Somewhere in the Skies - Abduction of the Kentucky Three

Episode Date: January 10, 2022

On episode 247 of SOMEWHERE IN THE SKIES, Ryan takes us back to 1976 in Stanford, Kentucky, where an innocent birthday party celebrated by three women soon turned in to one of the most extraordinary and terrifying nights of their lives. This is the incredible story of the Kentucky Three, in what is arguably one of the most well-documented abduction cases in UFO history. Special Thanks to the following voice over actors in this episode: Christopher Soucy, Rebecca Jung, and Stefan Gearhart Special Thanks also to playwright, Elizabeth Orndorff  Read Ryan's latest article, "Encounters in a Cornfield" : https://bit.ly/3HPcrbN Patreon: www.patreon.com/somewhereskies Website: www.somewhereintheskies.com YouTube Channel: CLICK HERE Official Store: CLICK HERE Somewhere in the Skies Coffee: CLICK HERE Order Ryan’s book in paperback, ebook, or audiobook by CLICKING HERE Twitter: @SomewhereSkies Instagram: @SomewhereSkiesPod Somewhere in the Skies Subreddit: www.reddit.com/r/SomewhereSkiesPod/ Watch Mysteries Decoded for free at www.CWseed.com Opening Theme Song, "Ephemeral Reign" by Per Kiilstofte SOMEWHERE IN THE SKIES is part of the eOne podcast network. To learn more, CLICK HERE Copyright © 2021 Ryan Sprague. All rights reserved. Copyright Disclaimer: Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/somewhere-in-the-skies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is brought to you by Netflix. Most valuable promotions in Netflix are hosting a blockbuster triple headliner Saturday, May 16th. Rhonda Rousey returns to face fellow woman's MMA pioneer Gina Carano in the main event. Plus co-main's Nate Diaz versus Mike Perry. And the best heavyweight in the world, Frances Ngano versus Felipe Lens. Watch Rhonda Rousey versus Gina Carrano, live only on Netflix. Saturday, May 16th at 9 p.m. Eastern Center time, 6 p.m. Pacific time. Hey guys, Ryan here.

The Summer in the Sky's podcast is a labor of love every week. And with that comes many different costs to keep the show running. That's where our Patreon campaign comes in. You give what you think the show is worth. There's different rewards available all the time, including shoutouts on the show, early editions of main episodes, bonus episodes and content,

and very soon, monthly patron hangouts, where we sit back and chat all things UFOs. So I hope you'll consider becoming a Patreon subscriber today. To learn more and to join, visit patreon.com slash somewhere skies. Thank you for your support and keep looking up. The authenticity of UFO cases is usually judged by the credibility of both the witnesses and those who investigate the case. This is no different when it comes to the highly controversial topic of alien abductions.

And this was certainly the case for a series of events that happened to three women from Stanford, Kentucky, in 1976. And it all started with a birthday party. This is the abduction of the Stanford three. This is somewhere in the skies, with Brian's bread. It was January 6, 1976. It was Mona Stafford's 36th birthday. She was joined by her best friends, Louise Smith and Elaine Thomas, to celebrate the event and just have a friendly dinner together. The three friends took their dinner plans to the Redwood Restaurant, which was located south of Lancaster, Kentucky, 35 miles from their hometown of Liberty, Kentucky.

As the three finished their dinner, they started what they thought would be a nice, pleasant drive back to their home. Leaving the Redwood restaurant at 11.15 p.m., the three women were in a jovial mood, as Louise Smith sat behind the wheel of her 1967 Chevy Nova. None of the women had anything to drink that night of the alcoholic persuasion. Leaving Stanford and heading for Houstonville on Highway 78, the three women suddenly saw a bright red object. in the clear night sky. Whatever this object was, frightened Mona, who thought it might have been an airplane on fire

and heading in for a crash landing. As the glowing object came closer, Smith lost control of the automobile. The little Chevy was now going 85 miles per hour. A speed never traveled by Smith before. In a panic, she cried out, I can't hold the car on the road. Mona reached over and tried to help her,

thinking that something was wrong with the steering wheel. But she couldn't control it either. The car continued its high rate of speed without deviation. Later, Luis would state, quote, My foot wasn't even on the gas pedal. Suddenly, the unknown object was very close to the car. It followed from behind for a short time, then flipped on its end, coming extremely close to the driver's side. All three women would later recall the same thing.

