Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files (2010) s02e07 Episode Script
UFO Crash Landing & Graveyard Ghost
Narrator: Tonight on "fact or faked: Paranormal files" Whoa! That's crazy.
We might have some actual evidence here of a real ufo.
Talk to me, bill.
Oh, whoa.
That's creepy.
Whether it's a hoax or whether it's an e.
T.
Craft, The verdict is still out.
Look at it go! All: Oh! I don't have a visual.
I have no idea what's going on.
The camera went out.
All of our equipment is failing.
What is going on out there? Launch! oh! Oh, my goodness! There's a flying saucer.
I'm getting a series of lights right there.
Are you seeing what I am seeing? What the heck is happening? Right there, devin.
Hey.
Good morning.
Ben, how's it going? What's happening, ben? You guys all remember Lanisha, Our newest member.
Yes.
Welcome to the fray.
What I have for you is a really famous ufo case.
Supposedly, it was smuggled out.
Of the white sands missile range.
Now, 1996, this video surfaces, And it depicts what looks like a cylindrical glowing object.
And it strikes the ground and glances off.
Like it was trying to actually take off again.
Whoa! What the Glances back up, goes into the air.
Watch the arc.
It's almost like it's powered, Like it's trying to take off again, but it can't.
Look at the oval shape.
Lanisha: It's moving pretty fast.
Whoa! That's crazy.
Even though white sands is a rocket-testing facility, It doesn't really look like a rocket.
The shape doesn't quite match.
White sands is The area is known to have a really strong ufo history.
Do we have anybody to talk to about this video? We could probably find some people.
Who are expert in the history of white sands.
If we can find an expert we can talk to, Then we should go for it.
Okay.
Who wants to go next? Devin: What I have for you guys today is a video.
And it was shot at the edge of a small garden pool in eugene, oregon.
A man discovered this plant that looked like.
It was something out of "little shop of horrors.
" Check this out.
look at that.
Oh, that is creepy.
When I talked to the videographer, He said the plant he saw was 5 to 6 inches high.
He found it and he videotaped it, But then, when he went back later, it was gone.
I call c.
G.
I.
I mean, couldn't you just do this with computer graphics? Come on.
You can clearly see it.
It could also be animatronic.
Devin: If it is c.
G.
, that's very good and professional c.
G.
Ben: I think it's good c.
G.
However, when they're trying to anchor the image here, Take a look at these roots.
As you move here, look how they shift right here.
Ohh.
Ohh.
Ohh.
Ohh.
You see that? This is awesome.
We've never seen a case like this before.
All right, guys, in June of 2010, A local habitat for humanity store captured.
Some really unusual footage on one of its security cameras.
First the store's alarm system was triggered.
Then you see what appears to be a ghostly blur.
Travel out the back door, down the stairs, And through the alley.
Check it out.
You see? Right away.
Right there.
Yes, I see it.
Austin: There it is, right by the stairs.
Ben: It looks like some type of translucent being or entity.
That comes out the door and then goes around, Down the corner, down the alley.
Jael: This thing, whatever it is, had enough physicality.
To set off the alarm system.
It could be some sort of an insect, maybe on the lens.
The lens wasn't actually exposed.
It's locked off behind a glass casing.
What if it was a spider inside the glass casing? If it was a spider.
And it's really close to the motion detector, It could have tripped the alarm.
I think it'd be interesting to test some of those theories and actually prove it.
Okay.
Well, let's put that aside for now, and let's move on.
So, bill, what video do you have today? Bill: It was the middle of the night.
When Keith Engel was in the abandoned Tonopah cemetery.
Exploring the history of a local mining disaster.
When he caught this eerie video on his full-spectrum camera.
Oh! Whoa! It's on the left side.
Whoa! whoa! Whoa.
What the it looks like it just disappears all of a sudden.
Bill, what are those boxes that keep showing up on the frame? On these full-spectrum cameras, You can enable motion tracking, So if there's movement, it'll put that box around it.
Can't that just be a person that's walking through the cemetery? But look at it.
You see the apparition clearly form And then disappear.
Yeah, whole history of this location I mean, this is the 100th anniversary, to the day, Of the mining disaster.
That took the lives of the local miners.
And they're buried there.
Ben: Well, what do you guys think about it? We have a witness.
It's great footage, extremely testable.
I mean, this has everything we need for a solid investigation.
Okay.
Well, we've seen all the videos today.
Let's review.
I know there were some favorites.
I really liked the habitat for humanity video.
And also Tonopah.
I have some really interesting ideas for the Tonopah case.
Austin: I say we do Tonopah.
You have a great witness.
The footage is extremely testable.
I mean, it has everything we're looking for in a great case.
I'm gonna have to say that the history and the secrecy.
Behind the white sands ufo is definitely really cool.
Yeah.
That definitely gets my vote.
This is one of the best videos.
Of what looks like a ghostly apparition that I've ever seen.
It sounds like I'm hearing Tonopah and white sands.
How about I take devin and jael with me, And we'll go to white sands, new mexico.
And, lanisha, austin, and bill Tonopah, nevada.
Here we go.
Lanisha: Ready.
Sounds good? Yes.
Let's do this.
All right.
Let's go, guys.
Ben: White sands, new mexico, guys.
I've never been here before.
And the white sands missile range They're continuously testing new weapons, new missiles.
Look at this.
We're right on the outskirts.
And we're looking at one of the most controversial.
And famous ufo-footage cases ever filmed.
Many people believe that this is secret government footage.
Of an actual ufo crash that was leaked to the public.
Although it's degraded, the footage is still spectacular.
You got a large, bright, disk-shaped object.
It's hurtling through the air.
And when it hits the ground, it actually bounces back up.
Yeah, like, skips.
Skips.
When it comes back down, it completely disintegrates.
Now, white sands has been rumored to be a place.
Where the government has back-engineered alien technology.
The white sands ufo connection predates this video.
Roswell is only And one of the researchers who knows a lot about that connection Roswell and white sands is james fox.
He's a documentary filmmaker.
He's a ufo researcher.
I want to know what he thinks about this particular video.
so do I.
Hi! Hey, james.
Ben hansen.
This is amazing.
We're standing just right outside.
The white sands missile range.
James: This is the largest military installation in the United States.
Now, we know that white sands is implicated.
A lot in ufology research, right? With the dawn of the atomic age came the modern ufo age.
And so, of course, roswell, new mexico, Is just a couple hundred miles away.
They had the 509th bomb squadron, The people responsible for the deployment of atomic weapons.
So there's a lot of activity vis-à-vis the atomic age.
Right here, and those were linked to ufo sightings.
Now, what can you tell us about our ufo video.
That we have today? Well, first of all, I think one of the reasons why it's so popular is, A lot of people always complain that ufo videos.
Are just these ambiguous, blurry lights off in the distance.
And, you know, here we have something in focus.
And if you look at it carefully, You actually see the trajectory changing.
So it looks like the object.
Is trying to pull out of a dive, to me.
So it's under control, either remotely or there's occupants in there.
I don't know.
And it skips.
And then when it re-hits, it explodes.
It's a jaw-dropper.
It is.
James, in your opinion, How difficult would a video like this be to hoax? It's obviously difficult for me to determine exactly.
I'd have to speculate.
But it's an amazing piece of footage.
But as far as whether it's a hoax.
Or whether it's an e.
T.
Craft, You know, we're just gonna have to say, "the verdict is still out.
" James, you've provided us with a lot of good information here.
We're gonna get on and try to do some experiments.
To see what we can come up with.
Good luck.
Let me know what happens.
Really great to meet you.
Jael: Thanks.
Nice to meet you, too.
Ben: Guys, the missile range is a huge area, But I don't think that they would look favorably on us.
Crossing over to do our experiour experiment.
Well, I know a really great testing facility in California.
So why don't we go up there for experiments? Okay.
Lead the way, devin.
All right.
Guys, this place is perfect.
Wow! There's plenty of room here.
To test all the more popular theories of the footage.
Well, you know, if this video.
Was actually filmed at white sands, Which we know is a military rocket-testing facility, Then it's logical to begin our experiments.
With the theory that it was a test that went wrong.
I mean, it's not like they'd just take rockets, Put them on a stand, and launch them into space.
You know, they first have to test the rocket motor.
To make sure that it has enough thrust.
To get the proper altitude.
So, in theory, this could have just been a motor test.
In which the thrust was so great.
That it broke free from its restraints? Exactly.
So, to test this, what we need first is a motor.
To give us the same kind of trajectory and the speed.
