NUMBER FOUR SUMMER 1978 ONE DOLLAR TIDE PROJECT STIGMA REPORT ON THE CONTINUING INVESTIGATION INTO THE OCCURRENCE OF ANIMAL MUTILATIONS Change being an essential and integral aspect of existence, we would prefer to think that with all our revisions we are effectively progressing and evolving, as opposed to merely floundering about in disarray. This edition of STIGMATA was to be a "July" issue, but is instead "Summer 1978". The "Fall 1978" STIGMATA will be issued before Thanksgiving and will also cost $1.00. Do not subscribe to any issues beyond the "Fall 1978" edition, for reasons explained below. To receive the "Fall 1978" STIGMATA, send 81.00 (cash preferred, receipt issued upon request) to: Project Stigma - P.O. Box 1094 - Paris, Texas 75460 The next STIGMATA may be the last, or at least it may be the last in the present format. Project Stigma is about to enter into new investa- gative phase, which will represent an intensification of our efforts, not a curtailment. These changes will hopefully be of great benefit to us as well as to all who are concerned with the problem at hand. Those who have already subscribed beyond the Fhll 1978 issue will be assured of receiving the proper amount of issues after publication is resumed. There will be a temporary hiatus of several months while the new investi¬ gative initiative is put into operation. Sometime in 1979 a new publica¬ tion will be issued - or a revised STIGMATA will appear. More details in the Fall 1978 STIGMATA. Project Stigma represents an on-going probe into the relentless wave of animal mutilations and mutilation-deaths, and is an attempt to coordinate and assist in information-gathering activities on the part of the pertinent and responsible investigative agencies and in¬ dividuals. 13 2 1978 RAGES ON! We are aware of the following occurrences of animal mutilations which have been reported during the first half of 1978* We will almost certainly learn of more, as is usually the case, and we ask readers to advise us of any we have left out. More detailed descriptions of some of the incidents will follow. Mutilation victims are cattle unless otherwise indicated: January: May: Nebraska - Perkins Co. Alabama - Limestone Co.(hogs) February: Texas - Duval Co. Arkansas - Howard Co. Washington - Skagit Co. (horse) Arkansas - Benton Co. (horse) Arkansas - Logan Co. Kansas - Rice Co. (2) Oregon - Linn Co. (horse) New Mexico - Rio Arriba Co. (3) Mississippi - Copiah Co. Texas - Van Zandt Co. June: March: Wyoming - Big Horn Co. Virginia - Goochland Co. (At least 9 cows, perhaps as many as 17) April: Virginia - Goochland Co. (Continuing 3~week wave begun in March) Mississippi - Copiah Co. Arkansas - Benton Co. ^6 cattle, 1 horse) Texas - Webb Co. Wyoming - Big Horn Co. Wyoming - Natrona Co. Missouri - Lincoln Co. New Mexico - Rio Arriba Co. Kansas - Russell Co. (dog?) New Mexico - Rio Arriba Co. New Mexico - San Miguel Co.(horse) Colorado - Huerfano Co. (2) Missouri - Lincoln Co. Missouri - St. Charles Co. Texas - Deaf Smith Co, Credit and thanks to: Ann Rosenbloom, George Gengenbach, Tom Bearden, Jacob Davidson, Clemente Garcia, Mary Beth Saenz, Sheriff Dick Wakefield, Lucius Parish, J.W. Burke, Jr., Norman Call, Ronnie Nuckols, Jim Ross, Steve Hicks, Toyo Yamamoto, Judge C. B. Wiley, Bill Jackson, Alice Richmond, Howard Burgess, Gabe Valdez, TAL Levesque, David Per¬ kins, Tommy R. Blann, Betty Hill, James M. Renner, Louis Graves, Margaret Ann Watts. 14 A CLOSER LOOK 3 January Limestone Co., Alabama: A number of hogs (one source says 20, another says nearer 40) were found dead with the sides of their heads - skull and all - missing. In some it appeared that the brain cavities were empty. The entire herd was not wiped out; at least six hogs remained unharmed. Skagit Co., Washington: It appears that, proportionally, the number of horse mutilations are increasing. In the last week of December, a clas¬ sic horse mutilation occurred in Salt Lake City, Utah. In early January a prized thoroughbred was killed, but not mutilated, in Carroll Co., Arkansas. Leading up to that event, a notable wave of UFO sightings occurred in Carroll County. Benton County, Arkansas adjoins Carroll Co. on the west (see April, May). The Carroll Co. horse was apparently killed by a single blow to the snout. A veterinary pathologist was im¬ pressed by the fact that the killer had to know just how and where