The Portage County Chase - Aftermath

Following the April 17, 1966 UFO chase across Ohio and Pennsylvania, Deputy Dale Spaur paid a terrible personal price. Despite being a credible law enforcement witness, his report led to ridicule, the destruction of his career and marriage, and eventual poverty. His story illustrates the harsh consequences faced by UFO witnesses.

Deputy Dale Spaur

Before the sighting:

• Respected officer
• 16-year veteran
• Stable marriage
• Good career
• Normal life

The Chase

April 17, 1966:

• Pursued UFO
• With Deputy Neff
• Across state lines
• Into Pennsylvania
• Well-documented

The Initial Report

Spaur reported:

• Professionally
• Through channels
• Official documentation
• Took seriously at first
• Then ridicule began

The Air Force Explanation

Project Blue Book:

• Claimed satellite
• Then Venus
• Inadequate explanation
• Officers disagreed
• Controversy ensued

The Ridicule

Following the report:

• Media mocked him
• “UFO cop” label
• Jokes constant
• Professional stigma
• Personal attacks

His Marriage

Wife Daneise:

• Couldn’t handle attention
• Constant harassment
• Marriage strained
• Eventually divorced
• Family destroyed

His Career

On the force:

• Colleagues distant
• Superiors uncomfortable
• Credibility questioned
• Eventually left
• Career ended

The Descent

After leaving police:

• Various jobs
• Couldn’t maintain
• Moved frequently
• Poverty set in
• Life unraveled

John Fuller’s Book

“Incident at Exeter”:

• Included Spaur’s story
• Documented aftermath
• Showed personal cost
• Sympathetic account
• Preserved his story

Spaur’s Statement

He later said:

• “If I could change things”
• “I would never report it”
• Wished he’d stayed quiet
• Life destroyed
• Warning to others

The Other Officers

Neff, Huston, Panzanella:

• Also suffered
• Less severely
• But careers affected
• Stigma attached
• Lasting impact

The Pattern

Spaur’s story:

• Not unique
• Many witnesses
• Suffer similar fate
• Careers destroyed
• Lives ruined

The Silence Effect

His story:

• Discourages reporting
• Others stay quiet
• Evidence lost
• Stigma powerful
• Chilling effect

Later Years

Spaur eventually:

• Found some peace
• Never recanted
• Maintained account
• Died 1983
• Tragic figure

The System

The response showed:

• How witnesses treated
• Official dismissal
• Social punishment
• No protection
• No support

Significance

Spaur’s aftermath is significant for:

• Human cost documented
• Systemic problem
• Witness deterrence
• Career destruction
• Cultural indictment

Legacy

Dale Spaur’s story remains a cautionary tale about the personal cost of UFO reporting. His life was destroyed not by the UFO, but by the human response to his honest account of what he witnessed.