IHE PROJECT STIGMA REPORT ON THE CONTINUINC
INVESnCATION INTO THE OCCURRENCE OF ANIMAL MUTIUTIONS
gnGMATA SUBSCRIPTIONS; ffnGMATA la pubUahed qiamerly throagli 1982. ^GMATA
win not be published quarterly in 1983, and the first 1983 issue may not appear until
as late as Summer. But we will continue to publish, as neither the mutilations nor the
investigations into same have abated* Subscriptions (tor 1983 only) to addresses in the
United States, Canada and Mexico are $5«Q0 {p.S*) per 3^r.
FOREIGN SUBSCRIPTIONS: To all countries outside the U.S., Canada and Mexico: $10.00
{U,S. funds) per year (either 1983 or the four 1982 issues).
BACK ISSUES: All four 1982 Issues ^os. 16,17,18 k the current 19): $1,50 each or $5,00
for all four; foreign rates; $3.00 each or $10.00 for all four* We now have a very lim ¬
ited supply of issues no. 8, 9 10 & 11. The followinig (^re-1982) back issues are availa¬
ble for $2.00 each (foreign; $3.00): 8, 9, 10, U, 13, 14 and 15,
NOTICE TO ALL SUBSCRIBERS: Betyment must he in the form of U.S. cash, U.S. money
orders, Canadian cash or checks drawn on U.S. hanks. U this is not convenient for po¬
tential foreign subscribers, contact us regarding a possible exchange arrangement.
NOTE TO ALL READERS: We sincerely regret our puhlicatlQn delays ^s elaborated upon
in our recent supplemental sheet) which find us producing the final 1982 issue in 1983. Un¬
fortunately, the delays will continue, at least where STIGMATA is Gcnicemed(see above).
The next STIGMATA, once it does appear, will update the continuing developments on the
mutUatioii scene which have occurred throug^ut 1982. CRUX, a journal loosely described
as "Fortean" In content and ozientation, will appear within the next few mcmtiis. Orders
for CRUX #1 can be sent to the address above; $3,00 foreign; $5.00 U.S.)(Specify CRUX).
STI6MATA
335
ENDANGERED SPEQES
THE MOVIE THAT NOT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT
If the number of people who have actually seen this film can be taloen as some indica¬
tion of the number of people vdio are talking about itt our sub“tltle stands. Reports
from around the country indicate that "Endangered Species" has been doing less than
"boffo" business at movie theaters. That's too bad. lt*s far from perfect. But it is
worth seeing^ and it deserves much more of a chance than MGMAJ^lted Artists seems
to be giving it.
It has not been clear from the newspaper & theater ads that "Endangered Species" deals
(in part) with livestock mutilations. We have wondered if an ad campaign that was more
explicit in that regard would have made any di^erence in the attendance figures, es¬
pecially in areas where livestock mutUattoBs have occurred. Some of the actors and a
consultant toured major cities and did receive some media coverage, but it did not seem
to make much difference.
The Him had been scheduled for release in October 1982. But for some reason the studio
elected to release it in some markets in early September, so the publicists were caught
a bit off guard and may not have been able to handle the publicity as they would have
liked. The film did indeed open in parts of the West in September, then some areas in
October, and It finally opened in New York City one theater) in November (see com¬
ments to follow by Keel and Jordan). Screenings were held for the press and other
groups. In Washington, D.C., invitations to free screenings were extended to Rsntagon
personnel and to CIA personnel. In neither case did anyoiie show up to see the movie.
A military source told one Washington columnist that the Pentagon had actually consider¬
ed trying to "ban" the film(who knows - maybe it workedI), In HoEywood, it was spec¬
ulated that there might be an effort later to promote "Species" as sort of a "cult" fEm,
maybe re-releasing it in a revitalized campaign as in the case of films like "Cutter &
Bone" (later and more successfully re-issued as "Cutter's Way")b Or, maybe more
likely, "Endangered Species" wEl next be seen on cable 'TV.
Can the film itself be blamed for the poor box office showing? We don't think so. WhEe
a definitive mutEation-document it is not, it la an imaginative, even at times compel¬
ling movie, with an adroit use of sound and lighting, and it is directed with verve by
Alan Rudolph (who co-authored the screenplay with John Bloder). There is a good and
soEd cast - Robert Urich as a bumt-out New York cop headin' west(tTylng to outgrow
his airhead TV roles, he reaUy does a very commendable job). There Is Jo Beth
Williams as a lady sheriff of a fictional Colorado county {a most competent actress, and
she shows it here, though she g^s glopped up in an unnecessary & contrived romaKe
with Urlch(had to get that shower scene In there somehow, though). There's a solid
Copyright 1983 by Thomas R, Adams
336
3
perfbrtnance from Boyt Aston as a rancher* and likewise from Paul Dooley aa a news¬
paperman. And Peter Coyote* In a role quite the antithesis of his sympathetic scientist
In "E.T.”* is a vlUain who really doesn't seem to be a nice person at all. And it's
nice to see that Harry Carey* Jr. is still plugging away. Another familiar old-timer*
Gene Evans* portray^ a former sheriff Williams'fatherX hut alas, he ended up
m the cutting room floor* ^
There are holes In the story* and It is too easy for us long-time mote investigators
to pick nits out of it* As we anticipated in our last Issue, the denoueni ent is not satis¬
fying. But* given the framework and limitatlonB of the story* the movLe - if looked at
as a "movie*' and not a "mutilation movie" - is actually very well done* Actually* some
investigators deem it a valid treatment of one of the more prominently suggested scen¬
arios (quasi-military experimenters spurred by "patriotic** motives).
