The Exeter Incident

On September 3, 1965, teenager Norman Muscarello and two police officers observed a large, brilliantly lit UFO hovering over a field in Exeter, New Hampshire. The case became one of the best-documented of the era and inspired John Fuller’s influential book.

The Night

September 3, 1965:

• After midnight
• Rural area
• Open field
• Clear conditions
• Multiple witnesses

Norman Muscarello

Teenage witness:

• 18 years old
• Walking home
• Hitchhiking
• Along Route 150
• First to see object

What He Saw

Muscarello observed:

• Large object
• Five bright red lights
• Hovering over field
• Silent
• Pulsating

The Approach

Object moved:

• Toward him
• Low altitude
• Terrifying
• He ran to house
• Then police station

Officer Bertrand

First responding officer:

• Eugene Bertrand
• Returned to scene with Muscarello
• Both saw object
• Close observation
• Confirmed sighting

The Sighting

Together they watched:

• Object rose from trees
• Hovered over field
• Five red lights
• Pulsating
• Completely silent

Officer Hunt

Second officer arrived:

• David Hunt
• Also witnessed
• As object departed
• Third confirmation
• Three witnesses now

The Object

All described:

• 80-90 feet diameter
• Five red lights
• In line or arc
• Pulsating pattern
• Silent operation

Duration

The sighting:

• Lasted several minutes
• Clear observation
• Close range
• Detailed views
• Well documented

Air Force Investigation

Project Blue Book:

• Investigated case
• Explained as aircraft lights
• Witnesses disagreed
• Inadequate explanation
• Case marked explained

Problems with Explanation

But witnesses noted:

• No sound at all
• Too close for aircraft
• Wrong behavior
• Not matching
• Still mysterious

John Fuller

Writer investigated:

• Extensive research
• Interviewed all witnesses
• Documented everything
• Published 1966
• “Incident at Exeter”

The Book

Fuller’s work:

• Detailed account
• Became classic
• Introduced case widely
• Historical significance
• Still referenced

Significance

Exeter significant for:

• Police witnesses
• Multiple confirmations
• Thorough investigation
• Influential book
• Well documented

Legacy

The Exeter incident represents a cornerstone of 1960s UFO research. The multiple police witnesses, thorough investigation, and John Fuller’s book ensured this case would remain significant for decades.