That we're seeing in the video.
And I think we brought such a thing with us.
Did we? Let's go pull it out of the vehicle, see what we got.
Yeah.
Okay.
Ben: See, one of the popular theories concerning the white sands ufo.
Is that a rocket motor broke loose.
And went on a wild flight before crashing into the ground.
So, what we're gonna do to test that Take our own rocket motor, send it on its own flight.
To see if we can replicate the video.
This is our rocket motor.
There it is.
This is an I-class solid rocket motor.
Now, this is quite a bit smaller.
Than something the military might have been testing, But it's going to give us, hopefully, the same effect.
Well, we'll attach that to the guide rail.
So, that way, we can control generally where it starts to fire from.
I'll attach these electric matches to the motor, And we'll run it to a safety bunker.
So we can remote-ignite from there.
Perfect.
This is gonna be one fun day.
Let's go play with rocket motors.
All right.
All right.
Wow.
Jael: This is it, huh? Well, let's set up here.
You have the tripod and the camera.
Make sure it's behind the barricade, As we all have to be behind it.
And then, very carefully, Take this rocket motor and get it set to go.
You got it.
I'll be on walkie.
All right.
Thank you.
Jael: What I have here is a camera from the early '90s, And I'm setting it up a half a mile from our launch zone.
That should give us enough distance for the proper framing.
To replicate the original footage.
Devin: So, now that a railing system is in place, The engine goes inside the mortar tube.
So we can aim our initial launch.
Devin: All right, ben.
We're good to go out here.
I'm gonna head to the bunker and join you guys.
Ben: Come on back.
Jael's got the camera set up, and we're ready to go.
Copy that.
Devin just set up our motor.
It's on the guide rails, ready to ignite.
We're gonna do it with this.
Everyone's gonna be behind this bunker for safety.
Once this thing does get ignited, There's nothing that can control it.
It could be flying anywhere.
We only get one shot at this, so we have to make it count.
You guys ready for this? I'm ready.
Jael, you're on the camera? I'm ready.
We're ready, guys.
In three Two One Launch! Devin: We've rigged our engine encased in aluminum.
To a guide-rail system with no restraint.
So, once it's ignited, The thrust from the motor should let it fly on its own Theoretically.
In three Two One Launch! Whoa! Oh! Whoa! ohh! Devin: Look at that! Look at it.
It's still smoking and everything.
It totally spun, though.
Did you see that? Did you get it? I got it.
Let's go take a look at it.
All right.
Make sure it's cooled down.
It was so erratic.
There's no control.
Yeah.
It was swirling around.
It was really hard for me to keep it in frame.
Let's see what you got.
Let's compare it to what you got on tape to our original video.
Yeah.
I say we take a look.
All right.
Let's get a look at this.
We're set up, and it launches.
Wow! You know, the initial trajectory was right on.
Yeah.
It took off, though, so fast, And the whole time, it's spinning.
I mean, it certainly didn't fly for as long.
And it wasn't quite as bright.
You know what I'm thinking here, too, Is, we're seeing some type of It could be a contrail, or an exhaust trail, In the original video.
And over here, of course, we're seeing exhaust, Which matches.
But you can tell it's spinning.
Right.
Without the nose cone, the fins, anything to guide it, This thing just goes anywhere.
I don't think it's a motor.
You know, guys, Considering how the origins of this video are so mysterious, We really have to consider the idea.
That this is just the product of a very elaborate hoax.
Let's go back out there and set up the next one.
Sounds good.
The direction of our motor was really erratic, So I think we're gonna need to move on to an experiment.
That gives us a little bit more control.
Well, what we have here are two 36-inch disks.
Now, inside, we've got a motor system, okay? And that's gonna keep the disk spinning.
As it heads down the zipline.
This is what our ufo is gonna travel along.
Take that end.
We have one end that's gonna be attached into the ground.
We have another end that's gonna be attached to a lift.
And in the middle will be connected to a pneumatic clasp.
That will have an automatic trigger.
Cool.
So, the ufo will travel down the zipline Uh-huh.
And then automatically release, bounce up, And continue on towards its destination point, Ultimately exploding.
We can bury some pyrotechnic charges.
That'll help us replicate that explosion.
At the end of the video.
All right, well, let's prep it.
Ben: Our hoax scenario setup is quite complicated.
We have a craft made of two 36-inch aluminum disks.
Now let's go get our cable.
That is attached and rigged to a cable system on a lift.
The disk will travel down the lift.
To a center point, where we have a clasp, Which is released automatically.
Devin: Our zipline actually consists.
Of two cables running through the ufo.
These lockable pliers are gonna hold the zipline in place.
On either side.
So, when our ufo passes through.
And the pneumatic device is set off Our ufo releases equal and on the same plane, And it continues towards the explosion.
Okay, jael, ready? We just finished attaching our ufo.
To the galvanized steel cable.
It's suspended.
Everything's looking good.
I'm excited to start this test.
Ben: So, we're all set to go.
The craft is in position.
It's on the cables.
And the charges have been set for the final impact.
This could be one of the most elaborate setups.
We've ever done for the hoax scenario.
Let's do this.
Hey, ben.
We're all framed up over here at the vantage point.
Let's get this done.
We're ready.
Count us down.
In three Two One Whoa! Look at it go! You got it? Yeah, I got it.
And here we go.
Oh! It goes up! Oh! There it goes! Keep going.
Okay.
It's bouncing a little bit.
Whoa! oh! Whoa! Wow! Did you see that? How did you like that? That was an explosion, for sure.
All right.
Let's roll that footage back and take a look at it.
That was great.
Not too bad, huh? Well done.
Let's do a side-by-side.
All right, so, the first thing I noticed.
Was that the trajectory was pretty good.
Okay.
You know, it's actually kind of smooth coming down.
Yeah, the trajectory looks good.
I can't see the cables.
As much as I thought that I would from here.
However, when it bounces, it has a spring to it.
I'm not sold on the bounce.
Yeah.
And then the explosion actually pretty nice.
I think, if this was hoax, I'm not sure this is the way that it was done.
I'm gonna say it's definitely not.
When this thing bounces, I'm convinced that our experiment, Being on guided cables, is not what it was.
It definitely bounces much higher in the original video.
You know, you guys, what if we're looking at this all wrong? I mean, what if it's not a disk at all? If the object in the sky is actually.
The exhaust plume from a rocket, Then maybe we should build an actual rocket.
We've already done the motor test, So why don't we throw some fins on it, a body, A nose cone, and actually launch a rocket.
In the sky and see what happens? I love it.
All right.
Let's do it.
Jael: Our rocket test should give us.
Just the right combination of speed.
And control of the flight trajectory that we're looking for.
Plus, on top of that, Hopefully we'll get the effect of an exhaust trail, Just like the original footage.
Ben: How's it looking, devin? This thing is ready to go.
Let's head down to the lake bed and insert the motor down there.
All right.
Let's do it, guys.
Okay, jael, devin and I are gonna take the rocket.
And go set it up on the rails and get it ready to go.
All right, I'll go set up the camera at the bunker, and I'll talk to you soon.
Cool.
Good luck.
Devin: So, we've attached the rocket to the guide rail, And it's at the angle that's gonna help us.
Best replicate the original footage.
It's gonna use a class "j" motor, Which, while it's the same solid rocket engine, It's considerably larger than what we've been using.
Right now ben is attaching the electric match to the receiver, Just like in the motor test.
Then we're gonna head to the bunker, and we'll remote-ignite.
Ben: Let's do it.
Narrator: Coming up on "fact or faked: Paranormal files" Okay, jael, the receiver is armed.
Get on over here, and let's ignite it.
Launch! Devin: So, we've attached the rocket to the guide rail.
It's gonna use a class "j" motor, Which, while it's the same solid rocket engine, It's considerably larger than what we've been using.
Okay.
Receiver is armed.
Okay, jael, the receiver is armed.
We're heading back to the barricade.
Yeah, get on over here, and let's ignite it.
I'm really excited about this next test, Because the combination of the fins with the nose cone.
And the size of the motor is hopefully gonna get us.
That flight path that we're looking for, The control that we need to replicate the original footage.
All right.
Hey.
Hey.
The wind is definitely picking up, so we should get this rocket launched.
Ben: So, this motor is actually quite a bit bigger than our last one.
Now we've got it mounted to an actual rocket.
So we have some control over it.
I'm thinking we might actually get a rebound off the ground.
I hope so, man.
I'm a little skeptical, But I'm really excited to see this thing go.
