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- From: Brian Zeiler <bdzeiler@students.wisc.edu>
- Newsgroups: alt.alien.visitors,alt.paranet.ufo,sci.skeptic
- Subject: Neapolitan case
- Date: Sat, 22 Jun 1996 00:15:45 -0700
- Organization: University of Wisconsin
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- A Report on Hopkin's Napolitano Case
-
- This is the final report on the investigation of the Hopkins Linda
- Napolitano case by George Hansen, Joe Stefula and Rich Butler.
-
-
- To: Those Interested in the UFO Problem
-
- From: Joseph J. Stefula, Richard D. Butler, George P.
- Hansen
-
- Date: 08 January 1993
-
- Re: Budd Hopkins' case of the abduction of Linda Napolitano
-
- Enclosed is our report on the much acclaimed case of the UFO abduction of
- Linda Napolitano. We invite your comments.
-
- Hopkins' claims have generated enormous publicity and have been mentioned
- in the New York Times, Omni, the Wall Street Journal, and Paris Match,
- among others. As such, this case is likely to have a substantial impact
- on the field of ufology.
-
- Leadership in both the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) and the J. Allen Hynek
- Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS) aggressively opposed our investigation, and
- both previously refused to publish our criticisms. This raises grave
- questions about the scientific and journalistic integrity of MUFON and
- CUFOS.
-
- Those organizations have many members, and we are unable to provide more
- than a few copies of this paper to others. We ask you to help us with the
- distribution. Please feel free to make copies of this article, post it on
- electronic bulletin boards, and print it in periodicals.
-
- A Critique of Budd Hopkins' Case of the UFO Abduction of Linda Napolitano
-
- by Joseph J. Stefula, Richard D. Butler, and George P. Hansen
-
- ABSTRACT: Budd Hopkins has made a number of public presentations of a
- purported UFO abduction case with multiple witnesses. The primary
- abductee is Linda Napolitano, who lives in an apartment building on the
- lower east side of Manhattan (New York City). She claims to have been
- abducted by extraterrestrial aliens from her 12th floor apartment in
- November 1989. It is claimed that three witnesses in a car two blocks
- away observed Linda and alien beings float out of a window and ascend into
- a craft. One alleged witness was United Nations Secretary General Javier
- Perez de Cuellar. It is also claimed that a woman on the Brooklyn Bridge
- observed the abduction. Linda has reported nose bleeds, and one X-ray
- displays an implant in her nose.
-
- To date, Hopkins has provided no full, detailed written report, but he did
- publish a couple five page articles in the September and December 1992
- issues of the Mufon UFO Journal and made a presentation at the 1992 MUFON
- symposium. We have made use of that information as well as records from
- other presentations, and we have interviewed the abductee. A number of
- serious questions arose from our examination. The case has many exotic
- aspects, and we have identified a science fiction novel that may have
- served as the basis for elements of the story.
-
- Several prominent leaders in ufology have become involved, and their
- behavior and statements have been quite curious. Some have aggressively
- attempted to suppress evidence of a purported attempted murder. The
- implications for the understanding of ufology are discussed.
-
- Budd Hopkins is the person most responsible for drawing attention to the
- problem of the extraterrestrial (ET) abduction experience. His efforts
- have been instrumental in stimulating both media attention and scientific
- research devoted to the problem. He has written two popular books
- (Missing Time, 1981, and Intruders, 1987), established the Intruders
- Foundation, and has made innumerable appearances at conferences and in the
- media.
-
- Although Hopkins is neither a trained therapist, an academic, nor a
- scientist, he has involved such people in his work. John E. Mack, M.D., a
- Pulitzer Prize winner and former head of the psychiatry department at
- Harvard Medical School, has praised Hopkins' work and acknowledged his
- indebtedness to him (Mack, 1992a, 1992b). Hopkins has collaborated with
- university professors in co-authoring an article in the book Unusual
- Personal Experiences (1992), which was sent to 100,000 mental health
- professionals. He has testified as an expert witness at a hearing
- regarding the medical competence of a physician who claims to have been
- abducted (McKenna, 1992). Because of such strong endorsements and
- impressive affiliations, and because of his untiring work on behalf of
- abductees, Hopkins has become the single most visible figure in the UFO
- abduction field. His contributions, positive or negative, will be quickly
- noticed by those inside and outside ufology.
-
- Last year, Hopkins made a number of public presentations about a
- spectacular UFO abduction case occurring in November 1989 and having
- multiple witnesses. The primary abductee was Linda Napolitano, a woman
- living on the 12th floor of a high-rise apartment building in lower
- Manhattan (New York City) [Hopkins has previously used the pseudonym
- "Linda Cortile" in this case]. It is claimed that three witnesses in a car
- two blocks away observed Linda and three ET aliens emerge from a window
- and ascend into a craft. Further it is claimed that a woman who was
- driving across the Brooklyn Bridge also saw the event.
-
- The case has generated enormous interest and drawn international
- attention. It has been discussed in the Wall Street Journal (Jefferson,
- 1992), Omni (Baskin, 1992), Paris Match (De Brosses, 1992), the New York
- Times (Sontag, 1992), and Hopkins and Napolitano have appeared on the
- television show Inside Edition. The Mufon UFO Journal labeled it "The
- Abduction Case of the Century" (Stacy, 1992, p. 9). Even the technical
- magazine ADVANCE for Radiologic Science Professionals carried a discussion
- of Linda's nasal implant (Hatfield, 1992). We should expect continuing
- coverage of the affair not only in the UFO press but also in the major
- media.
-
- In a short article previewing his 1992 MUFON symposium presentation, he
- wrote: "I will be presenting what I believe to be the most important case
- for establishing the objective reality of UFO abductions that I have yet
- encountered" (Hopkins, 1992, p. 20). During his lecture at the symposium
- he stated: "This is probably the most important case I've ever run into in
- my life" (tape recorded, July 1992). In his abstract for the
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology Abduction Study Conference held in
- June 1992 he wrote: "The importance of this case is virtually
- immeasurable, as it powerfully supports both the objective reality of UFO
- abductions and the accuracy of regressive hypnosis as employed with this
- abductee." Because of Hopkins' renown, and because of his evaluation,
- this case warrants our careful scrutiny.
-
- THE AUTHORS' INVOLVEMENT
-
- The first two authors had learned of the case before Hopkins had spoken
- publicly of it, and they decided to monitor its progress. They regularly
- briefed the third author as their investigation progressed. As the affair
- became publicized, all three became concerned about the long term effect
- it might have on abduction research.
-
- For several years Richard Butler attended Hopkins' informal meetings
- organized for abductees and abduction researchers. Butler became familiar
- with the case during those meetings, and he invited Stefula to a gathering
- in early October 1991. At the meeting, Hopkins outlined the case, and
- afterward, Stefula had a chance to chat with Linda about her experiences.
- Butler and Stefula gave Linda their telephone numbers. She was advised
- that if she needed any assistance she could contact them. Stefula told
- her that he had numerous contacts in federal and state law enforcement
- agencies that could be of aid to her. The same information was provided
- to Hopkins.
