Friday, December 18, 2015

'The Greys Have Been Framed' Published

I'm happy to announce my new book is now available on Amazon and may be purchased at 'The Greys Have Been Framed: Exploitation in the UFO Community'. I'll provide a description below, along with the introduction contained on the first few pages. Please email me directly with inquiries or challenges that may arise. Thank you.

Description:

'The Greys Have Been Framed: Exploitation in the UFO Community' explores the ways deception, sensationalism and questionable ethics characterize the UFO genre and distort public perception of the UFO phenomenon. With interviews and insights from James Carrion, Leah Haley, Dr. Tyler Kokjohn, Simone Mendez, Carol Rainey, Emma Woods and others, the manipulation of ufology as perpetrated by suspect individuals and the intelligence community is documented. The circumstances, existing from the very outset of the modern day UFO phenomenon, prove relevant whatever opinion one may hold on the mystery of UFOs and their alleged occupants.



Introduction


I came to the dance for the same reasons as lots of people. UFOs and seemingly related phenomena were a longtime interest for a variety of reasons and I desired to learn more.

My on again, off again journey through the UFO community went on for decades. While there were times I thought I was learning some things about reported UFO sightings and alleged alien abduction, I eventually came to the realization I had actually been learning more about people and dynamics that make up the UFO community. In the vast majority of circumstances, I think much more can be learned about the people, organizations and government agencies participating in the steeplechase than the often nebulous and unverifiable things they claim and promote.


In 2010 I began writing a blog, The UFO Trail. I made intentional efforts to explore people of interest and the related circumstances in credible manners, including holding some of the players accountable for their actions. I wrote about individuals and organizations that claim to investigate UFOs and alleged alien abductions, often concluding that the researchers and their groups should be considered much more critically than typically the case.

Other demographics explored included alleged alien abductees, self-described experiencers of high strangeness and UFO witnesses. I also blogged about members of the intelligence community, as well as people who suspected themselves to be targets of human-instigated covert operations. Interestingly, the demographics often overlapped.

The UFO Trail included posts about and submissions from scientists, mental health professionals, authors, filmmakers, researchers, scholars, skeptics and more. My intention was to provide a factual account and well rounded view of what came to be known as ufology. It became abundantly clear there were relevant aspects of the UFO genre typically being overlooked for a variety of reasons, none of which are conducive to better understanding what's actually going on.

The general thesis I developed is that a genuine mystery may lie at the heart of humankind's fascination with the unknown, but public perception of whatever phenomena it may include has been exploited, distorted and manipulated for a variety of reasons. The perpetrators span several demographics, including the intelligence community, hoaxers, disingenuous writers, con men and, in all reasonable likelihood, lunatics, among others.

I think it likely the mid 20th century US intelligence community conducted a variety of deception operations mistaken for UFO-related phenomena. Some of those operations were intended to create confusion surrounding airborne objects. However, I am reasonably confident in some of the cases it was colorful writers and overactive imaginations, not intelligence officials, that encouraged the public to prematurely conclude phenomena, such as the so-called ghost rockets, had something to do with extraterrestrials. I do not think it was the specific intent of the architects of the operations, at least not always. Sometimes it was just a byproduct. Other times it appears to have been more intentional.

Yet other times there may have been truly unusual phenomena involved. After all, reasonable arguments have been made that such phenomena have been with humankind for a long, long time. Perhaps that is correct. Unfortunately, the tainting of the well as perpetrated by both the intelligence and UFO communities, which are ironically at times one and the same, has often rendered the task virtually impossible of sorting fact from fiction.

As the situation continued to progress, public fascination with UFOs and aliens mushroomed. In the process, more opportunities and reasons developed to produce state-sponsored propaganda related to UFOs. Further comprising the self-perpetuating snowball effect were filmmakers, authors, upstart research organizations and entrepreneurs marketing wide varieties of products and services. Hypnotists found a niche, with or without reasonable training, as did self-styled investigators who churned out books, movies and so-called instructional workshops to most anyone who was willing to ante up registration fees. Lots of people wanted in on the act. Trouble was, none of them were presenting any proof to support their claims of aliens among us, while a large percentage of the UFO community was nonetheless driven to near hysterics while becoming convinced of alien intervention in the sometimes most mundane of events. I came to strongly suspect the reason conclusive proof of an extraterrestrial presence remained ever elusive was simple: it was an incorrect explanation for the reported sightings and experiences.

I suspect what became known as the modern day UFO phenomenon arose out of a combination of potentially legitimately unusual occurrences, covert operations conducted by the intelligence community and a public willing to be deceived. Charlatans substantially contributed to the effect, as did some sincere yet entirely incorrect researchers.

