Lonnie Zamora

Before the sighting

Born 1933 in Socorro County, NM. Career New Mexico law-enforcement officer with prior service in Socorro municipal police before joining the New Mexico State Police. Local reputation as a sober, unimaginative, religious officer with no prior interest in UFOs. Project Blue Book consultant J. Allen Hynek and Air Force investigators independently characterized Zamora as a credible, reliable observer of unremarkable habits.

During the sighting

On April 24, 1964, at approximately 5:45 pm MST, Zamora broke off pursuit of a speeding vehicle south of Socorro after hearing a roar and seeing a flame in the sky. Investigating an arroyo, he observed a shiny egg- or ovoid-shaped object on the ground with two small humanoid figures in white coverall-like garments standing beside it. As he approached on foot, the object emitted a roar and flame, rose from the ground, and departed toward the southwest. Zamora radioed dispatch immediately; Sgt. Sam Chavez of NMSP arrived within minutes while ground impressions and burning brush were still present. The site was examined the same day by FBI agent Arthur Byrnes Jr. (present in Socorro on other business), Capt. Richard Holder of nearby White Sands, and within days by Hynek and Project Blue Book.

After the sighting

Zamora continued his NMSP career and later worked at a Socorro gas station. He gave a small number of consistent interviews to investigators (Hynek, Jacques Vallee, Ray Stanford, Blue Book), then largely withdrew from public attention, declining most media requests for the remainder of his life. He never recanted, never sold the story, and never embellished it in publicly documented later interviews. He died in Socorro in November 2009. Project Blue Book Case 8766 was officially closed as 'Unidentified.'

Research notes

Hynek, a skeptical astronomer, repeatedly called Socorro one of the strongest single-witness physical-trace cases on record. Project Blue Book retained it as 'Unidentified' — one of a small number it never explained. Physical traces (four roughly symmetric ground indentations, burned greasewood, scorched soil) were photographed and measured within hours by NMSP, FBI, and Air Force. Skeptical hypotheses (Klass: plasma/lenticular; Tony Bragalia / Dave Thomas: NM Tech student prank involving a lunar-lander mock-up) remain unproven; the Bragalia 'confession' chain is hearsay and disputed. Score reflects: career-stable observer, immediate radio report, independent same-day investigation, persistent physical traces, lifelong consistency, lack of financial motive — offset modestly by single-witness limitation.

Linked events (1)

• Socorro NM 1964 (Zamora)1964-04-24