-
- On January 28, 1992, Linda requested a meeting with Richard Butler, and on
- February 1, 1992, Linda, Stefula and Butler met in New York City, and
- Linda provided additional details about her experiences (described
- below). During that meeting, she asked them not to inform Hopkins of
- their discussions. At the 1992 MUFON convention in Albuquerque, New
- Mexico in July, both Hopkins and Linda appeared on the podium and
- presented the case. Stefula attended the convention and heard the talk,
- and disturbing questions arose. Some of the statements directly
- contradicted what Linda had earlier told Stefula and Butler. We contacted
- Hopkins in an attempt to resolve these matters, but he declined to meet
- with us, saying that he didn't want to discuss the case until his book
- manuscript was submitted. Despite his initial reluctance, eventually a
- meeting was arranged on October 3, 1992 at Hopkins' home, and a few more
- details then emerged.
-
- SUMMARY OF CASE
-
- In order to compile this summary of alleged events, we have relied upon
- Hopkins' and Linda's talks from the podium of the 1992 MUFON symposium, on
- our interviews with Linda, on Hopkins' talk at the Portsmouth, New
- Hampshire UFO conference, September 13, 1992, and Hopkins' two five-page
- articles in the September and December issues of the Mufon UFO Journal.
-
- In April 1989 Hopkins received a letter from Linda Napolitano, a resident
- of New York City. Linda wrote that she had begun reading his book
- Intruders and had remembered that 13 years earlier she had detected a bump
- next to her nose. It was examined by a physician who insisted that she
- had undergone nasal surgery. Linda claimed that she never had such
- surgery, and she even checked with her mother, who confirmed that
- impression.
-
- Hopkins took an interest in the case because there was a potential for
- medical evidence and because Linda lived relatively close to Hopkins,
- which facilitated their meeting. Linda visited Hopkins and discussed her
- past experiences with him. She recalled some pertinent earlier events in
- her life but believed that she was no longer directly involved with any
- abduction phenomena. Linda then began attending meetings of Hopkins'
- support group for abductees.
-
- On November 30, 1989, Linda called Hopkins and reported that she had been
- abducted during the early morning hours of that day, and she provided some
- details. A few days later, she underwent regressive hypnosis, and Linda
- remembered floating out of her apartment window, 12 stories above the
- ground. She recalled ascending in a bluish-white beam of light into a
- craft which was hovering over the building.
-
- Richard and Dan
-
- Over a year later (February 1991), Hopkins received a letter signed with
- the first names, Richard and Dan. (We have no hard evidence that
- "Richard" and "Dan" actually exist. In order to avoid overburdening the
- reader, we will typically omit the word "alleged" when mentioning them.)
- The letter claimed that the two were police officers who were under cover
- in a car beneath the elevated FDR Drive between 3:00 and 3:30 a.m. in late
- November 1989. Above a high-rise apartment building, they observed a
- large, bright reddish-orange object with green lights around its side.
- They wrote that they saw a woman and several strange figures float out a
- window and up into the object. Richard and Dan said that they had come
- across Hopkins' name and decided to write to him. They went on to say that
- they were extremely concerned about her well being, wanted to locate the
- woman, talk to her, and be assured that she was alive and safe. The two
- also mentioned that they could identify the building and window from which
- she emerged.
-
- After receiving the letter, Hopkins promptly called Linda and told her
- that she might expect a visit from two policemen. A few days later, Linda
- telephoned Hopkins to tell him that she had been visited by Richard and
- Dan. When they had knocked on her door, introducing themselves as police
- officers, she was not too surprized because she reports that police
- frequently canvass her apartment complex looking for witnesses to crimes.
- Even with Hopkins' prior call, she did not expect Richard and Dan to
- actually appear. After they arrived and entered her home, there was an
- emotional greeting, and they expressed relief that she was alive.
- However, Richard and Dan were disinclined to meet with or talk to Hopkins,
- despite the fact that they had written him earlier and despite Linda's
- entreaties to do so. Richard asked Linda if it was acceptable for them to
- write out an account of their experience and then read it into a tape
- recorder. She agreed, and a couple weeks later Hopkins received a tape
- recording from Richard describing their experience.
-
- Some time thereafter, Hopkins received a letter from Dan giving a bit more
- information. The letter reported that Richard had taken a leave of
- absence because the close encounter had been so emotionally traumatic.
- Dan also mentioned that Richard secretly watched Linda. (This information
- is from Hopkins' oral presentation at the 1992 MUFON symposium in
- Albuquerque. At the Portsmouth, New Hampshire conference, Hopkins said
- that he had received a letter from Richard saying that Dan was forced to
- take of leave of absence. It is not clear if Hopkins misspoke at some
- point, or whether both individuals took leaves of absence.)
-
- Hopkins received another letter from Dan which said that he and Richard
- were not really police officers but actually security officers who had
- been driving a very important person (VIP) to a helicopter pad in lower
- Manhattan when the sighting occurred. The letter claimed that their car
- stalled, and Richard had pushed it, parking it beneath the FDR Drive.
- According to Dan, the VIP had also witnessed the abduction event and had
- become hysterical.
-
- The Kidnappings
-
- Linda claimed that in April of 1991 she encountered Richard on the street
- near her apartment. She was asked to get into a car that Dan was driving,
- but she refused. Richard picked her up and, with some struggle, forced
- her into the vehicle. Linda reported that she was driven around for 3 1/2
- hours, interrogated about the aliens, and asked whether she worked for the
- government. She also said that she was forced to remove her shoes so they
- could examine her feet to determine whether she was an ET alien (they
- later claimed that aliens lack toes). Linda did remember another car
- being involved with the kidnapping, and under hypnotic regression she
- recalled the license plate number of that car, as well as part of the
- number of the car in which she rode. Hopkins reports that the numbers have
- been traced to particular "agencies" (he gave no further details).
-
- At the MUFON symposium, Linda was asked if she had reported the kidnapping
- to the police. She said that she had not and went on to say that the
- kidnapping was legal because it had to do with national security.
-
- In conversations with Butler in early 1992, Linda had expressed concerns
- about her personal safety. A meeting was arranged with Stefula because of
- his background in law enforcement. During the afternoon and early evening
- of February 1, the three met in New York City, and Linda described further
- details of the kidnappings.
-
- She reported that on the morning of October 15, 1991, Dan accosted her on
- the street and pulled her into a red Jaguar sports car. Linda happened to
- be carrying a tape recorder and was able to surreptitiously record a few
- minutes of Dan's questioning, but he soon discovered and confiscated it.
- Dan drove to a beach house on the shore of Long Island. There he demanded
- that Linda remove her clothes and put on a white nightgown, similar to the
- one she wore the night of the abduction. He said he wanted to have sex
- with her. She refused but then agreed to put on the nightgown over her
- clothes. Once she did, Dan dropped to his knees and started to talk
- incoherently about her being the "Lady of the Sands." She fled the beach
- house, but Dan caught her on the beach and bent her arm behind her. He
- placed two fingers on the back of her neck, leading Linda to believe that
- it was a gun. He then forced her into the water and pushed her head under
- twice. He continued to rave incoherently, and as her head was being
- pushed under for the third time, she believed that she would not come up
- again. Then, a "force" hit Dan and knocked him back onto the beach. She
- started to run but heard a sound like a gun being cocked. She looked back
- and saw Dan taking a picture of her (Linda mentioned that pictures from
- the beach were eventually sent to Hopkins). She continued running, but
- Richard appeared beside her, seemingly out of nowhere. He stopped her and
- convinced her to return to the beach house and told her that he would
- control Dan by giving him a Mickey Finn. She agreed. Once inside,
- Richard put Dan in the shower to wash off the mud and sand from the
- beach. This gave Linda a chance to search the premises; she recovered her
- casette tape and discovered stationery bearing a Central Intelligence
- Agency letterhead.