What they were looking at was an enormous, metallic, disc-shaped object with a dome on top, and a ring of red lights around its midsection. The women all saw it close enough to see a yellow blinking light on its underbelly. This metallic disc-shaped object hung over the driver's side of the car for a time before it moved ahead of it on the highway. As it did, a bluish-white light shot into the car, lighting up the entire interior of the vehicle. Later, Mrs. Smith would describe the inside of their car as being filled with a, quote, haze-like air, sort of like a fog. In mere seconds, all three women suffered from a burning sensation so strong that they cannot open their eyes because of how truly bright it was. The last thing in the memory of Smith, Stafford, and Thomas was being backed into a pasture entrance in a crazy manner.

The entry was flanked on both sides by an old stone wall. One hour and 20 minutes later, the three found themselves back in the little Chevy, again driving towards Liberty. They were shaken and tense with exposed areas of flesh, painful from the burns. The three frightened women finally arrived at Mrs. Smith's home, and when they entered, they noticed that the clock in the kitchen showed 120 a.m. confirming the trip of 35 miles had taken just over two hours. Normally, it took about 45 minutes. They immediately went to the house of their neighbor, Lowell Lee, who confirmed that the time truly was 120 a.m. Confused as to what to do next, the women called the police station. The next day, they also phoned the Navy recruiting station. Neither of the two calls afforded them any aid.

The Navy station did give some of the details of the event to a Lexington TV station, and not soon after, the story quickly reached the press and was given headline status. The Mutual UFO Network, or Mufon, investigator, Jerry Black, heard the story of the event and immediately went to work to gain some more details. Black called the three women and asked for an interview, but Smith, Stafford, and Thomas were reluctant at first to relive the event, or to have UFO strangers in their home. After a few more calls and convincing and the offering of his sympathy and compassion for their experience,

the three witnesses agreed to an interview with Jerry Black. Black invited Mrs. Peggy Schnell of Blanchester, Ohio, attend. She also had experience with these kinds of cases, and Black felt that the three women might feel more comfortable speaking with a female investigator. The first meeting was more or less an ice-breaking session, but several very important facts were revealed. Black stated that the three women were all obviously in physical pain, and they all were chain-smoking, which they attributed to the experience. All three had an insatiable thirst and all claimed excessive weight loss since the event. They also gave some details on their observations of the craft, its structure, and its behavior. They would also discuss some of the ill effects that they had sustained.

These memories were painful to all three, and they tried to recall details in hopes that someone might be able to help them. Naturally, there were some psychological problems in the aftermath of this experience. Mrs. Smith was having difficulty in performing her everyday duties as an assistant for the Casey County Extension Office. Mrs. Stafford was not only suffering from an eye inflammation, but she was also desperate to know what happened during the missing time. The three women were assured that they would be able to undergo regressive hypnosis. and uncover their missing time, therefore alleviating some, if not all, of their emotional stress. Several things were evident to both Black and Schnell during this first meeting. All three witnesses were sincere about what they'd experienced, and that they were suffering

from the so-called beam of light that had entered their car, and there were obvious physical scars from the encounter. Stafford's eyes were horribly irritated, and they burned constantly. As for Smith, she had a mark on the nape of her neck. It was roundish, and had a pinkish-gray color to it, the size of a half dollar. In fact, all three women had this same type of burn on their necks. Here is Louise Smith describing these physical effects. And my neck was burning.

