1
00:00:40,150 --> 00:00:16,100
[Music]

2
00:00:43,030 --> 00:00:40,160
a 1976 ufo encounter in kentucky the

3
00:00:45,110 --> 00:00:43,040
investigation by charles lear in last

4
00:00:47,430 --> 00:00:45,120
week's blog we looked at a ufo encounter

5
00:00:49,670 --> 00:00:47,440
in kentucky reported by three women

6
00:00:51,830 --> 00:00:49,680
louise smith mona stafford and elaine

7
00:00:53,830 --> 00:00:51,840
thomas according to them they saw a

8
00:00:55,990 --> 00:00:53,840
craft that shone a blue light into their

9
00:00:57,670 --> 00:00:56,000
car and seemingly took control of it

10
00:00:59,510 --> 00:00:57,680
they felt pain down through the tops of

11
00:01:01,590 --> 00:00:59,520
their heads and in their eyes felt the

12
00:01:03,349 --> 00:01:01,600
car being pulled backwards and then

13
00:01:05,109 --> 00:01:03,359
suddenly found themselves almost eight

14
00:01:08,149 --> 00:01:05,119
miles away in what seemed like an

15
00:01:10,310 --> 00:01:08,159
instant the ufo was gone they continued

16
00:01:12,230 --> 00:01:10,320
on into liberty kentucky and stopped at

17
00:01:14,469 --> 00:01:12,240
the trailer home of smith who had been

18
00:01:16,550 --> 00:01:14,479
the driver they became aware that they

19
00:01:19,030 --> 00:01:16,560
all had a number of physical ailments

20
00:01:21,190 --> 00:01:19,040
including burning and tearing eyes skin

21
00:01:23,190 --> 00:01:21,200
that burned when in contact with water

22
00:01:25,190 --> 00:01:23,200
and one inch by three inch marks on the

23
00:01:27,030 --> 00:01:25,200
backs of their necks there was also

24
00:01:27,830 --> 00:01:27,040
about 80 minutes they couldn't account

25
00:01:29,429 --> 00:01:27,840
for

26
00:01:31,429 --> 00:01:29,439
smith looked to see if any of her

27
00:01:33,270 --> 00:01:31,439
neighbors were awake and saw a light on

28
00:01:35,429 --> 00:01:33,280
in the trailer next door belonging to

29
00:01:37,990 --> 00:01:35,439
lowell lee the women went over to his

30
00:01:39,830 --> 00:01:38,000
house and lee listened to their story he

31
00:01:41,749 --> 00:01:39,840
looked at the marks on their necks and

32
00:01:43,830 --> 00:01:41,759
then had them go to separate areas and

33
00:01:46,389 --> 00:01:43,840
draw what they said they'd seen the

34
00:01:47,910 --> 00:01:46,399
drawings were almost identical the story

35
00:01:49,910 --> 00:01:47,920
found its way into the press and it

36
00:01:51,830 --> 00:01:49,920
wasn't long before interested ufo

37
00:01:54,069 --> 00:01:51,840
investigators approached the women to

38
00:01:57,749 --> 00:01:54,079
look into the case according to the

39
00:01:59,429 --> 00:01:57,759
october 1976 apro bulletin jim and coral

40
00:02:01,670 --> 00:01:59,439
lorenzen of the aerial phenomena

41
00:02:04,149 --> 00:02:01,680
research organization were alerted to

42
00:02:06,230 --> 00:02:04,159
the case by april field investigator

43
00:02:08,910 --> 00:02:06,240
bill terry who'd read an article on the

44
00:02:12,150 --> 00:02:08,920
reported encounter in the february 1

45
00:02:13,830 --> 00:02:12,160
1976 kentucky advocate he wanted to know

46
00:02:16,150 --> 00:02:13,840
if they thought it was worth it for him

47
00:02:18,630 --> 00:02:16,160
to make the 60-mile trip to personally

48
00:02:20,710 --> 00:02:18,640
investigate and they said yes when he

49
00:02:23,030 --> 00:02:20,720
