The Tragedy of the “Martian Monkey”
Georgia—1953
Law enforcement officers, reporters and investigators, even representatives from the United States Air Force were wrapped up in a UFO story involving a creature from another world.
The case had all the classic elements; the sighting of a flying craft, scorch marks on the pavement from its landing, and little men believed to be from Mars.
But this account wasn’t like others, this time, authorities were shocked and excited to learn there was a body.
The creature had been struck and killed by a vehicle on a dark stretch of highway west of Atlanta.
Or so the story went. Briefly.
Amidst the furor that quickly unfolded, the truth came out, the entire incidence was a hoax. One that involved a terrible act of animal cruelty and a trio of card playing idiots who made a bet and wanted to get in the papers.
I won’t recount the full tale here, but if you’re unfamiliar with the account, here are two sources:
First, the Washington Post recently wrote a piece recalling this grisly tale. The paper’s report on the incident can be found here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/12/01/they-claimed-have-hit-creature-outer-space-truth-was-less-otherworldly/
The piece is interesting, albeit, a little dry considering the aspects of the case. Personally, I much prefer the audio version just recorded by my friend and colleague Joshua P. Warren.
In his smooth radio voice, Warren relates the tale in the space of about twenty minutes, complete with an undertone of the story’s absurdity and some outrage at the outcome of what the 1953 hoaxer did and why he did it. Give it a listen here:
I was well aware of this historic incident, but for a lot of modern investigators, it’s something that’s long been buried in the past.
There are several important things about this case. First, it demonstrates the (often) disgusting lengths that some people will go to in order to perpetrate a hoax.
Second, it reminds us that people are often predisposed to believe certain stories because of media influence. Bear in mind, in the early 1950s, the outer space craze was in full swing. “It Came From Outer Space” had premiered in the summer of 53’ and the previous year had brought “Red Planet Mars” to the big screen with its tag line: “Terror From Mars Throws World Into Panic!”
A wide range of other space themed movies had released around the same time. Space was the great unknown, and there was rampant speculation that otherworldly creatures lurking in space could land at any time. At least, according to the movies.
As an investigator of the strange, it’s always critical to keep an eye towards possible hoaxing. In modern times, it’s even more complicated with the sophistication of technology available for those looking to pull the wool over people’s eyes and get their moment in the spotlight.
Such people often think they’re being funny, or clever, and sadly, they often get away with little or no consequences even after their hoaxes are discovered.
But ultimately, they look the fools, and in the end, history will remember them as the rather despicable characters they show themselves to be.
So, if you’re an investigator, or just an armchair researcher, remember this case and the lengths some people will go for a brief moment of fame. Examine things closely, including the reporting witnesses. Usually, hoaxers don’t stand up to the test of time and constant examination.
As for me, I recall the Georgia incident, but I’d rather remember the monkey than the idiots who decided to kill a living being for a joke.