutterbug" magazine, had arranged the test. Santilli, who claimed to have spent two years authenticating the movie, had previously failed to take advantage of a similar offer from Eastman's British affiliate, Kodak Ltd. Christian R. Page, chairman of O.C.I.P.E., provided SUN with correspondence clarifying claims about the film's vintage, including a letter from Peter G. Milson of Kodak Ltd. in London. Milson stated that Kodak had received only a small piece of leader film with an edge code suggesting a print date of 1927, 1947, or 1967, but that a definitive date was difficult to ascertain. Kodak had offered to examine the full film but had not yet received it.

Omni Magazine Exposes Roswell Researcher Schmitt's False Claims

This section details how the Fall issue of Omni magazine revealed that Roswell researcher Don Schmitt allegedly resorted to falsehoods to support claims of government cover-ups. His long-time partner, Kevin Randle, issued a public statement calling Schmitt "a pathological liar." The Omni article, "The Case Of The Vanishing Nurses," by Paul McCarthy, investigated Schmitt's claims.

Glenn Dennis, a Roswell mortician, claimed a nurse at the Roswell Army Air Field (RAAF) participated in a preliminary autopsy of alien bodies in 1947. Dennis had allegedly sworn the nurse to secrecy but revealed her identity, Naomi Maria Selff, years later. However, a review of the 1947 RAAF Yearbook showed no nurse named Naomi Maria Selff among the listed nurses.

McCarthy reports that Schmitt claimed he could not find military records for Naomi Maria Selff or the five nurses listed in the yearbook. However, McCarthy, using the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, located these records within three days. He found that only one nurse, Rosemary Brown, was still alive, and she did not remember Nurse X or Glenn Dennis.

When confronted with the ease of finding the records, Schmitt allegedly changed his story, claiming he knew about the St. Louis records and had interviewed Rosemary Brown himself. McCarthy suggests Schmitt believed Brown might be Dennis' nurse, despite the name difference and dissimilar appearance in photos.

Kevin Randle issued a "To Whom It May Concern" letter detailing an irrevocable split with Schmitt. Randle accused Schmitt of lying about his personal life and research, including fabricating the "vanishing nurses" claim and citing unsubstantiated evidence. Randle stated that Schmitt's claims about not finding records for 11 men at Roswell were also false, as the Air Force had located most of them. Randle defended the accuracy of their co-authored books, stating he had verified all information himself.

Roswell Researcher Pflock Provides Latest Version of Mortician's Tale

Karl Pflock, a Roswell researcher and confidant of Glenn Dennis, presented Dennis' account in Omni magazine. While Pflock has been critical of other Roswell "star witnesses," he endorses Dennis' veracity. The article highlights inconsistencies in Dennis' story, particularly regarding the involvement of pathologists from Walter Reed Hospital.

Initially, Dennis told an Associated Press reporter that a nurse mentioned two pathologists from Walter Reed Hospital. Later, after Pflock contacted Dennis, Dennis claimed the AP reporter misunderstood and that he had merely suggested consulting Walter Reed pathologists regarding embalming fluid. However, a videotape of an interview with Dennis produced by Carl Day for WDTN TV in 1994, and a report from the Roswell International UFO Museum, corroborated the claim that pathologists had been flown in from Walter Reed for a preliminary autopsy.

Pflock's article, titled "STAR WITNESS: The Mortician of Roswell Breaks His Code of Silence," is criticized for misrepresenting Dennis' actions, as Dennis had already broken his alleged oath of secrecy years prior.

The timeline presented by Dennis, involving Walter Reed pathologists arriving by mid-afternoon on July 7, 1947, implies that the RAAF officials must have known about the crashed UFO and ET bodies by late Sunday, July 6. This contradicts the timeline where rancher Mac Brazel reported the debris on July 7, leading to the discovery. The article also questions the logistics of bodies being embalmed for burial when an autopsy was allegedly underway, and the incongruity of Dennis being asked about removing bodies from the crash site when they were supposedly already at the base hospital for autopsy.