got to smith's home in liberty he found

50
00:02:25,670 --> 00:02:23,040
that investigators from the mutual ufo

51
00:02:28,309 --> 00:02:25,680
network and the center for ufo studies

52
00:02:30,309 --> 00:02:28,319
had gotten there the day before terry

53
00:02:32,550 --> 00:02:30,319
gathered information and then called

54
00:02:33,670 --> 00:02:32,560
april he told the lorenzen said he

55
00:02:36,070 --> 00:02:33,680
thought the women might have been

56
00:02:39,190 --> 00:02:36,080
abducted and that the usual hypnosis

57
00:02:41,830 --> 00:02:39,200
procedures should be used the lorenzens

58
00:02:44,070 --> 00:02:41,840
contacted dr leo sprinkle who was an

59
00:02:45,830 --> 00:02:44,080
apro psychiatric consultant and

60
00:02:48,309 --> 00:02:45,840
experienced in hypnotic regression

61
00:02:49,990 --> 00:02:48,319
techniques it was arranged that sprinkle

62
00:02:52,150 --> 00:02:50,000
would travel to liberty at apro's

63
00:02:54,630 --> 00:02:52,160
expense and interview the women and

64
00:02:56,390 --> 00:02:54,640
offer his services as a hypnotist

65
00:02:58,630 --> 00:02:56,400
sprinkle was an early abduction

66
00:03:00,550 --> 00:02:58,640
investigator and notably had regressed

67
00:03:03,430 --> 00:03:00,560
nebraska police patrolman herbert

68
00:03:05,509 --> 00:03:03,440
shermer in 1968. this was for the air

69
00:03:08,470 --> 00:03:05,519
force funded university of colorado

70
00:03:11,110 --> 00:03:08,480
study headed by dr edward condon and is

71
00:03:14,229 --> 00:03:11,120
described in case 42 in the results of

72
00:03:16,790 --> 00:03:14,239
the study published in 1968 as the

73
00:03:19,030 --> 00:03:16,800
condon report according to the bulletin

74
00:03:21,270 --> 00:03:19,040
terry met sprinkle and the two went to

75
00:03:23,270 --> 00:03:21,280
smith's home when they got there they

76
00:03:26,070 --> 00:03:23,280
were met with a conglomeration of

77
00:03:28,390 --> 00:03:26,080
investigators from kufos and mufon who

78
00:03:30,309 --> 00:03:28,400
felt that they were first on the case

79
00:03:32,550 --> 00:03:30,319
and that applo should not be allowed to

80
00:03:35,509 --> 00:03:32,560
enter sprinkle didn't want to cause a

81
00:03:37,350 --> 00:03:35,519
scene and apra was called the lorenzens

82
00:03:38,710 --> 00:03:37,360
got in touch with leonard springfield

83
00:03:40,710 --> 00:03:38,720
who was a member of all three

84
00:03:42,630 --> 00:03:40,720
organizations but was in liberty

85
00:03:44,710 --> 00:03:42,640
investigating for mufon

86
00:03:46,550 --> 00:03:44,720
according to the bulletin stringfield

87
00:03:49,190 --> 00:03:46,560
wanted to make use of sprinkle but

88
00:03:51,509 --> 00:03:49,200
didn't want a report sent to apro as one

89
00:03:54,070 --> 00:03:51,519
might expect the lorenzens didn't take

90
00:03:56,149 --> 00:03:54,080
too kindly to the idea adding further to

91
00:03:58,070 --> 00:03:56,159
their indignance was the information

92
00:04:00,550 --> 00:03:58,080
from smith that someone from either

93
00:04:02,630 --> 00:04:00,560
mufon or kufos she couldn't remember

94
00:04:05,030 --> 00:04:02,640
which had advised her and the other two

95
00:04:07,350 --> 00:04:05,040
women against cooperating with apro

96
00:04:09,750 --> 00:04:07,360
because they would call in the national

97
00:04:11,910 --> 00:04:09,760
enquirer it was eventually agreed that

