THE PROJECT STIGMA REPORT ON THE CONTINUING
INVESTIGATION INTO THE OCCURRENCE OF ANIMAL MUTILATIONS
STIGMATA
STIGMATA SUBSCRIPTIONS : STIGMATA is published quarterly. Subscriptions to add¬
resses in the United States. Canada and Mexico are $5,00 (U.S, funds) per year.
Please see below regarding subscriptions to other countries.
BACK ISSUES : A few copies of the following back issues are available at a cost of
$2,00 per copy: No, 8(lst Quarter, 1980), No, 9 (2nd Quarter 1980), No, 10 (3rd
Quarter 1980) and No, 11 (4th Quarter 1980), Two 1981 editions are currently out-of-
print and not available: No, 12 (1st Quarter 1981) and No, 13 (2nd Quarter 1981).
These will hopefully be re-printed m the near future. Two 1981 editions are still a-
vailable at a cost of $1.50 each: Numbers 14 and 15. Any three 1981 and 1982 edi¬
tions are available for a total cost of $4,00,
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING FOREIGN SUBSCRIPTIONS: A subscription price in
crease is now in effect. Subscriptions to all countries outside the U,S., Canada and
Mexico are now $10,00 (U,S.) per year.
TO ALL SUBSCRIBERS : Payment must foe in the form of U.S, cash, Canadian cash,
U.S, money orders or checks drawn on U,S, banks. If you are a potential foreign
subscriber and this is not accommodating for you, please contact us and perhaps we
can work out some sort of exchange arrangement.
And here we go again. As we said in last year's first issue, the mut:
be no flash-in-the-pan phenomenon. The mutes - and the mutilators -
And what do we have? Understanding? Revelation? Answers? No, what
historical perspective, for whatever that's worth. Plus, we get more of
ing year.
ilations continue to
iiave staying power.
have is a lot of
f it with each pass-
we
mitiial
All that aside, it would appear on the surface that the number of mi
a bit last year. We have heard of perhaps 50-or-so cases last year (ai
as we have knowledge of perhaps twice that many in 1980. For a while
seemed even quieter than that, due to the sporadic and yet subtly insist
the phenomenon. Only when the year's reports are finally brought toj
one realize that classic mutilations are still a consistent (though perhap)
occurrence. We must always qualify our assessment of the number of
the significant number of cases (we believe) that go unreported. Often,
with victim ranchers recently, we have learned of other mutilations oc-
areas, with the owners not reporting the acts either out of frustration
ment or a simple desire to avoid publicity and furor.
s more isolated)
tleports because of
as we have talked
durring in those
ivith law enforce-
So "Whatever happened to cattle mutilations?” is a question without reft
time continuum of the moment or to today’s consensus reality (even tho
sus” may not be altogether paying attention).
vance to the space -
dugh that "coosen-
Some people remain, shall we say, unconvinced. They may never get
be that’s the way it T s supposed to be, or maybe that's even the way it
who would scoff and detract from the reality of "classic mutilations” -
and catch phrases include "natural causes", "scavengers", "predators",
tion", "delusion”, "mass hysteria" or even "lone nut” - these individua
arily acting out their roles in concert in some insidious conspiracy. Tq
classic mutilations simply can not be, and there has to be - yes ("Altoj
a logical explanation. Most such people have never seen a mutilated ca;
who have seen an occasional mutilation refuse (however consciously or
allow it to register on them that they have seen anything other than soi
mundane event.
This may be due to a sort of psychic defense mechanism, because the
reality of mutilations can be disturbing to some, even traumatic - over
heard of many a sleepless night. So it may be that some people are in
for the inclusion of unexplained, unstoppable, uncontrollable livestock
world-view. Then there are those of us for whom the data proclaims
classic mutilations, although we are not forgetting that misinterpretatioi
death-by-natural-causes, etc. do occur in the course of Life-On-Earth,
seems to be a yawning conceptual gap (across which one would have d;
cow chin) between the mutes-are-real folks and the ain t-no-way's. If
fions did fall off
this writing) where¬
in 1981, it actually
ent distribution of
x en masse does
the
hang of it. May-
should be. Those
whose click-words
'" misinterprets -
Is are not necess-
such people, the
tether now, class"),
rcass. Even those
subconsciously) to
:ne misinterpreted
"acceptance" of the
the years we T ve
fact "not ready"
mutilations in their
the reality of the
nis, predation,
But there often
Ifjficulty tossing a
everyone had a clas-
280
3
slcally-mutilated carcass or perhaps even a series of them deposited on their front lawn
or back porch or garden or mailbox or bucket seat, we would have quite a different sit*
nation* One suspects, though* that it will never be that way. Whatever is happening, it
seems to speak to relatively few of us (at least up-£rout; not knowing what effect this is
having on the deepest levels of the collective unconscious). But when it speaks, we lis¬
ten We don't necessarily understand * yet. But we T re listening. And we're trying.
But, on to the summary of last year's events. The following is a roughly chronological
summary of representative classic mut Llat ion-events reported in the United States and
Canada in 1981. As in our 1980 chronology, each case summary will include the following
elements, generally in this order:
(L) Under groupings by month, the date of the mutilation-death if known, or the date of
discovery; if the approximate time since death is known or estimated, it will be included;
(2) Day of the week; (3) Location by state, then county (provinces for Canada), then more
specific location; (4) Name of victimized rancher, farmer or animal owner, if known;
(5) Description of victim animal; (6) Body parts missing; external and internal damage;
(7) Any additional details which are especially pertinent or revealing; (8) The informa¬
tional source(s), except where confidentiality is requested.
We are also Including a map indicating the areas in the United States and southern Cana¬
da in which mutilations occurred in 1981*
Some of these reports will be worthy of further delineation and elaboration. These more
detailed accounts will appear in this edition (Canadian reports) and in subsequent editions
of STIGMATA*
JANUARY 1981
3rd, Saturday
COLORADO - El Paso County - near Hamah - 3-year-old Hereford heifer * missing hide
and flesh on right side of jaw; also, right eye and rectal area removed - a blue nylon
rope was tied around the right rear leg - throat had been cut - investigating deputy theo¬
rized that someone intended to butcher the cow, then they were scared off and coyotes re¬
moved the parts - photos taken by sheriff's photographer - RANCHLAND FARM NEWS
(Simla, GO), 1-8-81; report, El Paso County Sheriff's Office; Linda Howe, KMGH-TV,Denver.
