http://dardogallettostudios.com/blog/category/featured/ In his peculiar interview with the Christiansens, Tiny claimed that he was looking for a missing heir. John came across a few other odd solicitations like this, and began investigating to see if he could dig anything up. Even his old friend Red Jackman received a letter about a possible inheritance. John wrote to the Better Business Bureau to ask if they knew anything about it. He didn’t find out much, but he suspected it might be a piece of the puzzle.
If you can’t read John’s faint pen note, it says: Replied by phone – 4/14/67. BBB has nothing in files on this.
Perhaps ‘missing heirs’ is meant to be taken symbolically like most of these kinds of games the phenomenon plays?
Comment by VA — April 1, 2016 @ 5:22 am
I see two possible answers involved here. The first is mere identity theft, 1960s style. I wonder if any of the people who actually gave interviews to the “Missing Heirs Bureau” ever had their ID stolen, credit compromised, etc.? Also, if enough people could be induced to send in $5, that could run into money before long . . . alternatively, this could have been some kind of intelligence operation. Imagine a foreign spy service wanting to insert agents into the US with detailed, authentic but borrowed backgrounds. What better (and simpler) way to acquire detailed background info than to interview people under the pretext of finding a missing inheritance for them? It would work today. The details like grandparents’ occupation, make and model of cars owned make sense in this context.
Comment by Paul B Thompson — April 1, 2016 @ 6:43 am
The whole account DOES sound like a scam—-except for the personal visit aspect. That’s very, very risky; although, back then, people were more trusting, so who knows? Mail-order, the scammers could make out quite well at 5 bucks a pop. The ID theft sounds plausible, too. But something about the whole affair (like everything in the MIB/Mothman continuum) is skewed. . . .
Comment by William Grabowski — April 2, 2016 @ 10:15 am
Again, thanks for keeping this up, it’s mostly thankless work I know but it is greatly appreciated!!!
Comment by Dave — April 29, 2016 @ 11:52 pm
Thanks! I’ve been too busy to post much the last few months (among other things, I just moved), but regular posts are on their way again…
Comment by Doug — April 30, 2016 @ 8:47 am
I agree with Dave. I have read all Mr Keels books so this site is wonderful. Kind of a back room look so to speak. I think Mr. Keel came closest to the truth of the phenomena, and may have actually figured it out when he backed away in later years. Thanks again…
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Comment by Steve Philbrook — May 27, 2016 @ 1:49 pm