Attending a screening in Dallas* we were frankly prepared to be more dls-satisfled and
disappointed than we were. "Endangered Species" is obviously the product of a very
talented team of filmmakers at Alive Enterprises including Rudolph, producers Carolyn
PfelSer and Zalman King* and classy technicians on down the line).
We will not re-hash the plot here* Rather we feel it more important to emphasize that
this is a film that deservcg a chance - and certainly better box-office numbers. As
Unda Moulton Howe of KMGH-TV In Denver (Linda wrote, produced & directed the mu¬
tilation documentary* "A Strange Harvest") has said, anyone involved in mutUation
research will not be embarrassed by association with "Endangered Species". We ^
recommend that our readers see the movie - if you can, as it has yet to appear In
many areas including our town of 25*000)* and may indeed not be in release at aE
by the time this goes to press.
Overall* we have been surprised at the positive tone of many of the reviews. We must
have expected more bad reviews* just as we expected the movie itself to be worse than
it was. What follows are a few of the critics responses to "Endangered Species";
TIME (Richard Schickel): "...The picture is stylishly made and suspenseful*,*"
NEWSWEEK (David Ansen): "Edgy* paranoid and fLamboyant* "Endangered Species" is
never borhig* but it consistently rings false. It's a shame Rudolph felt the need to pump
up the conventional* melodramatic aspects of Ms tale: you can't take any of it serious¬
ly* and his speculations end up looking more crackpot than they had to* When a real
conundrum Is as outlandish as the case of the cattle 'mutes'* ikm story would have been
much better served using documentary restraint. Next time Just the facts* ma'am*"
US Stephen Schaefer): "...One of the year's most exhilarattng action thrillers..*a daz-
337
4
zIlBg, assured crosscutting style»..an eerie, mesmeriziiig sound aura Gary Wright."
ROLLING STONE: "Ltafoxtumtely, what could haw been a political thriller with acl-fi
OTOitoiies or a sci-fl thriller with political overtones ends up being a non-thriller.
LOS ANGELES TIMES (Kevin Thomas): "e».the premise for 'Endangered Species'... is
as cMUing as it is persuasive, even if the film as a whole is less so...A thriUer with
a political book. • • could have been lots more than the pretty good, if not always convin¬
cing, picture fthat) it is.“
DALLAS MORNING NEWS (Philip Wuntch): "...this deftly made cautionary thriller even¬
tually preys m our paranoia about the destnictlDn of our existence as we know it...
may be seen as a purely visceral chiller with several cracker jack chase sequences,
hampered primarily by a washout of an ending...but Rudolph has obtained first-rate
performances from a well-chosen cast..."
DALLAS TIMES HERALD Qohn Bloom): "'Endangered Species' is the bovine version of
'Missing' (with a little 'China Syndrome' added), *. There is nothing terribly wrong with
'Endangered Species' - it moves along at a fairly rapid clip, has nice photography and
adequate acting - that a good script couldn't have solved,"
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, Denver (Robert Denerstein): "Rudolph... serves up a some¬
times quirky movie, but it's almost as though he's working with two films; a second-
rate melodrama built around shallow contemporary themes and a thriller with political
overtones I'
WACO (Texas) TRIBUNE {Bob Darden): "'Endangered Species' is a well-constructed lit¬
tle thriller that is at its best when playing on a strcmg groundswell of American para¬
noia. Fired by an immensely believable ^nd likeable) performance by JoBeth Williams
as the embattled sheriff, ' Species' has all the earmarks of a first-raie science-fiction
action yam, Alas, having the earmarks and actually producing the goods are two dif¬
ferent things entirely. It's good but not great. 'Endangered Species' flounders at the
precise minute it should be soaring. And that's despite what initially appeared to be a
taut script and a half-dozen crackjack acting jobs."
CALIFORNIA (Kenneth Thran): "...the premise at the heart of 'Endangered Species' -
the informed speculation about what is behind the wave of real-life cattle mutilations
that has swept the western states - is provacatlve and well enough thought out to ex¬
cuse most of the film's weaknesses,"
COLORADO SPRINGS GAZETTE TELEGRAPH Goe Barber): "...The fUm is c hillingly
persuasive.•• well laced with humor, tension and action."