-
- In a brief conversation on October 3, 1992, Hopkins told Hansen that Linda
- came to him shortly after she arrived back in Manhattan after the
- kidnapping. She was disheveled, had sand in her hair, and was traumatized
- by the experience.
-
- Further Contacts with Richard and Dan
-
- During the February 1 meeting with Butler and Stefula, Linda reported that
- she had met Richard outside a Manhattan bank on November 21, 1991. He
- told her of Dan's deteriorating mental condition. During the Christmas
- season, Linda received a card and a three page letter from Dan (dated
- 12/14/91). The letter bore a United Nations stamp and postmark (the UN
- building in New York has a post office which anyone can use). Dan wrote
- that he was in a mental institution and was kept sedated. He expressed a
- strong romantic interest in Linda. Some of his remarks suggested that he
- wanted to kidnap her, take her out of the country, and marry her; Linda
- seemed alarmed by this (she gave a copy of the letter to Stefula and
- Butler).
-
- Linda also asserted that on December 15 and December 16, 1991, one of the
- men had tried to make contact with her near the shopping area of the South
- Street Seaport. He was driving a large black sedan with Saudi Arabian
- United Nations license plates. During the first incident, to avoid him,
- Linda reported that she went into a shop. The second day a similar thing
- happened, and she stood next to some businessmen until he left the area.
-
- The Third Man
-
- At the February 1 meeting, Linda mentioned that Hopkins had received a
- letter from "the third man" (the VIP), and she was able to repeat entire
- sentences from this letter, seemingly verbatim. It discussed ecological
- danger to the planet, and Linda indicated that aliens were involved in
- ending the Cold War. The letter ended with a warning to Hopkins to stop
- searching for "the third man" because it could potentially do harm to
- world peace.
-
- Linda also related a few more details of her November 1989 abduction. She
- said that the men in the car had felt a strong vibration at the time of
- the sighting. Linda also claimed that in subsequent hypnotic regressions
- she recalled being on a beach with Dan, Richard, and the third man, and
- she thought somehow she was being used by the aliens to control the men.
- She communicated with the men telepathically and said that she felt that
- she had known Richard prior to the November 1989 abduction, and she
- suggested that they possibly had been abducted together previously. We
- also learned that the third man was actually Javier Perez de Cuellar, at
- that time Secretary General of the United Nations. Linda claimed that the
- various vehicles used in her kidnappings had been traced to several
- countries' missions at the UN.
-
- At the Portsmouth, New Hampshire conference, Hopkins spoke of the third
- man saying: "I am trying to do what I can to shame this person to come
- forward."
-
- Witness on the Brooklyn Bridge
-
- In the summer of 1991, a year and a half after the UFO abduction, Hopkins
- received a letter from a woman who is a retired telephone operator from
- Putnam County, New York (Hopkins has given this woman the pseudonym of
- Janet Kimble). Hopkins did not bother to open the letter, and in November
- 1991, he received another one from her marked on the outside
- "CONFIDENTIAL, RE: BROOKLYN BRIDGE." The odd outside marking and the fact
- that she had written two letters, seem to have raised no suspicions in
- Hopkins' mind. The woman, a widow of about sixty, claimed to have been
- driving on the Brooklyn Bridge at 3:16 a.m., November 30, 1989. She
- reported that her car stopped and the lights went out. She too saw a
- large, brightly lit object over a building; in fact, the light was so
- bright that she was forced to shield her eyes, though she was over a
- quarter mile away. Nevertheless, she claimed to have observed four
- figures in fetal positions emerge from a window. The figures
- simultaneously uncurled and then moved up into the craft. Ms. Kimble was
- quite frightened by the event, and people in cars behind her were "running
- all around their cars with theirs (sic) hands on their heads, screaming
- from horror and disbelief" (quoted in Hopkins, 1992d, p. 7). She wrote:
- "I have never traveled back to New York City after what I saw and I never
- will again, for any reason" (Hopkins, 1992d, p. 5). Despite her intense
- fear and all the commotion, she had the presence of mind to rummage
- through her purse to find her cigarette lighter to illuminate her watch in
- order to determine the time.
-
- Hopkins has interviewed this woman in person and over the phone. The
- woman claimed to have obtained his name in a bookstore; she called the
- Manhattan directory assistance for his telephone number and then looked up
- his address in the Manhattan White Pages. She alleges that she was
- reticent about speaking of the incident and had only told her son,
- daughter, sister, and brother-in-law about the event.
-
- The Nasal X-ray
-
- In November 1991 a doctor, whom Hopkins describes as "closely connected
- with Linda," took an X-ray of Linda's head because she knew about the
- story of the nasal implant and because Linda frequently spoke of the
- problem with her nose. The X-ray was not developed immediately. A few
- days later the doctor brought it to Linda but was very nervous and
- unwilling to discuss it. Linda took it to Hopkins, who showed it to a
- neurosurgeon friend of his. The neurosurgeon was astounded; a sizeable,
- clearly non-natural object could be seen in the nasal area. Hopkins has
- shown a slide of the X-ray during his presentations, and the implant is
- strikingly apparent, even to a lay audience. The object has a shaft
- approximately 1/4 inch long with a curly-cue wire structure on each end.
-
- Other Unusual Aspects of the Case
-
- During our meeting with Linda on February 1, she gave us additional
- miscellaneous details that might be pertinent. We were told that she
- believed that she was under surveillance and described a light silver-gray
- van that had parked near her apartment. She also claimed that she had
- once been a professional singer and the lead on a hit record, but she had
- lost her singing voice one day while in the shower. Linda mentioned that
- she was given to understand that her blood was quite unusual. A doctor
- had informed her that her red blood cells did not die, but instead they
- rejuvenated. She wondered whether this might be due to an alien
- influence; some time later she attempted to locate the doctor but was
- unable to do so. Linda seemed to imply that she now believed that she was
- part alien or somehow worked with the aliens.
-
- Linda also told us that she had an agreement with Budd Hopkins to split
- equally any profits from a book on the case.
-
- INITIAL PROBLEMS WITH THE CASE
-
- There are a number of obvious but unanswered questions that raise
- immediate doubts about the credibility of the case.
-
- The most serious problem is that the three alleged principal corroborating
- witnesses (Richard, Dan, and Perez de Cuellar) have not been interviewed
- face- to-face by Hopkins, although it has been over a year and a half
- since initial contact with Hopkins and over three years since the
- abduction.
-
- Richard and Dan allegedly met with Linda and have written letters to
- Hopkins. Linda has a picture of Dan. Yet Dan and Richard refuse to speak
- directly with Hopkins. No hard evidence confirms that Richard and Dan
- even exist.
-
- Though they initially expressed extreme concern over the well being of
- Linda, the alleged "Dan" and "Richard" waited more than a year before
- contacting Linda and Hopkins. Why? Furthermore, they contacted Hopkins
- before they visited Linda. How did this come about? After all, they knew
- the location of Linda's apartment, so it would seem that they would have
- had no reason to contact Hopkins. Why did they bother with him at all?
- The woman on the bridge said that before contacting Hopkins she only
- discussed the matter with her son, daughter, sister and brother-in-law.