Much of the material in this book is subsequently presented from a position of being rather unimpressed with sensational stories of aliens. That is not to necessarily suggest there are no reports of high strangeness of interest, but the focus of this offering is the exploitation of public perception of what may sometimes be genuinely mysterious phenomena, and the related cultivation of inaccurate beliefs that such circumstances represent extraterrestrial visitation.

Basically, I think the greys have been framed. That doesn't have to mean there is nothing of interest under the sun, but I am indeed suggesting that ufology, by and large, has not taught us much about it. People have been hurt in the process. They've also been misled. Lots and lots of them. I think that deserves its share of attention, at least in proportion to the continuing parade of self-described investigators who chronically assert increasingly wild speculation as fact while consequences are enabled and ignored.

I would like to thank the many people who offered assistance and helped in the process of creating this book. They are far too many to name, but they are each greatly appreciated. Technical assistance, editing and other valuable services, as well as emotional support and encouragement, were generously offered. Those who gave their time and attention in fielding questions and providing comments on the forthcoming pages are appreciated as well. I also sincerely thank and appreciate my blog readers, whose interest, comments and support were primary reasons this book ever made it off the proverbial drawing board and onto these pages. Thank you.

The Greys Have Been Framed is dedicated to the countless individuals who approached the UFO community seeking reliable information, yet found their lives forever detrimentally changed amid deception and obfuscation. Many encountered unethical agendas, mystery mongering and a lack of accountability among investigators and organizations designating themselves as qualified to help. Exactly why such exploitation and manipulation occurs continues to remain unknown in many specific situations.


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Purchase the book on Amazon at:

Thursday, December 17, 2015

'The Greys Have Been Framed': Cover and Contents

Here we have it, the cover to 'The Greys Have Been Framed: Exploitation in the UFO Community'. Also offered below is the table of contents for your perusal.

I will soon obtain a link to Amazon where the book may be purchased. I will pass it along pronto. Thanks very much for all of the interest and support expressed. 






Contents


  Introduction ...........................................................  1
                   1) Trauma in Paradise …............................................  5
                   2) Hypnosis and Memory …...................................... 16
                   3) Go West, Trance States, Go West …..................... 23
                   4) The Raping, Murderous, Mind Reading,
                       Sperm Collecting, ET-Human Hybrid
                       Baby Snatchers, Act One …................................... 43
                   5) The Raping, Murderous, Mind Reading,
                       Sperm Collecting, ET-Human Hybrid
                       Baby Snatchers, Act Two ….................................. 60
                   6) Carol Rainey and
                       the Priests of High Strangeness …......................... 83
                           7) Dr. Tyler Kokjohn Interview …............................ 107
                   8) The Rosetta Deception and
                        the UFOs That Never Were …............................. 118
                   9) James Carrion Interview ….................................. 131
                 10) Cold War Context …............................................ 140
                 11) Betty and Barney Go to Montreal ….................... 167
                 12) Airman Mendez and the Mirage Men ….............. 185
                 13) Leah Haley and the 139 …................................... 199
                 14) 21st Century US Illegal
                       Human Experimentation ….................................. 231
                 15) Closing Thoughts …............................................ 256
                        Index …............................................................... 269

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Update on 'The Greys Have Been Framed'

I'm pleased to report my forthcoming nonfiction book, 'The Greys Have Been Framed: Exploitation in the UFO Community', is complete. I'm in the final stages of making it available for release, so I'm confident it will remain on track for publication by late this year or early next. I'm very grateful to all who continue to express interest, link to my website, extend invitations to podcasts and similar forms of support and encouragement. Thank you.

'The Greys Have Been Framed' will be offered in printed book form as well as Kindle. It's 275 pages, including footnotes and index. I will post further information as it develops. Links to come soon, and thanks again for your interest and support. A description of the book:
'The Greys Have Been Framed: Exploitation in the UFO Community' explores the ways deception, sensationalism and questionable ethics characterize the UFO genre and distort public perception of the UFO phenomenon. With interviews and insights from James Carrion, Leah Haley, Dr. Tyler Kokjohn, Simone Mendez, Carol Rainey, Emma Woods and others, the manipulation of ufology as perpetrated by suspect individuals and the intelligence community is documented. The circumstances, existing from the very outset of the modern day UFO phenomenon, prove relevant whatever opinion one may hold on the mystery of UFOs and their alleged occupants.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Book Review: 'Chameleo' by Robert Guffey

'Chameleo: A Strange but True Story of Invisible Spies,
Heroin Addiction, and Homeland Security'
The nonfiction 'Chameleo' could have been a great case study of paranormal phenomena, or so it might initially seem. Talented author and college-level educator Robert Guffey's description of unfolding bizarre events and seeming synchronicities of extremely low probability are more than a little reminiscent of such classics as Keel's 'Mothman'. However, Guffey and his unlikely protagonist, whom he simply happened to have known since high school, do not hold supernatural or extraterrestrial beings responsible for their descent into high strangeness. They lay the blame squarely at the feet of the United States federal government, and with good reason, it would seem, if Guffey reported the saga with reasonable accuracy.