338
tlie
CINEFANTAffTIQUE (David Hogan): "The true-Ufe rash of cattle mutljLai
plagued the American west over the last decade could have become
a supremely sUIy movie - a sort of Sunn Classics version of the NA
but writer John Binder and director/co-writer Alan Rudolph have crea i
thriller so crammed with incident and intelligent characterization that
chilling but unremarkable ploto"
Ltlons that has
springboard for
nONAL ENQUIRER-
ted a hi^-energy
it rises above its
WALL STREET JOURNAL Qoy Gould Boyum): "Such films oftoi start
and a good deal of force. But because of confused intentions^ desperali
teitaining, or a simple failure of nerve, such films end vip betraying
ginnlngs, ”
LOG CABIN DEMOCRAT;Conway, Arkansas (Alton J. Robertson): "A
the greatest combinations found in any ctoematic journey: the mlsturc^
tainment and a thought-provoking theme. •. The late Alfred Hitchcock
likely loved the pair (Urich & Williams) and their edgy and uncertain
how that relationship plays upon the central problem within the story,
a genuine villain in a ma ime r that would please Hitchcock, who firml
stronger the villain, the better the film. Coyote is prime nastiness,
me a nervous wreck, and I haven't felt that way after seeing a movi^
decade. 1 loved it. 1 look forward to seeing it again."
film that has one of
of popular enter-
^vould have most
relationship and
Peter Coyote is
y believed the
(The film) made
in more than a
b5^
Also of interest are the comments of JoBeth Williams, interviewed
DALLAS TIMES HERALD (^ptember 14, 1982). She elaborated on soji
and ideas that she encountered while on location for "Eidaigejed Specii^j
rado, and filmed mostly In Wyoming, partially in Colorado);
"Yes, 1 met a number of ranchers whose cattle had been nmtUal
teresting to talk to them. Those were first-hand reports. There
people who support the theory (of germ warfare tests). But the
talked to, oddly enough, most of them thought it was UFOs. I
shocked by that. Because, here are these salt-of-the-earth kind
rugged ranchmen, saying, "Oh, yeahl I think it is UFOs"...That
me away. "
The ranchers reach this conclusion, she believes, because typj
of any kind are found around the dead cattle and bright lights in
frequently reported around the sites. That would lead one to t
catch-all for unexplainable phenomena. For herself, she's comfi
with the germ war&re theory. She arrived at that stance, she
having talked extensively with a private Investigator who had
omenon for serveral years. The use of helicopters to pick up
the cattle In their grazing land offers an explanation to both the
icfJl^
with fascinating ideas
te efforts to be en-
their powerful be-
Bob Porter of the
me of the people
s" (set in Colo-
It was in-
are a lot of
chers 1
s really
of guys, these
kind of blew
ran
Wl!
y no tracks
tte night are
Idrk of UFOs, a
;o(i:tahle enough
Slid, after
stwlled the phen-
and redeposlt
lack of tracks
339
6
and the bright lights. Those mutilations^ Miss Williams said, ha^^e been
found in 40 states and in numerous places around the globe, from Canada
to Brazil. There have been more than 10,000 separate reports. She thinks
there must have been five or six times as many cases of mysterious mu¬
tilations go unre ported (sic) because ranchers have difficulty getting offi¬
cialdom to responds.
"They (officials) all say the deaths of the cattle are by natural causes or
predators. The ranchers are no fools", she explained. "They say if the
coyotes killed the cattle they brought along their scalpels. The mutilations
are that precise. The government won’t do anything aboxit it and the local
sheriffs, who are close to the scene, and at least sympathetic to the
ranchmen, just give up because they don’t get any support,"
An interview with JoBeth Williams* co-star, Robert Urich, was conducted by Arthur Bell
for his "Bell Tells" column in the VILLAGE VOICE (New York City). La the edition of
November 23, 19S2, Bell reports that Urich.....
.... believed the movie had merit and MGM had let it slip by unheralded.
"Species" is a political potboiler about cattle mutilation aimed at vegetar¬
ians and the SPCA. Yet the story of how the government kills off cows
isn’t as enthralling as the tale of how Urich gets Sheriff JoBeth fTolter-
geist") Williams to finally say moo to him: they’re a steamy team, and
their love scenes aie worth the price of bacon. According to the actor,
whose demeanor reminds one of Burt Reynolds, "We started production
on "Endangered Species" when David Begelman was head of MGM, but half¬
way through, Freddie Fields replaced him, and he brought along a bunch
of bible salesmen in pin-striped suits. They didn’t understand what we
were doing. They thought they were getting this guy from TV - me - iu a
high-style action mystery suited for drive-ins. Their heads weren’t geared
for anything different."
Consequently, MGM released the movie nationwide over a two-week period,
five months after it was ready for distribution, refusing to hire a project
manager to work on publicity. If handled properly, Urich believes, "Species”
could have become the subject of political editorials and articles on tl^
news pages, much like "Missing", He says there was noise out of the Pen¬
tagon - when questioned about the noise, poor Urich is vague, though be
knows the head guys down there refused to attend a screening. "Certainly
people in power know things that we don’t about chemical warfare against
animals, and they want to keep us dumb." Urich confesses he was anything
hut ecstatic filming scenes with his bovine brothers and sisters. He was
gentleman enough, however, to refrain from eating meat while shooting seq-
340
f :oi
u^ncas of cattle slaughtert he offers between bites of a burger
service* Cows aren't thou^^itful or compassionate creatures when
to hogging scenes with live actors. "There are three basic thlngi?
