@BEGIN_FILE_ID.DIZ Roswell Autopsy Don Ecker's observations on the footage! [ oRiGiN uFO dIV! - mIC fLAiR/oGN^eL7! ] @END_FILE_ID.DIZ [74774,2001] :Erik Funderburk Lib:19 UFO.TXT Text, Bytes: 11778, Count: 234, 10-Aug-95(10-Aug-95) Title : Roswell Autopsy Keywords: ROSWELL AUTOPSY FILM FOOTAGE DON ECKER Don Ecker's observations on the Roswell footage! I first heard about the alleged "Roswell Autopsy" film while speaking at the 1st International UFO conference in Vienna, Austria in November 1993. British UFO researcher Philip Mantle brought it to my attention during a chat there. I gave no credence to it, as there was nothing to support it except the story Mantle relayed to me. In 1994, a number of newspapers and magazines reported a rather bizarre story claiming that inside information found out that American film maker Steven Speilberg had original footage from Roswell and was going to use it in a UFO movie he was working on. Checking with Speilbergs offices, they totally denied the claims. There it rested until the first of this year, 1995. (I later found out the Speilberg story had been planted by a PR firm hired by Santilli to up the interest factor!) Around the first of the year, I received a call from Paul Davids, the producer of the "Roswell" movie, and Davids told me that he had just heard that FOX Television had acquired the rights to actual footage from the Roswell crash. Having worked on a number of television programs for the old "Sightings" program, and the more recent "Encounters" I called Bob Kiviat to check if there was any truth to the rumors. Kiviat had heard about the film, but had no information on FOX getting rights to it. He said he would check and call me back. I spoke with Kiviat later and he told me there was no truth to the rumor, but he was going to follow up on it. For any of you that do not know Kiviat, he is a former producer for "Unsolved Mysteries" and worked with the Geraldo Rivera program "Now It Can Be Told." He came on board with "Encounters" after the program began to run, and I worked with Kiviat on several shows, including the military laser pack, cattle mutilations, and the Mars show. I have found Kiviat to be very journalistic in his approach to the UFO subject. I informed Kiviat that I was very skeptical about this alleged autopsy film, and it was my thoughts that a tremendous amount of work and research would have to be performed before anyone could state or determine that it was genuine. Kiviat agreed and said he was going to research to find out if FOX was interested in a special not connected with any other "paranormal" programming, i.e. not with Sightings or Encounters. Kiviat had expressed displeasure with the direction Encounters had taken prior to its cancellation. Time progressed and Kiviat informed me that he was going to travel to the United Kingdom for a special screening of this film, which took place in May, 1995. Upon his return he informed me that he was impressed with the film, and FOX was interested in negotiating for the rights to the film. At that point I told Kiviat that if the stories about the alleged cameraman were true, he was in his 80's and in poor health, it was vital that he go on the record, or at least go on the record behind the scenes to validate this from his standpoint. His military service, where he was stationed, his commanding officers, etc. Kiviat agreed, and also told me that Ray Santilli of Merlin Group, the people that had the film were being difficult to deal with. They would not release the name of the cameraman, were not truthful with certain details, and Santilli made promises that he could not or would not keep. Kiviat then told me that when the deal was set with FOX he wanted me to come on board and research the cameraman. I thought I could find him if he were real and I told Kiviat I needed time to do the background research on him. It then became a series of weeks passing by with promises of "next week" to the tune of about six weeks with no word. A number of telephone calls to Kiviat were not returned. I spoke to Kevin Randle, author of two Roswell books several weeks later, and Randle told me he was scheduled to travel to Roswell with the FOX production. I began to research the background on the film and people for UFO Magazine. I also spoke to several executives with the Kodak Film company to inquire about the type of film that the alleged cameraman used during the autopsy sequence. According to the people in the UK including Santilli, the autopsy and other sequences were shot with 35MM film. I spoke to the Los Angeles Kodak representative, Lawrence Cate, and he informed me that in the Kodak letter now sent all over the world, he had neglected to state that he also saw on the side of the print, KODAK SAFETY FILM. What caused me to sit up was that he also said that he did not think that this type of film came into use until after 1950 because this type of film was not available in 1947. If this was true, it might mean that the film with the bodies on it could not have been printed in 47. I called the Rochester, NY offices of KODAK and spoke to several people there. We found out that this film was not manufactured until 1951. I called England and asked to speak to Santilli. My thinking went like this.... if the type of film that the autopsy sequence was on was not made until 1951 (through 1987) and the codes from 1947 were on it (from the negative) then the cameraman either had to have the negative, where tests could be performed, or Santilli had the negative, or if no one had it, then we have a gap of at least 4 years. Santilli told me he did not have a negative, (later proven to be a lie) and the cameraman did not have one. I then asked him who did? He said "the government I guess." I then told him if this was true, then the film must be a hoax unless the cameraman had an earlier positive print. Santilli denied it. We went back to research, and