14th, Wednesday
ARKANSAS - Washington County - near Prairie Grove - Thomas - 600-lb. 18-month-old
red white-face calf - tail and rectum missing - hair, apparently from tail, arranged in
neat cone-shaped pile; pile of manure nearby - calf missing on 14th, found on 16th, 100 yds,
from house - no bleeding - "searing" on rectal incision - Mrs. Betty Thomas; Dr. Nancy
H. Owen, then of the University 6f Arkansas for allowing Project Stigma investigators
Tom Adams and Gary Massey to accompany her for interview).
281
4
FEBRUARY 1981
1st, Sunday Approximate date)
WASHINGTON - Pierce County - Bald Hills area - unidentified ranch - 9-year-old regis¬
tered Hereford bull - value $2,000 - missing part of lower jaw, left ear and testicles -
animal was last seen Jan. 30th and found Feb. 2nd - DAILY OLYMPIAN (Olympia,
WA), 2-3-81; Julius Scammon Rodman via Kaiani Iknohano.
8th, Sunday
CALIFORNIA - city & county of San Francisco - a human decapitation - a man's body
was found in Golden Gate Park, in a sleeping bag near Atvord Lake - the head (which
was not found despite an extensive search) was removed M with precision" - authorities
suspected a "ritualistic murder" - PRESS-DEMOCRAT (Santa Rosa, CA), 2-9-81; Ted
Schulte.
15th, Sunday
TENNESSEE - Meigs County - Fairview - Jessie Templeton - 700-800-lb, Black Angus
female - eyes "gouged out" - t eats cut out - genitals c ut out leaving "just a big circle
where they should have been" - vehicle tracks and footprints in the pasture led some
observers to suspect cultists - another of Templeton's cows was missing; it had not been
found as of late February - MEIGS COUNTY STATESMAN (Decatur, Tenn,), 2-25-81
(Darryl Stewart, editor); CHATTANOOGA (TN) TIMES, 2-28-81; TUSCALOOSA (AL)
NEWS, 2-28-81, credit: Robert E. Morgan.
(late February or early March)
WASHINGTON - Pierce County - 4 miles south of Bald Hills area - owner unidentified -
bull - mutilation described as "classic" - BIG FOOT CO-OP (Whittier, CA), June 1981
(Letterk credit: Constance Cameron.
(sometime during first quarter 1931)
WASHINGTON - Pierce County - location and owner unknown - a lady reports that she
fed her two prize horses around 6:00 PM one day, then found them on the ground, muti¬
lated (no specifics), around 9:00 PM the same evening - she found her guard dogs (vhieh
had not made a sound) cowering near the horses - (many mutilations have been reported
in Pierce County over the past several years, with most of the victim animals being hor¬
ses - BIGFOOT CO-OP, June 1981 (letter); credit: Constance Cameron,
APRIL 1981
11th, Saturday
OKLAHOMA - Sequoyah County - south of Muldrow - O'Bryan - female bovine - genitals
removed, blood apparently drained - cow pregnant, no trace of fetus - sheriff says cow
was shot 4 or 5 times with ,357 revolver or high-powered rifle - no tracks, carcass un¬
disturbed by predators — SATURDAY OKLAHOMAN (Pkla. City), 4-18-81.
282
APRIL 1981 (cont.)
13th, Monday
OKLAHOMA - Sequoyah County - south of Muldrow - O'Bryan ranch
castrated" and no evidence of bleeding; blood thought drained - no
by dogs or predators - sheriff says shot nine times (see April 11)
HOMAN (Okla. City), 4-18-81,
bull - "partially
tracks, no disturbance
SATURDAY OKLA-
15th, Wednesday
COLORADO - Larimer County - near Masonville - Klausen - 4-monlth
right eye missing - rectum missing, leaving large circular hole
April 13th - tongue also missing - credit: Linda M. Howe; KMGH-TY]
old heifer calf
;£lf last seen on
Denver, CO.
15th-18th, Wed.-Sat. (approximate)
SOUTH DAKOTA - Shannon County (Pine Ridge Reservation) - Kyle
white-face female bovine - udder cut out - rectum "reamed out" - c
April 22nd and was estimated to have died that previous week - give
two, a mutilation (bovine) has occurred on the reservation on about
1980 and 1981 - also, UFO sightings have been reported on the rese:
periods - credit: David Brewer, Bureau of Indian Affairs*
MAY 1981
atrea - Montieleaux -
arcass was found on
or take a day or
the same date in 1979,
ifvation during these
16th, Saturday
CANADA - BRITISH COLUMBIA - southeastern B, C fl , 5 miles from
White Spruce Ranch - 3-year-old female Hereford - half of tongue
ed - portion of right side of face cut away - hide and hair in half
moved above right eye - hole in upper right chest cavity - lateral
'was a considerable difference of opinion between the RCMP (police)
PRESS; Lloyd Phillips, W.K. Allan, Tim Tokaryk, Jim Duncan.
(May - date unknown)
NEBRASKA - Washington County - near Herman - George Tyson - 6
Hereford - udder and teats missing; appeared removed by sharp inst::
"perfect square cut 11 8" x 8" - no evidence of bleeding — Carol W<p:
Animal Mutilations; Madison, Nebraska.
(spring and early summer)
IOWA - newspaper account reports that unspecified number of cattle
tions occurred in eastern Iowa and goes on to state that officials bla|:
dents, crows, etc) — CEDAR RAPIDS GAZETTE (Iowa), 7-26-81;
(Iowa), 7-28-81; William L. Moore; Mrs. Robert Snodgrass*
j?ernie - Lloyd Phillips,
missing, anus remov-
moon segment re-
cbut on neck - there
and rancher/newspaper
MB (B.C.) FREE
year-old female
rument, leaving a
rkmeister, Study on
and sheep mutila-
me "critters" (ro*
TTUMWA COURIER
283
6
MAY 1981 (cont,)
30th, Saturday
OREGON - Crook County - 25 miles from Paulina - Earl McConnell, Grindstone Ranch -
600-lb* female Hereford, lying in shallow creek - missing was the udder, the genitals,
rectum and a patch from the right hip where the brand was inscribed * deputies describ¬
ed wounds as haying been made with a knife, though crudely - state police analysis found
traces of a ^tranquillizing drug" {otherwise unidentified) in carcass — CENTRAL ORE¬
GONIAN (Prineville, Oregon), 6-2-81; UFO Newsclipping Service (Route 1, Box 220;
Flumerville, Arkansas 72127).