- Why didn't she contact other UFO investigators? Why only Hopkins? If
- there is some unclear reporting on this point and she did actually contact
- others, can such be verified? Has there been any investigation of this
- woman such as checking with her neighbors, friends, family, or previous
- employers? What is her background? Has she had any previous relationship
- with Linda? These questions have not been addressed, and thus the
- credibility of the only directly interviewed, corroborating, first-hand
- witness remains in doubt.
-
- Dan has spent time in a mental institution. Richard suffered extreme
- emotional distress, forcing him to take a leave of absence from his job.
- Assuming that these two people actually exist, one must now be careful in
- accepting their claims (even if offered in good faith). Despite their
- debilitating mental problems, at least one of them was allowed to drive a
- car with UN license plates. Are we really to believe that they returned
- to active duty in a sensitive position (presumably carrying firearms) and
- were given use of an official car?
-
- Who was the doctor who took the X-rays? We are only told that this person
- is closely connected with Linda. Why isn't a formal report available?
- Given the alarming nature of the outcome, why wasn't there an immediate
- examination? Linda said that the doctor was "nervous" and didn't want to
- talk about the X- ray. It is not clear whether Hopkins has ever met this
- alleged doctor. Instead, Hopkins showed the X-ray to a friend of his.
- Some have speculated that Linda may have simply put some small object in
- her nose and had a friendly X-ray technician assist. We have seen no
- evidence to exclude this possibility.
-
- Linda claims that she was kidnapped twice, nearly drowned, and further
- harassed. Yet she refuses to contact the police, even after Hopkins'
- urging. During the February 1, 1992 meeting with Stefula and Butler, Linda
- asked if she had legal grounds to "shoot" Dan if he attempted another
- abduction of her by force. Stefula advised against it and recommended
- that she go to the police and make an official complaint. She declined.
- If she was afraid, why didn't her husband contact authorities? The most
- plausible reason is that if a report was filed, and her story proved
- false, she could be subject to criminal charges. Linda's failure here
- raises enormous questions of credibility.
-
- OUR INVESTIGATION
-
- Despite the numerous problems outlined above, we believed it worthwhile
- to gain additional information because so many people had contacted us
- with questions. On September 19, 1992, Stefula, Butler, and Hansen
- traveled to New York City in order to visit the site of the alleged
- abduction. We found that Linda's apartment complex has a large courtyard
- with guard house manned 24 hours a day. We talked with the security guard
- and his supervisor and asked if they had ever heard about a UFO encounter
- near the complex. They reported hearing nothing about one. We also asked
- if the police routinely enter the complex and undertake door-to-door
- canvassing in order to find witnesses to crimes. They said that this was
- a very rare practice. We obtained the name and phone number of the
- apartment manager and called him a few days later. He reported knowing
- nothing about the UFO sighting, nor had he heard anything about it from
- any of the approximately 1600 residents in the complex.
-
- We also visited the site under the FDR drive where Richard and Dan
- purportedly parked their car. This was in a direct line of sight and
- nearly across the street from the loading dock of the New York Post. We
- spoke with an employee of the Post, who told us that the dock was in use
- through most of the night. A few days later, we called the New York Post
- and spoke to the person who was the loading dock manager in 1989. He told
- us that the dock is in use until 5:00 a.m. and that there are many trucks
- that come and go frequently during the early morning hours. The manager
- knew nothing of the UFO which supposedly appeared only a couple blocks
- away.
-
- Also in September, a colleague of ours contacted the Downtown Heliport, on
- Pier Six on the East River of Manhattan. That is the only heliport on the
- east side of Manhattan between Linda's apartment and the lower tip of the
- island. Our colleague was informed that the normal hours of operation of
- the heliport are from 7:00 a.m to 7:00 p.m. The Senior Airport Operations
- Agent researched the records and found that there were no helicopter
- movements on November 30, 1989 before normal hours. Our colleague was
- also told that about six months previously, the heliport authorities had
- been approached by a man in his fifties with white hair who had made a
- similar inquiry. That man had asked about a UFO that had crashed into the
- East River.
-
- The Meeting of October 3
-
- On October 3, 1992, we met with Hopkins and his colleagues at his
- residence in Manhattan. Among those in attendance were David Jacobs,
- Walter H. Andrus, and Jerome Clark. During our meeting a number of
- questions were raised, and some of Hopkins' answers revealed a great deal
- about his investigations as well as the attitudes of Jacobs, Andrus, and
- Clark. Linda's statements also told us much.
-
- We inquired if Hopkins had asked the guards of the apartment complex
- whether they had seen the UFO. He indicated that he had not done so.
- This is quite surprising, considering that the UFO was so bright that the
- woman on the bridge had to shield her eyes from it even though she was
- more than a quarter mile distant. One would have thought that Hopkins
- would have made inquiries of the guards considering the spectacular nature
- of the event.
-
- We noted that Linda had claimed that police canvassing of her apartment
- complex was a common occurrence. We asked Hopkins if he had attempted to
- verify this with the guards or the building manager. He indicated that he
- did not feel it necessary. Although this is a minor point, it is one of
- the few directly checkable statements made by Linda, but Hopkins did not
- attempt to confirm it.
-
- We asked about the weather on the night of the abduction. Amazingly,
- Hopkins told us that he didn't know the weather conditions for that
- period. This was perhaps one of the most revealing moments, and it gives
- great insight into Hopkins' capabilities as an investigator. If the
- weather had been foggy, rainy, or snowing, the visibility could have been
- greatly hampered, and the reliability of the testimony of the witnesses
- would need to be evaluated accordingly. Even the very first form in the
- MUFON Field Investigator's Manual requests information on weather
- conditions (Fowler, 1983, p. 30). We ourselves did check the weather and
- knew the conditions did not impede visibility. But the fact that Hopkins
- apparently had not bothered to obtain even this most basic investigatory
- information was illuminating. He claims to have much supporting evidence
- that he has not revealed to outsiders; however, because of Hopkins'
- demonstrated failure to check even the most rudimentary facts, we place
- absolutely no credence in his undisclosed "evidence."
-
- During the discussions, Hopkins' partisans made allusions to other world
- figures involved in this event, though they did not give names. Hopkins'
- supporters, who had been given information denied to us, seemed to believe
- that there was a large motorcade that carried Perez de Cuellar and these
- other dignitaries in the early morning hours of November 30, 1989. At the
- meeting, we presented an outside expert consultant who for many years had
- served in dignitary protective services. He described the extensive
- preplanning required for moving officials and the massive coordination
- during the movements. Many people and networks would be alerted if there
- were any problems at all (such as a car stalling, or a delay in passing
- checkpoints). His detailed presentation seemed to take Hopkins aback.
- The consultant listed several specialized terms used by the dignitary
- protective services and suggested that Hopkins ask Richard and Dan the
- meaning of those terms as a test of their knowledge, and thus
- credibility. As far as we know, Hopkins has failed to contact Richard and
- Dan about that matter.
-
- During the beginning part of the October 3 meeting, Linda's husband
- answered a few questions (in a very quiet voice). He seemed to have
- difficulty with some of them, and Linda spoke up to "correct" his memory.
- He left the meeting very early, even though Linda was under considerable
- stress, and despite the fact that she was overheard asking him to stay by
- her side. His leaving raised many questions in our minds.
-
- Linda also responded to questions during the meeting. Early in the
- discussion, Hansen asked Linda's husband whether he was born and raised in
- the U.S. He replied that he had come to this country when he was 17.
