Joint NUFORC/MUFON of Georgia Investigation, Meriwether County Georgia
Joint NUFORC/MUFON of Georgia Investigation The following MUFON of Georgia report was generated by a joint NUFORC/MUFONGA investigation regarding the events occurring on 13April03 at about 9:15PM on Georgia Hwy. 41 between Warm Springs and Greenville Georgia (Meriwether County). The principal MUFONGA investigators were Olivia Newton, State Section Director for the Lilburn Georgia area, and Jim Clifford, Deputy Director for Georgia Investigations.
On 15April03, Peter Davenport, NUFORC Director, contacted this writer, Tom Sheets, SD for MUFONGA. Mr. Davenport made MUFONGA aware of the highly unusual nature of this event and after additional discussion it was decided to have Georgia Field Investigators to probe further into the case.
The Newton/Clifford team was contacted by this writer and agreed to proceed in contacting the witness(es) and in visiting the event scene. As stated in the posted NUFORC report, the witnesses are related, two brothers and the wife of one brother, mature adults all. (All three witnesses posted accounts to NUFORC).
The primary witness in this case (W-1) lives in the north Georgia area near Atlanta. The FI team met with him and conducted an interview on 30April03. He recounted the occurrence originally posted to NUFORC. The FI's described W-1 as being very serious and intense, holding firm eye-contact with the FI's throughout the interview. W-1 was also concerned with the post-event emotional state of his older brother and wife, since they all felt that their lives had been changed by the event.
During detailed questioning, he went on to provide more details; describing the red round objects as being SOLID, and NOT transparent light; about the size of half-dollar coins; no detectable heat or cold seemed to have been produced nor was any odor noticed. The tiny objects were also described as giving off little beam like projections or rays when close to the floorboard, and perhaps numbered as many as fifty.
The FI team made arrangements to meet on 5May03 with W-1's older brother (W-2) and his wife (W-3), who reside in Meriwether County. A visit to the scene of the event was also planned.
The exact site was easily located on Hwy 41 about four miles south of Greenville. The FIs made photos and inspected the surrounding heavily wooded terrain. No signs of recent passage were noted (knee-high weeds and grass). Only a few houses dot the area. Later interviews with residents of the area turned up no productive leads, but some vague comments came out about "unusual" events in town, but with no specifics (this MIGHT (?) be related to the many past UFO reports of the 1990's as described below). FI Newton later visited the Franklin D. Roosevelt Airport in nearby Warm Springs but developed no new information.
The W-2 and W-3 interviews were conducted in their Meriwether County residence, which was described by the FIs as a neat rural Georgia home, full of family photos. Interviews were conducted separately, and consisted of recountings of the NUFORC posts. W-2 reiterated that one of the red discs had remained motionless on the very area of his recent colon surgery for about five seconds, while the others continued to whirl about. He later wondered if perhaps this object had possibly destroyed any cancer cells that might have remained after the surgery.
W-3 was described as an especially genuine, forthright and honest person. In fact, FI Newton ranked her as one of the best witnesses she'd ever interviewed (and she's interviewed hundreds). W-3 recounted her NUFORC post, and corroborated other details described in this report(s). According to FI Newton, before MUFONGA's involvement in this matter, W-3 was so aggressive in her search for answers, that she automatically undertook chores normally completed by FIs. W-3 visited the Meriwether County Sheriff's Department, the local GBI office (Georgia Bureau of Investigation) and also met with some residents in the sparsely populated area of the event. However nothing was developed.
FI Newton concluded that these three witnesses were extremely credible, and NEVER displayed any body language or clusters of kinesic-like signals that would indicate deception of any sort. Newton indicated that these witnesses felt that they were "chosen", and were being scanned by these tiny objects for whatever reason.
The FI team considered many causes in this case. Ball lightning (especially fragmenting ball lightning ref. Wm. Corliss "Remarkable Luminous Phenomena in Nature" GLB9......though the weather was clear and mild); pranksters hiding at the roadside to ambush motorists with laser pointers; automobile deodorizers that exude mist and thus might refract light; natural "spook" lights or glowing plasmas and other such things. Due to their large number, bizarre movements, apparent solidity, and the object's close proximity to the witnesses, these mundane explanations were set aside. During his interview, W-2 stated that he may have observed a "rolling red phenomenon" just outside the window of the vehicle in the instant before the tiny objects appeared inside, but it was so brief he could comment no further.