All right, jael, you all framed up? I'm all framed up.
Let's do this.
Okay.
In three Two One Launch! whoa! Devin: Did you have fun out there? Bill: Yes.
How about you? It was a blast.
It was literally a blast.
You remember our case.
White sands, new mexico this strange object looks like.
It's crashing, rebounding, and exploding.
It is the white sands missile testing range, So we decided to take a look at the possibility.
That this was a part of a rocket that had broken loose.
Jael: This is what it looks like.
Wow! It clearly did launch, but it took a wild turn there.
Its direction was just all over the place.
Exactly.
So, for our next test, we needed an experiment.
That would have more control.
In regards to flight time and trajectory.
Now, because the source of the video is so murky, It wasn't so farfetched to believe.
That it was all an elaborate hoax.
We designed a 3-foot, double-sided disk.
That would go down a dual zipline.
Here's what it looks like.
See it? Lanisha: You know Austin: That's pretty good.
The main issue was the speed.
Our disk didn't really take off.
This thing was kind of hobbling along.
Jael: So we decided to move on to the popular theory.
That this could just be a rocket.
And we weren't sure how a rocket was gonna give us that shape.
That we saw in the original video, But we built one complete with nose cone, Fins, and rocket motor, and set it off.
But rockets are notoriously unpredictable to work with, So just take a look at the video.
Launch! Lookit.
Skip, skip.
Wow! Lanisha: You actually got the rocket to bounce.
That looked great.
And, you guys, the glowing rocket exhaust was extremely revealing.
I mean, it showed us that the ufo in the original video.
May have been entirely exhaust, And you couldn't see the rocket.
Jael: An issue we had was that the bulkheads on our rocket.
Were a little too sturdy, So it never expelled any fuel at the final impact point.
That's why there was no explosion.
Right.
Okay.
Well, I think you ys did a fantastic job, And I think what we're seeing in the white sands video.
Is likely a misidentified rocket.
I mean, playing with proof of concept, You guys had the exhaust trail, you had the glowing rocket.
I mean, the trajectory was fairly similar, to be honest with you.
Minus the fact there was no explosion at the end, I think it's pretty good.
I'd say it's a rocket.
I agree.
The white sands video is fact.
That doesn't mean that there isn't any, You know, type of connection to alien technology.
Or reverse engineering.
I'm just not seeing, in this case, Anything very compelling to say it wasn't anything.
Other than, you know, a rocket test gone bad.
Devin: Whoa! oh! Let me hear about the fun you guys had in Tonopah.
Well, if you guys recall, we went to Tonopah, nevada, To investigate the full-spectrum video.
Recorded at the historic Tonopah cemetery.
Now, here's what happened.
Lanisha: I'm really excited to be here in Tonopah, nevada, Investigating some eerie footage.
That supposedly depicts a ghostly manifestation.
In one of Tonopah's abandoned cemeteries.
The community of Tonopah really began in the early 1900s.
When rich deposits of gold and silver.
Were discovered in the hills overlooking the town here.
On February 23rd in 1911, They actually had a devastating mine fire, Known as the belmont mine fire.
Reports say that 17 miners lost their lives that night.
And there would have been plenty more.
Had it not been for a gentleman known as "big" bill murphy.
He actually dragged out a handful of miners.
Before going back in to save more.
And big bill murphy was absolutely a hero.
After saving numerous lives, He died in his attempts to keep saving more people.
And you know what's interesting? Keith Engel, the videographer of the footage.
That we're here investigating, He was actually here himself in Tonopah, investigating the mine.
On its 100th anniversary of the fire.
A lot of people believe that keith captured.
One of the spirits of the miners that actually lost their life.
We're pulling into the cemetery now.
To meet with the videographer and find out from him.
What happened the night he shot that original video.
Look at this place.
There's so much history here.
Do you feel it? Yeah, this place is desolate.
It's got the creep factor.
It definitely does.
Let's get started.
A pair of ghostly slippers moving on their own.
But is it fact or faked? Faked.
Though the videographer claims it's real, The simple illusion is easily replicated.
Using invisible string.
Bill: We're pulling into the cemetery now.
To meet with the videographer and find out from him.
What happened the night he shot the original video.
Keith, it's good to see you.
Keith: Hey, bill.
How's it going? Great.
Great.
This is lanisha.
Hi.
Hello.
And this is austin.
Hi, austin.
Can you take us to where you shot the video? Sure.
Let's go.
All right, let's go.
So, this is the location here, And you can see, from this vantage point, Pretty much the whole cemetery.
Why were you here that particular night? Actually, we were doing a paranormal investigation, Came down here, and set up a camera.
Were you able to see the image clearly with the naked eye, Or was it just through your monitor? No, I actually saw it first.
I actually thought that it might be a real person.
It was very dark.
It looked like somebody in a big, puffy, you know, down coat.
And it was cold, so that would have fit.
But within a second, I realized that wasn't what it was.
So I reached into my pocket.
And pulled the monitor for the camera out.
And on the camera, it was extremely bright.
And well-defined, from what I was seeing.
Have there ever been any other reports.
Of paranormal activity in this area? Yeah, actually, there is.
If you ask people around here, they'll tell you.
They've seen things and heard things Especially here in the cemetery.
So, do you believe what you captured on video.
To be evidence of paranormal activity? Absolutely.
You do? Can you tell me what kind of camera you used that night? Yes.
This was a full-spectrum camera.
The camera picks up movement and boxes it.
Would you mind if we borrowed it to run a few tests? No.
You're welcome.
Perfect.
Thank you.
Keith, thanks for your time.
Thank you.
We got our work cut out for us.
So, what do you say we go grab our gear.
And get this investigation started? All right, let's go.
You know, austin, we really need to first explore the obvious, That it was just another person in a cemetery, Like maybe even a maintenance worker.
Well, you know, that is the first thing keith thought he saw.
When the sighting occurred.
It could just be a case of mistaken identity.
The apparition actually really does appear.
And disappear in the original video, right? What if it's someone just sitting in the cemetery, Possibly behind a tombstone and when they stand up, It gives the illusion that they're actually appearing? They walk a couple feet, sit back down.
They duck behind another gravestone.
Looks like they disappeared.
The camera does take a second to refresh, Which could make the picture appear to be jumpy.
I mean, that, in conjunction with someone, You know, appearing from behind a gravestone, A bush, or even a fence could give the illusion.
Of a ghost manifesting on camera.
We can use the original video as a blueprint, And we can determine where this apparition seems to manifest, How far it travels, And where it seems to disappear on its own.
We're about to run our phantom-person experiment.
We have Lani operating the camera, Bill's directing, and I'm gonna be playing the phantom.
I'm gonna use these flags to mark our start and end points.
That way, we have the exact same route the apparition travels.
In the original footage.
Yeah, right there.
Go ahead and mark that spot.
Well, since it makes sense.
That someone walking through the cemetery at night.
Would have a source of light with them, Austin's gonna be wearing an illuminated head lamp.
Hopefully, this will help us replicate.
The illuminated figure seen in the original video.
Okay, austin, let's begin this test.
Copy that.
Let's run this.
On your cue.
On three Two OneBegin walk.
Timing it.
Timing it.
Go ahead and sit.
How's it look? It looks pretty good.
Austin, why don't you come back to base.
All right, guys, how'd it look? If you notice, the figure in the original video.
Seems to appear and disappear.
We simply don't have that in our test footage.
And plus, it's obvious that it's a person.
Yeah, I agree.
You can tell.
As soon as I stand up and actually turn my headlight on, Around the whole ground, it's completely lit, Like I'm walking in a spotlight.
You can see my limbs.
I mean, this looks nothing like it.
Obviously, we can put this theory to rest.
Well, guys, if you look at the light emanating from the highway, You'll notice that it actually appears.
At the exact same time.
That the apparition appears in the original footage.
And on top of that, it actually stays lit.
For the exact same amount of time.
And then the apparition and the highway simultaneously fade.
There definitely does seem to be a correlation between the two.
You know, I am thinking that maybe the apparition.
Could just be a lens flare.
It can't explain what keith saw with the naked eye, But it could explain what he was able.
To record with his camera.
Well, guys, there hasn't been much traffic.
Running parallel to the cemetery, But when something does pa by, It definitely changes up the lighting.
This give me an idea.
I think I know what may have been the culprit Something that really brightens up the highway.
Bill: yes.
Austin: What do you guys think? Is this bright enough? Yeah.
Nice work! It looks great.
Man, you brought in the 911.
