RIP Lonnie Zamora, Socorro’s Finest

Lonnie Zamora, former policeman in Socorro, New Mexico, passed away the other day from heart failure.

With Mr. Zamora’s passing, ufology has lost one of its most solid members.  Lonnie was a witness in a 1964 ufo case that ranks among the most reliable and well-documented cases on record.

While chasing a speeder, Zamora felt a tremendous roar and saw flames overhead.  Concerned that this was in the vicinity of a dynamite repository, he broke off the chase and went to investigate.

He came across an egg-shaped craft on the ground, with what appeared to be two ten-year olds in uniforms/overalls walking around.  When they noticed Zamora, they got back into the craft.  The roar started again and the craft ascended a bit, producing smoke and flame.  Then everything got silent and the craft took off, apparently switching propulsion modes.

The event has been investigated by the Air Force, CIA, DIA, local and state police, and countless ufo organizations.  It was even pronounced a hoax by a college professor, who refused to provide any further information.

Sand samples were taken.  The sand was fused.  Metallic pieces were discovered and found to be a zinc compound that was not produced on the planet at the time.  Landing marks were present and an estimate of weight of the craft was made.

Ray Stanford wrote Socorro Saucer in a Pentagon Pantry in 1976, which stands as the most exhaustive investigation of the event.  This was echoed by Zamora himself, when speaking to his daughter about the incident.  A very recent interview with Stanford is available at The Paracast as an audio download.

Further Reading

UFO Casebook

YouTube

The Black Vault