From: UFO UpDates - Toronto <updates@globalserve.net>
Date: Thu, 05 Jun 1997 06:30:05 -0400
Fwd Date: Thu, 05 Jun 1997 06:30:05 -0400
Subject: The Carp Case - A Review (Part 5/6)
Part 5.
Originally published in
The MUFON Ontario Newsletter
Volume 1.5 - November 1994
The Carp Case - The MUFON Ontario Version
by Tom Theofanous & Errol Bruce-Knapp
The Carp Review - Part Five
On May 9th, l993 Tom, Lise and Graham drove to Almonte to talk to
Bobby (Guardian) Charlebois without success. The following day
Oechler called Graham and was very upset at the attempt to talk
to Charlebois which puzzled Graham.
May 28th Graham and Oechsler met with Gary Osterbrook a
polygrapher. Oechsler and Osterbrook had agreed on a price of a
thousand dollars to conduct two lie-detector tests - one on Diane
Labenek the other with Susan ('Sarah Janille') Gill - Oechsler's
mysterious 'Canadian Government Official'.
Oechsler used one of of Bruce Maccabee's personal cheques made
out for $1,000 (US) which he gave to Osterbrook as payment for
the testing.
In 1993, 'The Air Report' (Associated Investigator's Report #1)
raised the issue of Maccabee's possibly using The Fund for UFO
Research's money for personal gain:
[quote]
Dr. Maccabee has made at least one trip to Ontario to
investigate the case. It is not known whether any Fund
for UFO Research monies were expended in this
investigation.
[quote ends]
Maccabee responded in his 'Rebuttal Paper', page l8 item 27:
[quote]
....a simple question which could have been answered
before the publication [of the 'Air Report'] by a
simple phone call to the Chairman, Richard Hall, or to
any of the other members of the Executive Board. The
answer is NO (a thousand times, no).
[quote ends]
An odd choice of words. Surely a coincidence? A check, signed
by him, for $1,000.00 to Gary Osterbrook the polygrapher? "The
answer is NO (a thousand times No.)"!
Bruce Maccabee, the Maryland State Director for MUFON, and
MUFON's crack photographic and video-analyst supposedly had no
interest in the Carp Case other than analysing the Guardian Video
- he declared it to be an 'authentic' landed UFO, on televison!
More from 'THE AIR REPORT'
[quote]
Dr. Maccabee also maintains a relationship with Robert
Oechsler, a man whose motives in the field are at best
mercenery. He has at one point or another involved
himself in virtually every aspect of ufology. Mr.
Oechsler has been variously described as a clown, a
fraud and even a con-man (in 1991 he attempted to
involve several of his then friends in the UFO field in
some sort of bizarre pyramid scheme in which
participants were to send him money via Federal Express
(so as to avoid federal laws governing mail
fraud)--telling at least one associate that he intended
to make several hundred thousand dollars). Mr. Oechsler
who represents himself as a former "NASA Mission
Specialist" has participated with Dr. Maccabee in the
photographic analysis of the Gulf Breeze material.
[Commander Gene Cernan USN (Retd. and former NASA
astronaut, reported that Oechsler had NEVER held the
position he claims in NASA, but that it was possible
that he had worked as a junior technician either with
NASA or with a NASA sub-contractor, in which case his
name would not have been known anyway.]
Mr. Oechsler has also made a series of fantastic claims
concerning his alledged discoveries of various secret
government UFO related projects including an
operational anti-gravity chamber, sophisticated
anti-alien defense installations, a wide-ranging
program to educate the general public as to the reality
of the UFO phenomenon and others too tedious to detail
here. These "discoveries" were published by Timothy
Good in his book "Alien Liaison" in England and more
recently in "Alien Contact" here in the United States.
It is virtually certain that most if not all of Mr.
Oechsler's claims are fraudulent and he has intimated
to Walt Andrus, International Director of the Mutual
UFO Network, that he fabricated at least some of the
material.
The most important point here is not Oechsler's selling
of this material to the television shows 'Unsolved
Mysteries' and 'Sightings' but Dr. Maccabee's clear
support for the validity of the case. Dr. Maccabee
spoke in support of the authenticity of the Guardian
video on at least one television program and before the
large audience of a UFO conference in Silver Spring,
MD.