to strike the blow once, in order to quickly kill the animal. The Salt Lake City horse, which was mutilated, suffered a similar blow to the skull. Details on the Skagit Co. horse death remain sketchy. An investigator in an adjacent county has not had much success in getting information from Skagit County authorities. March and April Goochland Co., Virginia: Investigators have wondered about the relatively small number of mutilations which have been reported from the southeast¬ ern United States, which certainly contain their share of livestock. In 1978, it seems that more reports are beginning to emanate from the South. At least 9 cattle, and perhaps as many as 17* were found "dead and mutila¬ ted in a bizarre fashion" on the Virginia State Farm (a state correctional center) near Crozier in a J-weelC period in March and April. No incidents occurred outside the State Fhrm. In fact, the mutilations were discovered in two separate, non-adjoining pastures owned by the State Fhrm. Autop¬ sies were conducted on some of the animals, but no cause of death could be discerned. Ears and udders, primarily, were the parts excised from the carcasses which, according to Goochland County Sheriff's Captain Mavin Clements, decomposed very rapidly. Reports of UPO sightings and landings occurred from the area around the State Fhrra during the >-week period. Several Farm guards reported seeing bright, noiseless, meandering noc¬ turnal lights, some of which appeared to land behind nearby hills. Project 15 5 Stigma interviewed a witness who lives less than a half-mile from the State Farm. On a late Sunday night or early Monday he observed a white light which descended below a low knoll between his residence and the Farm. The percipient was struck by the clarity and brilliance of the light and the lack of any sound. This occurred "during the time" that the mutilations were being discovered, although it is not known whether any mutilations occurred on that specific night. April and May Benton Co. t Arkansas: Six cattle and one horse in April and one horse in May fell victim to mutilators in Benton County. The mutes appeared "classic", with various parts having been removed with "surgical pre¬ cision". Stone altars, painted animal skulls, candles and other ostensi¬ ble indications of eultist activities had also been discovered in the county, leading sheriff's authorities to suspect "members of a satanic cult". Anthropologist Dr. Jerome Hose of the University of Arkansas, who was consulted by the Bentonville Sheriff's Office, has indicated that there has been a history of possible cultist activity in that area, long preceding the recent mutilations. In a case somewhat atypical of the other Benton County events, cattleman C. W. Wilkerson reports seeing a man standing near one of his cows early one morning. The man quickly left the area, but Wilkerson found that the animal's throat had been slit, and it apparently walked around until it bled to death. The head had been nearly severed but the carcass was not mutilated otherwise. On the other hand, the actual cause of death was not so apparent in the other mutilations, in which parts were removed cleanly and with little blood in evidence. One might be tempted to smell something of a red herring in the Wilkerson case. June Bussell Co., Kansas: Three children found the neatly-severed head of a large dog on a gravel road near Russell. They made a report of the find¬ ing and adults then visited the site - only to find that the dog-head was missing. There were minute traces of blood and fur in the soil to in¬ dicate that something had lain there. The children were adamant about what they saw and apparently the adults were convinced - especially when the youngsters produced a heavy collar with silver studs that had been around what was left of the dog's neck. A rabies tag on the collar was found to have belonged to a small registered dog which had been struck and killed by an auto east of Russell during the winter. Substantial mutilation waves seem to have occurred in at least three areas, in Texas, Mississippi and Missouri. More details in STIGMATA #5« 17 A WEEKEND IN APRIL Two classic, definitive cattle mutilations occurred on the week¬ end of April 22-2Jt 19?8 - in Natrona County, Wyoming and Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. We can report on these incidents in more detail than most, as