JOHN KEEL NOT AN AUTHORITY ON ANYTHING

Willard Henderson, one of John’s contacts in the Ohio Valley, writes again with more news about the mysterious red-haired woman, the whereabouts of Woodrow Derenberger, and UFO sightings. John answers with questions about NICAP meetings in the area and with some of his own postal mysteries.

We continue with our coverage of the Silver Bridge disaster. On Dec. 27, the Athens Messenger reported on the continuing investigation of the collapse and the recovery of the latest body. There’s also a mention of a rumor that some of the cars might have carried explosives, Mary Hyre had no column in the paper that day.

Willard Henderson was one of John’s contacts in the Ohio Valley. In this letter, he fills John in on recent activity in the area, including news about Woodrow Derenberger, whose interactions with the mysterious Indrid Cold play an important part in The Mothman Prophecies. Henderson also mentions his own frightening nocturnal experiences.  John responds with his own news, and reassures Henderson that his night sweat might simply have been caused by a bad dream. One of the curious things about this exchange is that neither of them mentions the Silver Bridge disaster, which had happened only a few days earlier.

John’s “Personal Involvement Cases” file contains many letters from “silent contactees”–people who wanted to discuss their unusual experiences, but who didn’t want publicity. This letter with John’s response is a typical example. Whoever Gary Elberson was, he wanted to talk to someone but then disappeared. We’ll probably never know if he moved, changed his mind, or was just a hoaxer.