- Linda promptly interjected that she knew why Hansen had asked that
- question. During a prior telephone conversation between Linda and Hansen,
- Linda had asserted that her husband was born and raised in New York. She
- acknowledged that she had previously deliberately misled Hansen.
-
- Later in the meeting the question arose about a financial agreement
- between Linda and Hopkins. Stefula noted that Linda had told him that she
- and Hopkins had an agreement to split profits from a book. Hopkins denied
- that there was any such arrangement, and Linda then claimed that she had
- deliberately planted disinformation.
-
- During the meeting, reports were heard from two psychologists. They
- concluded that Linda's intelligence was in the "average" range. One
- suggested that Linda would need the mind of a Bobby Fischer to plan and
- execute any hoax that could explain this case and that she was not capable
- of orchestrating such a massive, complex operation. Although these were
- supposedly professional opinions, we were not given the names of these
- psychologists.
-
- Ms. Penelope Franklin also attended the meeting. She is a close colleague
- of Hopkins and the editor of IF--The Bulletin of the Intruders Foundation.
- Hopkins had previously informed us in writing that Ms. Franklin was a
- coinvestigator on the Napolitano case. In a conversation during a break
- in the meeting, Franklin asserted to Hansen that Linda was absolutely
- justified in lying about the case. This remarkable statement was also
- witnessed by Vincent Creevy, who happened to be standing between Franklin
- and Hansen.
-
- Franklin's statement raises very troubling questions, especially given her
- prominence within Hopkins' circle of colleagues. Her statement appears to
- violate all norms of scientific integrity. We can only wonder whether
- Linda has been counseled to lie by Hopkins or his colleagues. Have other
- abductees been given similar advice? What kind of a social and ethical
- environment are Hopkins and Franklin creating for abductees? We also
- cannot help but wonder whether Hopkins and Franklin believe it appropriate
- for themselves to lie about the case. They owe the UFO research community
- an explanation for Franklin's statement. If such is not forthcoming, we
- simply cannot accept them as credible investigators.
-
- HOPKINS' REACTION TO OUR INVESTIGATION
-
- In concluding his Mufon UFO Journal paper, Hopkins wrote: "if rumors are
- true and there are officially sanctioned intelligence agents within the
- various UFO investigative networks, these people will also be mobilized to
- subvert the case from the inside, even before its full dimensions are made
- known to the public at large" (Hopkins, 1992c, p. 16). Hopkins apparently
- takes this idea quite seriously. After he learned of our investigation,
- he warned Butler that he suspected Butler and Stefula of being government
- agents and that he planned to inform others of his suspicions. A few
- weeks after our October 3 meeting, he told people that he suspected Hansen
- of being a CIA agent. This was not an offhand remark made to a friend in
- an informal setting; rather this was asserted to a woman whom he did not
- know and who had happened to attend one of his lectures (member of MUFON
- in New Jersey who feared future repercussions if her name was mentioned,
- personal communication, November 7, 1992).
-
- A POSSIBLE LITERARY BASIS FOR ELEMENTS OF THE STORY
-
- This case is quite exotic, even for a UFO abduction. Government agents
- are involved, the UN Secretary General is a key witness, Linda was
- kidnapped in the interests of national security, concerns are expressed
- about world peace, the CIA is attempting to discredit the case, and the
- ETs helped end the Cold War. The story is truly marvellous, and one might
- wonder about its origin. We wish to draw the readers' attention to the
- science fiction novel, Nighteyes, by Garfield Reeves-Stevens. This work
- was first published in April 1989, a few months before Linda claimed to
- have been abducted from her apartment.
-
- The experiences reported by Linda seem to be a composite of those of two
- characters in Nighteyes: Sarah and Wendy. The parallels are striking;
- some are listed in Table 1. We have not bothered to include the
- similarities commonly reported in abduction experiences (e.g., implants,
- bodily examinations, probes, etc.). The parallels are sufficiently
- numerous to lead us to suspect that the novel served as the basis for
- Linda's story. We want to emphasize that the parallels are with discrete
- elements of the case and not with the story line itself.
-
- Table 1 - Similarities Between the Linda Napolitano Case and the Science
- Fiction Novel Nighteyes
-
- * Linda was abducted into a UFO hovering over her high-rise apartment
- building in New York City.
-
- Sarah was abducted into a UFO hovering over her high-rise apartment
- building in New York City.
-
- * Dan and Richard initially claimed to have been on a stakeout and were
- involved in a UFO abduction in during early morning hours.
-
- Early in Nighteyes two government agents were on a stakeout and
- became involved in a UFO abduction during early morning hours.
-
- * Linda was kidnapped and thrown into a car by Richard and Dan.
-
- Wendy was kidnapped and thrown into a van by Derek and Merril.
-
- * Linda claimed to have been under surveillance by someone in a van.
-
- Vans were used for surveillance in Nighteyes.
-
- * Dan is a security and intelligence agent.
-
- Derek was an FBI agent.
-
- * Dan was hospitalized for emotional trauma.
-
- One of the government agents in Nighteyes was hospitalized for
- emotional trauma.
-
- * During the kidnapping Dan took Linda to a safe house.
-
- During the kidnapping Derek took Wendy to a safe house.
-
- * The safe house Linda visited was on the beach.
-
- In Nighteyes, one safe house was on the beach.
-
- * Before her kidnapping, Linda contacted Budd Hopkins about her abduction.
-
- Before her kidnapping, Wendy contacted Charles Edward Starr about
- her abduction.
-
- * Budd Hopkins is a prominent UFO abduction researcher living in New York
- City and an author who has written books on the topic.
-
- Charles Edward Starr was a prominent UFO abduction researcher living
- in New York City and an author who had written books on the topic.
-
- * Linda and Dan were abducted at the same time and communicated with
- each other during their abductions.
-
- Wendy and Derek were abducted at the same time and communicated with
- each other during their abductions.
-
- * Linda thought she "knew" Richard previously.
-
- Wendy "knew" Derek previously.
-
- * Dan expressed a romantic interest in Linda.
-
- Derek became romantically involved with Wendy.
-
- * Dan and Richard felt considerable vibration during the close encounter.
-
- During the UFO landing in Nighteyes there was much vibration.
-
- * Photographs of Linda were taken on the beach and sent to Hopkins.
-
- In Nighteyes, photographs taken on a beach played a central role.
-
- THE REACTION OF THE UFOLOGY'S LEADERSHIP
-
- One of the most curious features of our investigation has been the
- reaction of several prominent leaders in ufology. Indeed, in the long
- run, this may turn out to be the most important part of the entire affair.
-
- After the MUFON symposium in July, Stefula had several conversations with
- Walter Andrus, International Director of MUFON. Andrus told him that
- MUFON had no interest in publishing any material critical of this case
- even though they had published an article describing it as "The Abduction
- Case of the Century." This is a most surprising statement from a leader of
- an organization which purports to be scientific. Andrus' statements
- should raise questions about the legitimacy of MUFON's claims to use
- objective, scientific methods.
-
- On September 14, 1992, Hopkins faxed Butler a letter saying that as a
- long-standing member of MUFON, he was issuing an "order" (his word). He
- "ordered" Stefula and Butler to stop their investigation of the case. We
- found this very curious, and we wondered how Hopkins, as a member of
- MUFON, could believe that it was in his power to issue such an "order."
- His letter seemed to reflect the mindset of a leader of a cult rather than
- that of an investigator searching for the truth.