they were subject to more scrutiny and examination than is usual. Natrona County , Wyoming Rancher Vern Sobinett's 1 KX)-lb. yearling heifer had been seen alive and well on Friday, April 21, 1978. A neighbor later reported having seen the animal down sometime on Saturday, the 22nd, but Robinett did not discover the animal until Tuesday, the 25th. He drove to within 12 feet of the carcass, which he could see had been mutilated, and left to report the incident to the Natrona County Sheriff's Office in Casper and to District Brand Inspector Herb Callen. The sheriff's personnel seemed a bit upset when they learned that Robinett had also informed the local newspaper - seems the area ranchers are supposed to have reached an agreement not to publicize any mutilations. Brand Inspector Callen saw nothing to indicate how the animal might have died, commenting, "I am quite sure this was not the result of predators. I presume whomever did the other ones (in the same area, two years ago) did this one, too."^- The rectum and 5 of 6 teats had been removed from the heifer, and a large portion of hide and flesh was missing from the jaw area. The observers noted no blood on the carcass or on the ground. Two veteran mutilation investigators journeyed to the site west of Casper on Thursday, April 27*: Lonnie Johnson of Salt Lake City, Utah, at that time an official with The Fund For Animals, and Larry Peters of Rock Springs, Wyoming. On examination of the site that evening, the two noted the "classic" nature of the act. Obtaining permission from Mr. Robinett to acquire samples of the carcass for analysis, the duo returned to the site on Friday morning, April 28a. Quoting from Johnson's report, filed with The Fund For Animals, the status of the carcass and parts thereof included the following: Anus - Appeared to be cored, approx. 3 to 4 inches deep and inches in diameter. Fecal discharge normally present after the death of an animal, particularly bovine, was absent. 18 7 Teats - Five of the six were removed to a depth of approx. Jt" below the body surface. They had been removed in such a maimer as to indicate that during the extraction the teat was pulled out of the body slightly t then incised. This would account for the slight indentation into the body. Tissue with-* in the opening (s) appeared to have been cauterized, texture slightly bubbled, extremely hard and with strands of thin, brittle fibrous filament extending back into the glands. The one remaining teat was the back left which appeared normal. Slight trickles of blood were present from all incisions. Ears - Left £ar had the top l#*' portion removed, almost in itself eliminating the possibility of natural predation, as the position of the animal's head was such that a predator could not have had access to the ear. The right ear had been removed from approx. I 1 ' in front of the extending tissue to approx. 10" behind the back lobe. The opening was circular in shape towards the front (approx. 4" in diam.) and pro¬ gressed back to a point. Tissue was totally void beneath the opening and extending back into the neck cavity and forward into the cranial cavity. Mouth - Skin had been removed on the right side from a point directly under the throat upward to the right over the top of the upper jaw bone, forward toward the nose and across approx. 2" back from the nasal passages. The incision was then brought back along the left lower jaw bone to join the other side of the cut. All tissue and organs were void from the throat and the spinal cord could be seen through the opening. ; Johnson further noted that the tongue had been removed at a point about 6" hack from the tip. Both eyes were present. Peters noticed that the lower jaw was broken at the joint. The investigators exam¬ ined an almost perfectly circular 3-inch-diameter section of hide on the right rear hip area which was void of hair, the hair having been removed in some undeterminee fashion. Johnson, in removing samples from this and other areas, found the hide and diin to be very hard and tough - "the toughest leather I've ever seen" - and the incisions with his surgical steel blade were made with great difficulty (this toughness of the skin and hide has become commonplace in mutilated carcasses)• Johnson reports that the animal was very bloated yet extremely flexible, "almost void of rigor mortis signs", and that the carcass