JUNE 1981
(Three-week period in late May and June)
CANADA - ALBERTA - Vilna area, northeast of Edmonton - during this period, 4 ippar-
ently-mutilated cows were found on 4 separate ranches (details elsewhere in this issue) -
NATIONAL EXAMINER, 9-1-81; Aerial Hienomenon Clipping & Information Service; Cleve¬
land, Ohio - also Don Hill, Steve Weatherby, CFRN radio; Edmonton, Alberta,
10th or 11th, Wed,-Thursday (approximate)
NEW MEXICO - Rio Arriba County - near Dulce - Manuel Gomez - Rancher Gomez had
six cattle mutilated previously; on this occasion, one horse and one cow were victimized -
the 2-year-old cow was missing its rectum and genitals - the 14-month-old horse was also
missing its rectum and genitals, plus an eye and part of the face; and the neck and jaw¬
bone were broken - State Ibliceman Gabe Valdez reported "marks and broken skin 1 ' where
it appeared clamps of some sort had been applied to the horse, plus 11 spike marks in the
ground where the grass had been uprooted near the scene" - strange airborne lights (not
uncommon in that area) had been seen around that time - in at least 3 Junes since (and
including) 1976, Gomez has suffered a mutilation — RIO GRANDE SUN (Espanola, New
Mexico), 6-25-8L
18th or 19th, Thursday or Friday (approximate)
OREGON - Clackamas County - Eagle Creek, north of Estacada - Ward - female bovine -
missing were the eyes, heart, udder and vagina - investigating deputies seemed to sus¬
pect cultist involvement - similar mutilations had occurred in the area 3 years previous¬
ly — CLACKAMAS COUNTY NEWS (Estacada, Oregon), 7-22-81; P. Guttilla via UFO
Newsclipping Service; Flumerville, Arkansas.
(mid-to-late June)
OREGON - Deschutes County - near Sisters - genitals removed from bovine - credit:
Terri Lowry, Grindstone Ranch; Crook County, Oregon.
(mid-June)
COLORADO - Jefferson County - Lakewood - By Ion - in a series of night-caller attacks,
imbued with a particularly Fortean aura, seven rabbits were seemingly decapitated and
284
7
JUNE 1981 (cont.)
drained of blood over several nights - left behind were the headless carcasses and, odd¬
ly enough, the ears - the culprit (s) were never seen or heard despite the efforts of home¬
owner Bylon to catch the intruder (s) - a similar rabtdt-decapitation was reported in Fort
Collins, Colorado (Larimer County) around Easter - - - ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS (Den¬
ver, CO), 6-28-81; Linda Moulton Howe, KMGH-TV, Denver®
22nd, Monday
NEBRASKA - Washington County - east of Arlington - Bob & Denny Wilkins - 5-month-
old shorthorn bull calf - large area of lower abdomen cut away - heart, genitals miss¬
ing - Intestines discovered in neat pile about 25 feet away (In a few cases over the past
several years, intestines or other internal parts have been left in a similar pile or in
a neat row near the carcass) - the back legs of the carcass had been forcibly spread a-
part until the legs popped out of the sockets - little blood in evidence — ARLINGTON
(NB) CITIZEN, 6-25-81; Carol Werkmeister, Study on Animal Mutilations.
JULYJ98I
3rd, Friday
CANADA - BRITISH COLUMBIA - near Armstrong, north of Vernon - Tender, TLR
Ranch - 3-year-old purebred female Hereford - missing right upper lip and part of nos¬
tril, all of udder and external genitalia; all excised by "sharp Instrument" - as in case
near Fernie, B.C a (see May) there was a wide difference of opinion between the RCMP
and other observers, veterinarian, etc. (details elsewhere in this issue) — COUNTRY
LIFE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA (White Rock, B. C.), September 1981; Mrs. Jeanette McKay;
W.K. Allan; Dr. R.C. Maidment; Robert Tender.
18th, Saturday
OREGON - Lane County - Creswell, south of Eugene - Sprinkle - 3 rabbits, 2 female
and one male - mutilated; one skinned but alive when found, and later died - beyond
that, no specifics re: mutilations — EUGENE (Ore.) REGISTER-GUARD, 7-21-81; Lu¬
cius Farish, UFO Newsciipping Service.
AUGUST 1981
20th, Thursday
NEW MEXICO - Rio Arriba County - near Tierra Amarilla - Victor Salazar - female bo¬
vine - tongue missing - rectal area removed - no footprints except those of calf which
came to stand by its mother's carcass - ALBUQUERQUE (NM) JOURNAL, 9-2-81; F. Hud¬
son via UFO Newsclipping Service.
22nd, Saturday
NEW MEXICO - Rio Arriba Co. - near Tierra Amarilla - Victor Salazar - another cow dis-
285
8
AUGUST 1981 (cont.)
covered with its calf standing nearby - half of udder missing - "anal area was cut” -
the dewclaws on a leg were neatly snipped off - Salazar also suffered mutilations around
this time in 1979 and 1980 — ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL, 9-2-81; F. Hudson via UFO
Newsclipping Service.
23rd, Sunday
IOWA - Howard County - near Cresco - Merlin Christiansen - 3 cows, shot to death -
1 wounded, had to be destroyed - one cow had a loin carved out - though reported as
"mutilations", the motive is suspected to be mere butchering for meat — WATERLOO
(Iowa) COURIER, 8-25-81.
26th, Wednesday
COLORADO - Huerfano County - 7 miles west of Walsenburg - Gomez - 3-year-old hei¬
fer - tongue removed - rectum removed as if a "stovepipe" had been shoved up the rear
of the animal and the "core" removed - at least some additional damage on this carcass
is thought to have been caused by predators Sheriff Harold Martinez via Linda M.
Howe, KMGH - TV , Denver.