-
- For the meeting on October 3 in New York City, Hopkins flew in his close
- friend Jerome Clark from Minnesota. Under the sway of Hopkins, Clark
- strenuously urged that outsiders cease investigations, thus seemingly
- trying to reinforce Hopkins' earlier "order" (despite the fact that the
- case already had been reported in the Wall Street Journal, Omni, Paris
- Match and the television show Inside Edition). Clark (1992a) later
- committed his position to writing, saying that this case may indeed
- involve a world political figure and have international consequences.
-
- Andrus and Clark are arguably the two most influential figures in U.S.
- ufology. Andrus is International Director of the Mutual UFO Network
- (MUFON), and he organizes the largest annual conference on UFOs in the
- country and regularly writes for MUFON's monthly magazine. Clark is a
- columnist for Fate magazine, editor of International UFO Reporter,
- vice-president of the J. Allen Hynek Center for UFO Studies, and author of
- books and even an encyclopedia on UFOs. Because of their eminence, their
- statements should be of special concern to the UFO research community.
-
- At the meeting on October 3, the kidnapping and attempted murder of Linda
- were discussed. We informed Hopkins and the other participants that we
- were prepared to make a formal request for a federal investigation of the
- government agents responsible for the alleged felonies. Hopkins, Andrus,
- and Clark appeared to literally panic at the suggestion. They vigorously
- argued against making such a request. We could only conclude that they
- wanted to suppress evidence of attempted murder. We wondered why.
-
- This situation seemed so outrageous that a few days later Hansen called
- Andrus, Clark, John Mack, and David Jacobs and asked them if they really
- believed Linda's story about the kidnappings and attempted murder. All of
- these individuals said that they accepted her account. We were forced to
- seriously consider their opinions because they had been given secret
- information not revealed to us. During the telephone conversations,
- Andrus and Clark again strongly objected to requesting an investigation by
- law enforcement authorities.
-
- A PSYCHO-SOCIAL PERSPECTIVE
-
- The Napolitano case brings into stark relief symptoms of deep problems
- within ufology: major figures in the UFO community aggressively sought to
- suppress evidence of a purported attempted murder; Hopkins failed to
- obtain and verify even the most basic investigatory information; his
- coinvestigator, Penelope Franklin, approved of lying by the principal
- witness; and leaders in the field have willingly accepted and promoted the
- case despite its exotic features and lack of supporting evidence. This
- state of affairs raises perplexing questions and cries out for a plausible
- explanation. The thinking and motivations of ufology's leaders deserve at
- least as much attention as the abduction claims themselves.
-
- Did these leaders really believe, as they said, that they accepted the
- report of attempted murder? If so, they seem not to have acted as
- responsible citizens. However, these people do not appear to us to be
- delusional, in any usual sense of that word. They are highly functional
- members of society. They also do not appear to be perpetrators of a hoax
- or even "yellow journalists" with a "wink-wink, nudge-nudge" attitude who
- knowingly want to capitalize on it for their own temporary glory or
- financial gain.
-
- We believe that other motivating factors and concepts provide a better
- explanation and framework for understanding these seemingly bizarre
- actions. We would suggest that perhaps, at some semiconscious level, these
- individuals do not really believe their UFO investigations to be fully
- engaged with the "real world." Rather, their behavior and statements seem
- more consistent with something like fantasy role playing, perhaps akin to
- the game Dungeons and Dragons (D & D).
- Both ufology and D & D allow direct, immediate involvement with powerful
- "other-world" beings and mythological motifs. Both endeavors have been
- known to overtake (possess?) the participants, though only occasionally to
- their detriment. Most "players" are able to successfully detach
- themselves from involvement, but occasionally the "game" becomes obsessive
- and interferes with "real-world" pursuits. This "role playing" taps
- archetypal images that hold great psychological power. The archetypes can
- become immensely attractive, even addictive, to those playing the game.
- The notions and images of powerful "other-world" figures are part of the
- human condition. Accounts of them are found in all cultures throughout
- history, this being one of the traditional domains of religion. Even
- atheists and those who deny the existence of such beings must still
- grapple with the ideas on some level, though this might not be consciously
- recognized by an individual.
-
- In the Napolitano case, the "other-world" figures include not only the ET
- aliens, but also the pantheon of agents of an unreachable, evil government
- conspiracy determined to prevent humankind's knowledge of the ETs.
- Intermediaries between flesh and blood humans and the powerful masters of
- the mystical higher orders are ubiquitous in the realm of religion.
- Angels and devils serve the centers of ultimate good and evil. So here we
- see the largely invisible minions "Dan" and "Richard" and the mysterious
- witness on the bridge furthering the cause of "Truth." Likewise, Hopkins
- discerns the skeptical investigators as agents of a secular satan.
-
- Thus the interactions of Hopkins, et al., with these players are seen to
- conform to the rules that historically control the interactions between
- humans and gods. Humans question and provoke the gods only at the
- greatest peril. The proper approach is to appease, mollify and supplicate
- these "entities." It should be no surprise that the simplest reality
- tests of the Napolitano story were not made in this case. Hopkins'
- failure to check the weather conditions during the abduction actually
- makes sense in the context of this cult-like thought process. Just as
- lice were called "pearls of heaven" by medieval religious devotees, the
- physical event-reality issues in the Linda story are transmuted by her
- supporters.
-
- The roles of high priest and acolytes are only too obvious when examaning
- the behaviors of personages Hopkins, Clark, Jacobs, and Andrus. These
- aging white males patronizingly refer to Linda's "average" intellect,
- perhaps to reassure themselves that they are indeed in control. Yet the
- high priestess has, in effect, achieved the godhead (metaphorically
- speaking, of course).
-
- There are some differences between D & D and ufological pursuits. D & D
- has more restrictive and structured rules. The boundaries of appropriate
- behavior are rather clearly defined. Ufology is more "unstructured,"
- there are fewer "rules" about what is and is not possible, and the powers
- of the "other- world" figures are almost unbounded. This relative lack of
- structure makes the UFO game somewhat more "dangerous." In order to
- grapple with the phenomena, the paradigms adopted by many ufologists have
- "concretized" (i.e., structured) the beings as ET humanoids.
-
- In fantasy role playing, the rules are not questioned; they are accepted
- by the players at the beginning. Similarly in the Linda case, the basic
- evidence is not to be questioned. Andrus, Clark, and Hopkins have all
- urged that outsiders cease investigation (despite the massive publicity
- given to the case). Such challenging of "rules" leads to disruptions of
- the "game," and the dungeon masters need to keep order.
-
- Direct interfacing of the "fantasy role" with the "real-world" (i.e.,
- direct allegations of attempted murder, verification of details of
- testimony), usually does not cause problems, except when the players do
- not act in accordance with consequential "real-world" concerns. Hopkins,
- Andrus, Clark, Mack, and Jacobs seem to have accepted a system of beliefs
- and assumptions that have led to a collision with the "real world." They
- have been unable to rationally defend their behavior, and Jerome Clark's
- (1992a) "Torquemada" article is perhaps the single best example of that.
- In fact, his emotional attack labeling Hansen as "Torquemada" (director of
- the Spanish Inquisition) ressurects and reinforces religious themes, and
- it perhaps betrays his unconscious feelings of religious persecution.