were put in touch with a KODAK executive that was visiting Los Angeles. We found out that the film they referred to from 1951 however, was m. 16MM was available in safety film in 1947. So it seemed we were back at square one. The KODAK exec, Tony Amato, however informed us that a Robert Shell, located in Virginia was going to perform a chemical analysis on a piece of negative, by the way for the FOX special. At 11:00 PM that night I received a call from Kiviat. Early in the game Bob Kiviat had told me that the moment he received the autopsy film here in Los Angeles, he would call me so I could view it and give him my feelings on it. Now I knew from Kevin Randle that FOX had had the film for at least a couple of weeks, and I had had no word. Telling Kiviat I was angry about that, he told me that the next night, Saturday August 5th, he would call me as soon as I completed my weekly radio program UFOs Tonite! and set up a screening Sunday morning. I spoke to him around 11:30 PM on Saturday and made arrangements to meet him at 11:00 AM with my wife. Sunday....the big day. Arriving at Kiviats offices at 11:00 AM I could hardly wait to see the thing that had made so much havoc in the UFO field. With no further ado, Kiviat popped the video in the VCR and turned it on. Not quite sure what to expect, I remembered all the hoop-la about telephone cords, excessive bleeding and so on. Having 10 years in the law enforcement field, I attended my share of autopsies. The film opens up with views of the body, just like the computer gifs all over the computer world. Then two people enter the field of view, covered from top to bottom with what must be radiation suits, circa 1940's. My wife noticed ( and she was the first ) that one of the two people in the room appeared to have breasts. A nurse? At any rate the autopsy began with cuts around the neck and ears. A bit of seepage of blood? The film is black and white. No gross amount however. When they went into the chest cavity, the closeup shots were out of focus. Kiviat informed me that Dr. Bob Nathan at JPL could perhaps clear some of this up. Peering closely at the fingers and toes did show six digits. I did not see anything that would suggest they were added onto the body. Later I viewed what might have been an tent with wreckage in it. I beams with odd figures or glyphs on them, and two "panels" with inset areas for a right and left six digit hand with what looked like studs or something inlet where the finger and palm would rest. Another sequence included was a tent scene with two or three people in it with yet another body. It was a terrible copy, nothing could be discerned, it was so poor. Kiviat was upset at this because he knew Santilli had a better copy, but did not send it. Yet FOX paid a large sum for the copy. How do I know? Kiviat informed me that now was the time for me to start to work, right then and there. "Just pick out a desk Don. We have two weeks for you to do the background research. However I am sorry to say I can only cover your expenses, no consulting fees, we spent all our budget on the film." And I might add, on there host. You see Bob wanted to get Connie Chung or another well known journalist to host the show, but FOX did not want to appear to endorse the film. So he went to his B list of celebrities, first wanting Captain Picard, Patrick Stewart, but settling on Commander Riker, Jonathan Frakes to host this program. Is this all? Nope, read on. Santilli has never been shy about stating that he is not in this for the research, UFOs or anything else. He wants to make money. However his greed has screwed him out of who knows how much more.I am aware of another bit of this film that allegedly shows an autopsy in a tent. This has not been available however because depending on when one speaks to Santilli, either a German or a Japanese businessman bought the segment in question. This however is another lie. Santilli had hoped to turn this into a separate video for sell, so in order to make it appear more authentic, he destroyed it by trying to imprint "1947" on it which destroyed it for research or possible historical value. Having spoken to a number of people who know Santilli, almost to a person they all said that no one could have been a worse choice to receive this film if it is real. If it is real, Ray Santilli doesn't have a clue on what should have been done. If the film is a hoax or disinformation, he still does not have a clue. By taking the mercenary road he has effectively destroyed it in a great many minds by only worrying about the financial aspects. If it is real, and the only way to prove it is by interviewing the cameraman and checking on his story, and by a chemical analysis of the original negative, Ray Santilli has done a disservice to the entire human race. If it is a hoax, then by Santilli's game playing, he may have obstructed the road to find out who perpetrated the hoax. We may never know. And that brings us to FOX. As in almost all television geared toward UFO stories, the bottom line IS THE BOTTOM LINE. In ratings sweeps, and when a TV network wants to up its ratings, they gravitate to the UFO subject. Much like that long ago October 1988 program, "UFO Coverup Live!" much anticipation waits on FOX's Autopsy Special. I am fearful that many people will be disappointed. Is it real? What did I feel while viewing it? 1st, I don't know, and 2nd, nothing..... The key still lies with the 80 plus year old cameraman, IF HE EXISTS, and with an impartial analysis of the actual negative. And as long as TV just worries about ratings, and people like Santilli worries about profits, we the people end up getting the short, brown and sticky end of the stick. Don Ecker UFO Magazine PS I think the cameraman can still be found and interviewed, time will tell. However like all things a screwy as the above story, we researchers that care about the real truth must remain VERY SKEPTICAL.