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Guy Hottel

Special Agent in Charge · FBI (Washington Field Office)
Credibility
2.0
Confidence
8.0
Info completeness
6.0

Before the sighting

Real FBI Special Agent in Charge of Washington Field Office during the period of the memo. Personally acquainted with Hoover and Tolson (photographed socializing in Miami 1937, 1938).

During the sighting

Authored memo dated Mar 22 1950 to Hoover, captioned 'FLYING SAUCERS — INFORMATION CONCERNING.' Relayed third-hand claim: three 50-ft circular flying saucers recovered in NM, each containing three 3-ft humanoid bodies in metallic cloth. Memo notes 'no further evaluation was attempted.' Underlying source chain: AF investigator → 3rd party → FBI SA → Hottel.

After the sighting

FBI did not investigate the claims. FBI general UFO investigation practice ended Jul 1950 (4 months after memo). Hottel retired 1955; served as executive secretary of Horsemen's Benevolent Association; died June 1990.

Research notes

Document is authentic; person is verified. But content is unverified hearsay routed through 3+ intermediaries, never investigated, and matches a contemporaneous proven hoax (Newton/Aztec). Most-viewed file in FBI Vault. Score 2 = authentic provenance, near-zero substantive content credibility.

Linked events (1)