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By Nick Redfern
The UFO Iconoclast(s)
9-27-13
The Roswell Slides: My Perspective
Well, I had to go out of town a couple of days ago, but got finished early and came back to see that the new Roswell controversy has reached stratospheric proportions! Since my name has been referenced in relation to all this, it’s only right that I set the record straight.
First and foremost, I should stress that I have not done any investigations into this angle of Roswell – at all. Nor have I seen the slides – or even copies of them – that everyone is talking about. I have, however, shared with various parties involved in this the data that was provided to me. And, having done so, I had it confirmed that it gelled with the data they had already uncovered.
Basically, it goes like this: earlier this year, I received a phone call, on a withheld number. The gist of it was that the caller claimed he could get access to certain slides that showed a “dead alien” that was laid out on (I think) a board or similar, and which was small and naked (aside from a cloth or towel, or similar placed over its genitals). It was reportedly humanoid and had an eerie look on its face.
It’s important to note that the caller never mentioned Roswell as the site where the photo was taken. Rather, I was told that the photographer – who I was also told was a geologist named Bernerd Ray - had a personal, direct connection to Roswell, and so the surmise was that this is where the photo was taken, given its nature and the Roswell link to the photographer.
It was clear to me that the caller, who was elderly and who had a Texas accent (I know that, since I have lived in Texas since 2001) was not in possession of the slides, but was looking for an answer on one thing only: how much did I think they might be worth?
I replied, truthfully, that since I had not seen them, knew nothing of them, or their provenance etc, there was no way I could give even a ballpark figure. It was then alleged to me that the slides had been shared with a major TV news company (no specific company name was provided) who had been able to confirm their 1940s-era provenance – although they had not, apparently, been able to prove that the body in the slides was real or a sophisticated dummy, which makes sense, as dating the slides would not be too hard, but trying to make some sense of the images themselves would be very difficult.
Now, as far as why I got the call, I can only speculate. However, if you look at the post that Paul Kimball wrote on all this, there is a reference to Kevin Randle’s words on how the primary source involved in this controversy spent some time down in Midland, Texas, speaking with friends of the geologist. Coincidentally (or, probably not), I live right off the I-20 highway in Arlington, Texas. Although it’s a few hours’ drive, to get to Midland from where I live, you jump on I-20 and stay on it all the way to Midland.
On top of that, I do a lot of Texas-based interviews for TV, radio, newspapers, magazines etc, so my name (and contact info) is in the public domain in Texas, quite widely. And, about three years ago, I did a local TV shoot in Midland, which may explain why I was sought out – and also, the fact that I have written about Roswell.
In Paul’s post you’ll note that Kevin contacted me and we chatted about all this, which is absolutely true. It seems to be the case (although, granted, this is speculation) that my caller had been told of the slides (whether by the primary source, or in a “friend of a friend” situation) and was trying to put himself into the story, with a view to making more than a few dollars.
There are a lot of puzzles about all this, but what I can say for sure about all this is that the caller provided names and data that was not in the public domain at the time, and they were names and data that various parties involved in this story confirmed to me, when I shared the story I had been told, were indeed part of the story. It’s important to note, too, that when I brought up the name of Bernerd Ray with the parties, it was confirmed that this was the man who reportedly took the photos.
So, regardless of what the images show, there’s little doubt that my phone-caller was indeed fully acquainted with the story, the slides and much more – and before any of this became public knowledge.
It should be stressed that, in relating all the above I have not compromised any oaths, non-disclosure forms etc, as I have not signed anything. And I have not had any contact with the primary source of the story at all. What I did was to share the contents of a single phone call with the Dream Team – a phone call, which I think was from someone known to the source, and who decided to take it upon himself to become a kind of “fixer” / “player” trying to make some money, and in doing so, called me to try and get an idea of their worth.
And what is now surfacing here at Rich’s blog and at Paul’s blog (about slides, geologists, a dead humanoid, of major media attention that ultimately didn’t work out, etc) is all very, VERY similar to the story told to me on the phone and which I then shared with the Dream Team.
So, in other words, while I certainly don’t know all the ins and outs of this, I do know that, regardless of the truth or provenance (or otherwise) of the slides, the story itself most definitely does have substance
