Overview
UFO researcher and author Preston Dennett has presented six alleged humanoid encounters reported across New York State from 1955 through 1989. Drawing on research for his book UFOs Over New York, Dennett argues that the cases are notable for their recurring descriptions of small, unusual beings, reported physical evidence, multiple witnesses, and periods of concentrated UFO activity. The accounts remain part of the broader UFO literature, although the video summary does not identify independent investigations or publicly available evidence that would establish an extraterrestrial explanation.
Early Reports and Alleged Physical Evidence
One of the earliest cases concerns Richard Price, who was eight years old when he reportedly encountered a disc-shaped craft near Oakwood Cemetery in Lansingburgh in October 1955. Price said that two short beings with dark, slanted eyes examined him and implanted a small object in his body. According to the account, the object surfaced in 1989 and was preserved for analysis. Dennett states that MIT physicist Dr. David E. Pritchard examined it using electron microscopy and mass spectrometry, identifying organic elements including carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, as well as microscopic appendages. The summary does not provide a published report or details about the object’s chain of custody, leaving the interpretation of the material unresolved.
In Churchville, a security guard named Sidney Zipkin reported seeing a cigar-shaped craft land at Churchville Park on July 31, 1967. He said two small figures wearing black uniforms entered the craft before it departed. The case attracted additional attention because at least eight other people—including police officers and sheriffs—reportedly observed unusual aerial activity in the area later that night. Dennett describes Zipkin as consistent in his account and says he lost his job after the story became public, though the circumstances surrounding that claim are not independently documented in the supplied material.
The 1967 “Ithaca Flap” and Millerton Account
Later that year, two children in Newfield, 13-year-old Donald Chiszar and 10-year-old Pat Crozier, reported seeing a low-hovering craft with a cupola and antenna. They also said they observed two humanoid figures through square windows. The sighting reportedly preceded what became known as the “Great Ithaca Flap,” during which more than 100 residents described UFO activity over the course of a week. In 1972, an anonymous nurse traveling near Millerton with her mother and infant son reported being followed by a large saucer-shaped object. The family allegedly saw five or six beings with bug-like heads and large oval eyes through the craft’s windows. Civil defense officials were said to have received thousands of calls, but the video summary offers no records to verify that figure.
Hudson Valley and Saugerties Claims
The final two cases are linked to the well-known Hudson Valley UFO wave and later reports of alleged abduction. Monique O’Driscoll of Lake Carmel described a mental communication with a triangular craft in February 1983 and an hour of missing time two months later. During hypnosis conducted by researcher Budd Hopkins, she reportedly recalled being taken aboard a craft and examined by short, bald beings with large eyes. In Saugerties, a group of friends—including Curtis Walton, James LeFante, Brian Leger, Paul Cecere, and Petra—reported recurring anomalies at a trailer over several years. Under hypnosis by Dr. John Bowman, they reportedly interpreted their experiences as repeated group abductions, with LeFante estimating approximately 60 incidents.
Assessment and Context
Dennett says the cases’ similarities and alleged corroboration support the possibility of a long-term, unexplained presence in New York. However, reports involving hypnosis, memory reconstruction, anonymous witnesses, or objects with uncertain provenance require careful evaluation. The accounts document what witnesses said they experienced; they do not, by themselves, prove that the events were extraterrestrial. The cases remain notable examples of New York’s UFO history, particularly for the number of witnesses and the wide range of alleged encounters, but their evidentiary status is still disputed.