A number of circumstances make the plight of Dion Fuller, a drug addict struggling to cope with life even on his best days and absent government harassment, significantly different than the typical and often nebulous claims of what have come to be known as Targeted Individuals, MILABs and alien abductees. For one thing, Dion's lifestyle led to a series of choices in 2003 that culminated into being served a search warrant by Special Agent Lita A. Johnston and company of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). Dion had allowed a young man to hang out a few days at his apartment, a "party house" frequented by Greater San Diego drug addicts and drifters. The guy was AWOL from Camp Pendleton, and had stolen some night vision goggles and other equipment of which NCIS took great interest. Dion was reportedly held and interrogated for six days. It was after his release without charges that the high strangeness and surveillance ensued. Most people who report such circumstances do not have as clear a perceived point of origin for where and when the events started. Neither do they have a point of contact, as Lita Johnston served not just for Dion, but for peripheral players who also got in touch with her when the pot boiled and spilled.

Some readers will recall I blogged about NCIS when the agency and the American Psychological Association (APA) were implicated in an ethics investigation documented in the Hoffman Report. NCIS employed an APA psychologist who explored the use of hypnosis as an interrogation tool on Petty Officer Daniel King, a young man accused of spying in 1999 and grilled for two years before being released without formal charges.

Early on in the reading of 'Chameleo' I considered how difficult it is to sort out extraordinary claims because the claimant becomes increasingly traumatized and subject to reporting inaccuracies even if some of the events actually happened as perceived. A reasonable question becomes if the individual was mad or driven to madness. Did the person perceive such things because they are hysterical or are they hysterical because of what they saw? 

I have considered similar dynamics between self-described investigators and alleged alien abductees. If a hypnotist/investigator proceeds to conduct months or years of hypnotic regression sessions with an individual about alleged menacing visitors from the far reaches of the universe, it would seem eventual conditions and resulting symptoms of emotional trauma should be expected to manifest in the behavior of the hypnosis subject and considered the norm, not the exception. Again, we might wonder if the individual was driven to extreme perceptions and behaviors by quite human beings and the hypnosis sessions themselves, not the alleged phenomena focused upon in the sessions.

Another thing that seems to make Dion and Guffey's story rather unique as compared to similar reports is their path led them face-to-face with Richard Schowengerdt, an aerospace engineer who worked on Top Secret projects. He confirmed the existence of technology that supported Dion's claims of invisible stalkers, surreal scenery outside his window, inexplicably expanded rooms and similar perceptions. As a matter of fact, the engineer invented and held a patent on some of it. What's more, related research and development, it turned out, were taking place literally down the street from Dion's apartment. Guffey conducted an interview with Schowengerdt published in the March, 2007, edition of 'UFO Magazine'. I found it interesting and perhaps telling of a UFO community biased towards the extraterrestrial hypothesis that Guffey indicated he received virtually no comments or feedback about the article, 'To See the Invisible Man'.

'Chameleo' is an entertaining read, even hilarious at times, but this is not to suggest it minimizes the potential significance of its otherwise dark subject matter. Robert Guffey tells the story in sometimes unflattering yet appreciated frankness of the goings ons among the fringe subculture and the dysfunctional people who inhabit it. A typical saga of investigator and experiencer it is not – and it should arguably make us consider how easily it could have been if the writer had opted to frame the events in such contexts.

Readers are bound to agree with some of Guffey's points and disagree with others, yet he has produced a work that should be read by those sincerely desiring to better understand such claims and the people who make them. We can only wonder how many Dions may be out there who did not happen to have gone to high school with a future professional writer.

'Chameleo' by Robert Guffey is published by OR Books. It contains 264 pages in paperback for 18 USD. Also available in e-book.   

Monday, November 9, 2015

Dozens of Gov Offices Regularly Visit UFO Website

Following publication of the recent blog post, 'Homeland Security Reads 'The UFO Trail'', I received an email from Frank Warren of the popular website, 'The UFO Chronicles'. My post addressed information recorded via a blog traffic statistics program which indicated some recent site activity originated from an Internet service provider (ISP) registered to the Department of Homeland Security. Similar visits from additional government offices have previously been logged.

Frank brought to my attention traffic of potential interest regularly recorded at his website which include ISPs at the locations below. The list, a comparatively small sample not to be interpreted as an all inclusive accounting, is published with his permission. Please note it is offered without speculation of purpose or intent of site visits.

Thanks to Frank Warren for the heads up. 