was considerably decomposed. However, the flesh immediately under the 19 8 sections from which he took samples appeared to be "well-preserved and pink in color indicating quite a contradiction between it and the stomach cavity". Bubbling, discolored and seemingly-metamorphosed flesh indicated to the investigators the possibility of extreme heat having been present at the time of the mutilation. The samples, when they arrived at a lab in Utah, were found to be too deteriorated to justify analysis. Mute carcasses do have a ten¬ dency to decompose with abnormal rapidity (though there are exceptions, as pointed out in STIGMATA #5). After Johnson and Peters had departed, Vern Robinett moved the carcass to an area from which it could be easily observed for evidence of subsequent predation, if any. Two days of significant rainfall fol¬ lowed and when Robinett revisited the original site he was startled to find the ground where the cow had lain to be completely dry, while the surrounding area was very muddy. Four men visited the site to obtain samples from the carcass and from the dried soil at the site. At least one of them indicated that he was employed by Rockwell International at the Rocky Flats site near Denver, They indicated to Robinett that they felt the rapid decomposi¬ tion of the carcass had been due to "radon" (Webster: "A radioactive gaseous chemical element formed in the atomic disintegration of radium, and used in the treatment of cancer,"). Also, Lonnie Johnson reports that: On Sunday, April 30®, Mr. Robinett requested the sheriff's department to check the carcass for radiation. A Victoreen Model 68 counter was used. At a IX setting, the most sensi¬ tive, a background reading of ,01 was found on the animal. On the right ear, jaw bone and the glove I discarded (after taking samples) a ,1 reading was confirmed. This reading, although unusual, would not be detrimental to humans, Mr. Robinett told Project Stigma that, "We all seemed to have devel¬ oped a sort of cold that we can't get rid of. It has been with us since we found the cow". Most of the people involved seemed to have recovered by the end of June. By the first of July, the mutilated carcass had al¬ most totally deteriorated, having never been preyed upon by natural predators, with the exception of insects. During weeks preceding the mutilation, UFO sightings were numerous north and south of Casper, A deputy reported witnessed UFOs and was able to record their sound on a cassette recorder. 20 Bio Arriba County , New Mexico 9 In June of 1976 at least 3 cattle mutilations were reported in northern Bio Arriba County. An interesting and well-documented case occurred in a pasture approx. 12 miles from the town of Dulce. At that site were numerous circular "tracks" or impressions in the ground, primarily in straight lines, plus a set of three different indenta¬ tions in a tripod arrangement. For a summary of the event, the read¬ er is directed to the November/December 1977 issue of Beyond Beality Magazine (P.0. Box 428; Nanuet, NI 10954) and the article, "Cattle Mutilation: Witchcraft Rituals or Space Invasion" by Howard and Lovola Burgess. Dulce area residents had reported UFOs, including a sighting on the night of the mutilation. One investigator, while revisiting the site, observed a large black object which glided away just above the ground. Unusual images which were not visible to the naked eye later turned up on photos taken in the area of the mute site. And, excessive radiation was detected within the round (4-inch diameter) indentations. Manuel Gomez, owner of the cow victimized in June of 1976, has become a "favorite" of the mutilators, with at least 4 of his cattle falling victim to the siege. Gomez ranches as well as operates a store on the outskirts of Dulce, near his house. The mutilation which occurred late on April 23rd or early on the 24th took place, not at the pasture 12 miles SB of Dulce as in 19?6, but in a field less than a mile from the Gomez residence in DulceThe 11-month-old bull was seen alive Sunday evening and discovered by Gomez early Mon¬ day morning, the 24th. At about 11:00 PM, Sunday night, a Department of Game and Fish officer observed a large orange light on a ridge be¬ hind the Gomez property; also, a neighbor reported hearing an apparent helicopter flying low in the area the same night. The 4-inch tracks were back. The carcass lay