created them to do", claims the charming Urich, "To eat. Then
they have to when the food comes out the other end* And, eventi^:
good rump roast. Anyone who says moviemaking was easy ought
heads examined. I was stepped on, kicked by, and pissed on by
than I care to remember*"
m room
it comes
God
to do what
lly, to make
to have their
more cows
Something else came to light in ^rly 1983, The studio, MGM/UA Enti^
ted a new member to its board of directors: Gen. Alexander l^ig, tbs
of State. And, according to the WALL STREET JOURNAL (Jan, 10, 19
paid $25,000 a year as a consultant to MGMA^A.
rtalmn^t Co*, elec-
former Secretary
33)^ he wHi also be
Now, a few comments from STIGMATA readers, E, Edwin Austin of
Center (4623 E. Washington, Apt, 20; Orange, GA 92669) offers his
Species":
die Mutilation Data
review of "Endangered
Somebody has done one hell of a research job! The movie is fiction,
strange part is that this movie reaches the same conclusions I reacb
different data* Their stuff reinforces mine and vice versa. They use
icopter, short wide blades, muffled jet engine and all. But they insertji
tor, originally from a law enforcement investigator, Louis Girodo,
Office, Trinidad, Colorado. Large, white trucks - he says, hauling t]
the approximate area, then flown. This truck thing would doggone sur^
screwy appearances and disappearances of the choppers!
Disi
The movie brings another new element into the picture, with the statej
and reproductive systems of cattle almost exactly duplicate humans,
on something else they didn't have, U. S. Dept, of Agriculture noises
Mlity of I^rvo Virus mutating into man". Considering that USDA is tl
CBW research agency in the world, anything they say about anything
ination.
Still another element is the connection into human murders. They treiii
sinations. When you put that together with the (Ted) Bundy tie to Qrej
tioxLs and the (Richard) Chase tie to the Nevada calf mutilation, then
Chase's ^ther is an Air Force intelligence officer and Chase's first
enforcement-connected BLM surveyor supervisor -- and Bundy's 30-pl
three or four failed attempts were 100% government connected, over
ment connected -- the tl^ma holds up. Also, I have a highly susplclo
berry, Missouri, that brougjit me an implied threat from the funeral
died the body, I have been saying for a long time that we are not gi^
based on fact. The
long ago, from
genuine slLent bal¬
ed a brand newfac-
^trict Attorney's
choppers out to
explain all the
he
ment that the nerve
'that puts a new light
about "the possi-
be largest single
tears close exam-
t them as assas¬
sin cattle mutUa-
add in the fact that
^rlctim was a law
as victims plus his
50% law enforce-
IIS case from Els-
dlrector who han-
[vlng enough attention
341
8
to related or connected iniirders« Maybe this movie will point it up bc^tter.
They deacribe chemically induced ’'heart attacks I have a list of ovfe:
plained heart attacks, among opponents to one of the more violent cnltJ
pattern perfectlyThe cult is ri^t-wing extremist and may have been
experiments in the Kansas City area some years ago, done by a closi^!
wing extremist political group* This is something I never connected mi
There are several items of the same nature*
I have two basic complaints about the movie. First, they treat cults
military disinformation. I have at least half a dozen cases In my own
ouri that I know for an absolute fact are cult. STIGMATA has more tl
thing else. Thus, I would have been happier if they treated cults as
all* Second - all semi-documentaries of this kind pack too much info:
time. This one is no exception - take your notebook if you go see it.
8 pure red herring -
files out of Miss-
:lhat can’t be any-
lal, but part, not
lion into too little
lei
^rmat
But it is well worth seeing* This is the first movie with reasonably gjo^
it* It is a good way to get some background available no where else,
Lx)uis Girodo, it appears that mutilations continue at a slightly lower
ers have stopped reporting them* If so, that indicates secret vigilante
dangerous in the long run than the mutes. If so, the movie may be a
instating the subject.
When ''Endangered Species" opened in New York City in November 19K
the one theater where it was showing) was less than overwhelming. F
mute researcher Peter Jordan saw the picture in New York and report:!
As docudrama, the film succeeds in ways I forankly would not ha
possible. *. The dialogue turned awkward one or two times, but 1
majority of viewers even noticed, since the tension the film evo!
“ ‘ “ SU]
to mask any minor flaws which appear. There’s a nice flow,
and even some nice metaphor for enthusiasts like me. This is s
budget at its hipest potential. What’s simply astonishing, thougti,
there were only M of us in attendance (on a Saturday), when 1
that openings such as this usually guarantee that one will have
stuck in lines that extend two or more city blocks in length!
to
Noted Fortean author John A* Keel saw
Jordan, and he offered these comments:
’Species’’ at the same theate
As you probably know, tbe producers opted for the Ed Sanders
and tried very hard to make it plauslMe* The flick got lukewa;
nai
r 200 such unex-
:s, which fit this
involved in CBW
ly associated ri^t-
to the mutes before.