ISPs logged at 'The UFO Chronicles' in recent weeks include a Department of Defense (DoD) office located in Lawton, Oklahoma, and Navy Network Information Center (NNIC) offices in Hawaii, California and Florida. Other ISPs recorded over time at the website: 

  • US Department of Defense Network    Las Cruces    New Mexico    United States
  • DoD Network Information Center    Indianapolis    Indiana    United States
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration    Sherman Oaks    California    United States
  • Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (fermilab)    North Aurora    Illinois    United States
  • US Department Of Defense Network    Colorado Springs    Colorado    United States
  • DoD Network Information Center    Huntsville    Alabama    United States
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration    Bowie    Maryland    United States
  • Federal Aviation Administration    Oklahoma City    Oklahoma    United States
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration    Cleveland    Ohio    United States
  • FBI Criminal Justice Information Systems    Clarksburg    West Virginia    United States
  • Department of Homeland Security    Springfield    Virginia    United States
  • US Dept of Justice    Potomac    Maryland    United States
  • DoD Network Information Center    Arnold    Missouri    United States
  • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory    Livermore    California    United States
  • US Department of Defense Network    Fort Huachuca    Arizona    United States
  • Navy Network Information Center (NNIC)    Virginia Beach    Virginia    United States
  • US Department of Defense Network    Natick    Massachusetts    United States
  • Bigelow Management    North Las Vegas    Nevada    United States
  • DoD Network Information Center    Washington    District of Columbia    United States
  • US Department of Defense Network    Fort Polk    Louisiana    United States
  • U.S. Department of State    Washington    District of Columbia    United States
  • Government of the District of Columbia    Washington    District of Columbia    United States
  • Navy Network Information Center (NNIC)    Pass Christian    Mississippi    United States
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • Sandia National Laboratories    Albuquerque    New Mexico    United States
  • Headquarters, USAISC    Colorado Springs    Colorado    United States
  • Australian Department of Defence    Port Melbourne    Victoria    Australia
  • Headquarters, USAISC    Tacoma    Washington    United States
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration    Beltsville    Maryland    United States
  • Brookhaven National Laboratory    Upton    New York    United States
  • U.S. Department Of Energy    Las Vegas    Nevada    United States
  • US Senate    Washington, District of Columbia, United States
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration    Mountain View, California, United States
  • US Department of Defense Network    Belcamp, Maryland, United States
  • FBI Criminal Justice Information Systems    Clarksburg, West Virginia, United States
  • Department of Homeland Security    Washington, District of Columbia, United States
  • U.S. House Of Representatives    Washington, District of Columbia, United States
  • U.S. Department Of State    Washington, District of Columbia, United States   

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Homeland Security Reads 'The UFO Trail'

A computer with a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) IP address recently visited 'The UFO Trail' blog. The user viewed the post, 'Dead Men Do Tell Tales: The Strange Case of Jeffrey Alan Lash', and exited by following links to related stories on other UFO websites. 

The bizarre Lash case drew attention around ufology earlier this year when the corpse of Lash, incredibly described by his reported fiancee and an associate as an ET-human hybrid who worked with the CIA, was discovered by police in a vehicle in Pacific Palisades, Cal. The resulting law enforcement investigation turned up some 1200 guns and nearly a quarter of a million dollars in cash located in a condo associated with the recently deceased man and his fiancee. Police promptly reported that foul play was not suspected in the death, but further details of the odd circumstances have not yet been released by authorities.   

The case arguably received much more intensive investigation in UFO circles than from the mainstream media. The latter tended to offer rather vanilla coverage, often limiting their investigations to quoting one another, while various UFO websites and online discussion forums explored the players and circumstances at length. Comments on this blog, for instance, reflected research conducted which included the possibility multiple identities were used by some of the individuals involved in the story, and a Los Angeles Assistant District Attorney owned a condo in the same neighborhood as the one used to store weapons and cash, among other items of potential interest. 


Department Of Homeland Security [IP address edited]                           
Washington, District Of Columbia, United States    

1 Nov
04:49:23
1 Nov
04:50:43
1 Nov
04:52:52
Traffic stats of 'The UFO Trail' blog, reflecting a visit early the morning of Nov. 1 from a computer accessing the Internet via DHS. The user apparently followed a link from Twitter to the Lash post, and exited through two links contained in the post, one to a related story at Whitley Strieber's 'Unknown Country', and the other to a second related story at Linda Moulton Howe's 'Earthfiles'.

It is not entirely unusual for 'The UFO Trail' to receive traffic from IP addresses of government offices. In at least some of those circumstances, if not the vast majority, it would be reasonable to suspect the visitors were simply surfing the web for their own personal interests, possibly entertaining themselves during breaks, as compared to conducting work in official capacities.