in a lane in the mid¬ dle of the pasture, and down the lane for a considerable distance were the imprints. They "went back and forth a couple of times", then stopped about 100 feet from the carcass. Five other hulls and a flock of sheep were in the pasture and unharmed. The mutilated bull suffered the loss of its rectum and sex organs. State Police Officer Gabe Valdez of Dulce noted that the chest area was severely bruised and that the pelvic bone was broken, leading to the speculation that the animal was picked up, mutilated and dropped from above. Valdez, in the company of a friend, a retired scientist, cut the carcass open on Monday, just a few hours after the carcass was discov¬ ered. As in the Natrona County case, the hide and skin was very hard and stiff, like "cardboard"; yet when pressed upon, it felt sqnishy 21 10 and gurgled beneath the skin. Indeed, the internal organs appeared to be turning goft t mushy and were discolored - especially the liver, which was removed. Portions of the liver were preserved and trans¬ ferred to federal laboratory facilities at Los Alamos, New Mexico for examination. As a formality, it was necessary that New Mexico Gover¬ nor Jerry Apodaca request that the Los Alamos lab conduct the analy¬ sis, as a favor to the state, more or less. The request was made and the lab agreed to make the tests, even offering to send a team to the mutilation site. About 36 hours after the samples were left with Los Alamos, they lab claimed that they ran a culture (a private analyst later suggested there had not been time for that) and decided that the animal died a natural death ( Clostridium organism were indicated, said the lab) and was fed upon by coyotes. The lab then washed its hands of the affair. Portions of the liver, which were luckily re¬ tained by the investigators, were submitted to a private lab in New Mexico. The preliminary findings there, in comparison with a meat- market control sample, were that the Dulce liver seemed to exhibit an anomalous lack of copper# The carcass at Dulce was not totally drained of blood, but only a very small amount appeared to remain in the body. In addition, blood vessels in the eye and around the eyes seemed to have been rup¬ tured, Many factors in this and other mutilation events have led one experienced scientist to suggest that these animals are being sub¬ jected to massive doses of radiation - but not necessarily nuclear radiation - perhaps something akin to microwaves. Approximately 4 days before the April discovery of the Gomez cow„ a helicopter landed near the Gomez store and home. The occupants said they had run out of gas while aiding the State Police in searching for two lost boys. The bought gas from the pump at the Gomez store, paying with a credit card that indicated they were associated with a helicop¬ ter rental service in southwestern Colorado# The problem was: the State Police claimed that the chopper was not aiding them in any way. Aftermath At presstime, it would seem that no further known mutilation^acti- vity has occurred in the Casper, Wyoming area. The same cannot be said for New Mexico 0 About a week after the Dulce mutilation of April 23rd or 24th, and about 10 miles from town, a cow belonging to an official of the Jicarilla Apache Indian Reservation was found mutilated. It ap¬ peared that a belt or harness had been placed around the animal behind the front legs* Several "pod marks" were found several hundred feet away. It has been theorized once again that the animal was picked up in the area of the indentations, mutilated, and then dropped where it 22 11 was found. The udder and rectum were missing from the carcass. It has been reported that during that approximate period of time unidentified orange airborne lights were seen in the area. On May 14, 1978, State Police announced that they were investiga¬ ting the apparent mutilation of two cows and a calf on the ranch of Julius Ferran near Coyote, New Mexico, in southern Bio Arriba County. The two yearlings were found dead with the udders and rectums removed. Apparently, the calf - with part of an ear and part of its tail cut off - was alive and wandering around. There was a report that rains washed away any tracks or ground markings. However, one investigator claims to have photographed peculiar round "footprints" at the site. Other sources suggest that the animals may have suffered