So, the local fire department.
Actually offered to help us during our investigation, And they're gonna allow us to use these vehicles.
For our next experiment.
You know, the light from these vehicles.
Should give us the luminosity that we're looking for, And with highway 6 being the main road.
That cuts through Tonopah, The lens-flare scenario is a real possibility.
I mean, it's not hard to create a lens flare.
All you have to do is just shine a bright light source.
At the lens, and there you go.
And since our light source will be moving, In theory, our lens flare should, too, right? And when you look at the original video, The light begins to glow and then fade.
All within five seconds.
That means you're gonna have to enter frame with the test camera.
And exit also within five seconds.
All right.
Well, let's get this test going.
I'll head back to the vantage point.
I'll frame up the camera to match the original video.
At the start point.
And exited frame at the end point.
I'll cue you when to get the convoy going.
Why don't you take one of these? Perfect.
All right.
I'll radio you guys.
Bill: We've called on the local highway patrol.
To block off the road while we conduct our experiment.
So we'll have more control over the results.
Austin for team.
Do you copy? We do.
Convoy is in position, And we are waiting on your cue to light this highway up.
Okay, on my mark.
Austin, on three Two One Begin convoy! Now we're going to test the theory.
That the apparition seen in the original video.
Is actually just the result of a lens flare.
Produced by the bright, flashing emergency lights.
Traveling down highway 6.
Okay, on my mark.
Austin, on three Two One Begin convoy! We're on our way, bill.
Austin, we have a visual on you.
Okay, good.
Let me know when it shows on camera.
I'll let you know.
Okay.
And then I'll time it from there.
Oh, there it is.
Bill, I see him.
I see him.
You know, I see the lens flare.
I definitely see it in the monitor right here.
Boom.
That was five right there.
All right, bill.
They've cleared frame.
Guys, how'd that look? Excellent.
Excellent speed.
Why don't you come back, and let's do a comparison? Copy that.
I'm on my way now.
Oh, guys, that was exciting.
How'd it turn out? You know what? Let's go ahead and look at this video.
And this is really interesting.
It does show that the light from the highway.
Does result in a lens flare, And the luminosity is pretty good.
It looks like something is moving through the graveyard.
I completely agree.
I mean, the shape is off a little bit, But, man, there's just so many similarities there.
And think about it.
Our results could be different depending on the type of vehicle.
Or the amount of light that's being emitted.
And watch.
Looks like it almost sinks into the ground.
Right there.
I mean, that's almost spot-on.
This is the simplest answer.
But you know what? Let's not rule out a possible paranormal explanation, Because it's not just keith.
There's other paranormal researchers.
That have been coming here for many, many years.
And they've collected evidence.
They have eyewitness accounts.
We owe it to ourselves.
To stay and do a nighttime investigation.
Well, let's get to work, guys.
With years of paranormal history.
Accumulated here at Tonopah cemetery, We definitely had to stay and do a nighttime investigation.
To see what we can find.
What's up, guys? All set up? Cameras are all set.
We are good to go out there.
All right.
Well, guys, the coverage looks great.
We literally have four I.
R.
Cameras set up.
Corresponding to each one of these monitors.
One's covering the full cemetery from back in this left corner.
And this is the full-spectrum.
This frames up with actually the same exact frame as our original footage.
This one actually covers the exact same path.
That the apparition in the original video walks.
On camera 3, we have Bill Murphy's gravestone.
And then actually covering the reverse side of the cemetery.
So we have both angles coming at it.
And, of course, base camp here.
I'm gonna be monitoring the front, So if anybody comes in or out of this cemetery, I'll know about it.
We're gonna be doing a complete sweep, But I want to record an EVP at Bill Murphy's grave site.
So we want to see if we can get.
Some sort of communication going on there.
And I'm also gonna be having an e-pod.
And with this, if there is some sort of energy formation.
That's coming from the surface up, I'll be able to pick it up with this.
Make sure you put that somewhere in the frame of my camera.
So that if it goes off, I can radio and let you know.
All right, perfect.
I'll have my dslr and a thermal camera.
And I'll sweep the entire cemetery, Looking for any fluctuations and heat signatures.
Well, guys, I'll be your eyes in the field.
Make sure you stay in contact with me via walkie.
You guys ready to go green? Ready.
All right.
Go green.
Tonopah cemetery, July 2011.
This is bill murphy Talking to big bill.
You're a local hero.
You still are a hero here.
A lot of people believe that you still walk this graveyard.
If you could speak to me, This recording device may be able to record your voice.
Talk to me, bill.
Can you just say hi, just say hello? Bill: Austin, I just ended my EVP session.
I'm gonna leave the e-pod on the grave.
If you see it turn on and off like this, When I go to touch it, Let me know, and note the time on the recorder.
That could indicate the presence.
Of something that is paranormal.
Let me know.
Copy that.
Bill, your pod just started flashing.
Your pod just started flashing.
We have activity on the pod.
I'm on the way! Austin, as I approached it, it was still fluctuating.
Weird, bill.
I copied that.
Come on, bill murphy.
Can you do this on your own? Lanisha, I'm at the bill murphy grave site.
I'm getting some fluctuations on the e-pod.
Can you meet me here with a thermal camera? Copy that, bill.
I'm on my way.
Are either of you by the camera at Bill Murphy's grave site.
It just went out.
Guys, don't keep me in the dark over here.
I don't have a visual.
I have no idea what's going on.
What is that? Austin, we're trying to interpret.
The thermal camera right now.
What's going on with the camera? I don't know.
The camera went out.
Austin for team.
What is going on out there? Austin, we're having a lot of equipment failure.
My walkie just died.
My walkie just failed.
All of our equipment is failing.
Austin: Austin for team.
What is going on out there? Bill: Austin, we're having a lot of equipment failure.
My walkie just died.
My walkie just failed.
All of our equipment is failing.
So, I stayed at base camp and actually manned the momonits.
While bill and lanisha swept the entire cemetery, Looking for any signs of paranormal activity.
At the beginning of the nighttime investigation, I placed an e-pod on Big bill Murphy's grave.
Now, the e-pod began to have these unusual fluctuations.
And some people believe that this could be, you know, Anomalous energy forces beginning to manifest.
Austin's the one that first spotted it, 'cause we had a camera on it.
He radioed me, and I saw it with the naked eye.
Ben: Wow! And that's just one of the things that happened.
At that exact moment, the I.
R.
Camera.
That's monitoring big Bill Murphy's grave site.
Goes down.
Lanisha: Now, when the e-pod started to go off, I ran over to join bill, And it's crazy, because when I got there, My thermal imager completely shut off.
So, I go to walkie bill and lanisha, Let them know what's going on.
My walkie fails full battery.
Everything literally just stopped working.
As soon as the e-pod began to fluctuate.
I mean, it was strange.
So, the thermal camera, the walkie-talkie, The I.
R.
Cams all malfunctioned at the same time? Done at the same time.
How do you explain your electronics just going out? Can't.
It's really eerie.
It was really odd.
And earlier in the evening, I conducted an evp session.
At big Bill Murphy's grave site.
And I asked if he's the figure.
That we see in Keith Engel's original video.
Here's the recording I got.
Let me know what you guys think you hear.
Bill: Can you just say hi, just say hello? Oh, whoa! I hear, like, a squeaking almost.
Yeah.
Like, it sounds like a metal bucket.
And something's being put in it or something.
Like, a pulley that's squeaking.
This might be crazy, but it sounds like a miner's bucket.
That they take down with them into the mine.
And then they pull up.
Bill: Now, big bill murphy He had to go down in a miner's bucket.
Into the shaft to save the other miners.
And put them into the bucket and then raise it back up.
He did this numerous times.
He lost his life doing this.
Ew! That's creepy.
That was his last action.
So, with everything you saw, everything you did, What's your final conclusion? I think there's a natural explanation.
For what keith captured on his footage, And I think we showed that with the lens flare.
Devin: You know, you guys, I'm convinced.
That it was a lens flare that he had in his video, But your investigation that night.
And your equipment failing From a tech standpoint, I can't understand.
Why full batteries would just go down.
That is unexplained.
That EVP is pretty compelling in its own right.
And if that is communication from big bill murphy, Then he deserves to be heard.
Well, I think you guys did a fantastic job with your experiments.
And given all the evidence that you collected.
During your EVP and the night investigation, I think it completely lends credibility.
To the idea that this place has paranormal activity.
Your experiment with the lens flare came so close, I think there was a natural explanation.