In other circumstances, it might not be an unreasonable stretch to suspect an intelligence analyst might check a few posts around the UFO community for items of interest to include in a file they may have been assigned to create. In the case of Lash, for instance, one could particularly save them self a substantial amount of work by reading what some UFO websites have compiled, rather than starting from scratch.

Such circumstances offer us opportunities to consider how intelligence agencies have every reason, and arguably responsibility, to delve into such chains of events as represented in the Lash saga. Regardless of what reasons may have existed for the rise of stories about aliens and secret agents, the case clearly contains suspicious dynamics involving inordinate amounts of cash and weapons that, at best, indicate exploitation and manipulation to some extents. It is not unreasonable at all for such circumstances to be investigated by any number of law enforcement agencies, certainly including DHS. 

To the best of my knowledge, the case has not yet been publicly confirmed to have become a matter of interest for DHS or CIA, seeming to remain relatively local in scope. Perhaps FOIA requests on such matters, including DHS computer activities the morning of Nov. 1, would eventually prove useful, but it is extremely unlikely they would bear relevant responses as of yet. 

The DHS visit offers us an opportunity to consider how the paths tend to dissect of intelligence agencies and UFO-related stories. Whatever the many reasons prove to be from one instance to the next, the fact remains that the UFO and intelligence communities remain closely related.

We are often at a disadvantage to understand exactly why we might find intelligence agencies involved in bizarre stories, and why they might be identified as visiting UFO-related websites. It is important to refrain from jumping to premature conclusions, as UFO researchers have an unflattering history of interpreting the presence of intelligence personnel as confirmation of preferred theories. The fact of the matter is that we often simply do not know what such circumstances indicate. 

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Look for this writer's soon to be published book, 'The Greys Have Been Framed: Exploitation in the UFO Community', for more information on the intermingling of intelligence agencies and ufology. Connect with Jack Brewer through 'The UFO Trail' blog, @TheUFOTrail on Twitter or send an email.

Monday, October 5, 2015

Judge Denies Defense Request in Romanek Case

Stanley Romanek appeared in court Monday morning for a motions hearing. The Loveland, Colo., self-proclaimed alien abductee was arrested February 1, 2014, on two felony counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child stemming from allegations of possessing and distributing child pornography.

LPD Det. Brian Koopman
During the latest hearing, Romanek's attorneys sought access to evidence of criminal charges leveled in another case against Loveland Police Detective Brian Koopman, according to the 'Loveland Reporter-Herald'. The detective led the search of Romanek's home in April of 2013 after the Department of Homeland Security reportedly downloaded incriminating files originating from Romanek's IP address. Koopman has been accused of misconduct in unrelated investigations. Elizabeth McClintock, an attorney representing Romanek, argued the information sought would go towards Koopman's credibility.

District Attorney Joshua Ritter expressed concerns that the primary rationale presented by the defense was to determine if their client's constitutional rights were violated. That was not what the trial was going to be about, he added, stating that the relevant question to the jury is whether Romanek possessed and distributed pornographic material of children.  

Judge Daniel Kaup denied the defense's request for information about Koopman. The case against him has yet to be adjudicated, Kaup pointed out, ruling that the court would be overstepping its legal authority to begin questioning and further exploring the relevance of the charges against the detective.

Koopman testified to the court in March that incriminating files were shared using a program called Limewire. A Homeland Security agent reportedly documented evidence of such file sharing from Romanek's IP in 2008 and 2009.

Romanek purports a "space organization," as the 'Reporter-Herald' termed it, was harassing him and putting "disgusting things" on his computer. This was allegedly due to the UFO-related work he was doing. 

Yet another motions hearing will occur prior to a possible jury trial. Watch the case tracking summary to stay informed of court dates.

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For ongoing updates and key links on the Romanek legal case:

Relevant Web Links on Romanek Case

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Dead Men Do Tell Tales: The Strange Case of Jeffrey Alan Lash

Jeffrey Alan Lash,
2010 Cal. DL photo
On or about July 17, police retrieved the deceased body of Jeffrey Alan Lash from a vehicle parked in Pacific Palisades, Cal. The story soon broke that two women, Catherine Nebron and Dawn VadBunker, parked the car where it was discovered with the corpse inside. Attorney Harland Braun had apparently informed authorities of its location. 

Braun was hired by Nebron and described her as Lash's longtime fiancee. Braun informed the media that Nebron and her employee and assistant, VadBunker, were with Lash on July 4 when he died of causes brought on by terminal illness. They were reportedly in a grocery store parking lot at the time. 

After Lash died, the women reportedly relocated the vehicle, left the body in it and fled to Oregon. Braun stated the two did so for reasons including they believed Lash was an ET-human hybrid working for US intelligence agencies, and that his contacts would soon retrieve the body. They reportedly opted to not seek medical treatment for the dying man for similar reasons, and maintained they were following his prearranged instructions. It would later surface that at least one additional party may have also been with the two women, and the grocery store where the man was said to have died was, oddly enough, frequented by Whitley Strieber.