gunshot wounds and/or that the parts were removed with something akin to a hunting knife. Back to the Dulce area - two more mutilations (the "usual" parts taken) were reported there in late May. A front leg was broken on each, no strap or harness marks were visible, and if there were "pod marks", they had been obliterated by numerous other cattle tracks. On June 14, 1978, Project Stigma investigators Gary Massey and Tom Adams, while on vacation in southern Colorado, were advised of another mutilation in the Dulce area. Accompanied by Colorado investigators David Perkins and Cari Seawell, we arrived in Dulce to examine the site on Thursday, June 15th. It has been estimated that the mutilation oc¬ curred late Monday, the 12th or early Tuesday morning - which would have been two years to the date since the June 1976 mutilation. Plus, this latest event transpired in the same pasture, the animal having been found less than 500 yards from where the 1976 cow finally fell. And yes, the owner of the animal was, once again, Manuel Gomez. The cow was characteristically udder-less and rectum-less. A front leg was broken and massive fracturing of the backbone had occurred. The tip of one horn had been driven into the side of the animal’s skull, all of which yet again suggested a drop from the air. Unlike the June 1976 case and several other recent ones, there were no indications in the area of tracks, indentations or "pod marks". 5 There were indentations in the hide of the animal's legs which suggested the presence of a clamp or similar device. Flies were present on the carcass but it was obvious that Ahjrvother predators must have had better things to do* The pasture was notably remote, 12 miles or more from the nearest habitation. It seemed that virtually any operation could be conducted in the canyon with impunity, especially at night. Also, in this June 1978 mutilation, a calf of the victim turned up missing, as in June of 1976* 23 12 State Police Officer Gabe Valdez is convinced that a well-mobilized terrestrial agency is likely behind the mutilations and that the live¬ stock are regularly airlifted, mutilated and returned to the ground. Acting on the hypothesis that some victimized cattle are selected months or even years in advance before being mutilated, and that they may have been somehow "marked" for later selection, efforts are under¬ way at presstime to detect any such agent of identification with which the animals may have been "marked" for later pick-up by the mutilators. Sources (1) Casper (Wyo.) STAR-TRIBUNE; April 27, 1978 (2) Albuquerque (New Mex.) JOURNAL; April 25, 1978 (3) Albuquerque (New Mex.) JOURNAL; June 16, 1978 Additional credit (and immense thanks) go to: Lonnie Johnson of Salt Lake City, for his thorough report; Larry Peters of Rock Springs, Wyoming, who suggests that he may have on hand potentially mutilation- case-breaking data, pending deeper investigation; thanks also to Howard Burgess, Gabe Valdez and TAL Levesque. BRIEFLY ; A Plea . To Canadian Readers - We have been advised of the possible oc¬ currence of a "large number of cattle mutilations" in the area of Hastings, Ontario - perhaps in 1971 or so. Our source reports that farmers in that area may have been bought off by the Canadian govern¬ ment and thus kept silent. We would be grateful for any further infor¬ mation on these events which readers might supply* Fed Mute Probe? - Rumors are rampant of late which contend that the U.S. government has been or will be undertaknng an investigation into livestock mutilations in the state of New Mexico. At least four separ¬ ate sources have heard this while in that state* We hope this is not a reference to the Los Alamos "investigation" of the April Dulce mute* Arizona Meeting? - We are told that a meeting was scheduled earlier this year in Phoenix - only law enforcement and state veterinary officials were invited - and the subject was livestock mutilations. We would like to know what transpired. Can any readers shed light on the matter? STIGMATA *>• Copyright 1978 by Thomae R. Adame 24 ORDEAL IN ARKANSAS In STIGMATA #3 mention was made of several incidents in which wit¬ nesses have reportedly come upon mutilations-in-progress. Some of these tales bear no small similarity to the Men-In-Black accounts of UFO lore* Perhaps they are intended to appear that way, depending on the manner and extent of whatever