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The Travis Walton Abduction Case 17 The Travis Walton Abduction Case 17 results confidential. Hardly anyone ufologists that the Waltons were lying. an investigator than as a prosecutor. else would hear f the incident until Persons knowledgeable about the case His most damaging revelation eight months later, when the Walton's sometimes found his logic hard to concerned the McCarthy examination case most intense and persistent critic follow. He wrote, for example, "Walton and APRO's role in covering it up. Jim exposed it to the world. never boarded the UFO. This fact is Lorenzen would subsequently defend On February 7, 1976, Duane supported by the six witnesses and the his organization's actions, saying that took a polygraph test administered by [Gibson] polygraph test results." the results were meaningless - George J. Pfiefer, Jr., of Tom Ezell and Spaulding did not elaborate on this probably true, but hardly the point. Associates. Travis hoped to be there as curious contention. Klass got the story from McCarthy, well, but APRO had not made an Still, other UFO groups were who had decided to speak out because appointment for him because he was willing to take Spaulding at his word. of the continuing attention Walton's having car trouble and it was by no The National Investigations claim was receiving. (In July Travis means certain that he would be able to Committee on Aerial Phenomena and the six witnesses would split a negotiate the 160 miles between (NICAP) inaccurately characterized $5000 reward from the National Snowflake and Phoenix. But as it the incident as a "contactee case," Enquirer after its Blue Ribbon Panel happened, Travis made it. He asked if complained about the "undue on Unidentified Flying Objects judged he could take the test after Duane was excitement and interest" it had the case the most important UFO event through. Drs. Harold Cahn and R Leo generated, and remarked that "either a of 1975.) He also learned from Sprinkle and APRO director Jim hoax has been committed or… a McCarthy of Travis's past drug use and Lorenzen drew up a list of questions, psychological phenomena [sic] is run-in with the law. Klass used these, and later Travis added some others. involved." It cited as authority its along with the claims of Lester Travis wanted the test to cover other "investigator," an Arizona university Steward (charitably referred to as a accusations that had been leveled at professor. Later the "investigator" "psychologist and hypnotist whose The Travis Walton Abduction him. acknowledged that he had based his Ph.D. is from a small private school in Continued from Page 16 Pfiefer concluded as follows: statements on newspaper accounts Southern California"), to charge that [I]t is the opinion of this 9"Alleged Arizona Abduction," 1976). Travis was befuddled with drugs, Based on his reactions on all examiner that Duane Walton has The Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) possible from "LSD injected into the charts, it is the opinion of this answered all the questions truthfully also treated the case cautiously, citing spot where the puncture mark was examiner that Walton, in concert with according to what both sides of the found/" Readers of Klass's paper could others, is attempting to perpetrate a he believes to be dispute, without only conclude that Travis was both a UFO hoax and that he has not been on the truth regarding taking sides substance abuser and criminal. any spacecraft. this incident, and ("APRO, NICAP, Drawing liberally on Duane expressed his he has not GSW," 1976). speculation, the darkest possible enormous displeasure with the results attempted to be APRO's treatment, interpretation of every remark and to McCarthy. The psychiatrists deceptive in any the most action, and regular use of capital reiterated their conviction that under area… comprehensive, was letters, bold type, italics, and the circumstances the results meant After a the only wholly underlined sentences (and sometimes nothing. Dr. Rosenbaum spoke for his careful analysis of positive one ("The combinations thereof), Klass told a colleagues in a formal statement: the polygrams Travis Walton complex tale of deceit, conspiracy, and [O]ur conclusion, which was produced, there are Case," 1975; incompetence. He portrayed the absolute, is that this young man is not no areas left Lorenzen and Walton's as UFO buffs who seemed lying, that there is no collusion unresolved, and it Lorenzen, 1975); oddly unconcerned with Travis's involved. The full test results show is the opinion of thought it made disappearance. To get around the that he really believes these things, this examiner that Travis Walton has much of the Pfiefer tests, it neglected positive polygraph results, Klass that he is not lying. He really believes answered all questions in a manner to mention the failed examination with argued that McCarthy's experience and that he was abducted by a UFO. that he himself is firmly convinced to McCarthy. qualifications were greater than Rosenbaum then went on to offer his be the truth regarding the incident So did the National Enquirer in Gibson's and Pfiefer's; moreover, own distinctive interpretation of the commencing 11-5-75. its December 16, 1975, issue, even Travis had "dictated" the questions episode: Pfiefer also conducted a though its reporters had privately Pfiefer had asked him. But my evaluation of the boy's polygraph examination on Mary voiced their disenchantment with the Continued on Page 18 story is that, although he believes this Kellett. Those who thought Travis's case to the Lorenzens a day after the is what happened, it was all in his own disappearance had been staged McCarthy examination. One of them, mind. I feel that he suffered from a suspected that his mother would Jeff Wells, prepared a 16-page combination of imagination and almost certainly know of the hoax, memorandum urging that the story be amnesia, a transitory psychosis - that some speculated that he had hidden in killed. Unlike McCarthy, reporters did he did not go on a UFO, but simply her Bear Springs cabin. So Pfiefer not believe Travis had perpetrated a was wandering around during the asked her if she had participated in a hoax; they were persuaded by Dr. period of his disappearance. But I'm hoax, if she had concealed Travis, and Reosenbaum that he had had a unable to account for five witnesses if she knew where Travis was between psychological experience. As Wells having the same basic story and November 5 and 10. She answered no recalled in 1981, "He had seen passing lie-detector tests about it. to these questions. Pfiefer also wanted something out there in the woods, Nor would Rosenbaum's to know if she believed Travis was some kind of eerie light that had hypothesis explain how Travis could telling the truth. She said yes. Pfiefer triggered a powerful hallucination that have maintained relative good health, wrote: might reoccur at any time" (Wells, or even stayed alive, over five nights After careful analysis of the 1981). of well-below-freezing temperatures - polygrams produced and comparing A far more formidable and especially considering the clothes he the polygram tracings with the Known serious attack on the case was launched was wearing were manifestly not Lie pattern, it is the opinion of this by Philip J Klass in June 1976. Klass, suited to such bitter cold. Moreover, examiner that Mrs. Mary Kellett has by profession an editor of the formal psychological testing of Travis answered all the questions truthfully Washington weekly Aviation Week and by APRO-affiliated psychologists according to the best of her knowledge Space Technology, issued 17 pages' Haold Cahn and R. Leo Sprinkle and beliefs. worth of accusations against virtually would uncover no evidence of In 1992 Pfiefer reaffirmed his everyone - investigators, polygraph emotional abnormality. confidence in these conclusions. examiner, and alleged witness - who in In any event, it was apparent one way or another supported the case. to just about everybody except THE CONTROVERSY: A ferocious UFO debunker who McCarthy that the polygraph test had Even in the absence of clear seldom hesitated to hurl hoax charges been a bad idea. Then the Waltons, evidence of a hoax - as well as in against witnesses ordinarily deemed National Enquirer, McCarthy, and ignorance of the suppressed McCarthy reliable (including police officers and APRO signed on another bad idea: test - Spaulding continued his assault members of the clergy), Klass they agreed to keep the test and its on the case, telling journalists and approached the Walton episode less as