Page 59 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper March/April 2018 Edition

The Travis Walton Abduction Case 59

The Travis Walton

Abduction Case: Fact,

Fiction Or Psychosis?

You be the Judge & Jury

Continued from Page 58

It certainly seemed, Sylvanus thought, as if the
two were genuinely concerned about Travis. Yet
at the same time Duane’s remarks about UFOs
and the intentions of their occupants made him
uneasy; so did Mike’s expressed concerns about
the lateness of his Forest Service contract. As
soon would become clear, the foundations for an
alternative interpretation of the case had been
laid.
Meanwhile, Snowflake Town Marshal
Sanford (Sank) Flake was telling the press of his
certainty that the story was a hoax “staged by
Travis and his brother Duane to make some
money. I believe the other kids did see
something, but they were hoaxed too.” The
Walton brothers, he said, had “lit up a balloon questions: probably telling the truth. He saw it, the UFO.”
and launched it at the appropriate time.” Flake’s 1. Did you cause Travis Walton any After the test Sheriff Gillespie pronounced
wife dissented. “Your idea is just as far-fetched serious physical harm last Wednesday himself satisfied. “There’s no doubt, they’re
as Duane Walton’s” Marshal Flake had a afternoon? telling the truth - right down the line,” he said. “I
longstanding grievance against the Walton 2. Do you know if Travis Walton was feel sure that all six of them saw a UFO.”
family stemming from a dispute with Travis physically injured by some other member of Close to midnight a phone rang in
some years earlier, and he had no specific your work crew last Wednesday? Taylor, a small town two or three miles south of
evidence to support his charge, though he was 3. Do you know if Travis Walton’s body Snowflake and 30 miles east of Heber. When
poking around the Bear Springs ranch where he is buried or hidden somewhere in the Turkey Grant Neff took the call he heard a faint,
suspected Travis was hiding. On one occasion Springs area? confused-sounding voice mutter, “This is Travis.
he brought a London television crew with him to 4. Did you tell the truth about actually I’m in a phone booth at the Heber gas station,
the site, presumably so that it could film the live seeing a UFO last Wednesday when Travis and I need help. Come and get me.”
capture. Walton disappeared? Neff was married to Travis’s sister
Flake was not the only officer hoping to One of the variations of the last question Allison, told the caller he had the wrong number.
crack the case by breaking sown one of the was, Do you believe that Travis Walton was From his point of view, Neff had no reason to
supposed conspirators, who so far were sticking actually taken aboard a UFO last Wednesday? take the message seriously. The voice did not
resolutely to their story. Some officers made In his official report Gilson wrote: sound like Travis’s, for one thing. For another,
repeated visits to Kellett’s house to interrogate Each of the six men answered “No” to the Walton’s and their relatives already had been
her at length. Finally one evening Duane arrived questions #1, 2, and 3, and they each answered subjected to too many prank and crank calls. But
from the sheriff’s office at Holbrook, where he “Yes” to question #4. The test results were just as he was preparing to hang up, Neff heard
had sat in on yet another interview of the six conclusive on Goulette, Smith, Peterson, Rogers the voice screaming. The hysteria sounded
witnesses. His mother was crying as an and Pierce. The test results on Dalis were genuine. “It’s me, Grant,” the caller said. “I’m
oblivious deputy kept plying her with questions. inconclusive. hurt, and I need help badly. You come and get
Furious, Duane took him to the porch and told Based on the polygraph chart tracing, it me.”
him not to return unless or until he really had is the opinion of this examiner that Goulette, It was Travis, all right. Neff promised to
something to talk about. Then Duane told his Smith, Peterson, Rogers, and Pierce were being get Duane and to be in Heber as soon as
mother that from now on she should not allow truthful when they answered these relevant possible.
investigators into the house; she should talk with questions.
them on the porch, which would allow her to end These polygraph examinations prove THE REAPPEARANCE
the discussion any time she wanted to. that these five men did see some object that they Neff drove to Snowflake and picked up
The next morning Marshal Flake showed believe to be a UFO, and that Travis Walton was Duane, who had not left the sheriff’s office until
up to deliver a message. Because Kellett had no not injured or murdered by any of these men on 10 that evening. From there Duane had gone to
phone, all communications between her and the that Wednesday. If an actual UFO did not exist Snowflake and to his mother’s house. The two
authorities had to be carried out in person. and the UFO is a man-made hoax, five of these were talking when a white-faced Neff walked in
Kellett stepped out to the porch, closed the door men hid no prior knowledge of a hoax. No such and broke the news.
behind her, took the message, and went back determination can be made of the sixth man, Grant Neff and Duane Walton found
inside. Flake and other skeptics would later whose test results were inconclusive. Travis hunched over in the second of three
conclude that she was hiding something or Even Flake did not make much of Dalis’s phone booths at a service station on Heber’s
someone. test results. Dalis, after all, was a man with much outskirts. Though conscious, he seemed to be in
On Monday morning, Rogers and the to hide: a criminal past and (as we shall see) a shock. He had five days’ worth of beard on his
crew met in Holbrook to undergo polygraph criminal future. He had behaved with hostility face, and he looked thinner than he had been
testing at the sheriff’s office. The examiner, Cy all through the polygraph process, as if fearing when last seen. (Later members of the family
Gilson, worked for the Arizona Department of secrets he had every reason not to wish revealed would claim that he had weighed 165; weighed
Public Safety and had been brought up from would accidentally come to light. Flake not long after his return, he was 154.) Clothed in
Phoenix for the occasion. While reporters milled remarked, “I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could the levis shirt and jeans and cotton shirt he had
around outside, each of the witnesses underwent throw him. Since he’s the only one who didn’t been wearing at the time of his disappearance,
four 20-minute tests which consisted of pass the lie test, I’d almost have to believe the he was shivering in the 18-degree cold.
variously phrased versions of four basic opposite with him. Not passing, means he’s (Continued on Page 60)