FI Newton discussed this case in depth with a local physicist and two geologists. These learned scholars could provide no helpful information other than what we already knew. The Sheriff of Meriwether County served as a police SWAT/Medic and was an associate when this writer was Chief of Police in College Park Georgia. This writer discussed the case with him. He had received no similar reports, but advised that he would contact MUFONGA ASAP if anything turned up. The Sheriff's brother is also a GBI Agent and an associate of this writer and would likewise forward any information obtained via his channels.
As indicated by FI Newton, it should be noted that a very short distance south of the event scene is Warm Springs Georgia, the site of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Little White House". FDR spent much time there in the 1930's and 1940's due to the geothermal springs and their reputed healing qualities for polio victims. FDR passed away there in 1945. While such unusual geology is found in a few places around the USA, it is unknown if such terrain might somehow be connected to this case. It should also be noted that the area of the Georgia-Alabama state line experienced a 4.9 magnitude earthquake at 4:59AM on 29April03, 16 days after the Meriwether County event. The quake location was at 34.51N 85.60W placing it about 30 miles NW of Rome Georgia, which would make the quake center an estimated 130 miles or so NNW of Meriwether County. The Brevard Fault line begins some miles north of Lagrange George, running NE toward South Carolina.
Several major newspapers in the southeast, including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, picked up the case from this writer's "MUFONGA Updates" and printed the story of the investigation and these confidential witnesses. The by-lines referred to the event area as "BOOGER BOTTOM" due to our informal name for that vicinity. FI Newton, along with W-3, discovered that the local residents used that term when referring to the area. The term was originated long ago when illegal liquor was manufactured in these woods, and the "moonshiners" wanted such a connotation to hopefully keep revenue agents (!) and other trespassers away. The term "Booger Bottom" DOES NOT refer to any "portal area", anomalous zone etc. It's strictly a local nickname for the above stated reasons. In fact, a bestselling book and major motion picture, "Murder in Coweta County", starring Johnny Cash and Andy Griffith, somewhat illustrates how the area got it's name.........a true tale of moonshine and murder. The moonshiner and murderer, John Wallace, owned and lived in the area known as "Booger Bottom." During the inquiry, we also received several citizen emails describing this "true to life" legend.
Additional Notes- Meriwether County is on the eastern side (and considered an outlying part) of an area once known nationally by Ufologists as the "Troup-Heard UFO Corridor". From about the mid-1980's through the late 1990's there were perhaps as many UFO reports received from this area as in Pine Bush N.Y. or Gulf Breeze Florida or even the "Mysterious Valley" of the southwestern USA. This writer and especially my associate, former SD John Thompson, spent much time through the late 90's investigating these cases. While this report is not the place to recount these events, it should be noted that the area WAS, and perhaps remains, one of those localities that has an abundance of UFOs, unknown entities, and other paranormal type occurrences.
FI Newton has commented that throughout the many weeks of this investigation, the witness' accounts have remained consistent......from their NUFORC postings to their "sit-down" interviews, including conversations with this writer and even during a national radio/Internet broadcast with Jeff Rense and Peter Davenport........consistent one and all.
As it now stands, MUFON of Georgia believes these citizens encountered multiple unknown anomalous objects, up close and personal, on Georgia Hwy. 41 on 13April03.
A report regarding this investigation is also to be filed in MUFON's "World UFO Database".
MUFONGA would like to thank Peter Davenport for passing this case to us for additional investigation.
Best Regards, Tom Sheets, State Director-MUFON of Georgia Jim Clifford, Deputy Director for Georgia Investigations Olivia Newton, State Section Director- Gwinnett, Dekalb, Rockdale Counties
((NUFORC Note: We express our gratitude to Tom Sheets, and Georgia/MUFON, for following up on this fascinating case. PD))
Joint NUFORC/MUFON of Georgia Investigation The following MUFON of Georgia report was generated by a joint NUFORC/MUFONGA investigation regarding the events occurring on 13April03 at about 9:15PM on Georgia Hwy. 41 between Warm Springs and Greenville Georgia (Meriwether County). The principal MUFONGA investigators were Olivia Newton, State Section Director for the Lilburn Georgia area, and Jim Clifford, Deputy Director for Georgia Investigations.