29th, Saturday
COLORADO - Huerfano County - 4 miles east of Walsenburg - Corsentino Dairy Farm *
2-year-old Holstein heifer - left side of face cut away - left eye and tip of left ear gone -
teat possibly removed - vaginal area cut out in "stovepipe" fashion (see case above) -
rectal area intact - possible helicopter heard overhead the morning of the 29th - sheriff
reports the hide "sounded like a drum" when hit, and that the hide on the upper half
(lengthwise) of the carcass was stiff and brittle like a dry Chamois (shammy) cloth while
the hide on the bott om half was still soft - vet thought carcass struck by lightning (cause
of death) but confirms that some cutting was done, also — DENVER POST, 9-4-81;
Sheriff Harold Martinez via Linda M 0 Howe, KMGH-TV, Denver.
SEPTEMBER 1981
11th, Friday
NEW MEXICO - Rio Arriba County - east of Tierra Amarilia - Casale Ranch, 5 miles
from Salazar (see August) - 5-year-old Charolais - missing tongue, udder, anus - bruis¬
es all over back of carcass — State Policeman Gabe Valdez; Dulce, New Mexico.
12th, Saturday
WASHINGTON - King County - near Auburn - Edna Mock - steer - missing a front leg,
shoulder, lips, nose, ear, larynx, tail and genitals - no blood in evidence - found 300 feet
from house - a King County Animal Control spokesman said the wounds were too neat to
have been caused by predators --- Mrs. Linda Williford.
286
SEPTEMBER 1981 (com .)
14th, Monday
CANADA - ALBERTA - Falun, between Edmonton and Red Deer -
calf - penis, testicles, anus and half of tail "cut out with surgical
^-mile north of house - no tracks - herd was checked on 9-11-81
was nothing on the site where the calf was found on the 14th * a
shotgun) found on adjoining ranch 9-14-SI; no connection suspected
Project Stigma: "The police came and looked - and immediately they
tors* We disagreed with that, very much so- Our neighbors looked
my father-in-law, who's had a lot to do with animals all his life-
older people that have lived with animals all their lives, and they
mal like that". — EDMONTON SUN, 9-17-81; Tim Tokaryk.
hn Cummings - bull
decision" - found
all was well; there
corpse (killed by
Mrs* Cummings told
said It was preda-
it (the dalf). Also
our neighbors are
never seen an ani-
aud
human
And
hid
mini
23rd, Wednesday
SOUTH DAKOTA - Mellette County - near Norris - Graff - 2-year
genitals missing, leaving perfectly circular 6"-diameter patch - botl|i
eye missing; right eye popped out of socket but was still laying at
was missing; hair from end of tail left in a circle around the carca
in the left ribcage from which the heart was thought to have been
evidence; no evidence of bleeding - rectum was "cored out", leaving;
though made with an "Ice cream scoop" - one-half of one of the
under the carcass - steer was not found on Graff's property where
but on neighbor's place; the neighbor's dogs had "raised hell" the
3 or 4 other mutes have occurred in this area in the last two year^
backs with their legs straight up into the air - there had been repo
"weird lights" from the Nbrris and Kadoka areas - Mrs. Graff, vi
before steer was found, driving home from Gordon, Nebraska, saw
peared to be on fire. As she approached to within a half-mile, the
sky and flew off to the west like a "burning full moon” until it vani£]
flash"- Driving the very few remaining miles home, she found her
whining - a laboratory analysis indicated that the hair from the tail
ered by something hot — David Brewer, B.I.A.; Linda Howe, KM01
28th, Monday
MINNESOTA - Grant County - Macsville Township, east of Herman
7-month-old registered Hereford bull calf - missing genitals, right
left ear and a 2" x 3" piece of hide from the right front shoulder -
side appeared as though made by a tranquillizer dart or awl - little
animal valued at $1,000 - university lab analysis of samples found
found 9-29-81, died during the previous night — HERMAN (Minn.)
William L. Moore (Moore, co-author with Charles Berlitz of THE
PERIMENT and THE ROSWELL INCIDENT and currently an Arizona
merly a schoolteacher in the Herman area* He knows the Werks,
reputation, and in fact taught some of the Werk children in school.]
9
Id Hereford steer -
ears missing - left
^ite - part of tail
there was a hole
t4ken - no blood in
a clean hole" as
sing ears was found
it should have been
night of the 22nd -
all found on their
>its of UFOs and
ictim's wife, 5 nights
farmhouse that ap-
"fire" rose into the
thed in a "bright
t dogs whimpering k
may have been sev-
H-TV, Denver*
Werk farm - 500-lb.
ear and eye, part of
a hole in the left
blood in evidence -
io drugs, no disease -
REVIEW, 10-8-81;
PHILADELPHIA EX-
resident, was for-
vpuches for their good
287
10
SEPTEMBER 1981 (com.)
28th, Monday
CANADA - ALBERTA - Balzac, Just north of Calgary - Stan Jones - 600-kg., purebred
Hereford bull, 1$ years old - circular hole, 30 centimeters in diameter. In abdomen
where testicles had been removed; sharp-edged wound, some dripping blood - puncture
mark In neck - 3 triangular patches were worn down into the nearby grass - missing
also were the tongue, nose and some "entrails" - a helicopter bad been beard the night
before, and a helicopter was seen nearby as the Jones family examined the lull at the
site —CALGARY (Aha.) HERALD, 9-29-81; EDMONTON SUN, 9-30-81; Tim Tokaryk,
Mr. X.
OCTOBER 1981
1st, Thursday
NEW HAMPSHIRE - Carroll County - Center Tuftonboro - Charles Whitten - 7-year-old
female Hereford - half of face cut away - eye, ear and half of nose missing - half of
tongue removed - Jugular vein severed - no evidence of bleeding - death occurred that
previous night, as there had been nothing at that site the previous day - however, the
carcass was badly bloated, unexpectedly so considering the cool weather - this Is only
the second known "classic" mutilation case in New Hampshire, following-a 1978 Incident
near the Vermont border — NEW HAMPSHIRE SUNDAY NEWS (Manchester, NH), 10-4-
81; PORTSMOUTH (NH) HERALD, 10-12-81; Loren Coleman, Betty Hill, Chas. Whitten.
5th, Monday
MINNESOTA - Grant County - Elk Lake township - Telkarnp farm - 4-6-week-old Hol¬
stein heifer - missing were 1 ear, part of an eye, the tail and rectum and one hock
from each of three legs - sheriff says cuts were clean although he noted teeth marks in
gristle where the ear and hocks were missing — HERMAN (Minn.) REVIEW, 10-15-81;
Bill Moore.