However, with the EVP that had the mysterious sound, Your equipment going down, It seems like that cemetery could have something going on.
So, good job.
We might have some actual evidence here of a real ufo.
Talk to me, bill.
Oh, whoa.
That's creepy.
Whether it's a hoax or whether it's an e.
T.
Craft, The verdict is still out.
Look at it go! All: Oh! I don't have a visual.
I have no idea what's going on.
The camera went out.
All of our equipment is failing.
What is going on out there? Launch! oh! Oh, my goodness! There's a flying saucer.
I'm getting a series of lights right there.
Are you seeing what I am seeing? What the heck is happening? Right there, devin.
Hey.
Good morning.
Ben, how's it going? What's happening, ben? You guys all remember Lanisha, Our newest member.
Yes.
Welcome to the fray.
What I have for you is a really famous ufo case.
Supposedly, it was smuggled out.
Of the white sands missile range.
Now, 1996, this video surfaces, And it depicts what looks like a cylindrical glowing object.
And it strikes the ground and glances off.
Like it was trying to actually take off again.
Whoa! What the Glances back up, goes into the air.
Watch the arc.
It's almost like it's powered, Like it's trying to take off again, but it can't.
Look at the oval shape.
Lanisha: It's moving pretty fast.
Whoa! That's crazy.
Even though white sands is a rocket-testing facility, It doesn't really look like a rocket.
The shape doesn't quite match.
White sands is The area is known to have a really strong ufo history.
Do we have anybody to talk to about this video? We could probably find some people.
Who are expert in the history of white sands.
If we can find an expert we can talk to, Then we should go for it.
Okay.
Who wants to go next? Devin: What I have for you guys today is a video.
And it was shot at the edge of a small garden pool in eugene, oregon.
A man discovered this plant that looked like.
It was something out of "little shop of horrors.
" Check this out.
look at that.
Oh, that is creepy.
When I talked to the videographer, He said the plant he saw was 5 to 6 inches high.
He found it and he videotaped it, But then, when he went back later, it was gone.
I call c.
G.
I.
I mean, couldn't you just do this with computer graphics? Come on.
You can clearly see it.
It could also be animatronic.
Devin: If it is c.
G.
, that's very good and professional c.
G.
Ben: I think it's good c.
G.
However, when they're trying to anchor the image here, Take a look at these roots.
As you move here, look how they shift right here.
Ohh.
Ohh.
Ohh.
Ohh.
You see that? This is awesome.
We've never seen a case like this before.
All right, guys, in June of 2010, A local habitat for humanity store captured.
Some really unusual footage on one of its security cameras.
First the store's alarm system was triggered.
Then you see what appears to be a ghostly blur.
Travel out the back door, down the stairs, And through the alley.
Check it out.
You see? Right away.
Right there.
Yes, I see it.
Austin: There it is, right by the stairs.
Ben: It looks like some type of translucent being or entity.
That comes out the door and then goes around, Down the corner, down the alley.
Jael: This thing, whatever it is, had enough physicality.
To set off the alarm system.
It could be some sort of an insect, maybe on the lens.
The lens wasn't actually exposed.
It's locked off behind a glass casing.
What if it was a spider inside the glass casing? If it was a spider.
And it's really close to the motion detector, It could have tripped the alarm.
I think it'd be interesting to test some of those theories and actually prove it.
Okay.
Well, let's put that aside for now, and let's move on.
So, bill, what video do you have today? Bill: It was the middle of the night.
When Keith Engel was in the abandoned Tonopah cemetery.
Exploring the history of a local mining disaster.
When he caught this eerie video on his full-spectrum camera.
Oh! Whoa! It's on the left side.
Whoa! whoa! Whoa.
What the it looks like it just disappears all of a sudden.
Bill, what are those boxes that keep showing up on the frame? On these full-spectrum cameras, You can enable motion tracking, So if there's movement, it'll put that box around it.
Can't that just be a person that's walking through the cemetery? But look at it.
You see the apparition clearly form And then disappear.
Yeah, whole history of this location I mean, this is the 100th anniversary, to the day, Of the mining disaster.
That took the lives of the local miners.
And they're buried there.
Ben: Well, what do you guys think about it? We have a witness.
It's great footage, extremely testable.
I mean, this has everything we need for a solid investigation.
Okay.
Well, we've seen all the videos today.
Let's review.
I know there were some favorites.
I really liked the habitat for humanity video.
And also Tonopah.
I have some really interesting ideas for the Tonopah case.
Austin: I say we do Tonopah.
You have a great witness.
The footage is extremely testable.
I mean, it has everything we're looking for in a great case.
I'm gonna have to say that the history and the secrecy.
Behind the white sands ufo is definitely really cool.
Yeah.
That definitely gets my vote.
This is one of the best videos.
Of what looks like a ghostly apparition that I've ever seen.
It sounds like I'm hearing Tonopah and white sands.
How about I take devin and jael with me, And we'll go to white sands, new mexico.
And, lanisha, austin, and bill Tonopah, nevada.
Here we go.
Lanisha: Ready.
Sounds good? Yes.
Let's do this.
All right.
Let's go, guys.
Ben: White sands, new mexico, guys.
I've never been here before.
And the white sands missile range They're continuously testing new weapons, new missiles.
Look at this.
We're right on the outskirts.
And we're looking at one of the most controversial.
And famous ufo-footage cases ever filmed.
Many people believe that this is secret government footage.
Of an actual ufo crash that was leaked to the public.
Although it's degraded, the footage is still spectacular.
You got a large, bright, disk-shaped object.
It's hurtling through the air.
And when it hits the ground, it actually bounces back up.
Yeah, like, skips.
Skips.
When it comes back down, it completely disintegrates.
Now, white sands has been rumored to be a place.
Where the government has back-engineered alien technology.
The white sands ufo connection predates this video.
Roswell is only And one of the researchers who knows a lot about that connection Roswell and white sands is james fox.
He's a documentary filmmaker.
He's a ufo researcher.
I want to know what he thinks about this particular video.
so do I.
Hi! Hey, james.
Ben hansen.
This is amazing.
We're standing just right outside.
The white sands missile range.
James: This is the largest military installation in the United States.
Now, we know that white sands is implicated.
A lot in ufology research, right? With the dawn of the atomic age came the modern ufo age.
And so, of course, roswell, new mexico, Is just a couple hundred miles away.
They had the 509th bomb squadron, The people responsible for the deployment of atomic weapons.
So there's a lot of activity vis-à-vis the atomic age.
Right here, and those were linked to ufo sightings.
Now, what can you tell us about our ufo video.
That we have today? Well, first of all, I think one of the reasons why it's so popular is, A lot of people always complain that ufo videos.
Are just these ambiguous, blurry lights off in the distance.
And, you know, here we have something in focus.
And if you look at it carefully, You actually see the trajectory changing.
So it looks like the object.
Is trying to pull out of a dive, to me.
So it's under control, either remotely or there's occupants in there.
I don't know.
And it skips.
And then when it re-hits, it explodes.
It's a jaw-dropper.
It is.
James, in your opinion, How difficult would a video like this be to hoax? It's obviously difficult for me to determine exactly.
I'd have to speculate.
But it's an amazing piece of footage.
But as far as whether it's a hoax.
Or whether it's an e.
T.
Craft, You know, we're just gonna have to say, "the verdict is still out.
" James, you've provided us with a lot of good information here.
We're gonna get on and try to do some experiments.
To see what we can come up with.
Good luck.
Let me know what happens.
Really great to meet you.
Jael: Thanks.
Nice to meet you, too.
Ben: Guys, the missile range is a huge area, But I don't think that they would look favorably on us.
Crossing over to do our experiour experiment.
Well, I know a really great testing facility in California.
So why don't we go up there for experiments? Okay.
Lead the way, devin.
All right.
Guys, this place is perfect.
Wow! There's plenty of room here.
To test all the more popular theories of the footage.
Well, you know, if this video.
Was actually filmed at white sands, Which we know is a military rocket-testing facility, Then it's logical to begin our experiments.
With the theory that it was a test that went wrong.
I mean, it's not like they'd just take rockets, Put them on a stand, and launch them into space.
You know, they first have to test the rocket motor.
To make sure that it has enough thrust.
To get the proper altitude.
So, in theory, this could have just been a motor test.
In which the thrust was so great.
That it broke free from its restraints? Exactly.
So, to test this, what we need first is a motor.
To give us the same kind of trajectory and the speed.
That we're seeing in the video.
And I think we brought such a thing with us.