Nebron returned to the Los Angeles area from Oregon approximately twelve days later to find the remains of Lash still sitting undiscovered in the vehicle. It was apparently then that she contacted Braun for assistance and legal representation, and the attorney notified authorities of the body.

Police subsequently searched a condo owned by Nebron and reported to be the residence of her and Lash, which was located in the vicinity of where she and VadBunker left the car containing the corpse. The search resulted in the confiscation of some 1200 guns, additional weapons and literally tons of ammo estimated to be worth several million dollars. The two-bedroom, 2,000 square-foot condo was located in a relatively exclusive area and was valued at $750,000 to $1 million. Every room of the structure was reportedly stacked to the ceiling with guns and boxes of gun accessories, more weapons, such as machetes and bows, and cases of ammo. Police filled the driveway and a nearby alley with items brought out of the condo. An LA police captain described the scene as the worst c
ase of weapons hoarding she had ever seen in her 27-year law enforcement career. Some $230,000 in cash was confiscated from the condo and reportedly counted in a neighbor's garage.

Media reports described neighbors as saying Lash occasionally claimed he was an intelligence operative, and neighbors also stated they did not know how the condo became filled with weapons and boxes. They had not noticed how all the items were delivered to the residence. 

Lash was additionally reported to have owned many vehicles, one of which was described as an SUV equipped to drive underwater. VadBunker's husband, Jim Curry, told reporters the woman's job entailed renting garages all over Southern California to store what he described as Lash's dozens of vehicles. The story, Curry explained, was that Lash was CIA and had other agents who might need vehicles on a whim. 

Online sleuths and interested parties began uncovering more info about VadBunker, including an odd letter she wrote to her parents, in which the woman described her recent actions as having been for the good of the world. VadBunker's mother, Laura VadBunker, corroborated existence of the hybrid story to the media, stating that the entire episode was "worse than a Twilight Zone movie." 

"He was part alien and part human and was out to save the world," Laura VadBunker added.

Also introduced in the online community was a suspicious alleged legal doc interpreted to have been posted by the younger VadBunker, establishing her as a member of the VadBunker family, but its origins and purposes were not entirely clear. While investigating the document, an individual using the screen name SysConfig subsequently identified the judge who allegedly signed it as having been retired prior to its creation date, further calling its authenticity into question.

SysConfig identified a unit neighboring the condo owned by Nebron as owned by Assistant District Attorney Whelma T. Llanos and attorney Dominic J. Messiha. The unit owned by Llanos was near the condo where Nebron and Lash reportedly resided and the weapons stash was confiscated, and it may possibly have been Llanos' garage where the nearly quarter of a million dollars was counted. SysConfig notified a news outlet which had previously covered the story. A response was received, but no particular interest was demonstrated by the outlet in the irony of an Assistant DA possibly being a neighbor of Lash and Nebron.

Authorities have not yet reported results of their investigations into the origins of the weapons, cash and additional items taken into custody. When all the dust settles, the legal status of the weapons and cash will prove to be key aspects of this truly bizarre story. The intentions of the various people involved, their lines of work, and the purposes of their actions and statements may never be entirely clear, only whether or not police ever file any charges against any of them. At this point, foul play is not suspected in the death of Jeffrey Alan Lash, whoever and whatever he may have actually been in life.   


UPDATES:

LAPD: Lash Files Will Not Be Releasable, 'The UFO Trail', March 15, 2016

LAPD Denies Request for Lash Files, 'The UFO Trail', March 7, 2016 

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Romanek Trial Delayed

Note: For latest info, view Relevant Web Links on Romanek Case

Legal proceedings were delayed yet again on the charges of child sexual exploitation brought against Stanley Romanek. A motions hearing scheduled for Sep. 2 was continued until Oct. 5, 'Loveland Reporter-Herald' journalist Dana Rieck stated today by email. A jury trial previously scheduled to begin Oct. 5 is now postponed until November.

Stanley did not appear in court Sep. 2,” Rieck explained, “his motions hearing was continued before that date until Oct. 5 at 9:30 a.m. His jury trial is scheduled for the following month. He did plead not guilty to both felony counts.”

Stanley Romanek
Rieck has covered the case for the 'Reporter-Herald' since Romanek was initially arrested. She reported in March that the self-described alien abductee was ruled mentally competent to stand trial for the felony charges stemming from possessing and distributing child pornography.

In more recent developments, Lisa Romanek continued her attempts to build public support for her husband through implicating the Loveland Police Department, and specifically Det. Brian Koopman, in acts of corruption. Det. Koopman, who was involved in the investigation of Stanley Romanek, is currently on administrative leave pending charges of attempting to influence a public servant during an unrelated murder case. Allegations of misconduct surrounding violations of constitutional rights have been leveled against the detective in two additional instances and legal outcomes are pending. Koopman has reportedly received seven meritorious service awards and 20 department performance case involvement recognitions.