Oh, it was her. hurting so bad, you know. And I asked Mona to look at my neck. And then we all got to comparing, you know, because we were all burning and hurting, you know. And Mona's eyes, they were something terrible. So we looked at our necks, you know. I looked at Mona's and we each had a mark on her neck about three inches long and an inch wide. That just the top layer of skin looked like had been removed. So we did go to the doctor and he told us that we definitely, was exposed to something like radiation that could have been the reason for the burning,

for the hurting in Mona's eyes. You're great at protecting your data, but lots of places could still expose you to identity theft. I thought it was safe. If that happens, LifeLock gives you a U.S.-based restoration agent who will stick by your side from start to finish. Phone calls, filing documentation,

preparing insurance claims, your agent handles it all. In fact, we're so confident restoration is guaranteed. Pour your money back. Isn't it nice to have someone like that on your side? Save up to 40% your first year at LifeLock.com slash Spotify. Terms apply. Another unusual revelation that came from this meeting

was the strange reaction of Mrs. Smith's parakeet. When Smith first arrived home after the experience, instead of her usual happy greeting from the parakeet, she received a frightening reaction. It flew into the side of its cage and fluttered its wings in a wild display of fear. Smith proclaimed that since the first night home, the bird would have absolutely nothing to do with her.

Further tests were conducted in the presence of other birds, and when other people drew near, the birds were perfectly normal, but when Mrs. Smith came close, they too panicked. Unfortunately and mysteriously, Smith's parakeet, would die of unknown causes in March of that same year. This uncanny reaction was not the only one to come from Smith's presence. The minute hand of her wristwatch began to rapidly spin around its dial. Also, the following week after the sighting, when she touched her bedroom alarm clock,

it stopped working altogether. Another quirky problem was noticed when Louise Smith's call, developed electrical problems. Driving to work, she was stopped by police who informed her that the signal lights were not working. But the most crucial problem of all of this was the general ill health and weakness of the three unwilling witnesses of this extraordinary event. Because of this, investigators agreed that, at least for the time being, no other details of the event would be released. Walter Andrus of the Mutual UFO Network and Dr. J. Ellen Heinek of Cufos, the Center for UFO Studies, were both informed of the case, and both agreed to wait for details until the three women were in better condition.

After the initial interviews, the investigators involved were convinced that the three women's story was disturbing, yet solid as could be. there was no doubt in anyone's mind that these three well-respected women mature and mentally stable had seen something so out of the ordinary and the fact that there was missing time involved had to be explored an abduction was on the minds of the principal investigators j ellen heineck was called upon to provide a professional psychiatrist to perform aggressive hypnosis on all three of the women. Unfortunately, lack of funding was a big part of the decision as to who would be called upon. None of the noted doctors who dealt with these types of situations lived anywhere near the state of Kentucky. A well-respected uphologist and physician, Dr. Leo Sprinkle, was considered. Sprinkle was a consultant for the aerial phenomena research organization.

or APRO. But he was not called upon because he lived in Wyoming. But, in a stroke of good fortune, Dr. Sprinkle heard of the case and dropped everything to go to Kentucky. When Smith, Stafford, and Thomas were contacted about Sprinkles's desire to help them,

they first refused, not knowing of Sprinkles's reputation. At this time, the three women, though needing help, clearly, were still under the impression that in time their problems would pass. And to involve more and more people into the story would only prolong the agony. While not knowing of Dr. Sprinkle, the three women had heard of Jim and Coro Lorenzen of Apro. And this well-respected husband and wife team were called in to try to ease the fears of this story being released national.

A promise was made to the three women that the regressive hypnosis procedure and its results would not be released to any of the UFO groups for publication until a time that they felt comfortable with it. An agreement was made and a date was set for the regressive hypnosis, March 7, 1976. Dr. Sprinkle and investigators Black and Schnell and a few others were all present for the initial session. All of those in attendance reaffirmed their good intentions of keeping the story under wraps until the three women authorized its release. At this time, only one of three would consent to the hypnosis, Mrs. Stafford. A silence fell across the room as Dr. Sprinkle began his methodical, professional way,

of easing Stafford's fear. In a slow, cautious manner, Stafford began to recall the events of that terrifying night. She was able to relive her interpretation of seeing what she thought was an airplane crashing. She was not able to go any further at this first session as tears rolled down her cheeks, and exhaustion set in.