Did we? Let's go pull it out of the vehicle, see what we got.
Yeah.
Okay.
Ben: See, one of the popular theories concerning the white sands ufo.
Is that a rocket motor broke loose.
And went on a wild flight before crashing into the ground.
So, what we're gonna do to test that Take our own rocket motor, send it on its own flight.
To see if we can replicate the video.
This is our rocket motor.
There it is.
This is an I-class solid rocket motor.
Now, this is quite a bit smaller.
Than something the military might have been testing, But it's going to give us, hopefully, the same effect.
Well, we'll attach that to the guide rail.
So, that way, we can control generally where it starts to fire from.
I'll attach these electric matches to the motor, And we'll run it to a safety bunker.
So we can remote-ignite from there.
Perfect.
This is gonna be one fun day.
Let's go play with rocket motors.
All right.
All right.
Wow.
Jael: This is it, huh? Well, let's set up here.
You have the tripod and the camera.
Make sure it's behind the barricade, As we all have to be behind it.
And then, very carefully, Take this rocket motor and get it set to go.
You got it.
I'll be on walkie.
All right.
Thank you.
Jael: What I have here is a camera from the early '90s, And I'm setting it up a half a mile from our launch zone.
That should give us enough distance for the proper framing.
To replicate the original footage.
Devin: So, now that a railing system is in place, The engine goes inside the mortar tube.
So we can aim our initial launch.
Devin: All right, ben.
We're good to go out here.
I'm gonna head to the bunker and join you guys.
Ben: Come on back.
Jael's got the camera set up, and we're ready to go.
Copy that.
Devin just set up our motor.
It's on the guide rails, ready to ignite.
We're gonna do it with this.
Everyone's gonna be behind this bunker for safety.
Once this thing does get ignited, There's nothing that can control it.
It could be flying anywhere.
We only get one shot at this, so we have to make it count.
You guys ready for this? I'm ready.
Jael, you're on the camera? I'm ready.
We're ready, guys.
In three Two One Launch! Devin: We've rigged our engine encased in aluminum.
To a guide-rail system with no restraint.
So, once it's ignited, The thrust from the motor should let it fly on its own Theoretically.
In three Two One Launch! Whoa! Oh! Whoa! ohh! Devin: Look at that! Look at it.
It's still smoking and everything.
It totally spun, though.
Did you see that? Did you get it? I got it.
Let's go take a look at it.
All right.
Make sure it's cooled down.
It was so erratic.
There's no control.
Yeah.
It was swirling around.
It was really hard for me to keep it in frame.
Let's see what you got.
Let's compare it to what you got on tape to our original video.
Yeah.
I say we take a look.
All right.
Let's get a look at this.
We're set up, and it launches.
Wow! You know, the initial trajectory was right on.
Yeah.
It took off, though, so fast, And the whole time, it's spinning.
I mean, it certainly didn't fly for as long.
And it wasn't quite as bright.
You know what I'm thinking here, too, Is, we're seeing some type of It could be a contrail, or an exhaust trail, In the original video.
And over here, of course, we're seeing exhaust, Which matches.
But you can tell it's spinning.
Right.
Without the nose cone, the fins, anything to guide it, This thing just goes anywhere.
I don't think it's a motor.
You know, guys, Considering how the origins of this video are so mysterious, We really have to consider the idea.
That this is just the product of a very elaborate hoax.
Let's go back out there and set up the next one.
Sounds good.
The direction of our motor was really erratic, So I think we're gonna need to move on to an experiment.
That gives us a little bit more control.
Well, what we have here are two 36-inch disks.
Now, inside, we've got a motor system, okay? And that's gonna keep the disk spinning.
As it heads down the zipline.
This is what our ufo is gonna travel along.
Take that end.
We have one end that's gonna be attached into the ground.
We have another end that's gonna be attached to a lift.
And in the middle will be connected to a pneumatic clasp.
That will have an automatic trigger.
Cool.
So, the ufo will travel down the zipline Uh-huh.
And then automatically release, bounce up, And continue on towards its destination point, Ultimately exploding.
We can bury some pyrotechnic charges.
That'll help us replicate that explosion.
At the end of the video.
All right, well, let's prep it.
Ben: Our hoax scenario setup is quite complicated.
We have a craft made of two 36-inch aluminum disks.
Now let's go get our cable.
That is attached and rigged to a cable system on a lift.
The disk will travel down the lift.
To a center point, where we have a clasp, Which is released automatically.
Devin: Our zipline actually consists.
Of two cables running through the ufo.
These lockable pliers are gonna hold the zipline in place.
On either side.
So, when our ufo passes through.
And the pneumatic device is set off Our ufo releases equal and on the same plane, And it continues towards the explosion.
Okay, jael, ready? We just finished attaching our ufo.
To the galvanized steel cable.
It's suspended.
Everything's looking good.
I'm excited to start this test.
Ben: So, we're all set to go.
The craft is in position.
It's on the cables.
And the charges have been set for the final impact.
This could be one of the most elaborate setups.
We've ever done for the hoax scenario.
Let's do this.
Hey, ben.
We're all framed up over here at the vantage point.
Let's get this done.
We're ready.
Count us down.
In three Two One Whoa! Look at it go! You got it? Yeah, I got it.
And here we go.
Oh! It goes up! Oh! There it goes! Keep going.
Okay.
It's bouncing a little bit.
Whoa! oh! Whoa! Wow! Did you see that? How did you like that? That was an explosion, for sure.
All right.
Let's roll that footage back and take a look at it.
That was great.
Not too bad, huh? Well done.
Let's do a side-by-side.
All right, so, the first thing I noticed.
Was that the trajectory was pretty good.
Okay.
You know, it's actually kind of smooth coming down.
Yeah, the trajectory looks good.
I can't see the cables.
As much as I thought that I would from here.
However, when it bounces, it has a spring to it.
I'm not sold on the bounce.
Yeah.
And then the explosion actually pretty nice.
I think, if this was hoax, I'm not sure this is the way that it was done.
I'm gonna say it's definitely not.
When this thing bounces, I'm convinced that our experiment, Being on guided cables, is not what it was.
It definitely bounces much higher in the original video.
You know, you guys, what if we're looking at this all wrong? I mean, what if it's not a disk at all? If the object in the sky is actually.
The exhaust plume from a rocket, Then maybe we should build an actual rocket.
We've already done the motor test, So why don't we throw some fins on it, a body, A nose cone, and actually launch a rocket.
In the sky and see what happens? I love it.
All right.
Let's do it.
Jael: Our rocket test should give us.
Just the right combination of speed.
And control of the flight trajectory that we're looking for.
Plus, on top of that, Hopefully we'll get the effect of an exhaust trail, Just like the original footage.
Ben: How's it looking, devin? This thing is ready to go.
Let's head down to the lake bed and insert the motor down there.
All right.
Let's do it, guys.
Okay, jael, devin and I are gonna take the rocket.
And go set it up on the rails and get it ready to go.
All right, I'll go set up the camera at the bunker, and I'll talk to you soon.
Cool.
Good luck.
Devin: So, we've attached the rocket to the guide rail, And it's at the angle that's gonna help us.
Best replicate the original footage.
It's gonna use a class "j" motor, Which, while it's the same solid rocket engine, It's considerably larger than what we've been using.
Right now ben is attaching the electric match to the receiver, Just like in the motor test.
Then we're gonna head to the bunker, and we'll remote-ignite.
Ben: Let's do it.
Narrator: Coming up on "fact or faked: Paranormal files" Okay, jael, the receiver is armed.
Get on over here, and let's ignite it.
Launch! Devin: So, we've attached the rocket to the guide rail.
It's gonna use a class "j" motor, Which, while it's the same solid rocket engine, It's considerably larger than what we've been using.
Okay.
Receiver is armed.
Okay, jael, the receiver is armed.
We're heading back to the barricade.
Yeah, get on over here, and let's ignite it.
I'm really excited about this next test, Because the combination of the fins with the nose cone.
And the size of the motor is hopefully gonna get us.
That flight path that we're looking for, The control that we need to replicate the original footage.
All right.
Hey.
Hey.
The wind is definitely picking up, so we should get this rocket launched.
Ben: So, this motor is actually quite a bit bigger than our last one.
Now we've got it mounted to an actual rocket.
So we have some control over it.
I'm thinking we might actually get a rebound off the ground.
I hope so, man.
I'm a little skeptical, But I'm really excited to see this thing go.
All right, jael, you all framed up? I'm all framed up.
Let's do this.
Okay.