20th, Tuesday (approx.)
COLORADO - Huerfano County - Sheep Mountain area, near Gardner - Hubert Aguirre -
classic bovine mutilation confirmed by veterinarian - near Atlantic Richfield Company
(ARCO) drilling site -— David Perkins, Animal Mutilation Probe; Farisita, Colorado.
22nd, Thursday
CANADA - SASKATCHEWAN - Rabbit Lake - Mck Kowerchuk - 2^-year-old Charolais
bull - missing penis and testicles - no tracks, snow falling and melting - rest of herd
would not return to this, their fall pasture, after the incident - In a report filed by Mr.
Kowerchuk, he states that: "The cut made around the penis was a hide cut only. There
were no scratches or marks on the meat at all. A strip of hide was taken off the bris¬
ket. The testicles were taken out one at a time. There was no sign of struggle and no
blood had dripped on or around the animal. The bull did have a rubber ear tag #908 on
288
OCTOBER 1981 (cont.)
11
it. It was taken out of the hole in the ear. The ear was not torn and the last I had seen
him he had the tag. There was a dark coloring on the neck that could have been made by
a rope or chain* Also a small scar that looked like a hum under the back leg. By the
anus were small jabs into the hide* They were not deep enough to draw blood but were
noticeable", - the carcass was found 10-23-81; checked by vet 10-24-81 and taken to
Saskatoon that date for analysis at Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the Uhiv,
of Saskatchewan, Dr. G» Wobeser’s pathologic diagnosis found (L) Valvular endocarditis,
(2) Septicemia, (3) Embolic pneumonia, (4) Embolic glomerulonephritis, and the presence
was noted of the bacterium Pasteurella hemolytica^ Wobeser commented that "This is a
very unusual type of infection for this bacterium which is usually associated with ship¬
ping fever; however, there is histologic evidence of a generalized septicemia." — Nick
Kowerchuk; Denis C, Corneau,
31st, Saturday
COLORADO - Washington County - near Woodrow - Merrill ranch - 7-year-old, 1000-lb,
female bovine - missing udder and genitals only - no evidence of blood or bleeding -
cow had 3-week-old calf, which is alive and well - another cow, not mutilated, was
found dead nearby - both animals died Halloween night (as Roy Neary would say: "Trick
or Treat...") and were found 11-1-81 - other mutes south and west of here - rancher
victimized again in mid-November (below) — WRAY (Colorado) GAZETTE, 11-12-81;
Mrs. Shirley Rickard via Linda M. Howe; Richard Merrill,
NOVEMBER 1931
(mid "November)
COLORADO - Washington County - near Woodrow - Merrill ranch - female bovine - as
in the Halloween case, missing udder and genitals; also missing was part of the Jaw^hide
and part or most of the tongue - no evidence of blood or bleeding - found about 600 feet
north of Halloween mute-site - at least a couple of other mutilations (unreported) occur¬
red on ranches south and west of here around this time --- WRAY GAZETTE, U-12-81;
Mrs. Shirley Rickard via Linda M. Howe; Richard Merrill,
23rd, Monday
NEBRASKA - Colfax County - north of Richland, near Leigh - Glen Botsch - 1100-lb. fe¬
male Hereford - missing were the rectum, the udder, the tip of the tail and the right
ear - the animal had been cut open "from rectum to navel" - "very little blood" was in
evidence at the site - on that previous night (Sunday night), a neighbor who dives Just
west of the mutilation site was awakened by a "fluctuating high-low sound" which lasted
for about five minutes — SCHUYLER (Nebraska) SUN, 12-3-81; OMAHA WORLD-HERALD,
11-27-81; T. Cook via UFO Newsclipping Service,
(November 1981 - continued next page)
289
NOVEMBER 1981 (eont*)
25th, Wednesday (approximate)
WYOMING - Big Horn Comity - east and south of Manderson, near Highway 31 - Harring¬
ton - 2 mutilations - (1) heifer, less than a year old; hide and flesh removed from right
side of face, including nose; tongue cut off "Just above throat"; right ear cut off close to
skull; ear canal looked "cleaned out"; anus cut away; circle of hide removed from geni¬
tal area; hint of singeing on hair around ear and atmI cuts - (2) calf, 200 yards away;
anus and genital wounds "identical 11 to those on other calf; head undamaged; a small a-
mount of blood appeared to have dripped from the nose - both animals were found on
Friday, November 27th; they were estimated to have died two to three days earlier —
Roger W* Harrington*
As has been the case with our previous annual summaries, the map below depicts the
areas in which "classic" animal mutilations were reported in 1981:
290
A CLOSER LOOK-CANADA
ALBERTA
Before dealing with the 1981 Canadian mutilations, we'll take a look at a case from 1980:
In STIGMATA #14 (page 11) we reported on the April 1980 mutilation of & three-year-old
registered quarter horse owned by Marilyn Flaht of Oyen, Alberta. Another registered
quarter horse owned by Mrs. Flaht, a Ally, was found mutilated on a Sunday in July of
1980. Each horse was found in a separate pasture of Mrs. Flaht's - the first 20-30 km.
northeast of Oyen (not 10 km. as we originally reported) and the second tn a pasture near
the grain elevator in the tiny community of Benton Station, east of Oyen. We can add to
the account of the April mutilation the report that three people in three locations had
seen a "weird light" on the night of the mutilation* Then, on the Tuesday before the sec¬
ond horse was found (on the following Sunday) the animal suffered a substantial cut on its
side as Mrs. Flaht was trying to load her onto a truck or trailer. Fluid had been per¬
iodically draining from the wound toward the end of die week. When the horse was found
on Sunday, It was noted that the most recent drainage from the stitches had been ug, to¬
ward the horse's back as though during some point that night, the animal had been on
its bock. The carcass was found laying on its 3ide, though. In weeds a foot high. But
since no weeds were knocked over or bent around the carcass, it appeared as though the
horse had been dropped there from above. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
were called in and a veterinarian did a field autopsy, with Mtb. Flaht present to observe
the proceedings. The horse was missing half its udder and a strip of hide along the flank
had been removed. Mrs. Flaht watched as the vet tried to duplicate the removal of the
hide; but he was simply unable to do so. The rectal area had also been removed. On the
ground below was a piece of intestine, "snowy white, as though It had been washed, and
there was no manure", reported Mrs. Flaht. There was only about a syringe-full of blood
in the heart. The blood was taken for analysis, but Mrs. Flaht was never informed of
the findings,
1981
During a three-week period in May and June, four animals were found mutilated or dead
under mysterious circumstances on four ranches near Vllna, Alberta, northeast of Edmon¬
ton, A calf that died on the Kucher farm had burns on Its ears. Authorities suspected
lightning, but the farmeafs wife said there had been no lightning. Steve Popowlch found a
cow of his that was missing an ear, part of the tongue, the lips and rectum. Fopowich
reported that scavengers wouldn't touch the carcass and that the wounds appeared to have
been made with a sharp instrument. He told Project Stigma: "I’ve seen dead animals. I've
been around animals all my life. This isn't (due to) natural causes”. Bopowich had seen
one of the other three animal a and it looked much like his. Not that It was necessarily re¬
lated to the mutes, but after a bright orange light was seen in a field near Smokey Lake,
west of Vllna, mounds of cold ashes and a weird sulphur smell were left behind. The po¬
lice said the ground was burned to a depth of 6-7 Inches in a cigar-shaped area abot* 30
feet across (EDMONTON JOURNAL, 8-29-81).
