Skeptoid #94: Fire in the Sky: A Real UFO Abduction?

[Rob]

The most recent episode of Skeptoid, on Travis Walton :
http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4094

Direct link to the audio :
http://skeptoid.com/audio/skeptoid-4094.mp3

 

[fitzbew88]

The most recent episode of Skeptoid, on Travis Walton :
http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4094

Direct link to the audio :
http://skeptoid.com/audio/skeptoid-4094.mp3

From the first link:
<i>"After a few fruitless days of searching [for Travs], Travis and Duane's mother instructed that the search be called off, which the police found a little strange."</i>

That is quite puzzling.

Otherwise, there is nothing in the write-up very conclusive.

I've always thought that if it was a hoax, it was a heckuva hoax.

I'll listen to the audio over the weekend.

 

[Aaron LeClair]

The mother ordered it to be called off? I don't recall that. I recall her not being worried, and seemingly not too thrilled about letting people in her house.

 

[fitzbew88]

I'll listen to the audio over the weekend.

Oops, the audio was just the text in the link read out loud. Nothing new.

It seems the "core" of the skepticism os based on:
1) Contradictory polygraph results.
2) The Mother "calling off" the search.
3) Absence of physical trauma.
4) Reports that the group had past interest in UFO's and had discussed what to do if they were abducted.
5) The group seemed strangely uninterested in actually looking for Travis while he was missing.
6) The phone booth from which Travis called didn't seem to have his fingerprints.

There were some other things, but nothing else I thought was worth repeating.

None of this changes the way I feel personally about the case -- it was either a very remarkable hoax or something unusual happened. ( Doh! )