deception may be involved. We will explore these re¬ ports as time progresses. Meanwhile, as we air the following example, we have hopes of eventually obtaining more detail and corroboration for this most unusual account. A former high-ranking employee of a large American company sought es¬ cape from the rat-race in New Mexico, where he opened a small but appar¬ ently satisfying business. One day in 1977, a middle-aged woman entered his shop, struck up a conversation, and the two quickly developed a trust¬ ing and friendly relationship. At some point Mrs. L. (as we'll call her) related her story to the shop-owner; The woman and her husband, who were comfortable, perhaps even "well- to-do", had lived in Arkansas before moving to New Mexico. One day (per¬ haps as recent as early 1977, or 1976), as Mrs. L. was picking apples some distance from her Arkansas house, she fell from the ladder she was on, striking and seriously cutting one of her legs. As she lay on the ground, semi-conscious, too weak to rise or call for help, she saw two figures approaching. One was tall and thin, the other much shorter. As they neared,. Mrs. L. could see with astonishment that, although they were huma noid , they were not human. They had some undetermined apparatus with which they began to treat Mrs. L.'s badly-bleeding leg. Within 15 minutes, as estimated by Mrs. L. f all bleeding and pain had stopped and the slightest of scAs remained. The creatures then presented her with a metal plaque with carvings or drawings on it. She thanked them and asked if they would come to the house for something to eat. One creature replied tbat they did not eat, but only consumed "juice”. When Mrs. L. offered fruit juice, she was told they did not drink the same kind of juice that humans drank. The beings* not-quite-human appearance was arresting enough, but when they "spoke", Mrs. L. noticed that their voices seemed to emanate from their midsections. The taller creature had the voice of a mature woman; the shorter one that of a child. The humanoids walked away and Mrs. L. returned home - but with the plaque. In fact, at this point in her narrative, she produced the arti- 25 14 fact for the shop-owner, who had, in fact, previously worked as a pro¬ fessional engraver. He examined the object carefully; but despite his knowledge of metallurgy, he could not identify the metal. The markings, which were on both sides, meant little or nothing to him. There were "pyramids" and "six-pointed stars". Perhaps six weeks after the apple orchard incident, Mrs. I*.'s dog turned up missing one day, and she set out to search for the pet on foot. She walked through her property, across a golf course, through a timbered area and to the edge of a clearing in which a bizarre scene unfolded. In the clearing were: (1) Two "Air Force" helicopters, (2) Two "men in white coats" who were working on a horse that lay in the field, (3) Two men in uniforms (Mrs. L. thought "Air Force") and (4) what appeared to be the same two creatures that had healed her injury. Mrs. L. suddenly realized that this was something she was not sup¬ posed to see. She began to run away but not before the "team" in the clearing saw her. She thought she heard someone running after her for a brief while. Then, she heard a helicopter which quickly overtook her and began to descend. A blue beam of light was directed upon her from the chopper, producing serious burns in the area of her right breast and burning part of her clothing. For whatever reason, the chopper suddenly retreated and Mrs. L. was able to seek help and eventually hospitaliza¬ tion. Mrs. L. later felt that she had made a mistake while in the hospital: she was telling everyone exactly what had occurred. In a short while, "strange people" appeared at the hospital to question her. She thought they were likely FBI agents, though apparently no credentials were ever produced. After her release from the hospital, the county sheriff took her to a psychiatric clinic for evaluation, Mrs. L. says she was given all sorts of exams and went through "pure heli" until, as she claims, the doctors released her with a clean bill of mental health. But the sheriff persisted in maintaining that Mrs. L. was "crazy" and that she was responsible for the horse mutilation, which apparently did occur in the clearing. The same "strange people" who questioned her at the hospital con¬ tinued to visit the L.