291
14
BRITISH COLUMBIA - THE ARMSTRONG CASE
A purebred Hereford cow, a 3-year-old female, was found dead and mutilated on the TLR
Ranch of Robert and Lilli an Tender near Armstrong, B.C. on July 3rd, 1981 (Armstrong
is north of Vernon in south-central B.C,). Missing was the r ight upper lip and part of
the nostril, all of the udder and its accompanying suspensory structure (one of the rear
teats remained)* and the external genitalia - all excised with a "sharp instrument". The
tongue was still present and there was no rectal damage. Blood was still present in the
animal, but there had been very little bleeding. This was "the strangest part of all" to
veterinarian Dr. R.C. Maidment of the Vernon Veterinary Clinic, who atitopsied the car¬
cass on July 3rd, perhaps 6 or 7 hours after death - certainly no more than 12 hours.
Dr. Maidment told Project Stigma: f Tve done a few hundred autopsies in my time. Fve
been in practice for 23 years". He said he had never seen anything to compare to this.
The cow had been seen alive and well late on the evening of July 2nd. It was found within
50 yards of a well-traveled road, within a half-mile of the Tender's home and within 70-
80 yards of the nearest inhabited house. From Dr. Maidment, we obtained a copy of the
report of his examination and, with the permission of Mr. Tender, we will reproduce it
as follows:
On July 3, 1981, approximately 10:00 AM, at the request of Robert and Lillian
Tender of Armstrong, B.C. and Sgt. Medly, Armstrong detachment, R.C.M.
P., 1 conducted a post-mortem examination on one adult horned Hereford fe¬
male, tattoo ARVS, 95K. right ear, branded D2 left shoulder.
The animal was lying in a grassy field, in lateral recumbency, left side down.
There was no sign of a struggle or any movement by the animal in the imme¬
diate or surrounding area. The eyes were intact, very unusual considering
the number of magpies and crows in this area. The upper right lip, including
a portion of the right nostril, the right eommisure and part of the lower rl^it
lip were missing. The udder, including the entire suspensory structure, had
been removed up to the abdominal wall with the exception of one of the rear
teats. The skin anterior to the udder had been separated from the sub-cutan¬
eous tissue for approximately twelve inches and laterally into the flank area.
The vulvar labia were missing, approximately one inch of tissue around the
orifice having been removed. Other marks on the exterior included two or
three small abrasions on the brisket skin. These were superficial and did not
penetrate the skin. There, was very little hemorrhage in the areas of miss¬
ing tissue described above aud there was no hemorrhage from the other body
orifices. Rigor mortis was present but not complete. There was no bloat and
the body was fresh and in good condition.
The entire abdominal viscera were normal, nothing unusual being observed.
The uterus was gravid, with a very early pregnancy. On opening the thoracic
cavity, the lungs did not collapse. They were grossly emphysematous and had
some foamy material in the minor airways* The trachea bad pin-point hem-
292
15
orrhages on the anterior aspect from the larynx to the bifurcation* The
heart was enlarged, completely full of clotted blood, as were aU the great
vessels* The region from the larynx ventral and posterior, including the
trachea down to the brisket region, was extensively bruised with small
peculiar gelatinous blood clots throughout. No skin punctures or foreign
bodies were found despite a vigorous search* All other findings were nor*
mal* A telephone consultation with a staff member of the Provincial Vet¬
erinary Pathology laboratory in Abbotsford, B,C, was unable to further
the examination* As a result of my examination and observations, it is
my considered professional opinion that the animal died very suddenly of
un-natural causes* I have been unable to identify the causative agent or
agents.
Several interesting observations should be made: (1) The apparent ease and
rapidity of death suggested by undisturbed grass at the site* (2) The miss¬
ing tissue, probably removed by a sharp instrument* (3) The almost pro¬
fessional dissection of the mammary apparatus. (4) The absence of any
significant hemorrhage at the mutilation site, (J5) The absence of predators,
particularly magpies*
In conclusion we have: (A) The overnight sudden death of an apparently
healthy animal. (B) The cause of death cannot be determined though strong¬
ly believed to be of un-natural causes* (C) The apparently skillful mutila¬
tion of the animal with Tar ions pieces of tissue missing* (D) All other ani¬
mals in the herd normal and healthy.
In an interview with Project Stigma, property owner Robert Tender revealed hia suspicions
about a car (maroon, maybe a Le Mans, 6 or 7 years old) and a pickup truck (old, all
"smashed up") seen on the road by the property the evening before the cow died. That
evening, while he was baling hay. Tender noticed two filthy, scraggly people, a man and
a woman, walking along the road by the farm. What puzzled Mm was that they just sud¬
denly appeared, whereas he should have been able to see them approaching along the road
from some distance away* Ternler thinks they may have been Tr in the brush, looking at
the cattle"* Commenting further about the mutilation and its impact on Ms herd, Ternler
said:
I just started in this purebred Hereford business. I bought my cattle in the
fall of 1980. The cow that was killed was a 3-year-old. She had Just had her
second calf* The calf is okay but It was a heifer calf and I will not be able
to breed her for another year. 1 lost one year's production out of that heifer
plus 1 lost the mother cow (and another calf, as the cow was in early preg¬
nancy). That cow was a very well-bred animal. A half-brother to her sire
sold for over $100,000 at the Calgary bull sale in 1979* My animals are heal¬
thy, good and sound* I bought 17 cows and I never had any problems with any
293
16
of them except with the one with lump Jaw* an infection that can sometimes
develop during teething. Hie one that I lost was one of the animals you ne¬
ver had to look at. She was not wild but she wasn't tame nlfher. You could¬
n't walk right up to her and pet her. I had been around her for 8 months
and 1 couldn't pet her at all. I could get to within maybe 10-15 feet of her
before she'd move* but a stranger could never have walked up to her.