After the session, Dr. Sprinkles stated, that Stafford was still in a post-hypnotic state, and that she should be questioned very carefully and cautiously. After the first hypnosis, Black continued to ask questions of both Smith and Thomas. Mona moved away from the others to rest. Another interviewer began to show Stafford some drawings of aliens. However, the word alien had not been mentioned in the case. case before this time, out of respect to the three, and also not to lead them in any way.

Mona sat and silently looked at the pictures, and then in a dramatic fashion, she proclaimed, This looks like the light I saw. It was shaped like that head. Pointing to a specific alien on the sheet of paper. Mona sat for a time thinking about that night. Then she added. to her previous statement. Yes, I can see the face now, but it doesn't seem solid. It comes and goes. I mean, fades and reappears like in a fog.

Its eyes are far apart, and at the bottom, the chin is like that drawing. At this time, she had remembered all she could, but it was more than enough for the inventive. Investigators to believe that there had been a breakthrough. There was now no doubt, in their minds at least, that an alien abduction had taken place. Dr. Sprinkle was notified the next day of the revelations from Mona and was sent the alien picture that she identified. Her statements were locked and sent along as well. There would be a lapse in the investigation at this point.

Several months went by without probing any deeper into the hidden facts of the case. Investigators did keep in constant touch with the three women, abate in a friendly fashion. Careful not to push them too soon. The three were still locked in fear. Their physical problems continued, and so did the weight loss. Dr. Sprinkle and J. L. and Hineck, all the while, were still dealing with the problem of funds and trying to find a solution to helping these three ladies. Also, investigators were constantly being prodded for more information on the Stanford three,

and as per their agreement, they refused to release any information. While others involved in the case were still trying to find solutions for the financial shortfall, it would be Investigator Black who would find that solution. After lengthy discussions with the National Enquirer, he had struck an agreement with the tabloid. The inquirer would finance a return trip for Dr. Sprinkel to complete his regressive hypnosis, and lie detector tests would be conducted as well. If the results would verify an abduction, the inquirer would have exclusive rights to publishing the story. Also, the three women would receive compensation. Black made the move because of concern to the health of the three women,

and also to accumulate facts for the benefit of UFO research groups. There was renewed optimism with the Inquirer deal, and there was hope that the hidden facts of that night would soon be uncovered. The next hypnosis session was scheduled, scheduled for the Brown Motel in Liberty, Kentucky on June 23, 1976. Newly present at this meeting was well-known UFO investigator, Bob Pratt, of the Inquirer. Though the reputation of the Inquirer left much to be desired, Pratt himself was regarded as an honest, sincere man.

Pratt had earlier attempted to get details of the Stanford case, but was denied access because of the earlier agreement of a news blackout. The first order of business on this day would be the lie detector testing. Do you like stories of the strange, the weird, and the unexplained?

Then we want you to check out Jim Harold's campfire. The concept is pretty simple. Jim talks to regular people about strange stuff that happens to them. And yes, that includes UFOs, along with cryptids, ghosts, and head scratchers. He doesn't exaggerate or play a lot of spooky music, kind of like I'm doing right now.

The stories speak for themselves. Ones like a ghost story involving serial killer Ted Bundy or the young man who encountered an eight-legged demon. Then there's the story of an alien abduction by what could be considered a reptilian. Now not all the stories are horrifying. Some are actually pretty heartwarming, like a visit from a past loved one or a peaceful near-death experience. Regardless, these are true and fascinating stories told by ordinary people who've had extraordinary experiences.