od research L behind
After talking to
pace, but that own-
action - far more
timely way of re-
i2, the response (at
lortean writer and
s:
■ve thought
doubt if the
ijkes seems
i]^rb editing,
imply low-
is that
<|:an tell you
remain
r attended by Peter
4^1anation
to-good
342
9
reviews here but it is a terrible flop. According to Variety, it grossed
$11,578 the first week here, and $7# 500 the second week. The nut (ex¬
penses) of the theater are $8, 800 per week. So the producers won’t get a
nickel out of the brief NYC run closed yesterday)(ed.note: 11-20-82)^
There were six showings daily so that means it averaged out to about 45
tickets sold per showing. The producer would end up with less than $1500
for a two-week run in Gotham. If it did as poorly elsewhere, the picture
will rank as a very large bomb. The day I saw it, there were about
eight people in the audience, Tim Beckley saw it on a Sat. night and
there were 13 people in the audience! I imagine the costs of TV commer¬
cials, ads, and pressagent hype will far exceed the miserable $1500 and
the distributor will probably back off and shelve the picture... if he
hasn’t already.
Keel is all too prophetic. As of mid-January 1983, Alive Enterprises, ’’Endangered Spe¬
cies’” s production company, indicated that the picture was dead-in-the-water (or on-the-
prairie) and that there had not even been any efforts thus far to strike a deal with eith¬
er network TV or subscription TV Showtime, etc.).
THE CONSULTANT
In making ’’Endangered Species”, Alive Enterprises hired a livestock mutilation consultant,
George C, Erlanne of Colorado Springs, Colorado - where, until recently, he worked as
”The Detective”, a private eye specializing in ^om his business card) ’’exclusive private
investigations, national & international”. Before that he had worked as a cop and as a
’’super spook” for a number of intelligence agencies. A man not without "conBections”, He
has investigated the mutilations extensively, both on his own and for such organizations as
ABC News* during preparation of their aborted ”20-20” mutilation probe.
It's no secret that "Endangered Species” depicts the mutilations as the by-product of un¬
authorized military (or quasi-military) research into germ warfare; and the scenario for
the mutilations as presented in the movie closely parallels Erianne’s findings and tenta¬
tive conclusions. Erianne told the COLORADO SPRINGS GAZETTE TELEGRAPH (8-25-82)
and the LOS ANGELES TIMES (9-10-82) that he felt the scenario in ’’Species” was about
75 per cent accurate. However - ’’Species” was premiered at the Telluride (Colorado)
Film Festival in September 1982. Erianne was overheard in informal conversation in Tel- -
luride saying that he felt the UFO hypothesis was the most likely to explain the mutes, and
that he had no real proof regarding any other theory. Around this time (Aug. 2 9,1982), the
ROCKY MT.NEWS in Denver published an exhaustive interview/article on Erianne & his
provacative cloak-and-dagger background; but there was no mention whatsoever in the arti¬
cle about Erianne’s extensive mutilation investigations.
343
LETTERS
Before he wrote to us regarding "Endangered Species", John Keel fired oft a response to
the article in STIGMATA 18 - "Tome To Torpedo Mutes", wherein is described the ef¬
forts of authors Dan Kagan k Ian Summers and Bantam Books to publish a pointless book
in ifldilch the mutilation problem is (to the satisfaction of the authors) debunked and de¬
fused. Since Keel wrote in Summer 1982, the late word is that Bantam still plans to pub¬
lish the book, possibly in mid-19S3^ BCeel's comments,^,..
Don't hold your breath waiting for the appearance of Bantam's mutilation mess by Kagan and
Summers, Actually, Kagan wrote it and Summers, a literary agent, just went along for
the ride. Kagan is a victim of the <Fhilip) Klass syndrome-. .that is, he is tussling with
his own insecurities and obsessions, hfe has no real credentials, no journalistic or liter¬
ary credits or experience. His manuscript was an awesomely undisciplined brew of repe¬
titious, egoistic, unqualified speculations covering over a thousand pages. Various free¬
lance editors were called in to whittle it down^ At last report it had been reduced to a-
bout 500 pages CTo he publishable in today's market, the ms. should not be longer than
250-300 pages).
Although Bantam paid out a hefty five-figuare advance for the book, they would be smart to
scrap the whole project. Before they set out on their grand tour, I had dinner with the
dashing duo and advised them to investigate The Phenomenon and not waste time investi¬
gating the investigators.., but, of course, they ended up doing the latter because It was
easier and because mute investigators (and all Fortean types) are very vulnerable. Kagan,
a washed out pre-med student, delighted himself in animal dissections and autopsies. I
warned him repeatedly - having grown up on a farm myself - that farmers and local
vets are not the ignorant yokels he believed them to be. But his whole anti-mute posture
had to be constructed around the yokel prernise. Nor could Kagan grasp the fact that mu¬
tilations have actually received a minimum of publicity, even in the areas where they
were occurring with great frequency. He didn't bother to do any basic library research
(For example, he was unfamiliar with Fort's references to the 1905 mute wave. He did¬
n't even know about the fascinating Kansas wave in 1973-74.
Like Klass, he found it easier to discredit or ignore whatever failed to conform to his
negative hypothesis. A large part of his book was devoted to discrediting mute investiga¬
tors. Most of this libelous trash has been edited out 1^ the Bantam editors realise it
is a book without a market. The affected farmers are not interested in buying and wad¬
ing through a hefty book that assumes a negative position and tells them nothing useful. The
general public doesn't give a damn. The Forteans^ere are only about 1800 of them in the
U.S,) won't be at all interested in reading such an ill-informed, insulting mish-mash. How¬
ever, perhaps Kagan has a horde of relatives who will buy the book.