*s home, asking the same questions repeatedly; pure harrassment, Mrs. L. claims. In fact, it got so out of hand that the L.'s decided that, to preserve their sanity and to attempt to put the bizarre events behind them, they had no choice but to sell out and quietly move elsewhere, to some location where they would not be bothered. They settled in Mew Mexico and all seemed to be going well for a few months until, somehow, the same "strange people" who plagued Mrs. L. in 26 15 Arkansas sought them out and the visits, questions and barrassment all began anew. So - Mrs. L. was telling the shop-owner - it appeared that they would be moving on once again, most likely to property that they owned in South Texas. At this writing, Mr. & Mrs. L. have apparently departed New Mexico. A friend and associate of Project Stigma reports that the shop-owner is a gentleman of high integrity and veracity, and that the shop-owner has the same opinion of Mrs. L. - plus, he was quite puzzled by the odd plaque and wished he could have retained it for further study. The sup¬ posed Arkansas location is now known and an investigation is underway at several levels and from different directions - in hopes of shedding more light on a potentially important case. We will report on such "light" if it is fortcoming. If the whole matter proves to be a hoax, we will re¬ port that just as quickly. WELL, EXC-U-U-USE US! Can anyone take seriously the findings of certain veterinary diagnos¬ tic laboratories where possibly-mutilated carcasses or parts thereof have (supposedly) been examined? Sheriff C. Arthur Lee of Apache County, Arizona knows of one investi¬ gator who became so frustrated and disgruntled at the findings (that the mutes were merely caused by "predators", following natural deaths) of the lab he utilized that he sent them the carcass of an already-dead animal that he had personally mutilated and the results, again, were that preda¬ tors had damaged the carcass. While there seems to have been some contro¬ versy over whether this incident actually occurred, it may also have been confused with an occurrence in Colorado: Some "kids" admitted to Park County Sheriff Norman Howey that they had come across a dead animal and mutilated it as a prank. The eventual lab report, though, indicated that the act was "purely the work of preda¬ tors". Perhaps some of the labs have merely given themselves a convenient "out". A general consensus would probably define the everyday usage of the term "predators" as referring to faunal scavengers (non-human) like coyotes, birds, rodents, insects,etc. But a much broader definition could be invoked, wherein any mutilators, natural or "unnatural", could be termed "predators". Sources : Tucson (Ariz.) DAILY CITIZEN; February 26, 1977 Impact/Albuquerque (N.Mex.) JOURNAL Magazine; October 25, 1977 27 A NON-ENCOUNTER A pilot who grew up in the area around Nara Visa, in northeastern New Mexico, told Project Stigma of the time in 1975 when he and three friends took infrared cameras in the pilot's personal airplane to the Nara Visa vicinity. As livestock mutilations plagued the region, residents had been steadily reporting either unmarked and unidentified heli¬ copters and/or strange meandering nocturnal lights. One night, while the UPOe were being seen in abundance, the foursome took to the air. Their efforts were coordinated with ground observers who could see both the airplane and the UFOs. Those on the ground tried to direct the plane to the area of the strange lights, but the four in the airplane could not see the UFOs at all. They flew around the area for two hours as the frustrated ground observers told them where the lights appeared to be - but the four hapless occupants of the airplane were never able to see the objects/lights. WE ASK THE READERS OF STIGMATA TO AID IN DISPELLING ANY TENDENCY ON THE PART OF LAW ENFORCEMENT TO COVER UP LIVESTOCK MUTILATION INFORMATION. IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE IN YOUR COUNTY WHO HAS HAD STOCK MUTILATED, URGE THEM TO REPORT IT TO THE SHERIFF - AND TO PRO¬ JECT STIGMA. ENCOURAGE YOUR SHERIFF TO INVESTIGATE MUTILATIONS OBJECTIVELY AND TO CON¬ FER WITH OTHER SHERIFFS AND INVESTIGATORS. IF HE REFUSES TO INVESTIGATE, HE'S NOT DOING HIS JOB - KEEP THAT IN MIND AROUND ELECTION DAY, From: Project Stigma/STIGMATA P.0. Box 1094 Paris, Texas 75460 TO: