Unknown: Stringfield's informants face surveillance
In October 1980, Leonard Stringfield, researcher of UFO crash retrievals with around 20 firsthand sources, noted some informants becoming silent due to heightened suspicion and monitoring.
Background
Background
Leonard H. Stringfield, a pioneer of crash and retrieval investigation, collected reports from military personnel over decades concerning crashes, transports, and autopsies. By 1980 he had around 20 direct witnesses to such incidents.
The Event
From October 1980, Stringfield met with increasing resistance. Some of his sources fell silent abruptly and stopped responding. This suggests increased surveillance and distrust toward these individuals. Stringfield documented it in his status report on alleged photographs of alien bodies.
Significance
The episode points to the sensitivity of the subject. The sudden reticence of the informants suggests outside influence, possibly official intervention. Stringfield's work, based on insider accounts, had a lasting influence on UFO research and earned him the description 'father of crash retrieval studies'. It illustrates the risks for witnesses in sensitive areas.