Richard Hall, the Fund's (for UFO Research) newly
elected chairman, also said that he was equally
perplexed by some of the UFO cases that Maccabee had
promoted such as Gulf Breeze and the "Guardian" case.
[quote ends]
To which Maccabee responded in his 'Hot Air' rebuttal:
[quote]
The writer charges that my support for UFO cases which,
in the mind of the writer at least, are "obviously"
poor cases or frauds (New Zealand, Kirtland Landing
Case, Gulf Breeze, Guardian) has caused other
researchers to waste time and money carrying out their
own investigatlons. (How horrible!)
[quote ends]
Not just in the mind of the writer of the 'Air Report' but also on the
lips of many of ufology's leading lights. Not 'horrible!', just an
immense waste of time, energy and money on a patent hoax. And how
callous of a man who for many years was trusted and respected by his
peers.
Bruce Maccabee's motive and actions throughout the course of Oechsler's
investigation are highly suspect and we feel that Maccabee owes an
explanation to all those in our field who have trusted his judgment
over the years.
The question is, is Maccabee being manipulated by Oechsler? Is he
being conned or have his judgement and analytical capabilities become
desperately impaired?
During the May 28th, meeting between Bob Oechler, Graham Lightfoot and
Gary Osterbrook, Susan Gill was introduced to Graham for the first
time. Gill is the External Affairs 'witness' to the event that took
place in the Labanek's field.
Her story or at least one version that she has given:
On a rainy night Susan Gill's dog began barking at the front
window and she got up to see what was being barked at. As she
looked through her window she noticed, through the trees that
border her lot, a set of peculiar red lights glowing across the
road in the Labanek's field - she assumed they were fireworks.
Other coloured lights rose up over the treetops and instantly
vanished. When she did not see any fireworks explode she got
curious and went out to her driveway to take a closer look.
Suddenly in front and above her was an object with swirling
lights. As the object descended she tried, unsuccessfully to get
back into her house and she claims that the Labenek dogs could be
heard "barking up a storm in the distance" - this despite the
fact that on the Guardian video only one dog is heard and only in
the view of the 'craft' with the flares extinguished.
Weeks later Gill recalled in detail being abroad the craft and
conversing telepathically with the alien occupants and an
oriental looking 'being' in charge.
She also remembered a car going by in front of her house just
after a helicopter flew over the Labanek's field. She has given
several different versions of the car and driver story: It was
the Guardian who stopped to ask her if she was OK, another that
he stopped and was very rude to her and yet another story that
she thought it might have been the Guardian but took note of his
licence number anyway despite the fact that she was very groggy
and the car speeding away.
Gill claims that on the night she had these experiences it was
raining, which on investigation proved to be the night before
Diane Labanek and the Guardian claimed to have seen and videoed
the 'landed craft'. But, what is most intriguing is Gill's
ability to see through the deep stand of thick, tall spuce trees
between her and the 'landing site' in the Labanek's field.
Gill is adamant about dogs barking - both hers and the Labeneks,
despite the fact that on the Guardian video only one dog is heard
and only in the view of the 'craft' with the flares extinguished.
Recently, Gill told our investigators that she was sure that her
'event' took place on "a rainy night", which she maintains was
the night before Labanek's 'sighting'. The Guardian video shows
neither rain nor wetness which leads us to believe that either
Labanek and Guardian were lying or Susan Gill was making up her
story.
Gill sent a signed letter to a third party (who wishes to remain
annonymous) complaining about "Graham Lightfoot and his
associates".
She wrote:
[quote]
Mr. Lightfoot first presented himself as having a
professional background as a reporter and as a serious
UFO Investigator. I had indicated that I was writing a
book involving UFOs, Aliens, Psychic Phenomena, a
female abductee and an investigator and showed him not
only the first chapters but also the story line.
Although fictitious characters and incidents are in the
story and it is to be published as fiction I'm
disturbed by Mr. Lightfoot's indiscretion at revealing
it's contents.
[quote ends]
It's strange that Gill would dennounce Graham in her letter since
she had already shown both her story and outline to Oechsler - he
had it when Graham first met Gill.
Why would she be so upset with something that she thought Graham
had done when she already knew Oechsler had the story ready to go
to print in the 'UFO Library' magazine? She was present when
Graham read over Oechler's copy for the magazine and also Bob
left his name out. She was not at all concerned that Bob was
using her story, and never suggested that she as at any
subsequent meeting with Graham.