Lisa recently posted comments at 'The UFO Chronicles' in which she referenced the charges against Koopman and suggested they be given more attention. Such circumstances and the promotion of the accompanying implications are not unusual.

Given much less attention, however, is the fact that to date neither the Romaneks nor their supporters have offered any specific details of exactly how Stanley was purportedly framed by corrupt police officers. Neither have they provided any verifiable evidence supporting ongoing allegations the man was targeted by intelligence agencies attempting to silence his outspoken stance on an alleged alien presence.

Further omitted from the ongoing yet vague narrative is the fact the investigation of Romanek was initiated in 2008 by Homeland Security Special Agent Darrel Franklin, not the Loveland Police Department. The latter acted on a tip provided by DHS, and it was officers from Greeley, Larimer and Loveland Police Departments who jointly served a search warrant, not just Det. Koopman and the LPD. Furthermore, it was the Northern Colorado Regional Forensics Lab that analyzed Romanek's confiscated computers and reported locating over 300 images depicting child pornography and multiple child pornography videos.

Lisa, however, maintained the resulting police reports were “filled with crap.”

Koopman had filled these reports with lies,” she told 'The Huffington Post' in 2014.

Reporter Sebastian Murdock nonetheless observed that Koopman's was just one police report of many that corroborated the findings of one another during the serving of the search warrant. Some therefore find the ongoing fantastic claims and unsupported assertions of the Romaneks and their backers extremely difficult to take seriously, and patience has long since worn thin in many circles.

The Romanek case was briefly removed recently from a Case Tracking Summary maintained by the Larimer County District Attorney's Office. The file consists of cases that receive media attention. Public Information Officer Jodi Lacey explained in an email Tuesday that the Romanek case was not getting much attention, and it was removed due to the lack of calls and emails received. Officer Lacey subsequently returned the case to the summary spreadsheet following an inquiry of its status.

UPDATES:

View ongoing updates with links in the Romanek legal case

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Looking Back Along 'The UFO Trail'

As you read this, it is entirely possible that I am sitting at my laptop, surrounded by coffee cups and protein bar wrappers, writing my way through the homestretch of a forthcoming book. The book is about questionable activities conducted by a variety of (quite human) sources within the UFO community. 

That's largely what this blog was about in the first place, and earlier this year I decided to write more extensively on the topic. I can certainly empathize with those who find potential paranormal aspects of the UFO phenomenon interesting, but I reached a point where I was kind of like, "Wow, never mind the aliens and entities, is anybody paying any attention to what those people are doing?!"

So as I hunt and peck my way to the final chapter, I'd like to share a few of my favorite posts here at 'The UFO Trail'. Perhaps that might help new readers get a good idea of what I write about, as well as provide long time readers a review of how we got here. I appreciate you all.

The Ozark Con

In 2012 I attended the annual Ozark UFO Conference. Subsequent blog posts continue today to account for four of the top ten all time most viewed posts, as indicated in the sidebar to the right. By the way, that first line of posts in the sidebar, the ones with images beside the titles, represents the most viewed posts since the blog was launched in 2010. The next group, "Most Viewed Posts This Week," represents the most viewed posts during the previous seven days.

After attending the Ozark Con, I did a three-part post titled, 'The Bizarre World of Doctor David Jacobs: An Interview and Review'. Part One consisted of an interview conducted at the con with Dr. Jacobs, in which his positions were established on alleged alien abductions, supposed ET-human hybrids and related topics. Part Two included summaries of critical review of Jacobs' work previously published by qualified experts. Part Three contained new and exclusive critical review provided by retired engineer and scientist Frank Purcell and microbiologist Dr. Tyler Kokjohn. 

Obviously, the posts continue to attract web traffic, which would not be particularly significant to me if it were not for the fact the primary sources consistently include search engines. I find that rewarding in that I interpret it to suggest that people seeking legitimate information on the subject matter are directed to posts which the contributors and I composed for just that purpose.

Ironically, however, interviewing David Jacobs was not the main reason I flew to Missouri to drive to Arkansas to meet a speaker at the Ozark Con. Interviewing one of ufology's most popular CIA consultants, Col. John Alexander, was actually the primary reason I went, yet, after agreeing to the interview by email, he declined to be interviewed when I arrived and approached him in person. Nonetheless, I described the circumstances in 'John Alexander, Contradictions and Unanswered Questions', and I felt I presented issues of interest adequately and reasonably. I thought it was a fair, informative and balanced piece.