98
00:04:13,830 --> 00:04:11,920
sprinkle would hypnotize the women and

99
00:04:16,550 --> 00:04:13,840
that the case reports would only be

100
00:04:18,229 --> 00:04:16,560
published after mutual agreement

101
00:04:22,230 --> 00:04:18,239
stringfield published his version of

102
00:04:24,550 --> 00:04:22,240
events in the january 1977 mufon ufo

103
00:04:27,510 --> 00:04:24,560
journal according to him sprinkle

104
00:04:29,510 --> 00:04:27,520
arrived on march 5th and by march 7th an

105
00:04:31,749 --> 00:04:29,520
agreement was reached so that he could

106
00:04:33,270 --> 00:04:31,759
hypnotize stafford who was the only one

107
00:04:35,909 --> 00:04:33,280
of the three women to agree to the

108
00:04:37,990 --> 00:04:35,919
procedure under hypnosis stafford

109
00:04:39,510 --> 00:04:38,000
recalled details of the sighting but

110
00:04:41,030 --> 00:04:39,520
nothing that could help fill in the

111
00:04:43,350 --> 00:04:41,040
missing 80 minutes

112
00:04:45,510 --> 00:04:43,360
sprinkle told stringfield that stafford

113
00:04:47,110 --> 00:04:45,520
was in a post-hypnotic state and that he

114
00:04:49,990 --> 00:04:47,120
might be able to help her recall some

115
00:04:52,230 --> 00:04:50,000
more details stringfield then edged his

116
00:04:54,469 --> 00:04:52,240
chair closer to her took a folder out of

117
00:04:56,830 --> 00:04:54,479
his briefcase with pictures of humanoids

118
00:04:59,189 --> 00:04:56,840
described by other witnesses and

119
00:05:01,590 --> 00:04:59,199
unceremoniously placed it on the table

120
00:05:03,110 --> 00:05:01,600
next to her she looked at the pictures

121
00:05:05,990 --> 00:05:03,120
and said that the head of one of the

122
00:05:08,070 --> 00:05:06,000
creatures looks like the light i saw she

123
00:05:10,710 --> 00:05:08,080
then started to see a face in her mind's

124
00:05:12,870 --> 00:05:10,720
eye that faded and reappeared like in a

125
00:05:15,029 --> 00:05:12,880
fog it is mentioned in the bullet

126
00:05:17,430 --> 00:05:15,039
article that james c young who gave the

127
00:05:19,350 --> 00:05:17,440
women polygraph tests at a later date

128
00:05:21,110 --> 00:05:19,360
commented that he could not be sure how

129
00:05:23,590 --> 00:05:21,120
influential the interviews by the

130
00:05:25,510 --> 00:05:23,600
investigators previous to the tests had

131
00:05:27,749 --> 00:05:25,520
been on what the women believed they had

132
00:05:30,150 --> 00:05:27,759
experienced it is pointed out in the

133
00:05:32,390 --> 00:05:30,160
article that mufon investigators

134
00:05:34,790 --> 00:05:32,400
apparently showed the witnesses drawings

135
00:05:36,629 --> 00:05:34,800
of ufos and occupants before the

136
00:05:38,550 --> 00:05:36,639
witnesses made their own renderings of

137
00:05:40,950 --> 00:05:38,560
what they saw there is also the

138
00:05:44,550 --> 00:05:40,960
accusation in the article that mr

139
00:05:46,390 --> 00:05:44,560
stringfield and mr black of mufon asked

140
00:05:48,629 --> 00:05:46,400
some very suggestive and leading

141
00:05:51,270 --> 00:05:48,639
questions during hypnosis sessions on

142
00:05:53,350 --> 00:05:51,280
july 24th according to stringfield

143
00:05:56,230 --> 00:05:53,360
sprinkle was unable to return after the

144
00:05:59,189 --> 00:05:56,240
march 7th session due to lack of funding

145
00:06:01,270 --> 00:05:59,199
then jerry black of mufon announced that

146
00:06:04,390 --> 00:06:01,280
he'd called bob pratt at the national

147
00:06:06,629 --> 00:06:04,400
enquirer and made a deal part of the

148
00:06:08,870 --> 00:06:06,639
deal was that sprinkle's expenses would

149
00:06:10,950 --> 00:06:08,880
be paid for another trip to liberty the

150
00:06:13,110 --> 00:06:10,960
paper would also make arrangements for

151
00:06:15,510 --> 00:06:13,120
james young to administer polygraph

152
00:06:17,590 --> 00:06:15,520
examinations in spite of the inquirer's

153
00:06:19,830 --> 00:06:17,600
reputation for being less than a model

154
00:06:22,550 --> 00:06:19,840
of journalistic integrity pratt was a

155
00:06:24,950 --> 00:06:22,560
respected ufo investigator according to

156
00:06:27,189 --> 00:06:24,960
stringfield black's daring move he had

157
00:06:29,430 --> 00:06:27,199
heard was out of concern for the women's

158
00:06:31,830 --> 00:06:29,440
health according to the kufos file

159
00:06:34,070 --> 00:06:31,840
generously provided by david marlar

160
00:06:37,670 --> 00:06:34,080
there was something to this smith had

161
00:06:39,670 --> 00:06:37,680
lost over 28 pounds stafford had lost 17

162
00:06:41,990 --> 00:06:39,680
and all three women were experiencing

163
00:06:44,309 --> 00:06:42,000
fears and anxiety with staffords being

164
00:06:46,550 --> 00:06:44,319
the most severe the irony of black

165
00:06:48,790 --> 00:06:46,560
reaching out to the enquirer was not

166
00:06:51,589 --> 00:06:48,800
lost on the lorenzens it is mentioned in

167
00:06:54,150 --> 00:06:51,599
the bulletin as being a surprise

168
00:06:56,070 --> 00:06:54,160
considering there the women's reluctance

169
00:06:58,950 --> 00:06:56,080
to have anything to do with the paper if

170
00:07:01,430 --> 00:06:58,960
apra was on the case on june 23rd the

171
00:07:03,670 --> 00:07:01,440
women pratt sprinkle stringfield and

172
00:07:05,830 --> 00:07:03,680
young all met at the brown motel in

173
00:07:08,469 --> 00:07:05,840
liberty for the polygraph exams and the

174
00:07:10,070 --> 00:07:08,479
hypnosis sessions by this time all three

175
00:07:12,629 --> 00:07:10,080
of the women were willing to undergo

176
00:07:15,029 --> 00:07:12,639
both the exam and the hypnosis the

177
00:07:16,950 --> 00:07:15,039
polygraph exams were given first and

178
00:07:18,550 --> 00:07:16,960
because of the amount of time involved

179
00:07:20,870 --> 00:07:18,560
there was only enough time the first

180
00:07:23,749 --> 00:07:20,880
night to hypnotize smith all three

181
00:07:25,749 --> 00:07:23,759
underwent hypnosis the next day besides

182
00:07:27,430 --> 00:07:25,759
interviewing the witnesses hypnotically

183
00:07:29,990 --> 00:07:27,440
regressing them and giving them

184
00:07:32,309 --> 00:07:30,000
polygraph examinations the investigators

185
00:07:34,469 --> 00:07:32,319
found additional witnesses and collected

186
00:07:36,469 --> 00:07:34,479
statements from character witnesses

187
00:07:38,710 --> 00:07:36,479
while there was some sloppiness in terms

188
00:07:40,710 --> 00:07:38,720
of witness leading and petty rivalry the

189
00:07:43,029 --> 00:07:40,720
investigators gathered some compelling

190
00:07:45,830 --> 00:07:43,039
evidence that something very strange had

191
00:07:55,700 --> 00:07:45,840
happened to smith stafford and thomas