The Multiple Witness Trumbull County UFO Incident

Widely regarded as one of the most credible UFO incidents of recent history, the events shortly after midnight one December evening in 1994 in Trumbull County, Ohio is also one of the most well documented. Numerous calls were placed to the police switchboard, all of which remain on record. As is the dispatch communication between the switchboard operator and the police officers on patrol at the time.

Roy Ann Randolph

While there might be discrepancy as to what was seen on the evening in question, that the police officers and multiple members of the public alike witnessed something very solid and nuts-and-bolts is almost certain. And the fact that Ohio is one of the most active states in America in terms of UFO sightings only serves to make this incident one of the most compelling and just maybe most important UFO cases on record.

Before we look at the events of the night in more detail, check out the video below. It features some of the switchboard reports and police communication on the night in question.

A Sudden Surge Of “Strange Lights” Reports

Shortly after midnight on the 14^th December 1994 police dispatcher, Roy Ann Randolph, ^[1] suddenly began receiving call after call from residents of Trumbull County regarding strange lights in the sky overhead. At first, she thought them to be the work of pranksters. Then, as they increased slightly, perhaps some of the locals had had one too many before heading home and witnessing a normal aircraft through blurry eyes. However, by the time the calls were literally queuing for her attention, the voices on the other end far from inebriated or full of youthful mischief, she began to realize she was in the middle of something quite extraordinary.

She would notify the police department in Liberty Township due to the wide-ranging number of calls. Patrolling officers were notified and asked to attend the scenes of the sightings. One of the first to reach such a location was Sergeant Toby Meloro.

Meloro, driving along Samson Drive, had already been alerted by a resident on the street of strange lights moving to the south. He would report back to the operator that he had visual confirmation of the lights and was about to investigate. As he proceeded down the street, however, his patrol car suddenly cut out. He made several failed attempts to restart it. As he was doing so, the entire area around him suddenly lit up from above.

A Huge Circular Object The Size Of A Football Field!

Meloro would attempt to report the incident but the car radio was as dead as the engine. As he looked upwards he could see the lights were part of a huge disc-shaped craft. Meloro would later state it was at least the size of a football field. He also recalled an extremely bright light in the middle of the underside. He stood outside his vehicle watching the behemoth-like craft move calmly overhead. Interestingly, he would note, the craft, for all its size, didn’t make a sound. At least not one he could hear.

He remained watching the circular object, hardly believing his eyes when he witnessed his car come back to life of its own accord as soon as the mysterious craft had vacated the vicinity. He jumped back in his seat and grabbed the radio, reporting to Randolph what had just occurred. Then, he sped off attempting to keep pace with the huge disc.

Although he would eventually lose it, over a dozen police officers were in pursuit of the strange craft, even crossing the state border with Pennsylvania before witnessing it speeding off into the distance at a “tremendous speed”.

Several UFO researchers have spoken with the police officers involved, including Meloro, and their credibility is largely without doubt.

Toby Meloro (left) James Baker (right)

The Sighting Of Lieutenant James Baker

A sighting on the same evening came from Lieutenant James Baker from the Brookfield Township Police Department. He was off-duty and monitoring the communications over the police radio, fascinated with what he was hearing. At some point during the proceedings, he took to his patrol car to see if he could see anything for himself. He would eventually pull up near an abandoned radar tower. He exited the vehicle and climbed up the abandoned apparatus to obtain a better look at the surrounding terrain.

After steadying himself he was immediately presented with three bright objects in the shape of a triangle. He would note that the middle light appeared significantly brighter than the other two. He would also note, and report, that the lights changed color from red, yellow, blue, and green, in unison and purposely. With this in mind, and in response to the claims that the sightings were planets low in the sky that appeared to change colors, Baker would state over the police radio in no uncertain terms that “…if they are those planets those guys were talking about, then they’re planets with Christmas lights on”. Incidentally, Meloro would also reject outright that what he had seen was “the planet Mercury!”

Another popular opinion among skeptics of the case is that there was an object overhead, but that it was either a secret military aircraft or a standard military aircraft on a clandestine mission. There are several air force bases in Ohio, and two in the immediate proximity of Trumbull County.

“If it was a plane,” Sergeant Meloro would offer later, “then it must be a new plane. Because I have never heard of a plane that doesn’t make a sound”.

No Radar Confirmation Despite Multiple Visuals

The fact that the residents of Trumbull County, and Ohioans in general, live among a hot-bed of US Air Force bases perhaps makes them a little more experienced at picking out aerial anomalies than those who reside out in the country away from such regular activity in their skies. As well as seeing the regular commercial airline jets as most in America, they see all manner of military vehicles on a semi-regular basis. Certainly enough, many researchers would suggest, to be able to notice when something unfamiliar is overhead.

Roy Ann Randolph would also contact the local FAA control towers to see if they had any radar confirmation of the apparent anomaly. To her dismay, and concern, she was told that their radar covered a diameter of sixty miles around its central point at Youngstown. However, they had no record of any unusual activity. And furthermore, no confirmation of an anomalous object. This particularly concerned Randolph as not only had she seen the object for herself visually, but she had over a dozen experienced police officers stating they too could or had seen it.

She would further inquire as to whether there was any other aircraft in the area to which she was informed no other aircraft was over Trumbull County and nor had they for most of the evening. Interestingly or not, UFO researcher, Kenny Young, would carry out one of the most extensive investigations into the incident. He would speak with each of the police witnesses in person. When he made a request for the official documents regarding the sighting through the Freedom of Information Act his request was denied. Make of that what you will. It is hardly the behavior of a department that has nothing to hide. About a case that is apparently insignificant.

Depiction of the UFO sighting in Ohio in 1994

The Portage County Incident, April 1966

The incident in the early hours of 14^th December 1994 would last around six hours and remains unexplained. The strength and quality of the witnesses lend the case a certain amount of credibility. As does the persistent and similar activity in the skies of Ohio ^[2] over the years, which ranks second in the United States for unexplained aerial sightings.

Perhaps the most well-known occurred almost thirty years prior to the Trumbull County incident and also involved Ohio police officers. At around 5 am on the 17^th April 1966 two Portage County officers, Akron Deputy Sheriff Dale Spaur, and officer Wilbur Neff, were on Route 224 checking on an abandoned car. As they were examining the vehicle a disc-shaped metallic object came into view and headed in their direction. An intense bright light shined down from the underside of craft making the scene appear “like high noon”. It remained hovering slightly overhead. When the two officers approached it, however, it would move away from them.

The two men would get back into their patrol car and give chase to the object for considerable time. When it crossed over the Pennsylvania state line they received orders to give up the pursuit and return to patrols. Although Spaur and Neff would cease their chase, several officers from the surrounding areas would make almost identical reports. What is perhaps most tragic, though, is the ridicule Spaur and Neff would receive following their report. So much so that they would quit the police force and never speak of the incident again.

Although there is a three-decade-gap between the Portage County incident and the events in Trumbull County, descriptions are remarkably similar. With events unfolding equally similarly. Might there be a connection?

Check out the video below.