In three Two One Launch! whoa! Devin: Did you have fun out there? Bill: Yes.
How about you? It was a blast.
It was literally a blast.
You remember our case.
White sands, new mexico this strange object looks like.
It's crashing, rebounding, and exploding.
It is the white sands missile testing range, So we decided to take a look at the possibility.
That this was a part of a rocket that had broken loose.
Jael: This is what it looks like.
Wow! It clearly did launch, but it took a wild turn there.
Its direction was just all over the place.
Exactly.
So, for our next test, we needed an experiment.
That would have more control.
In regards to flight time and trajectory.
Now, because the source of the video is so murky, It wasn't so farfetched to believe.
That it was all an elaborate hoax.
We designed a 3-foot, double-sided disk.
That would go down a dual zipline.
Here's what it looks like.
See it? Lanisha: You know Austin: That's pretty good.
The main issue was the speed.
Our disk didn't really take off.
This thing was kind of hobbling along.
Jael: So we decided to move on to the popular theory.
That this could just be a rocket.
And we weren't sure how a rocket was gonna give us that shape.
That we saw in the original video, But we built one complete with nose cone, Fins, and rocket motor, and set it off.
But rockets are notoriously unpredictable to work with, So just take a look at the video.
Launch! Lookit.
Skip, skip.
Wow! Lanisha: You actually got the rocket to bounce.
That looked great.
And, you guys, the glowing rocket exhaust was extremely revealing.
I mean, it showed us that the ufo in the original video.
May have been entirely exhaust, And you couldn't see the rocket.
Jael: An issue we had was that the bulkheads on our rocket.
Were a little too sturdy, So it never expelled any fuel at the final impact point.
That's why there was no explosion.
Right.
Okay.
Well, I think you ys did a fantastic job, And I think what we're seeing in the white sands video.
Is likely a misidentified rocket.
I mean, playing with proof of concept, You guys had the exhaust trail, you had the glowing rocket.
I mean, the trajectory was fairly similar, to be honest with you.
Minus the fact there was no explosion at the end, I think it's pretty good.
I'd say it's a rocket.
I agree.
The white sands video is fact.
That doesn't mean that there isn't any, You know, type of connection to alien technology.
Or reverse engineering.
I'm just not seeing, in this case, Anything very compelling to say it wasn't anything.
Other than, you know, a rocket test gone bad.
Devin: Whoa! oh! Let me hear about the fun you guys had in Tonopah.
Well, if you guys recall, we went to Tonopah, nevada, To investigate the full-spectrum video.
Recorded at the historic Tonopah cemetery.
Now, here's what happened.
Lanisha: I'm really excited to be here in Tonopah, nevada, Investigating some eerie footage.
That supposedly depicts a ghostly manifestation.
In one of Tonopah's abandoned cemeteries.
The community of Tonopah really began in the early 1900s.
When rich deposits of gold and silver.
Were discovered in the hills overlooking the town here.
On February 23rd in 1911, They actually had a devastating mine fire, Known as the belmont mine fire.
Reports say that 17 miners lost their lives that night.
And there would have been plenty more.
Had it not been for a gentleman known as "big" bill murphy.
He actually dragged out a handful of miners.
Before going back in to save more.
And big bill murphy was absolutely a hero.
After saving numerous lives, He died in his attempts to keep saving more people.
And you know what's interesting? Keith Engel, the videographer of the footage.
That we're here investigating, He was actually here himself in Tonopah, investigating the mine.
On its 100th anniversary of the fire.
A lot of people believe that keith captured.
One of the spirits of the miners that actually lost their life.
We're pulling into the cemetery now.
To meet with the videographer and find out from him.
What happened the night he shot that original video.
Look at this place.
There's so much history here.
Do you feel it? Yeah, this place is desolate.
It's got the creep factor.
It definitely does.
Let's get started.
A pair of ghostly slippers moving on their own.
But is it fact or faked? Faked.
Though the videographer claims it's real, The simple illusion is easily replicated.
Using invisible string.
Bill: We're pulling into the cemetery now.
To meet with the videographer and find out from him.
What happened the night he shot the original video.
Keith, it's good to see you.
Keith: Hey, bill.
How's it going? Great.
Great.
This is lanisha.
Hi.
Hello.
And this is austin.
Hi, austin.
Can you take us to where you shot the video? Sure.
Let's go.
All right, let's go.
So, this is the location here, And you can see, from this vantage point, Pretty much the whole cemetery.
Why were you here that particular night? Actually, we were doing a paranormal investigation, Came down here, and set up a camera.
Were you able to see the image clearly with the naked eye, Or was it just through your monitor? No, I actually saw it first.
I actually thought that it might be a real person.
It was very dark.
It looked like somebody in a big, puffy, you know, down coat.
And it was cold, so that would have fit.
But within a second, I realized that wasn't what it was.
So I reached into my pocket.
And pulled the monitor for the camera out.
And on the camera, it was extremely bright.
And well-defined, from what I was seeing.
Have there ever been any other reports.
Of paranormal activity in this area? Yeah, actually, there is.
If you ask people around here, they'll tell you.
They've seen things and heard things Especially here in the cemetery.
So, do you believe what you captured on video.
To be evidence of paranormal activity? Absolutely.
You do? Can you tell me what kind of camera you used that night? Yes.
This was a full-spectrum camera.
The camera picks up movement and boxes it.
Would you mind if we borrowed it to run a few tests? No.
You're welcome.
Perfect.
Thank you.
Keith, thanks for your time.
Thank you.
We got our work cut out for us.
So, what do you say we go grab our gear.
And get this investigation started? All right, let's go.
You know, austin, we really need to first explore the obvious, That it was just another person in a cemetery, Like maybe even a maintenance worker.
Well, you know, that is the first thing keith thought he saw.
When the sighting occurred.
It could just be a case of mistaken identity.
The apparition actually really does appear.
And disappear in the original video, right? What if it's someone just sitting in the cemetery, Possibly behind a tombstone and when they stand up, It gives the illusion that they're actually appearing? They walk a couple feet, sit back down.
They duck behind another gravestone.
Looks like they disappeared.
The camera does take a second to refresh, Which could make the picture appear to be jumpy.
I mean, that, in conjunction with someone, You know, appearing from behind a gravestone, A bush, or even a fence could give the illusion.
Of a ghost manifesting on camera.
We can use the original video as a blueprint, And we can determine where this apparition seems to manifest, How far it travels, And where it seems to disappear on its own.
We're about to run our phantom-person experiment.
We have Lani operating the camera, Bill's directing, and I'm gonna be playing the phantom.
I'm gonna use these flags to mark our start and end points.
That way, we have the exact same route the apparition travels.
In the original footage.
Yeah, right there.
Go ahead and mark that spot.
Well, since it makes sense.
That someone walking through the cemetery at night.
Would have a source of light with them, Austin's gonna be wearing an illuminated head lamp.
Hopefully, this will help us replicate.
The illuminated figure seen in the original video.
Okay, austin, let's begin this test.
Copy that.
Let's run this.
On your cue.
On three Two OneBegin walk.
Timing it.
Timing it.
Go ahead and sit.
How's it look? It looks pretty good.
Austin, why don't you come back to base.
All right, guys, how'd it look? If you notice, the figure in the original video.
Seems to appear and disappear.
We simply don't have that in our test footage.
And plus, it's obvious that it's a person.
Yeah, I agree.
You can tell.
As soon as I stand up and actually turn my headlight on, Around the whole ground, it's completely lit, Like I'm walking in a spotlight.
You can see my limbs.
I mean, this looks nothing like it.
Obviously, we can put this theory to rest.
Well, guys, if you look at the light emanating from the highway, You'll notice that it actually appears.
At the exact same time.
That the apparition appears in the original footage.
And on top of that, it actually stays lit.
For the exact same amount of time.
And then the apparition and the highway simultaneously fade.
There definitely does seem to be a correlation between the two.
You know, I am thinking that maybe the apparition.
Could just be a lens flare.
It can't explain what keith saw with the naked eye, But it could explain what he was able.
To record with his camera.
Well, guys, there hasn't been much traffic.
Running parallel to the cemetery, But when something does pa by, It definitely changes up the lighting.
This give me an idea.
I think I know what may have been the culprit Something that really brightens up the highway.
Bill: yes.
Austin: What do you guys think? Is this bright enough? Yeah.
Nice work! It looks great.
Man, you brought in the 911.
So, the local fire department.
Actually offered to help us during our investigation, And they're gonna allow us to use these vehicles.
