NOW STREAMING
SKINWALKER RANCH ARTICLES
The Inspiration for The Hitchhiker Effect
Here are the original articles written by Zack Van Eyck for the Deseret News concerning what is now known as Skinwalker Ranch.
On June 30, 1996, Deseret News investigative journalist Zack Van Eyck broke the story about the bizarre UFO, cattle mutilations and paranormal activity experienced by Terry and Gwen Sherman and their two children during the two years they owned and lived on Skinwalker Ranch. His story about the Shermans’ plight was featured worldwide in print and broadcast media that weekend, which coincided with the release of the feature film Independence Day.
Van Eyck’s article and his first follow-up story earned him the 1997 Donald E. Keyhoe Journalism Award, given annually by the Maryland-based Fund for UFO Research.
According to Van Eyck, one reason the Shermans were willing to go on record was because he had reported on cattle mutilations and UFO sightings in Northern New Mexico in 1994 (while working for the Santa Fe Ne Mexican) and was able to put the Shermans in touch with other ranchers who had endured similar experiences.
Van Eyck also suggested that Las Vegas millionaire and philanthropist Robert T. Bigelow might be interested in buying the ranch, which did happen a few months after his first article was published. The Shermans wanted to sell the ranch but were reluctant to put another family through the same ordeal. Bigelow’s purchase enabled the Shermans to move elsewhere in the Uinta Basin, far from the mysterious and at times terrifying activity on the ranch, although Terry Sherman was hired for some time to manage the ranch for Bigelow.
While covering the many Northern New Mexico incidents, Van Eyck had contact with independent journalist Linda Moulton Howe. The two exchanged sources and information as they worked separately to bring that series of cattle mutes and related instances to light.
In 1996, Moulton Howe was making regular Sunday night appearances on the nationally syndicated radio program Dreamland, hosted by Art Bell. Working with Utah investigator Ryan Layton as a go-between, Van Eyck was able to “tip off” Howe ahead of time, and provide her with the Shermans’ phone number, so that Howe could tape and broadcast the only known audio interview with Terry Sherman immediately after Van Eyck’s first article appeared. The Shermans signed a non-disclosure agreement with Bigelow when they sold the land, preventing them from making further public statements.
Bigelow’s acquisition of the property and his subsequent placement of several field scientists on the ranch (under his now-defunct National Institute of Discovery Science) drew suspicion and skepticism from much of the UFO research community, in large part because Bigelow refused initially to release any findings or to publicly discuss the ranch. But in August of 1998, Van Eyck traveled to Las Vegas to spend a day with Bigelow for what was the Nevada businessman’s first public interview concerning the ranch.