Tune in to Jim Harold's Campfire on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to somewhere in the skies. And remember, stay spooky. A detective for the Lexington Police Department, James Young, was hired ahead the polygraph part of the session. Recognized as an expert in the field, Young began his testing of the three women, all done privately for each of the three. Young was actually a great choice for these sessions, because he was a skeptic as far as UFO stories went. The tests themselves were lengthy, leaving no room for anything but a con-conesion. conclusive result, whether good or bad. After the tests were all completed,

Young emerged from the room with an expression of utter amazement. It is in my expertise opinion that Louise Smith, Elaine Thomas, and Mona Stafford were being truthful throughout their entire rigorous testing. There was not a single hint of deception detected. I can fully admit my skepticism going into these tests, but that skepticism was immediately erased after the testing of these three women. Next would be Dr. Sprinkles's hypnotic regression. During the regressions, the faces of the three women showed the emotional turmoil they were enduring.

The details of what occurred on that harrowing night came slowly, hauntingly to the surface. Here is an actual clip of Luis Thomas. during one of these sessions with Dr. Sprinkle. It was right over. It's right over you. Okay? Okay. What is it?

Oh, it looks like it's going to crash. God would have it. Didn't know what it was. It happens now. I don't want to look at it no more. I have my foot on the gas. You have your foot off the casket? Not on there.

Five miles and now, my arm, maud. As the hypnosis sessions continued, more details about these beings would be brought to the surface. The characteristics of the beings form seemed to be vague and often indescribable. All three related shadowy figures which floated or glided by them. They also recalled the frightening one eye or two eyes which also hovered over them. Mona Stafford made an unusual statement in describing an eye exam. I could see a light at the end of a tunnel, which looked like a volcano with a jagged edge. At this point, she described great pain in her eyes, almost as if they'd been pulled out.

Mona recalled a single bright purple eye that radiated lightning-like rays. Elaine also joined the other two in describing. these strange events. She remembered two eyes from a round head in deep darkness. One eye, she said, was a beautiful blue, and the other eye appeared dark. Luis saw several different forms of beings during her ordeal, but she was so frightened that she closed her eyes and didn't look at them. However, some months later, she described her vision of the humanoids in similar fashion to her friends, adding that their hands looked like jagged wingtips. Here she is going into further detail on the beams.

They were about four to four and a half feet tall, and they wore a dark, tight-fitted suit and a hood. The hood was tight-fitted all, so, you know, The only thing visible was the eyes. They were very huge and pointed more to the temple, not straight across like our eyes would be. There was a noder. It was almost like a mold. Have you ever smelled a refrigerator that's been fastened up with no electric for a long time, you know?

And you open that door and you get this kind of moldy smell. I smell that and I have never been asked this question but now has an opportunity to bring this out also the odor itself I smelled stronger when the beings

were near me and when they looked at me we did not talk verbally like we're talking now it was a telepathy type thing and I would tell myself I'm not going to look at them but there was no way I could resist, you know.

All three regressions were extremely emotional and terrifying for the Stanford three. In the 25th volume in issue four of the April Bulletin of October of 1976, a summary of these regressions performed by Dr. Sprinkle were published. These were several of his findings. Mrs. Smith suffered much as she relived the experience.

The behaviors, such as weeping, moaning, tossing her head, shuddering and shaking, were evident to those of us who observed her, especially as she seemed to relive an experience of a fluid material covering her face. Her smile and evident relief in seeing the street light at the end of her hour and a half loss of time experience was dramatic and indicated that she was safe in the car once again and returning home with her friends. Sprinkled then goes on to recount Luis's claim that her pet parakeet, who, according to her claims and the claims of others who observed the bird, refused to have anything to do with her after the UFO experience. And as mentioned earlier,

the bird died within weeks after the UFO experience. According to Sprinkle, concerning Mona Stafford, he would state that she... Responded well to the hypnotic suggestions, and she was able to describe impressions which led her to believe that she had been taken out of the car and that she was alone on a white table or bed. She saw a large eye which seemed to be observing her.