For our next experiment.
You know, the light from these vehicles.
Should give us the luminosity that we're looking for, And with highway 6 being the main road.
That cuts through Tonopah, The lens-flare scenario is a real possibility.
I mean, it's not hard to create a lens flare.
All you have to do is just shine a bright light source.
At the lens, and there you go.
And since our light source will be moving, In theory, our lens flare should, too, right? And when you look at the original video, The light begins to glow and then fade.
All within five seconds.
That means you're gonna have to enter frame with the test camera.
And exit also within five seconds.
All right.
Well, let's get this test going.
I'll head back to the vantage point.
I'll frame up the camera to match the original video.
At the start point.
And exited frame at the end point.
I'll cue you when to get the convoy going.
Why don't you take one of these? Perfect.
All right.
I'll radio you guys.
Bill: We've called on the local highway patrol.
To block off the road while we conduct our experiment.
So we'll have more control over the results.
Austin for team.
Do you copy? We do.
Convoy is in position, And we are waiting on your cue to light this highway up.
Okay, on my mark.
Austin, on three Two One Begin convoy! Now we're going to test the theory.
That the apparition seen in the original video.
Is actually just the result of a lens flare.
Produced by the bright, flashing emergency lights.
Traveling down highway 6.
Okay, on my mark.
Austin, on three Two One Begin convoy! We're on our way, bill.
Austin, we have a visual on you.
Okay, good.
Let me know when it shows on camera.
I'll let you know.
Okay.
And then I'll time it from there.
Oh, there it is.
Bill, I see him.
I see him.
You know, I see the lens flare.
I definitely see it in the monitor right here.
Boom.
That was five right there.
All right, bill.
They've cleared frame.
Guys, how'd that look? Excellent.
Excellent speed.
Why don't you come back, and let's do a comparison? Copy that.
I'm on my way now.
Oh, guys, that was exciting.
How'd it turn out? You know what? Let's go ahead and look at this video.
And this is really interesting.
It does show that the light from the highway.
Does result in a lens flare, And the luminosity is pretty good.
It looks like something is moving through the graveyard.
I completely agree.
I mean, the shape is off a little bit, But, man, there's just so many similarities there.
And think about it.
Our results could be different depending on the type of vehicle.
Or the amount of light that's being emitted.
And watch.
Looks like it almost sinks into the ground.
Right there.
I mean, that's almost spot-on.
This is the simplest answer.
But you know what? Let's not rule out a possible paranormal explanation, Because it's not just keith.
There's other paranormal researchers.
That have been coming here for many, many years.
And they've collected evidence.
They have eyewitness accounts.
We owe it to ourselves.
To stay and do a nighttime investigation.
Well, let's get to work, guys.
With years of paranormal history.
Accumulated here at Tonopah cemetery, We definitely had to stay and do a nighttime investigation.
To see what we can find.
What's up, guys? All set up? Cameras are all set.
We are good to go out there.
All right.
Well, guys, the coverage looks great.
We literally have four I.
R.
Cameras set up.
Corresponding to each one of these monitors.
One's covering the full cemetery from back in this left corner.
And this is the full-spectrum.
This frames up with actually the same exact frame as our original footage.
This one actually covers the exact same path.
That the apparition in the original video walks.
On camera 3, we have Bill Murphy's gravestone.
And then actually covering the reverse side of the cemetery.
So we have both angles coming at it.
And, of course, base camp here.
I'm gonna be monitoring the front, So if anybody comes in or out of this cemetery, I'll know about it.
We're gonna be doing a complete sweep, But I want to record an EVP at Bill Murphy's grave site.
So we want to see if we can get.
Some sort of communication going on there.
And I'm also gonna be having an e-pod.
And with this, if there is some sort of energy formation.
That's coming from the surface up, I'll be able to pick it up with this.
Make sure you put that somewhere in the frame of my camera.
So that if it goes off, I can radio and let you know.
All right, perfect.
I'll have my dslr and a thermal camera.
And I'll sweep the entire cemetery, Looking for any fluctuations and heat signatures.
Well, guys, I'll be your eyes in the field.
Make sure you stay in contact with me via walkie.
You guys ready to go green? Ready.
All right.
Go green.
Tonopah cemetery, July 2011.
This is bill murphy Talking to big bill.
You're a local hero.
You still are a hero here.
A lot of people believe that you still walk this graveyard.
If you could speak to me, This recording device may be able to record your voice.
Talk to me, bill.
Can you just say hi, just say hello? Bill: Austin, I just ended my EVP session.
I'm gonna leave the e-pod on the grave.
If you see it turn on and off like this, When I go to touch it, Let me know, and note the time on the recorder.
That could indicate the presence.
Of something that is paranormal.
Let me know.
Copy that.
Bill, your pod just started flashing.
Your pod just started flashing.
We have activity on the pod.
I'm on the way! Austin, as I approached it, it was still fluctuating.
Weird, bill.
I copied that.
Come on, bill murphy.
Can you do this on your own? Lanisha, I'm at the bill murphy grave site.
I'm getting some fluctuations on the e-pod.
Can you meet me here with a thermal camera? Copy that, bill.
I'm on my way.
Are either of you by the camera at Bill Murphy's grave site.
It just went out.
Guys, don't keep me in the dark over here.
I don't have a visual.
I have no idea what's going on.
What is that? Austin, we're trying to interpret.
The thermal camera right now.
What's going on with the camera? I don't know.
The camera went out.
Austin for team.
What is going on out there? Austin, we're having a lot of equipment failure.
My walkie just died.
My walkie just failed.
All of our equipment is failing.
Austin: Austin for team.
What is going on out there? Bill: Austin, we're having a lot of equipment failure.
My walkie just died.
My walkie just failed.
All of our equipment is failing.
So, I stayed at base camp and actually manned the momonits.
While bill and lanisha swept the entire cemetery, Looking for any signs of paranormal activity.
At the beginning of the nighttime investigation, I placed an e-pod on Big bill Murphy's grave.
Now, the e-pod began to have these unusual fluctuations.
And some people believe that this could be, you know, Anomalous energy forces beginning to manifest.
Austin's the one that first spotted it, 'cause we had a camera on it.
He radioed me, and I saw it with the naked eye.
Ben: Wow! And that's just one of the things that happened.
At that exact moment, the I.
R.
Camera.
That's monitoring big Bill Murphy's grave site.
Goes down.
Lanisha: Now, when the e-pod started to go off, I ran over to join bill, And it's crazy, because when I got there, My thermal imager completely shut off.
So, I go to walkie bill and lanisha, Let them know what's going on.
My walkie fails full battery.
Everything literally just stopped working.
As soon as the e-pod began to fluctuate.
I mean, it was strange.
So, the thermal camera, the walkie-talkie, The I.
R.
Cams all malfunctioned at the same time? Done at the same time.
How do you explain your electronics just going out? Can't.
It's really eerie.
It was really odd.
And earlier in the evening, I conducted an evp session.
At big Bill Murphy's grave site.
And I asked if he's the figure.
That we see in Keith Engel's original video.
Here's the recording I got.
Let me know what you guys think you hear.
Bill: Can you just say hi, just say hello? Oh, whoa! I hear, like, a squeaking almost.
Yeah.
Like, it sounds like a metal bucket.
And something's being put in it or something.
Like, a pulley that's squeaking.
This might be crazy, but it sounds like a miner's bucket.
That they take down with them into the mine.
And then they pull up.
Bill: Now, big bill murphy He had to go down in a miner's bucket.
Into the shaft to save the other miners.
And put them into the bucket and then raise it back up.
He did this numerous times.
He lost his life doing this.
Ew! That's creepy.
That was his last action.
So, with everything you saw, everything you did, What's your final conclusion? I think there's a natural explanation.
For what keith captured on his footage, And I think we showed that with the lens flare.
Devin: You know, you guys, I'm convinced.
That it was a lens flare that he had in his video, But your investigation that night.
And your equipment failing From a tech standpoint, I can't understand.
Why full batteries would just go down.
That is unexplained.
That EVP is pretty compelling in its own right.
And if that is communication from big bill murphy, Then he deserves to be heard.
Well, I think you guys did a fantastic job with your experiments.
And given all the evidence that you collected.
During your EVP and the night investigation, I think it completely lends credibility.
To the idea that this place has paranormal activity.
Your experiment with the lens flare came so close, I think there was a natural explanation.
However, with the EVP that had the mysterious sound, Your equipment going down, It seems like that cemetery could have something going on.
So, good job.