-
- The above discussion derives from a psycho-social perspective, and we
- would like to encourage U.S. researchers to become more familiar the ideas
- generated from that approach. We admit that the psycho-social theorists
- have failed to address many aspects of the abduction experience generally.
- Exclusive use of that perspective can lead to positing simplistic and
- scientifically sterile explanations. On the other hand, those that shun
- the psycho-social perspective typically fail to recognize the explanatory
- power it possesses and its ability to illuminate risks faced by
- investigators. Those wanting more information about the psycho-social
- perspective may wish to read the book Angels and Aliens by Keith Thompson
- (1991) and the British magazine Magonia; almost without saying, the works
- of John Keel are also recommended.
-
- We are not denigrating ufology by such comparisons as those made above,
- nor are we attacking the existence of "other-world" entities. Regardless
- whether entities or ET aliens exist, the comparisons are useful and the
- consequences and insights are applicable. Such a comparative analysis
- should not be limited to only D & D players and ufologists; similar
- comparisons could be made for virtually everyone in the "real world."
- They can help serve as warnings about becoming too complacent regarding
- beliefs in our own "rationality."
-
- DISCUSSION
-
- The Napolitano case appears beset by an overwhelming number of problems.
- It was with some misgivings that we first embarked on this investigation
- because we did not wish to see UFO abduction research discredited. In
- fact, one of us, Butler, has had abduction experiences himself. It was
- our judgement that if we did not raise these issues for public discussion,
- there was a much greater risk for the field. The case was garnering
- considerable attention, and if it became widely regarded as evidential, it
- would reflect very badly on the field as a whole if it was eventually
- shown to be false.
-
- We were quite unprepared for the reaction to our work from leaders of the
- field. Walter Andrus and Jerome Clark aggressively tried to dissuade us
- from continuing our investigation, and so far they have failed to publish
- any material critical of the case. We were unaware that such
- belligerently antiscientific attitudes were so prevalent at the highest
- levels of ufology. When these same individuals attempted to suppress
- evidence of an alleged attempted murder, we concluded that their beliefs
- and actions were incompatible with "real world" events. However, we do
- not consider the label "deluded" appropriate here, and we remind the
- reader that these individuals are backed by people such as Harvard
- psychiatrist John Mack and David Jacobs, professor of history at Temple
- University.
-
- Despite our disappointment, we strongly support scientific research into
- the abduction phenomena and would like to call attention to high quality
- studies in the field (e.g., Ring & Rosing, 1990; Rodeghier, Goodpaster &
- Blatterbauer, 1992). We also believe that the core abduction experience
- has not been adequately explained within normal scientific frameworks. We
- commend the work of Hufford (1982) in exploring similar issues.
-
- The present case has significant implications for assessing the true
- nature of the abduction phenomena. The idea that actual extraterrestrial
- physical creatures are abducting people has been vigorously promoted in
- the scientific literature and in the media. Jacobs has promoted that view
- in the New York Times (Hinds, 1992) as well as in the Journal of UFO
- Studies (Jacobs, 1992). He suggests that the ET aliens are visiting earth
- in order to obtain human sperm and eggs. In his JUFOS article, Jacobs was
- bitterly critical of Ring and Rosing, saying that they ignored "cases of
- witnesses seeing others being abducted while not being abducted
- themselves" (p. 162). Surprizingly, Jacobs gave no citations for any of
- these cases. Hansen wrote to Jacobs requesting such citations but
- received no reply. Jacobs' article was lavish in its praise for Hopkins'
- work, and we suspect that Jacobs had in mind the Napolitano case when he
- wrote his article. We would like to remind the reader that it was Hopkins
- (1992a) who wrote: "The importance of this case is virtually immeasurable,
- as it powerfully supports both the objective reality of UFO abductions and
- the accuracy of regressive hypnosis." Because the argument for the
- "objective reality of UFO abductions" relies heavily on Hopkins' work, our
- findings call into question this entire theoretical perspective.
-
- In our judgment, conscious hoaxes are rare in the abduction field. The
- vast majority of those claiming to be abducted have had some kind of
- intense personal experience, whatever the ultimate cause. Nevertheless,
- the problems of fraud and hoaxing have long been a problem in ufology,
- especially for cases with high visibility. This will continue.
- Researchers must become more open minded to the potential for hoaxing, yet
- not be blinded to the genuine phenomena. This is a difficult balance.
-
- Some have questioned possible motives in this case; it is impossible to
- obtain certain knowledge here. Perhaps Linda really had some kind of an
- abduction experience (Butler believes this is likely to be the case). As
- she became acquainted with Hopkins and other abductees, she may have
- wanted to vindicate them--to save them from ridicule and derision.
- Perhaps money was the only motivation. Possibly there was a combination
- of factors. It does appear that if this was a hoax, it was not
- perpetrated by a lone individual. Collaborators would include the woman on
- the bridge, an X-ray operator, and a man (or men) preparing the tape
- recordings. However, we want to emphasize that we have no direct evidence
- to implicate Hopkins in attempted deception.
-
- Cynics might criticize Hopkins saying that he ignored the obvious problems
- because he was motivated by money that might accrue from books and movie
- rights. While this might possibly be an unconscious factor, critics
- rarely acknowledge that Hopkins does not charge abductees for his services
- (unlike some "professionals"). Hopkins has spent an enormous amount of
- his own time and money investigating the phenomena. Furthermore, he does
- not have an academic position subsidized by the tax payers. One should
- not begrudge him the profits from his books. Hopkins has been involved in
- considerable controversy, and some have disputed his methods.
- Nevertheless, he has done much to bring the abduction problem to the
- attention of scientists and the mental health community, and his efforts
- have made it much more acceptable to discuss such strange encounters.
- Abduction experiences are often emotional and traumatic, and the abductees
- need considerable support. Hopkins has attempted to provide much needed
- aid.
-
- The outside critic who is not directly involved in such activities almost
- never recognizes how difficult it is to serve as both a therapist and as a
- scientist. Those persons trying to help abductees emotionally need to
- provide warmth, acceptance, and trust. The scientist, however, needs to
- be critically open minded and somewhat detached and analytical. The two
- functions are not altogether compatible. We cannot realistically expect
- one individual to be 100% effective in both roles. By the nature of the
- endeavor, those trying to be helpful can be vulnerable to deception.
-
- APPENDIX
-
- A Note on the Hansen-Clark Communications
-
- One of the more entertaining aspects of this case has been the resulting
- missives by Hansen (1992a, 1992b) and Clark (1992a, 1992b) which have been
- widely circulated and posted on electronic bulletin boards. We encourage
- those interested to obtain copies.
-
- Clark's (1992b) most recent piece deserves comment. He now says that he
- now does not accept Linda's claims about the kidnapping and attempted
- murder by government agents. However, in a telephone conversation with
- him on October 6, 1992, he told Hansen that he accepted those claims.
- Hansen did not tape-record the conversation, but he is willing to provide
- a sworn statement to that effect. Hansen also talked with Marcello Truzzi
- who had spoken to Clark near the same time. Truzzi understood that Clark
- believed that Linda was sincere in her claims and was telling the truth to
- the best of her ability.
-
- The salient points are summarized as follows:
-
- 1. At the 1992 MUFON symposium, Linda Napolitano spoke in front of
- hundreds of people and claimed that she was kidnapped by government
- agents.
-
- 2. Clark told both Hansen and Truzzi that he accepted Linda's story
- (i.e., that she was telling the truth to the best of her ability).