She felt as if a bright light was shining on her and that there was a power or energy which transfixed her and held her to the table or bed. She experienced a variety of physiological reactions, including the impression that her right arm was pinned or fastened. Her left leg forced back and under her with pain to the ankle and foot, pressure on the fingers of her left hand, as if they were forced or squeezed in some way, a feeling of being examined by four or five short humanoids who sat around in surgical masks and surgical garments while observing her. At one point she sensed that she was either experiencing out-of-the-body travel or else she was waiting outside of a large room

in which she could view another person, probably a woman, lying on a white bed or observation table. She perceived a long tunnel or view of the sky, as if she had been transported to the area inside a large mountain or volcano. Although she wept and moaned and experienced a great deal of fatigue as a result of the reliving of the experience, she felt better the next day. She expressed the belief to me that she now had a better understanding of what happened during the loss of time experience. As for Mrs. Thomas, Dr. Sprinco would have this to say. Mrs. Thomas had been rather quiet during the initial interview in March of 1976, although it was obvious that she was perceptive and aware of other people's attitudes and feelings.

Like the others, she has lost weight, but she has also experienced some personality. She dresses a bit more colorfully now, and she is more willing to talk and share her ideas with others. She too experienced a similar reaction during the hypnotic techniques. She apparently was responding well to suggestions to go deeper. When she relived the UFO experience, she experienced a great deal of emotional reaction. Her main impression was that she was taken away from her two friends, and that she was placed in a chamber with a window on the side. She seemed to recall figures which moved back and forth in front of the window of the chamber as

if she were being observed. Her impression was that the observers were four-foot-tall humanoids, with dark eyes and gray skin. One disturbing aspect of the experience was the memory that she had some kind of contraption or covering that was placed around her neck. Whenever she tried to speak or think, the contraption or covering was tightened, and she experienced a choking sensation during these moments. At first, Mrs. Thomas interpreted the memories as indication that she was being choked by hands, or she was being prevented from calling out to her friends. Later, however, she came to the tentative conclusion that an experiment was being conducted, and the experiment was to learn more about her intellectual and emotional processes. She recalled a bullet-shaped object, about an inch and

one-half in diameter, being placed on her left chest. She previously had experienced pain and a red spot at that location. During polygraph examination and during initial hypnotic sessions, each UFO witness was interviewed separately from the other witnesses. After the initial description of impressions, the women were invited to attend the additional hypnosis sessions so that each woman could observe the reactions of the other two women. During these sessions, there was much emotional reaction, which seemed to arise from two conditions, the compassion of the witnesses for the friend who was reliving the experience

and releasing emotional reactions to the experience. Also, it seemed as if the description by one witness would trigger a memory on the part of another witness, even if the experiences seemed to be similar or different. In his conclusive paragraphs, Dr. Sprinkle reports, In my opinion, the UFO experiences of these women are a good example of the type of apparent abduction and examination which seems to be occurring to more UFO witnesses. I believe that the investigation could be continued with the hopes of attaining further information about their experiences.

However, the present evidence suggests to me that the women have cooperated sincerely and openly in describing their reactions to their UFO sightings and loss of time experience. and the polygraph examination and hypnotic regression sessions have been useful in uncovering their impressions of the UFO sighting and subsequent events. I believe the case is a good example of UFO experiences because of the number and character of the witnesses and because the results of further investigation through polygraph examination and hypnotic regression sessions.

All of the women were taken aboard some type of craft and subjected to physical examinations, according to them. These examinations were harsh in nature, and while there was not any sexual components to any of it, during the abduction, they were restrained in embarrassing, humiliating positions, according to all three. Mrs. Smith would reveal that her exam took place on a table. Mrs. Thomas's were inside of a capsule with an unusual-looking noose-like device around her neck, which tightened painfully if she tried to speak. Mrs. Stafford's exam was in a chair-like device. All three of the women recalled having their body scanned and instruments used which exerted pressure on their limbs.

Mrs. Thomas recalled a tube with a bullet-like tip on it, which probed her chest, and she also recalled a warm liquid being applied to her face and body. Mrs. Stafford also recalled the warm liquid. One fact that all three agreed on was that these beings communicated with them by telepathy. Not once was an entity mentioned to have any type of mouth. Some interesting facts about the craft itself were revealed by Mona Stafford when asked to elaborate on her description of the tunnel or volcano.