Mr. Tender was asked whether he felt the animal had been killed and mutilated on the
spot where it was found;
(Yes) The way the grass laid, you could see when they cut the udder out,
the udder rolled down onto the grass and flattened the gr*ss and there
was a little blood on the grass. But beyond there there was nothing, so 1
would suspect that they pot the udder in a plastic bug and packed it out of
there. I've done a lot of butchering. We butcher and sell beef here off the
farm. My personal opinion Is that this animal was killed in the evening
and then mutilated about 4 or 5 hours later. That's my opinion, because of
the lack of blood, and the blood that was there was watery like it was just
fluids draining out of the meat after the blood had congealed in the animal.
Responding to further questions about the mutilation itself. Mr. Temler added:
1 can honestly see where a lot of this could be natural death and preda¬
tors, because a lot of people don’t see their animals every day and they U
find one and they've heard that this has been going on and here are these
parts gone and they 11 say* "Hey, somebody killed my animal". But there is
no possible way that that is what happened here, I ve lived here for 32
years, 1 was born and raised here. We have never had a predator kill or
a dog kill i ng anything. I don't remember one animal being killed by a pre¬
dator in our immediate area.
Mr. Ternier was asked about any animals that might have died of natural causes:
Animals bloat. They get sick. They get cancer. They die of old age. Just
like people. Or they can eat poison weeds, I T !1 tell you what ray experience
Is with dead animals. Unless the carcass Is cut wide open. It takes about
a week before predators* even birds, will come around and start picking
on It - in hot or cold weather, I ve had animals die on me* too* and bloat,
I lost one about a month and a half ago, I've got a big rock pile. I brought
the carcass up there to let the birds pick at it. It took the darn birds near¬
ly Srjweeks to start working on that animal. If an animal Is laying in the
field, they're not Just going to go up and start eating on it - it might Just
be asleep. It's got to be darn ripe before they'll get at it - either that or
cut opened or butchered. If it's butchered* the birds, the coyotes and other
294
17
animals will come right away* But if its not butchered - If it's Just a
carcass laying there, it takes a long time for them to come around. It
really does* They’re wary* They won't Just go and Jump at something
right away*
The following is an excerpt from the White Hock, B.C, publication, COUNTRY LIFE IN
BRITISH COLUMBIA. In the September 1981 edition, writer Lome Leach summarized the
Tender case as follows:
COUNTRY LIFE interviewed several experts involved with this particular case
and it became apparent that the two theories - death by mutilation or death by
predators - will be argued for some time to come. Interviewed were Rob
Tender, Dr. Maidment, Keith Miller, secretary of the B.C, Hereford Asso¬
ciation and one of the first on the scene, and Constable Mike Chomey of the
RCMP Stock Section In Kamloops.
Chomey was the one individual who appeared to hold fast to the theory that
predators were responsible, going so far as to say that he "doesn't believe
in cattle mutilations", Chomey also pointed out that on the night of July 2,
the Tender's neighbors' dog was outside only a short distance from where
the dead animal was discovered. The dog, which according to Chomey is
rather excitable by nature, made no noise the night the cow died, something
that would be expected if there were strangers nearby. On the other hand,
there were reports of two strange vehicles being seen in the vicinity of the
incident the evening before and again in the early hours of the morning the
cow was discovered by Tender. To add strength to his predator theory* Cons¬
table Chomey told Country Life that in the past two years with over 550 dead
animals complaints received in Alberta* all with the exception of seven pos¬
sible mutilations, had been eliminated as being caused by natural causes or
predators.
The mysterious circumstances surrounding the manner by which the Tender
cow died led Dr. Maidment to advance with conviction the mutilation theory.
He emphasized that in his opinion the removal of the tissue from the animal
was performed with precise surgical skill and could not possibly have been
the work of predators. Death by natural causes was virtually ruled out when
Dr. Maidment reported that all the vital organs were perfectly normal. The
mutilation theory was supported by Keith Miller who confirmed the "clean"
surgery statement and added that there was not a drop of Mood in evidence on
the ground or on the animal.
This last statement, of course, is slightly at odds with Mr. Tender, who said there was
a very small amount of blood where it appeared the udder had &llen to the ground after
being cut away from the animal.
295
18
Although most of the Canadian mutilations over the past several years have been concen¬
trated in Alberta* then Saskatchewan* British Columbia has not been totally left out (see
STIGMATA #8). Indeed, in his article, Lome Leach refers to 'the strange and unusual
deaths of a number of purebred cattle throughout British Columbia in recent months”. In
the Teenier case, after the police first arrived at the site, they went to a neighbor's
house to phone the inspector* The neighbor overhead the conversation* The first thing the
policeman said to the inspector was, ’WeU, we've got another one”. The police also had
what appeared to be a list of mutilation cases, and the Tender case was about number 6
or 7 down the Ust. There have apparently been some reports from the U.S* border area
of British Columbia, around Osoyoos and Rock Creek* After the Tender case, an impub-
licized mutilation occurred that following weekend near B&rriere, north of Kamloops, We
will continue to seek details regarding these cases. Fortunately we do have a good deal
of information regarding another classic mutilation report from May of 1981 around the
Femie area of southeastern British Columbia, We'll report the details in STIGMATA 17.