344
Keel also adds that;
11
Ivan Sanderson and I were investigating animal mutilations throughout the north-^
east in the 1960's« In 1966, 1 looked into thirty mutilations in the Scranton,
PA area aloneo A year or so later, the frustrated farmers of FA tried to
form an association to halt the growing rnimber of mutes. They failed to get
any real government support and the effort eventually died out. When I first
started examining the UFO literature of the 1940* s and 50* s I was struck
by the number of animal mutilation cases that had filtered into them* These
phenomena are consistent over a long period of time and I doubt very much
if any simple-minded government project Is the culprit.
The pseudonymous "X-9" has been consistently critical of the ''Grudge 13" allegations
offered up by the equally pseudonymous "Toulinet", claims that we began reporting on in
STIGMATA #14, "X-9** is decidedly skeptical of Toulinet's claim to have investigated (as
part of a Special Forces operation) the crash of an "intact" B-52 bomber that may have
been downed by a UFO In Vietnam, "X-9" muUs over that supposed operation:
The first thing to do would be to secure the perimeter from possible hos¬
tile attack to ensure the safety of the ECM goodies. This would more
properly be entrusted to a company (more likely a battalion) of airborne.
This done, the plane woxild be searched, but because of the uncertainty of
what would be found and the status of the various destruct devices, such a
search would not be given to a glorified infantry unit like the SF, but USAF
techs flown in. You will note that this same "individual" (Love that military
parlance) received no less than three battlefield promotions. Bunk. VU be
triple of nothing for my issue of CRUX that the sum of all battlefield com¬
missions awarded to US forces in 'nam equals ZERO, In fact, none since
the Korean War*
There is more to report on our "Grudge 13" source, "Toulinet'V in the following unconfirm¬
ed account, hi May of 1982, Toulinet was contacted his former commanding officer at
the listening post near London (where he read Se analyzed the "Grudge 13" report). This
colonel had been unceremoniously dumped from the service as had Toulinet; the colonel
retired to New Mexico, In May he told Toulinet that he had information regarding the site
of an apparent UFO crash and/or landing in bfew Mexico, Accompanied by a third man,
Toulinet & the colonel drove a four-wheel*^ive van to the suspected site late that month.
They parked the van, Toulinet walked some distance from the van while examining the
area, and the other two men were near the van working with equipment. Suddenly, a noise
& flash attracted Toulinet's attention, and he watch as a "rocket" tore through tte night
sky, exploded on or near the van, apparently killing the other two* Toulinet ran, hitchhUc-
back to his hometown,went to a friend to spill the story and, saying that his life was not
then worth two cents, he left, and he has not been seen or heard from since*
345
Schmift Revisited
In the summer of 1982, U<S, Senator Harrison "'Jack'' Schmitt of New Mexico, who co¬
sponsored the 1979 mutilation conference in Albuquerque, was interviewed by the RIO
GRANDE SUN of Espanola, New Mexico, the principal newspaper of mute-plagued Rio
Arriba County. The Senator reiterated his concern over the mutilation problem, his be¬
lief that "individuals" (humans, that is, not predatory animals) were responsible for at
least some mutilations, and he discussed the "mystery helicopters" as a relevant aspect
of the problem, Schmitt had been criticized for holding the 1979 conference at public ex-
pensec But the SUN cites Schmitt aide Wayne Ciddio as pointing out that the conference was
held in a public building and "cost no money to speak of" while Kenneth Rommel received
an LEAA grant on the order of $50,000 for his "investigation".
When questioned about the few mutilations that had been reported in Northern New Mexico
in the spring and summer of 1982 and whether this renewed activity might justify another
conference, Schmitt replied:
I think that depends upon whether a pattern of mutilations starts to develop
again. Clearly right after that (1979) conference we found that there was al¬
most no mutilation activity in the state of New Mexico. So that if nothing
else, it appears that the conference had the purpose of protecting the prop¬
erty of many small ranchers and farmers for that period of time<, Now if
these individuals have returned to New Mexico and are continuing to violate
federal law and state law, then clearly it would warrant.
Schmitt at that point was cut off fit Interrupted by the reporters, Tom and Lester Kinsolv¬
ing, but he later returned to the subject of the 1979 conference:
♦.As a consequence of that conference, or seemingly as a consequence of
it, the mutilations stopped for a number of years (STIGMATA note: certainly
not true for the U, S,, and not even for New Mexico), And I see nothing
wrong with that cost-benefit analysis. Every one of those cows was worth
several hundred dollars, and there were many, many reported instances of
the loss of cows.