She would now add to previous information that she was looking through a tunnel which lit up into a room brightly. She could see a square table with a helpless woman on it, surrounded by small figures clad in white. The small beings were closely examining this woman, in her own words. I'm not sure if the person was Elaine or Lou, or maybe even me. While it's almost never argued that the Stanford Three had a close encounter with some sort of craft that night, It can be argued about the entire abduction angle to all of this. The 1970s were rich with landmark abduction cases, including the 1973, Pascagula, Mississippi incident,

the 1975-Travs-Walton incident, and the 1976 Alligash-Main abduction. In UFO lore, this period became known as the humanoid era, and also coined the period of high strangeness. Some skeptics have pointed out that the timeline of the Kentucky case was suspiciously close to two highly publicized events. First, the Betty and Barney Hale case from 1961 was made into a made-for-television movie in October of 1975. The film, which starred James Earl Jones, made a splash on NBC

just 10 weeks prior to the experiences of Mona, Elaine, and Luis. The second event was in early 1976 when the National Enquirer upped its reward to a million dollars for definitive proof of the existence of extraterrestrial life. Furthermore, many skeptics, including Susan Clancy, who published the book, abducted how people came to believe they were kidnapped by aliens. She adhered to the principle that hypnosis is a poor technique for trying to filter memories. Here she is commenting on this during a lecture from Microsoft Research in 2016. So in my research, we found about 10% of believers go on to actually develop these vivid, powerful, emotionally distressing memories.

And all of them underwent some form of hypnosis or a hypnotic. regression technique or a regression technique or, I mean, it goes by different names, but they end up in abduction researchers' offices or psychotherapist offices, and they are put through various pseudo-therapeutic techniques designed to help them retrieve the memories of what they fear happen to them. And it is during those techniques that they get these vivid, powerful memories of what happened. For them, they believe what happened, because they They have the memories and the memories feel very real. But the problem is three decades of memory research shows that hypnosis or any technique like hypnosis

that lulls you into a relaxed, suggestible state, one in which your normal reality constraints are relaxed. Any technique that lulls you into that state, you run the risk of creating false memories. After all of the revelations of the Stanford three, there remain no doubt. that something extraordinary happened on that night. Several profound claims were put on the table. The three women had encountered a flying craft of unknown origin. They had been abducted by beings unknown.

But in all cases, no matter how believable, it always helps if other witnesses came forward. And indeed, that is what happened. This case had other observers. of the UFO that night, independent of Stafford Smith and Thomas. These sightings occurred in Casey and Lincoln County's Kentucky. Within a couple of hundred yards of the abductions, one couple watched from the window of their home

where they saw a large luminous object, which passed over the Stanford area. This occurred about 11.30 p.m. Other observers reported also, describing a ring of reddish-orange lights around a disc-shaped flying object. Two teenagers out for a joyride stated that they chased a low-flying UFO after it had hovered over a manufacturing plant in Stanford. They chased the strange object all the way to Danville, Kentucky, and there they reported the object to the police.

Another very significant report came from the owner of the private. where the three women's abduction took place. The farmer stated that down the road from his house, he witnessed an unusually low-flying object, which shot a white beam of light to the ground. Could this, in fact, have been the precise time of the abduction itself? The Stanford 3 case, or, as it's also known, as the Kentucky 3 abduction, sparked many headlines and news segments

throughout the years. Most notably that of Lex 18, the NBC News affiliate in Lexington, Kentucky. The women say that their car finally stopped after going nearly 85 miles per hour. But the car didn't stop entirely. In fact, they say it backed up heading towards a very dark area, an unknown farm to all three of the women. What happened after that forever is written in UFO history. Regressive hypnosis at the Brown Motel in Casey County took the women back to the strange darkness. A Lexington police detective gave Mona, Louise, and Elaine polygraph tests. After the session, everyone involved found the women to be truthful. While the hypnosis helped the women, it did not explain why they could not fit the unexplained experience in their natural lives.