Dennis' initial public account in 1989 described seeing one or two military ambulances filled with wreckage, including canoe-shaped objects. Subsequent accounts, including a sworn statement in 1991, added more details, such as parking next to another ambulance and seeing wreckage inside. However, these details, particularly the canoe-shaped objects, were never reported by other witnesses like Brazel, Maj. Marcel, or Capt. Cavitt. The article questions why the debris-filled ambulances were left outside the hospital instead of being moved to a hangar for examination.

Pflock asked Dennis why the nurse had "vanished," and Dennis surmised she was discharged and joined a religious order, with the church's help. The SUN comments that an alternative explanation is that Nurse X is a figment of Dennis' imagination.

MUFON Analysis Offers Valuable Insights Into UFO-Abduction Tales

Dan Wright's analysis of 142 UFO abduction subjects, presented at a MUFON conference, is discussed. The findings suggest that the similarity of abduction tales does not prove their reality. Wright's research indicates that 32% of subjects reported passing through solid walls, nearly 53% were floated up into UFOs, and 9% were compelled to walk to a small ship. Wright speculates about varying levels of ET technology.

Approximately 29% of subjects reported ETs probing their brains, with some brains being "laid open." About 20% reported ETs taking samples of blood, tissue, or bone marrow, while 80% reported no samples taken. Thirty subjects (21%) reported receiving alien implants.

Regarding "sexually-related intrusions," only 44% of subjects reported such experiences. The article notes that roughly two-thirds of the subjects were female. Wright's report details instances of forced sexual relations, rape, and encounters with reptilian types.

The article critiques "UFOlogy" for readily accepting even the wildest abduction tales, contrasting it with earlier "serious UFOlogists" who were more skeptical. It mentions George Adamski and the current trend of "abductees" telling tales far more extreme than those of the past, with one subject claiming over 100 abductions.

Short Shrift:

This section contains several brief news items and commentary:

• Congressman Steven Schiff: Schiff is criticized for "stonewalling" SUN's requests for a copy of the original draft of the GAO's Roswell report and recommended changes, which reportedly included deleting the GAO's endorsement of the USAF's findings that the debris likely came from a Project Mogul balloon string.
• GAO Report: Information is provided on how to obtain the 20-page GAO report, "Results of a Search for Records Concerning the 1947 Crash Near Roswell, New Mexico."
• Don Schmitt's Resignation: It is noted that Don Schmitt might resign from the CUFOS Board following disclosures in Omni magazine about his false claims regarding the "missing" Roswell nurses' records. Schmitt had previously resigned as CUFOS's Director of Special Investigations.
• Psychological Explanation for Abductions: An article from The Plain Dealer is cited, suggesting that people who claim abduction by space aliens may be unconsciously trying to escape mental burdens and share traits with masochists. A University of Illinois psychologist is quoted stating that fantasies like UFO abductions are a way of "escaping the self."
• IUR Prediction: A prediction from the Interactional UFO Reporter (IUR) in March/April 1991 is recalled, foretelling the release of Kevin Randle and Don Schmitt's book "UFO Crash at Roswell" and proclaiming it the "most thoroughly investigated, the most completely documented event in the history of ufology." SUN sarcastically suggests saving rejoicing for the upcoming holidays.

Note: Opinions expressed are those of the Editor unless otherwise noted.

Subscription Information: The Skeptics UFO Newsletter is published bimonthly, with a subscription rate of $15/year for U.S./Canada and $20/year overseas (airmail).

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme throughout this issue is the critical examination and debunking of UFO claims, particularly those presented as evidence for extraterrestrial visitation or government cover-ups. The editorial stance, as represented by Philip J. Klass and the Skeptics UFO Newsletter, is one of skepticism towards unsubstantiated accounts and a focus on factual analysis and evidence. The newsletter actively seeks to expose hoaxes, inconsistencies, and alleged falsehoods within the UFO research community, emphasizing the importance of rigorous investigation and critical thinking. The issue highlights the dangers of unverified claims and the tendency for some researchers to promote narratives without sufficient proof, as exemplified by the critiques of Don Schmitt and the analysis of abduction stories.