If, as Gill writes "fictitious characters and incidents are in
the story and it is to be published as fiction" - why did
Oechsler treat her story as fact, connecting it in the
October/November l993 issue of 'UFO Library' to The Guardian
Story?
In the second paragraph of his 'Insiders Report', Oechsler used
part of the opening chapter of Gill's novel without giving her a
writer's credit - curiously, the same parts of her book that she
claims Graham was indiscreet about. None of the 'facts' in this
paragraph of Oechsler's "surrealistic screams, excruciating cries
of tormented agony that warned off all attempts by residents to
investigate, startling screams like no other sound experienced
before by anyone...." have been reported or verified. We can only
point out that these facts are the opening of Susan Gill's Horror
Novel.
In the letter Gill also complained that:
[quote]
Derogatory remarks are being made by Mr. Lightfoot and
his Associates a out Mr. Oechler and myself that are
unacceptable and are sufficient grounds for a lawsuit.
[quote ends]
The third party replied in a letter to Susan Gill:
[quote]
Please be advised that I am in receipt of your signed
letter of the above date. Please be advised also that
I have taken your letter very seriously.
As you so correctly pointed out in your letter it is
not wise to go by hearsay, for instance, I have been
led to believe that all along and from many independent
sources that you were indeed victim of the
extraordinary phenomenon known as 'UFO Abduction' and
was suprised to learn from your letter that a
misunderstanding has occurred.
I was not aware that your only participation in the
events that transpired in you neighborhood was by way
of research for a book of fiction you wre writing as
opposed to a personal experience.
May I apologize for this misconception and stress that
I will indeed pass you message on to whoever I hear
expressing an incorrect view on this matter. Had you
chosen to simply write to set the record straight about
the above, I would have been agreeable to respect your
total confidentiality.
Good luck in your work of fiction.
[quote ends]
Gill has not responded to the preceeding letter and all of this
begs the question: How valid were the lie-detector tests on
Gill? Unless of course the questions asked of her during the
polygraph testing skirted around the situation or that she is a
confabulator (a pathological liar) - someone who believes what
they are saying even if the events they describe never happened.
Of course we can only surmise!
Diane Labanek was also scheduled to take a polygraph test but
changed her mind at the last minute - perhaps realising that she
might not 'pass'. By that time there were many people asking a
lot of questions about her involvment in the Guardian Caper.
---
[The following are excerpts from Armen Victorian's August 1991
Review of Chapter 10 of 'Alien Liaison' by Timothy Good and
associated documentation & correspondence, posted on an InterNet
Computer Conference - AltParaUFO on 20 April 1994. The name
Armen Victorian is a pseudonym of an energetic British
researcher.]
Timothy Good's latest book, was published by Century in May,
1991. Soon afterward, Mr. Good received wide media coverage
largely due to ONE chapter in his book which added "punch" to
make it a best seller.
In England, he appeared on TV programs and 'live' radio shows,
which, via satellite link, also helped to bring his close
associate, Mr. Bob Oechsler into the limelight. Bob Oechsler
provided the main substance for 'Cosmic Journey' - Chapter 10.
In the conversation I had with Oechsler on 10 August 1991, when
it was becoming clear that many areas in Chapter 10 raised very
serious questions, he said that I should know by now that Good is
not a researcher, but an editor who collects material and puts it
together...
...I then contacted Mr. Robert W. Kirchgessner, who was the
Director of Special Development Group, Ringling Bros. & Barnum
and Bailey, at that time.
Mr. Kirchgessner, with his direct answers, cast a great deal of
light on the subject matter, thereby revealing the length and
breadth of distortions Good and Oechsler went to present THEIR
own version of 'Cosmic Journey'.
I asked Mr. Kirchgessner to describe what took place in the
course of their contacts with Oechsler and Good.
He said: "Robert Oechsler's situation is ah, let me put it like
this... Robert Oechsler was recommended to us by Timothy Good, we
met with the man ONE time. We determined very very quickly that
he was a total INCOMPETENT."
"This fact was illustrated when the gentleman approached us,
coming in and telling us everything from the fact that he could
deliver us a UFO, to whether he had a government agency watching
him."
"We were sitting in a restaurant here in Orlando with him. We
invited him down here, paying all his costs, to speak to
him....."