Schmitt was asked how he managed to "keep a straight face" at the 1979 conference:
I always keep a straight face when the property - and potentially the lives
of New Mexicans are involved. Clearly, whatever the explanation of the
cattle mutilations has been or is - or explanations, plural - it has involved
the loss of property by individual ranchers and farmers - small ranchers
and farmers for the most part - and they had asked me to try to do some-
thmg about this. The first step was to get the Justice Department to admit
that there was a federal jurisdiction - which they didn't want to admit under
346
13
the Carter administration, but finally did - and then agree to have a joint
hearing conference on this subject to air the issues publicly, and then to
see where we would proceed from there h,
The federal authorities have been very reluctant to step forward and exer*-
cise their jurisdiction in this matter. I don't know why, unless they just
didn't want to be dragged into somethtiig they don't think they can explain.
But clearly the rustling of cattle and the killing of cattle represents a
crime in the state of New Mexico and if committed on federal property
represents a federal crime* And the law is very clear on that, no matter
what the Justice Department may have originally said.
The article ends with Schmitt remarking that he knows of "no definitive evidence" leading
to whatever forces are behind the mutilations, and, to Schmitt's mind, there has simply
been "no full explanation".
Ex-astronaut and moon-walker Schmitt clearly had something else to worry about - his re
election campaign to retain his U* S* Senate seat. Uis opponent was New Mexico Attorney
General Jeff Bingaman - one of his campaign slogans was "What on earth has Jack Schmitt
done for New Mexico?", or something to that effect- In a campaign that got a little nas¬
ty toward the end, Bingaman won.
MDC Report
(by E. Edwin Austin; Mutilation Data Center; 4623 E- Washington, Apt. 20; Orange, CA 92669)
LANDALUCE
The recent death of Landaluce, the multi-million-dollar race horse who was favored to win
Santa Anita, spawned an absolute Pandora's Box, Local vets could not determine the cause
of death, so the carcass was shipped to the University of California's veterinary school
at Davis. Dr- Bennie Osborn controlled all publicity and supervised or did the post-mor¬
tem, Dr. Osborn issued a press release saying that the horse died from blood clots all
through it, probably caused by "an unknown virus". The clotting phenomenon - along with
other anomalies - appear all through cattle mutilations* I also have one human case from
Elsberry, Missouri* Naturally, 1 burned up the phone trying to get to Dr. Osborn. No
answer for two days, I called around and was told that he was ”on vacation". Huh? He
takes a vacation right in the middle of the biggest necropsy in his career? And his sec¬
retary with him? Whoa, now - what's this?
I tried to get hold of Landaluce*s owners. 'The racetrack at Santa Anita says they don't
347
14
know who they are or how to mail anything to them* A multi-milliondollar horse racing
for one of the world* s largest purses and the track doesn't hsTe the name and address
of the owners? Now we're getting to tfc^ point of coyer-up*
It's funny —— 1 got the same thing in the human blood-clotting case. When I wrote Rick's
Funeral Home in Elsberry, Missouri - who embalmed the body - 1 got an angry, insult¬
ing letter back that contained thinly-yelled threats. The owners are part of a political
machine that was at one time controlling drug trade, fencing, gambling, etc., in the
county and I brought them down in a shambles, so I credited their hostility to that - now
I wonder.
I
The blood-clotting phenomenon and other blood anomalies appear all over the place In our
livestock cases. It also appears In books as far hack as 1969 dealing with chemical/bio¬
logical warfare. One of these books, 'Tellow Rain", ties the chemicals to reconnaissance
aircraft positively identified as U. S. origin.
Considering all the systematic interference with state and local investigations, it appears
that any future press releases from Dr. Osborn should be regarded as a combination of
propaganda and scapegoat stuff - like the Williams prosecution in Atlanta, the Son-of-
Sam cover-up in New York and refusal to follow through on loose ends in the Chase, Bian-
chi and Bundy killings. This, of course, ignores unanswered questions in both Kennedy
and the King assassinations.
Without personal and long-term contact with Landaluce's owners, this one stops l^re,
blocked by cover-up.
An Investigation Still- In - Progress
The investigation into the important Cash/Landrum case of December 1980 continues (see
STIGMATA #17 )o Readers are directed to the "UFO Update" in the "Anti Matter" section
of the February 1983 OMNI magazine. The unfortunate aftermath drags on for Betty Cash
(heart attack, stroke in recent months), Vickie Landrum (worsening cataract, weakness,
sores that leave scars) and young Colby Landrum (vision impairment, sores, nausea,
anemia and potentially(according to OMNI) leukemia. An investigation led by McEtonnell
Douglas engineer John l^huessler (an officer in both the MUFON and VISIT UFO-investi¬
gative organizations) has uncovered a number of witnesses who saw Chinook-type helicop¬
ters that night and in that area. The latest on the helicopter aspect is revealed by Schues-
sier in this December 1982 report:
The Cash/Landrum incident took place during Monday evening, 29 I>ecember 1980.
During the incident the three victims were exposed to something that caused
348
15
lasting physical injuzy and impairments Also during the incident the victims
reported sighting more than 20 helicopters. Many of the helicopters were of
the large twin-rotor type - distinctly military.