Since those 2012 interactions with the colonel, I have emailed him on occasion and requested he comment on various issues. Sometimes he directly addresses my questions and sometimes he does not, and I have come to interpret that to be par for the course. Similar experience was gained while composing and exchanging emails with the subjects of such posts as 'Lyn Buchanan: Military Intel and 'Alien Abductee'' and 'The Interesting, Eventful and Incredible Story of Commander C.B. Scott Jones'

Investigative Posts

My growing interest in connections between ufology and the intelligence community hit full stride with a series of posts that began with 'Leah Haley on Alien Abduction: "It Doesn't Happen"'. After corresponding with Haley for a couple of years, I drove to Pensacola, Florida one weekend in March of 2011 to interview her extensively. A former rather high profile alleged alien abductee, Leah revised her interpretations of her experiences to conclude that aliens had not been involved whatsoever, and that she was actually the target of covert human experimentation.

Did I mention
the Eglin expedition?
I covered significant parts of her story in a series of posts and interpreted there to be several fascinating aspects of the saga. I also felt that some members of the UFO community, while vehemently criticizing Haley's research and interpretations, were consistently missing a glaringly monumental point of the story: Actions and accountability of researchers and organizations involved were at issue no matter what the explanations may have been for her reported perceptions.

Haley's case was substantially mishandled by researchers who represented themselves as qualified to help her, and the story was riddled with issues of exploitation and questions of whether the welfare of the witness/research subject was prioritized. Moreover, the circumstances were not isolated incidents. All of that was apparent and relevant regardless of what it may ultimately have collectively indicated. Exploration of Haley's case, the related issues and the resulting series of posts included 'The Carpenter Affair: For the Record'.

At a point in 2013 in which I felt well on my way to immersion in what can be the tar pit of researching alleged alien abduction, mind control and the associated players, I decided to ask those for guidance who had cannonballed into tar before me. Sharon Weinberger, Nigel Watson and Mark Pilkington graciously fielded my questions for Parts One and Two of a post titled, 'Ethics of Exploring the Fringe'. I am very grateful for the valuable time and attention they shared while offering insights on issues ranging from responsible reporting to state-sponsored deception operations. 

I continue today to weigh the contributions they provided when deciding the most appropriate ways to frame stories, interact with witnesses and similar dynamics that are ever relevant when writing about topics in which the author is destined to become the target of passionate criticism. It is simply an inherent part of the process, and here's something I learned: The more accurately you explain what you're finding out, the higher your chances may become of being mistaken as a punching bag by angry and disappointed people who never really got a handle on the meaning of the term, "don't shoot the messenger."

My interest in the Leah Haley case and its related issues of exploitation contributed to my interest in the work of Emma Woods and Carol Rainey, speaking of shooting messengers. I subsequently did an investigative piece titled, 'Security of Budd Hopkins Archive Called into Question, David Jacobs Shares Responsibility'. Just recently was 'MUFON, Sham Inquiry and the Woods/Jacobs Scandal'.
   
Other investigative efforts that I thought turned out pretty well included Parts One and Two of 'MUFON, Science and Deception'. Another was 'MUFON, GEIPAN and Transparency'. The three posts put the Mutual UFO Network, its activities and the often conflicting statements of its representatives under the microscope.

I thought one of my better posts was 'Psy Ops and Mind Control: Then, Now and the UFO Community'. It was an exploration of the manners ufology and dark, covert aspects of the intelligence community are at times conclusively linked, while at other times just minimal degrees of separation apart.

About three years ago I did a post called 'Open Mic Night', in which I invited several ufology personalities of diverse interests and beliefs to comment on their interpretations of the most constructive directions the genre could take (None of the contributors, by the way, recommended sending a crew to Mexico City to serve up some deceased people's Kodachrome slides as evidence of an alien presence, which raises the value of their stock in and of itself). More recently was 'UFO Community Members Weigh in on Dubious MUFON Speakers', in which I requested comment from select individuals on MUFON booking speakers who promote the Roswell Slides. Also at issue were investigators invited by the organization to speak who promote such lore as the existence of ET-human hybrids, yet those so-called investigators seem to invest much more effort in impeding collection of forensic evidence than facilitating it.

I have more favorite posts but I'll stop there. I like most of the posts, of course. I wrote 'em.
      
Like many bloggers and writers who devote resources to ufology, this did not have anything to do with livelihood. Not by any stretch. I'm just a guy who was interested in the subject matter, asked around about some topics, and subsequently came to feel I had some things to say about them. 

In addition to blogging, I eventually began composing word files about those things with the intention of committing them to book form. Sooner than later I'll upload it to Amazon where you can obtain and read it if you'd like. I'm hopeful it will be considered an informative and interesting effort. 

Keep an eye on this blog, find me on Twitter @TheUFOTrail and/or email me to keep informed of progress. Your interest is appreciated. Thank you.