Over the years, Mona Stafford wanted to talk about what happened. But Elaine and Louise didn't like two. And when they passed away, Mona was left to ponder alone. Hey, I like your new Ravrefour. Thanks, yours too. What does Ravs stand for anyway? To me, it's the remarkably advanced vehicle. Really?

To me, it's the runway-approved vehicle for its amazing style. What about remarkably adaptable vehicle because of its versatile cargo space? Or really admired vehicle? Oh, or really awesome vehicle. It really is the recreational activity. vehicle. The stylish 2026 Toyota Rav4 Limited. What's your Rav for? But this wasn't the only mainstream coverage this incident would receive. Elizabeth Orndorf, a Danville-Kentucky-based playwright, would write a stage play inspired by the events of the Stanford 3. The play, titled High Strangeness,

premiered in Danville in September of 2010. Elizabeth Orndorff shares with us what it was like researching the case, actually meeting one of the three women, Mona Stafford, and also speaking with the Navy recruiter who originally investigated the case. And Elizabeth also shares with us what it was like telling the story for the stage of the Kentucky Three. I first heard about the Kentucky Three incident from a newspaper article in our local Danville Kentucky newspaper. It was in one of the looking back articles 30 years ago, 25 years ago. It got my attention immediately and compelled me to write a play about it because it was within 15 miles of where I lived and people around here are very interested in plays about Kentucky. And I had always been interested in UFOs, aliens, any of that

sort of thing. It had always fascinated me. I was definitely interested after finding out that one of the three ladies who had been involved in the abduction was still alive and living about 35 miles away. So that all kind of came together. This would make a great play. The last woman of the three who was living, Mona Stafford from Liberty, Kentucky, was in her 70s. And I found out that she was alive and I even talked to the newspaper reporter who had done. the original article. She was still writing for the Danville paper. So I met with her and got all the details about Mona and then eventually met Mona. That was fascinating to hear a first person account of being abducted by aliens. That was fascinating. The other person that was wonderful to meet

and it was by accident, I found out he still lived in Danville, was Roger Compton, who was the Navy recruiter that the three women went to and reported the incident. They wanted to report it to someone in the government in uniform, and the only person they could think of was the local Navy recruiter. And that man still vividly remembered the incident and was able to recall it and talk about it at great length. The K-3 case seems to be one of the most important alien abduction cases, because it was so well documented. Roger Compton always said he truly believed that the three ladies believed what they said. Although it's been over 45 years since this case, there has been not one negative comment on the details presented by Mona Stafford, Louise Smith, or Elaine Thomas. And the Stanford-Kentucky

abduction is still considered one of the best documented abduction cases in UFO history. Special thanks to our voiceover actors in this episode. To Christopher Sussi, Rebecca Young, and Stefan Gerhardt. Links to their work can be found in the show notes. And also a special thanks to playwright, Elizabeth Orndorf. Her work can also be found in the links in the show notes. Please take a moment to share the show with your friends, family, and colleagues. And if you haven't already, please also consider rating and reviewing somewhere in the skies on Apple.

podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get the show. It helps us gain visibility and find new listeners. Thank you as always for listening. And remember, keep your feet on the ground, but never stop searching, somewhere in the skies. Somewhere in the skies is produced by third kind productions in association with the Entertainment One podcast network. Hi everyone, my name is Andy and I host That UFO podcast. That UFO podcast. That UFO podcast, brings you weekly content with some of the biggest names from around the world of UFOs, UAP and Associated Phenomena. Weekly interviews, roundtable discussions and breaking news podcasts with myself, regular co-host Dan, and sometimes special guests will drop into it. That UFO podcast is available

on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you can download podcasts. Already having hosted names like Louise Elizondo, Sean Cahill, George Knapp, Avi Loeb, Brandon Fugo, Ralph Blumenthal, and many more I hope you come and check us out and as always keep looking up you never know what you might see