During the follow-up investigation Ft, Hood, Ellington AFB, the Inspector
Generars representative and others excused the possibility of military heli¬
copter operations during the incident, by stating that military units don't
operate during the Christmas holiday period, Ellington people went one step
further by stating they fly only on weekends. VISIT investigators proved both
statements to be mcorrect by citing specific activities of helicopter units as
proof. Now, two years later, the source of the helicopters that participated
in the Cash/Landrum incident is still a mystery. However, helicopter opera¬
tions continue in the bfouston area. On Tuesday , 28 December 1982, a CH-47
Chinook in Army markings approached the Clear Lake, Texas area from the
south at 3:01 PM, made a turn over die Johnson Space Center, and landed
at Ellington AFB, Additional CH-47 flights out of Ellington were observed at
6:19 PM, 6:41 PM, and 7:19 PM. later flights were mixed with F-4 Phantom
flights until after 9:30 PM, Again, CH-4Ts flew on a week - night and during
Christmas week.
M(SC£1L4NY
MOSQUITO MADNESS: Writing in the September 1979 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC maga-
2 ine, mosquito authority & University of Utah biologist Lewis T* Nielsen pointed out that:
’"With the possible exception of man himself, (the mosquito) bears responsibility for more
death and discomfort than any other single form of animal life on our planet'V The insects
are responsible for afflictions ranging from malaria and yellow fever to dog heartworms.
Hurricane Allen battered the coast of Texas in August of 1980. Its higji tides left salt
marshes festering with a zillion-legged army of ’'skeeters", A month or so later, four
cows and a calf were found dead on a Brazoria County ranch. As much as half of the blood
was missing from the carcasses, with "no external or internal hemorrhaging to account
for the severe anemia". Veterinarian L.G, Gayle of Texas A&M University felt it a strong
probability that mosquitos extracted the animals' blood, and that the cattle either died dir¬
ectly from blood loss or later from heat & exhaustion. The cattle had come in at 4:00
PM and were dead the next morning, Gayle suspected that mosquitos may have been res¬
ponsible for other similar cattle deaths along the coast. (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL, 9-20-80)-
STARK- RAVEN - MADNESS : In the Dryden/Qxcirift area of Western Ontario, Canada,
ravens were observed plucking the eyes from cattle during the spring of 1982, The cow
would drop to the ground ^s soon as the eye was plucked out) 'like it had been hit with
a sledgehammer”. Following the eye-removal* the birds would retire to the rectum for a
leisurely pecking-away at that area. Qxdrlft farmer George Wall suffered a number of cat-
349
16
tie losses in this fashion, and he claimed that some of the animals were "absolutely
bled dry". But though Dryden veterinarian Eiavid Millar agreed that the cattle suffered
some bleeding from the eye cavities, neither this nor the pecking-away at the rectum
should have been enough to cause deaths He theorized that the sudden death may in some
way relate to the shock accompanying the severing of the optic nerve. Farmer WaU
estimated that he had lost 40 cattle, valued at $10,000, in this way. Farmers in the
Kenora, Ontario area, some 100 km* to the west, suffered similar cattle losses (attri¬
buted to ravens) in the spring of 1982* And in far west-central Nknitoba, near The
Pas, farmer John Yaworski lost 10 calves to raven attacks that spring- NEW SCIEN¬
TIST (May 27, 1982), PURSUIT (1st Quarter 1982), NIAGARA FALLS REVIEW (April 13,
1982), THE EXPOSITOR®rantford,Ont.)(Aprll 13, 1982), TORONTO GLOBE & MAIL
(April 17, 1982). Credit: Rill Banks, Jerome Clark, Dwight Whalen.
bi 1980 New Jersey Fortean researcher Peter A. Jordan published a monograph, GLIMPSES
THROUGH A LOOKING GLASS, in which he reported on the use of psychometry ft^sychic
analysis) in his mutilation-related investigationSc GLIMPSES was & is must reading for
serious mutilation researchers, regardless of ones initial reaction to the potential "prac¬
tical" use of psychometry, Jordan's report has now been reprinted in the British publica¬
tion, the pre-eminent FORTEAN TIMES ($12,00 for 1 year, $4*00 single copy). Jordan's
piece appears in issue no. 38. Write:
BM - FORTEAN TIMES, London WC IH 3XX, United Kingdom
Highly recommended for its text (for Spanish-readers) and for its pictorial content (for
anyone into mute research) is a new Spanish-language publication adventurer-investi¬
gator Danny Liska, who divides his time between his Nebraska homeland and Colombia,
South America. Send $5.00(U-S.) and ask for publication no. 12, regarding livestock mu¬
tilations. Write; Danny liska; Niobtat^a, Nebraska 68760.
Scattered throughout the U.S, are scores of defensive missiles in "silos" maintained by
Che military. Many of the sites are inmiaimed, though monitored from a central location.
The security arrangements are so highly sophisticated as to (we are told) "defy descrip¬
tion", On the Western plains in the mid-to-late 1970's, security police arrived at one
such site to find the gate and the silo wide open. Baffling the fact that no security
alarms had been set off. But there was no sabotage» nothing misamg. Along the fence
around the perimeter of the site was "a sprinkling of silvery-colored residue that had
kind of coagulated"* We are told that "Blue Book" {!?) personnel confiscated the material.
Our next publication will be CRUX, to be followed by however-many STIGMATA*s there
will be in 1983* This is your final STIGMATA, if you have not renewed for 1983*