[This particular factor was confirmed to me by Mr. Robert Kenneston,
in a separate telephone conversation with him in his Los Angeles
office, on 12 Aug. 1991 {tape recorded conversation}. Mr. Kenneston
was a witness to that meeting, and held a separate discussion with
Oechsler, as part of the same meeting.]
".....trying to do the best research that we could. And he
perceives and comes out with the statement that the CIA people
are tracking him and they were sitting and watching him in the
restaurant."
"The man was...he was not in touch with reality at the time in my
opinion. We had elected not to proceed with him in any way,
shape or form. The only question that I felt remaining with the
call that I received regarding Robert Oechsler, was whether or
not somebody else in the Ringling Corporation had hired him to do
additional research without my knowledge. Which was always
possible within our company".
Author: "Yes, Mr. Chuck Smith..."
"...right, Chuck Smith was my immediate superior. Chuck met
various people, he usually would utilize them to continue to look
into subject matters, if they had any knowledge at all. To my
knowledge at this time, he had never spoken to nor had he been in
communication with, nor had gone any further than my initial
confidential report to him, stating that this (Mr. Oechsler) is
one gentleman that we should NOT do business with. And to this
date that is the position that Chuck has taken in regards to
this."
I asked Mr. Kirchgessner how Timothy Good became involved? He
replied that they decided not to have anything to do with Good
due to the high fees he had asked for.
Mr. Kirchgessner's answer to this question is quite contradictory
to what Good has written in his book.
On page 151 of 'Alien Liasons', Good writes:
[Quote]
Following further discussions, I was invited to become
the 'Official Consultant on UFO research' to the
Special Development group. A personal meeting in
Orlando, Florida, was pre-requisite, the director said,
and since I would be visiting Gulf Breeze during
October, I made arrangements to fly to Orlando.
Unfortunately, DIFFICULTIES with airline scheduling
arose, allowing inadequate time for the trip, and I was
obliged to postpone the meeting.
[quote ends]
I put to Mr. Kirchgessner what Mr. Good had published, he said
"It is simply not true, we dropped him because of the sums he was
asking as his fees. Then Mr. Robert Oechsler appeared on the
horizon."
Mr. Kirchgessner told me that Oechsler had asked for either $1200
or $2000 per day for his work (he couldn't remember the exact
figure off-hand).
He had added that they asked Captain Gene Cernan, ex-NASA
astronaut, who is a director on their Board, to check Oechsler's
credentials regarding his NASA background.
Cernan reported that Oechsler had NEVER held the position he
claims in NASA, but that it was possible that he had worked as a
junior technician either with NASA or with a NASA sub-contractor,
in which case his name would not have been known anyway.
I called Gene Cernan on 8 Aug. 1991. After confirming what Mr.
Kirchgessner had said was correct, Cernan added that the 'Cosmic
Journey' project never went any further than the drawing board.
{Taped telephone conversation}.
The day before, 7 Aug. 1991, I contacted Miss Susan Brewer, who
works with Mr. Kirchgessner and was a witness to the Orlando
meeting, between Oechsler and the Ringling Bros people.
I read her the passage on page 197 of 'Alien Liaison' in which
Good states that the project ('Cosmic Journey') had the approval
of President Bush and Vice-President Quayle. She answered: "As
far as Bob (Kirchgessner) is concerned, when he worked with Gene
Cernan, Cernan presented the project to Vice President Quayle
representing President Bush, then yes, I would assume it would go
to the top."
[Note: The way in which Good has referred to this point in his
book adds more vigor to his version of the story, as to 'Cosmic
Journey' initially being a government based project].
She further added, "Let me tell you that when Mr. Oechsler came
here to Orlando, I was present. We were very kind and polite,
but we realized that he was a little off the wall".
I also put to her what Mr. Kirchgessner had told me about
Oechsler's promise to provide them with a genuine UFO. She
immediately said, "A genuine UFO plus a spaceship". I asked her
whether it was in writing or verbal. She replied "Verbal, but
there were four other people at the table, you know, they fell
off their chairs!".
I asked if she could give me their names as a matter of record.
She answered, "I was one of them, the other young man was
Brownell Schlubach. He used to work with us at SDG, Bob
Kirchgessner, and the other gentleman's name was Don Branch, the
Manager of Design for SDG".
She further added that "after we realized what sort of person we
were dealing with, we would not have anything more to do with a
person with such a fanatical presentation".
End of Part 5.
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