Mutes As A Political Football
"Hidden Story Behind Mutilations” was the title for a column by editorial page editor David
Roybal in the Santa Fe NEW MEXICAN of February 13, 1981 (credit: Tommy Roy Blann),
The following is an excerpt from the column:
It's been a while since retired FBI agent Kenneth Rommel completed his invest!*
gat ion into the baffling livestock mutilations that have bewildered New Mexicans
since the mid-1970's,.Rommel a one-year investigation in some ways added
to the bewilderment* The number of mutilations dropped sharply while Rommel
sought to smoke out the perpetrators. And the frequency ’with which they have oc¬
curred has remained mysteriously low since the probe, financed through the 1st
District Attorney's office, ended last May. Had it not been for Attorney General
Jeff Bingaman s blast against U.S, Sen. Harrison Schmitt a few weeks, (ate) the
perplexing mutilation story might have been forgotten by most persons, Blngamau
cited Schmitt s involvement in pusing (sic) mutilation probes as an example of
how the former astronaut has failed to represent New Mexico's legitimate con¬
cerns in Washington* So what if be s walked on the moon. So what if credible
men once blamed the mutilations on space travelers. Schmitt's background does¬
n't make him an expert in livestock mutilations, Bingaman suggested. And even
if it did, Schmitt should put his time and influence to better use, said the Atty.
General. Bingaman, of course, felt a need to rap Schmitt. He wants Schmitt's
Job. And mutilations have caught a lot of attention in the past, so it must have
seemed like a good subject for the attorney general to bring up while announ¬
cing his political plans.
In his prompt reply to Bingaman's criticism, Schmitt said mutilations have cost
296
19
state livestock owners thousands of dollars and that they deserve attention*
District Attorney Eloy Martinez called the mutilations "crimes" when he ap¬
plied for a grant from the Criminal Justice Department to finance Rommel's
investigation. Several remarks made by Martinez Just before the investiga¬
tion started suggested he believed it was neither predator nor spaceman who
was killing livestock In New Mexico and In other states around the nation*
Hie rest Is recorded in a 297-page report Rommel submitted last June* Rom¬
mel said there was reason to believe the mutilations were "a law enforcement
problem" when the Cri minal Justice Department grant was obtained. And* he
said, they appeared to pose a serious problem "both in terms of. * .economic
impact on livestock owners and in the fear***generated among rural residents."
But the one-year investigation, Rommel said, showed that the mutilations are
not being done by highly skilled persons with considerable financial backing, as
many persons had thought. There was little information to support claims that
precision and skill were relied upon to remove (animal parts), he said* Mutila¬
tions which he saw, said Rommel, reflected sloppier work of predators and
scavengers. Self-appointed investigators still scoff at Rommel's findings* Rom¬
mel's investigation lacked diligence and objectivity, not to mention a dearth of
"classic mutilations", they claimed.
One of The New Mexican s readers wrote to us several months ago with his
own explanation for the way livestock parts are cut and whisked away by thieves
who no one has ever seen* It's the "stealth" secret that Jimmy Carter boasted
about in the heat of his re-election campaign, he said.' The same stuff that's
poured, painted, splashed or mixed in with the surface of planes that Carter
said can go undetected by Soviet radar hides the mutilators, their tracks, and
all other evidence, said the letter writer* Why hasn't anyone realized it be¬
fore? he asked. He reportedly signed the letter with invisible ink. There cer¬
tainly wasn't a signature to be seen* We don t normally run letters on this
page without signatures, but I thought the suggestion was interesting enough to
check out. I carefully filed the letter in a folder that I marked "Stealth Muti¬
lators" then began to retrace Rommel s tracks, I became stumped in my inves¬
tigation Wednesday. Grasping for all available help, I went to retrieve the
"stealth" letter from my files for another reading. The Manila folder was there
but the letter was missing - at least I didn't see It. There were no prints* No
clues. None to be seen, anyway.
Shortly after we went to press with our International summary in our last issue, the NAT¬
IONAL ENQUIRER (Dec. 29, 1981) published an article headlined: "UFOs Murder Four
Men". It is claimed that 4 men, after being zapped by UFOs, as observed by witnesses,
died, and that two of the bodies were white after having been drained of blood. The inci¬
dents are said to have occurred around the town of Paraarama in northeastern Brazil, in
the autumn of 198L One witness passed a PSE exam, says the ENQUIRER*
297
20
An article in the Santa Fe NEW MEXICAN in mid-I960 was headlined: "Historian says re¬
search reveals no history of cattle mutilations"* We made a very slight reference to this
in STIGMATA #12, but here are more details: "State historian Myra Ellen Jenkins said to¬
day her research has revealed no record of reported cattle mutilations in New Mexico
prior to those reported in recent years.Though (Kenneth) Rommel attributed the cattle
deaths to natural causes and the mutilations to predators and decomposition* Dr. Jenkins
said today she has found no record in historic documents or folklore of the type of select¬
ive mutilation reported in many of the cases* 'The only thing I’ve ever heard is that they
just rip into them/ Dr. Jenkins said* ’There's no record of this type of selective mutila¬
tion'."
Most readers are familiar with laser surgery. In fact, it has been suggested that such
techniques may have been employed in some mutilations. The August 1981 issue of the now-
defunct NEXT magazine reported: "Electrosurgery - using radio frequencies instead of
blades - is common practice when surgeons must cut and cauterize in delicate areas. A
scientist at the University of Minnesota has linked a radio-frequency knife with a micro¬
computer to make a "smart" scalpel - one that "reads” tissue and adjusts the current as
often as every 30*000th of a second, and "remembers" a surgeon's preferred frequencies
and patterns. A prototype of the smart scalpel has performed well when used on dogs, and
a second generation machine is being built for tests on humans, expected to begin in about
a year.,. ”
In STIGMATA #12, paranormal investigator Tommy Roy Blann reported that suspected mu¬
tilated tissue could be preserved in a 10% solution of formaldehyde* A laboratory analyst
in Denver suggested to linda Moulton Howe of KMGH-TV that, for those without access to
formaldehyde, such samples can also be preserved in a solution of 3 parts isopropyl (rub¬
bing) alcohol to one part water, being certain not to use too much alcohol.
For more information on Charles Tucker's expedition and investigation in Brazil (STIGMA¬
TA #15), see "The Brazilian Flap" by Joan T. Griffith in the Third Quarter 1981 issue of
PURSUIT, the journal of The Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained (SITU), Mem¬
bership in SITU includes four PURSUITS annually for a fee of $10.00 ($12.00 after 4-1-82);
Write SITU/PURSUIT; P.O* Box 265; Little Silver, New Jersey 07739 USA,
Next issue: More 1981 reports, a mute motion picture update, and more on "Grudge 13"*