-
- 3. Hopkins claims to have much evidence that could be used to identify
- the culprits.
-
- 4. Hopkins flew Clark to New York, whereupon Clark aggressively injected
- himself into matters and vigorously opposed continuing an outside
- investigation and reporting the alleged felonies to law enforcement
- authorities. He defended this position, in writing, saying: "if this
- story is true, it is not just a UFO case but a `politically sensitive'
- event because it supposedly involves a political figure of international
- stature...banging on the wrong doors could alert the relevant agency that
- two of its agents were leaking a huge secret." (Clark, 1992a, p. 1).
-
- We will let the readers decide whether Clark's initial position was
- compatible with "real-world" considerations.
-
- We are gratified that Clark has taken the time to comment, at length, on
- these issues, and in a style so typical of his level of dispassionate
- commentary. We caution readers that Clark perhaps may be currently
- acutely embarrassed by his statement quoted in point 4 and may feel the
- need to obscure this central issue. Nevertheless, we are pleased that he
- now seems to have made a cathartic conversion.
-
- REFERENCES
-
- Baskin, Anita. (1992). Antimatter: High-rise abductions: Alien
- abductions routinely occur in big cities and high-rise buildings around
- the world. Omni. April. Vol. 14, No. 7, p. 75.
-
- Clark, Jerome. (1992a). The Politics of Torquemada; or, Earth Calling
- Hansen's Planet. 612 North Oscar Avenue, Canby, Minnesota 56220. October
- 24, 1992. [This paper has been circulated and posted on electronic
- bulletin boards].
-
- Clark, Jerome. (1992b). Wasting Away in Torquemadaville. November 30,
- 1992. [This paper has been circulated].
-
- De Brosses, Marie-Therese. (1992). Enleves par les E.T.! Paris Match.
- 17 Sept., pp. 13, 14, 18, 96, 98.
-
- Drano the Sewerian [pseudonym]. (1992). SETI and military personnel
- monitor secret UFO abduction conference at MIT. Third Eyes Only.
- July-August, No. 4, pp. 42-44.
-
- Fowler, Raymond E. (Editor). (1983). MUFON Field Investigator's Manual.
- Seguin, TX: Mutual UFO Network.
-
- Hansen, George P. (1992a). Attempted Murder vs. The Politics of Ufology:
- A Question of Priorities in the Linda Napolitano Case. 20 October 1992.
- [This paper has been circulated and posted on a number of electronic
- bulletin boards and published in several periodicals including The New
- Jersey Chronicle, Vol. 3, Nos. 1/2, September-December, 1992; MUFON of
- Ohio Newsletter, No. 3, Second November 1992 Issue; Third Eyes Only, No.
- 6, November 1992; UFO Spotters Newsletter, No. 16, 1992; Minnesota MUFON
- Newsletter, No. 37, October 1992]
-
- Hansen, George P. (1992b). "Torquemada" Responds to Jerome Clark. 23
- November 1992. [This paper has been circulated and posted on a number of
- electronic bulletin boards.]
-
- Hatfield, Scott. (1992). X-Ray Said to Show Alien Implant. ADVANCE for
- Radiologic Science Professionals. October 26, p. 11.
-
- Hinds, Michael deCourcy. (1992). Taking U.F.O.'s for Credit, and for
- Real. New York Times, 28 October, p. B9.
-
- Hopkins, Budd. (1981). Missing Time: A Documented Study of UFO
- Abductions. New York: Richard Marek.
-
- Hopkins, Budd. (1987). Intruders: The Incredible Visitations at Copley
- Woods. New York: Random House.
-
- Hopkins, Budd. (1991). Innocent bystanders. IF-The Bulletin of the
- Intruders Foundation. Vol. 1, No. 3, pp. 1-4.
-
- Hopkins, [Budd]. (1992a). A doubly witnessed abduction. Abstracts:
- Abduction Study Conference at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- prepared by Andrea Pritchard. June 13-17, p. III-B.
-
- Hopkins, Budd. (1992b). An Open Letter From Budd Hopkins. Mufon UFO
- Journal, June, p. 20.
-
- Hopkins, Budd. (1992c). The Linda Cortile [Napolitano] Abduction Case.
- Mufon UFO Journal, September, pp. 12-16.
-
- Hopkins, Budd. (1992d). The Linda Cortile [Napolitano] Abduction Case:
- Part II "The Woman on the Bridge (sic). Mufon UFO Journal, December, pp.
- 5-9.
-
- Hufford, David J. (1982). The Terror That Comes in the Night: An
- Experience- Centered Study of Supernatural Assault Traditions.
- Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press.
-
- Jacobs, David M. (1992). On Studying the Abduction Phenomenon Without
- Knowing What It Is. Journal of UFO Studies, New Series Vol. 3, 153-163.
-
- Jefferson, David J. (1992). A Harvard doctor offers trauma relief for
- UFO `abductees.' Wall Street Journal, May 14, pp. A1, A10.
-
- Mack, John E. (1992a). Helping Abductees. International UFO Reporter.
- July/ August, pp. 10-15, 20.
-
- Mack, John E. (1992b). Other Realities: The "Alien Abduction"
- Phenomenon. Noetic Sciences Review. Autumn, pp. 5-11.
-
- McKenna, Chris. (1992). Doc `Abducted by Aliens' Ruled Fit to Work. New
- York Post, November 21, pp. 5, 13.
-
- Reeves-Stevens, Garfield. (1989). Nighteyes. New York: Doubleday.
-
- Ring, Kenneth; & Rosing, Christopher J. (1990). The Omega Project: A
- Psychological Survey of Persons Reporting Abductions and Other UFO
- Encounters. Journal of UFO Studies, New Series Vol. 2, 59-98.
-
- Rodeghier, Mark; Goodpaster, Jeff; & Blatterbauer, Sandra. (1992).
- Psychosocial Characteristics of Abductees: Results From the CUFOS
- Abduction Project. Journal of UFO Studies, New Series Vol. 3, 59-90.
-
- Sontag, Deborah. (1992). Reverence and Rigidity in the New Age: At the
- Whole Life Expo the Spirits are Willing So Long as the Wallet is Not Weak.
- New York Times, October 5, pp. B1, B2.
-
- Stacy, Dennis. (1992). The 1992 MUFON Symposium. Mufon UFO Journal,
- August, pp. 3-10.
-
- Thompson, Keith. (1991). Angels and Aliens: UFOs and the Mythic
- Imagination. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.
-
- Unusual Personal Experiences: An Analysis of the Data from Three National
- Surveys Conducted by the Roper Organization. (1992). Las Vegas, NV:
- Bigelow Holding Corporation.
-
-
- Acknowledgements: We would like to thank Philip J. Klass for assistance.
- We would also like to thank Vincent Creevy for providing materials and
- bringing the novel Nighteyes to our attention. Thanks are also due to
- several who provided help but do not want their names associated with the
- field of ufology.
-
- Joseph Stefula is a former Special Agent for the U.S. Army Criminal
- Investigations Command and is a former MUFON State Director for New
- Jersey. He resigned his directorship shortly after finishing this
- investigation.
-
- Richard Butler is a former law enforcement and security police specialist
- for the U.S. Air Force and now a UFO investigator researching abductions
- and government cover-ups.
-
- George Hansen has conducted parapsychological research and is author of
- the article "CSICOP and the Skeptics: An Overview" which appeared in the
- January 1992 Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research.
-
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