On 15April03, Peter Davenport, NUFORC Director, contacted this writer, Tom Sheets, SD for MUFONGA. Mr. Davenport made MUFONGA aware of the highly unusual nature of this event and after additional discussion it was decided to have Georgia Field Investigators to probe further into the case.
The Newton/Clifford team was contacted by this writer and agreed to proceed in contacting the witness(es) and in visiting the event scene. As stated in the posted NUFORC report, the witnesses are related, two brothers and the wife of one brother, mature adults all. (All three witnesses posted accounts to NUFORC).
The primary witness in this case (W-1) lives in the north Georgia area near Atlanta. The FI team met with him and conducted an interview on 30April03. He recounted the occurrence originally posted to NUFORC. The FI's described W-1 as being very serious and intense, holding firm eye-contact with the FI's throughout the interview. W-1 was also concerned with the post-event emotional state of his older brother and wife, since they all felt that their lives had been changed by the event.
During detailed questioning, he went on to provide more details; describing the red round objects as being SOLID, and NOT transparent light; about the size of half-dollar coins; no detectable heat or cold seemed to have been produced nor was any odor noticed. The tiny objects were also described as giving off little beam like projections or rays when close to the floorboard, and perhaps numbered as many as fifty.
The FI team made arrangements to meet on 5May03 with W-1's older brother (W-2) and his wife (W-3), who reside in Meriwether County. A visit to the scene of the event was also planned.
The exact site was easily located on Hwy 41 about four miles south of Greenville. The FIs made photos and inspected the surrounding heavily wooded terrain. No signs of recent passage were noted (knee-high weeds and grass). Only a few houses dot the area. Later interviews with residents of the area turned up no productive leads, but some vague comments came out about "unusual" events in town, but with no specifics (this MIGHT (?) be related to the many past UFO reports of the 1990's as described below). FI Newton later visited the Franklin D. Roosevelt Airport in nearby Warm Springs but developed no new information.
The W-2 and W-3 interviews were conducted in their Meriwether County residence, which was described by the FIs as a neat rural Georgia home, full of family photos. Interviews were conducted separately, and consisted of recountings of the NUFORC posts. W-2 reiterated that one of the red discs had remained motionless on the very area of his recent colon surgery for about five seconds, while the others continued to whirl about. He later wondered if perhaps this object had possibly destroyed any cancer cells that might have remained after the surgery.
W-3 was described as an especially genuine, forthright and honest person. In fact, FI Newton ranked her as one of the best witnesses she'd ever interviewed (and she's interviewed hundreds). W-3 recounted her NUFORC post, and corroborated other details described in this report(s). According to FI Newton, before MUFONGA's involvement in this matter, W-3 was so aggressive in her search for answers, that she automatically undertook chores normally completed by FIs. W-3 visited the Meriwether County Sheriff's Department, the local GBI office (Georgia Bureau of Investigation) and also met with some residents in the sparsely populated area of the event. However nothing was developed.
FI Newton concluded that these three witnesses were extremely credible, and NEVER displayed any body language or clusters of kinesic-like signals that would indicate deception of any sort. Newton indicated that these witnesses felt that they were "chosen", and were being scanned by these tiny objects for whatever reason.
The FI team considered many causes in this case. Ball lightning (especially fragmenting ball lightning ref. Wm. Corliss "Remarkable Luminous Phenomena in Nature" GLB9......though the weather was clear and mild); pranksters hiding at the roadside to ambush motorists with laser pointers; automobile deodorizers that exude mist and thus might refract light; natural "spook" lights or glowing plasmas and other such things. Due to their large number, bizarre movements, apparent solidity, and the object's close proximity to the witnesses, these mundane explanations were set aside. During his interview, W-2 stated that he may have observed a "rolling red phenomenon" just outside the window of the vehicle in the instant before the tiny objects appeared inside, but it was so brief he could comment no further.
FI Newton discussed this case in depth with a local physicist and two geologists. These learned scholars could provide no helpful information other than what we already knew. The Sheriff of Meriwether County served as a police SWAT/Medic and was an associate when this writer was Chief of Police in College Park Georgia. This writer discussed the case with him. He had received no similar reports, but advised that he would contact MUFONGA ASAP if anything turned up. The Sheriff's brother is also a GBI Agent and an associate of this writer and would likewise forward any information obtained via his channels.
As indicated by FI Newton, it should be noted that a very short distance south of the event scene is Warm Springs Georgia, the site of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Little White House". FDR spent much time there in the 1930's and 1940's due to the geothermal springs and their reputed healing qualities for polio victims. FDR passed away there in 1945. While such unusual geology is found in a few places around the USA, it is unknown if such terrain might somehow be connected to this case. It should also be noted that the area of the Georgia-Alabama state line experienced a 4.9 magnitude earthquake at 4:59AM on 29April03, 16 days after the Meriwether County event. The quake location was at 34.51N 85.60W placing it about 30 miles NW of Rome Georgia, which would make the quake center an estimated 130 miles or so NNW of Meriwether County. The Brevard Fault line begins some miles north of Lagrange George, running NE toward South Carolina.
Several major newspapers in the southeast, including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, picked up the case from this writer's "MUFONGA Updates" and printed the story of the investigation and these confidential witnesses. The by-lines referred to the event area as "BOOGER BOTTOM" due to our informal name for that vicinity. FI Newton, along with W-3, discovered that the local residents used that term when referring to the area. The term was originated long ago when illegal liquor was manufactured in these woods, and the "moonshiners" wanted such a connotation to hopefully keep revenue agents (!) and other trespassers away. The term "Booger Bottom" DOES NOT refer to any "portal area", anomalous zone etc. It's strictly a local nickname for the above stated reasons. In fact, a bestselling book and major motion picture, "Murder in Coweta County", starring Johnny Cash and Andy Griffith, somewhat illustrates how the area got it's name.........a true tale of moonshine and murder. The moonshiner and murderer, John Wallace, owned and lived in the area known as "Booger Bottom." During the inquiry, we also received several citizen emails describing this "true to life" legend.
Additional Notes- Meriwether County is on the eastern side (and considered an outlying part) of an area once known nationally by Ufologists as the "Troup-Heard UFO Corridor". From about the mid-1980's through the late 1990's there were perhaps as many UFO reports received from this area as in Pine Bush N.Y. or Gulf Breeze Florida or even the "Mysterious Valley" of the southwestern USA. This writer and especially my associate, former SD John Thompson, spent much time through the late 90's investigating these cases. While this report is not the place to recount these events, it should be noted that the area WAS, and perhaps remains, one of those localities that has an abundance of UFOs, unknown entities, and other paranormal type occurrences.
FI Newton has commented that throughout the many weeks of this investigation, the witness' accounts have remained consistent......from their NUFORC postings to their "sit-down" interviews, including conversations with this writer and even during a national radio/Internet broadcast with Jeff Rense and Peter Davenport........consistent one and all.
As it now stands, MUFON of Georgia believes these citizens encountered multiple unknown anomalous objects, up close and personal, on Georgia Hwy. 41 on 13April03.
A report regarding this investigation is also to be filed in MUFON's "World UFO Database".
MUFONGA would like to thank Peter Davenport for passing this case to us for additional investigation.
Best Regards, Tom Sheets, State Director-MUFON of Georgia Jim Clifford, Deputy Director for Georgia Investigations Olivia Newton, State Section Director- Gwinnett, Dekalb, Rockdale Counties
((NUFORC Note: We express our gratitude to Tom Sheets, and Georgia/MUFON, for following up on this fascinating case. PD))
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
Off
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Greenville
USA
Appx. 30 seconds
Appx. 30 seconds
33.05
-84.74
other
GA
Occurred : 4/13/2003 21:15 (Entered as : 04/13/2003 21:15) Reported: 10/20/2003 8:50:01 PM 20:50 Posted: 10/31/2003 Location: Greenville, GA Shape: Other Duration: Appx. 30 seconds Characteristics: The object emitted beams
MUFON/GEORGIA FOLLOW-UP REPORT: Joint NUFORC/MUFON of Georgia Investigation, Meriwether County Georgia