The Zanfretta Abductions

Between 1978 and 1981, Italian security guard Pier Fortunato Zanfretta claimed to be abducted by giant alien beings on at least eleven occasions. His encounters with ten-foot-tall, green-skinned reptilian creatures were investigated by police, documented by journalists, and verified under multiple hypnosis sessions. The Zanfretta case remains one of the most extensively investigated alien abduction cases in history.

The First Abduction

December 6, 1978

Zanfretta’s ordeal began:

• He was working as a security guard
• Patrolling the village of Torriglia near Genoa
• At approximately 11:30 PM
• His patrol car’s engine and lights failed

The House

He was investigating:

• A client’s house (the Righi family home)
• He noticed strange lights
• Four moving lights around the building
• He left his car to investigate

The Encounter

What he experienced:

• A powerful force pushed him to the ground
• He saw a massive being (10 feet tall)
• Green, wrinkled skin
• Large yellow eyes
• Pointed protrusions on its head
• It made a buzzing sound

The Abduction

He claimed:

• He was paralyzed by a green light
• Taken aboard a craft
• Examined by multiple beings
• Communicated telepathically
• Returned hours later

Found by Colleagues

His co-workers:

• Heard his panicked radio transmission
• Found him in a field hours later
• He was in a state of shock
• His gun was drawn
• He was terrified and confused
• He couldn’t explain what happened

Physical Evidence

The Scene

Investigators found:

• His patrol car with dead engine
• His footprints leading to the field
• Large, unusual marks on the ground
• Burned grass in a circular pattern
• Witnesses who saw strange lights

Zanfretta’s Condition

Medical examination showed:

• Elevated body temperature
• Signs of shock
• Confused mental state
• Burns on his clothing
• No explanation

Witness Corroboration

Other people reported:

• Strange lights over Torriglia that night
• Unusual sounds
• Electronics malfunctioning
• Multiple independent witnesses

Hypnotic Regression

The Sessions

Zanfretta underwent:

• Multiple hypnosis sessions
• Conducted by Dr. Mauro Moretti
• Witnessed by police and journalists
• Recorded and documented

Under Hypnosis

He recalled:

• Being taken to a hot, luminous place
• The beings called themselves “Dargos”
• They came from a planet called “Teetonia”
• They were studying Earth
• They gave him an artifact
• They said they would return

Consistency

His accounts:

• Remained consistent across sessions
• Contained details he couldn’t consciously recall
• Showed genuine terror when recounting events
• Were deemed authentic by hypnotists

Subsequent Abductions

The Pattern Continued

Zanfretta claimed additional abductions:

• December 26, 1978
• July 30, 1979
• December 2, 1979
• And several more through 1981
• At least eleven total

The Beings

He described the same creatures:

• Over 10 feet tall
• Green, scaly or wrinkled skin
• Large triangular eyes (yellow or orange)
• Multiple arms
• Pointed features on the head
• Wearing some type of suit or uniform

The Message

The beings allegedly:

• Were observing Earth
• Had bases underwater
• Were not hostile but were cautious
• Wanted to eventually make contact
• Chose him specifically

Investigation

Carabinieri Involvement

Italian military police:

• Investigated multiple incidents
• Took the case seriously
• Documented physical evidence
• Interviewed dozens of witnesses
• Never explained the events

Media Coverage

The case received:

• National Italian attention
• International coverage
• Documentary treatment
• Extensive journalism

Expert Opinion

Investigators concluded:

• Zanfretta was not lying
• He genuinely believed his experiences
• Physical evidence was real
• No conventional explanation fit

The Beings: The Dargos

Physical Description

According to Zanfretta:

• Height: approximately 10 feet
• Skin: green, wrinkled or scaled
• Eyes: large, yellow or orange, possibly luminous
• Head: pointed protrusions or ridges
• Hands: multiple fingers, claw-like

Behavior

The beings:

• Were not overtly hostile
• Examined him clinically
• Communicated telepathically
• Seemed curious about humans
• Warned him about returning

Their Technology

Zanfretta described:

• Oval or triangular craft
• Intense light beams
• Paralysis rays
• Teleportation capability
• Advanced healing technology

Skeptical Analysis

Possible Explanations

Hoax

• Zanfretta fabricated the story
• For attention or money
• Problems: physical evidence, witnesses, his consistency

Mental Illness

• Hallucinations or delusions
• Problems: no history of illness, physical evidence

Misidentification

• He saw something mundane and misinterpreted
• Problems: multiple encounters, physical traces, hypnosis

Sleep Paralysis and Dreams

• Vivid nightmare experiences
• Problems: occurred while working, witnesses saw craft

Credibility Assessment

Factors supporting Zanfretta:

• He was a security guard with a clean record
• He initially didn’t want publicity
• Multiple witness corroboration
• Physical evidence at scenes
• Consistent accounts under hypnosis
• Police took the case seriously

The Artifact

The Object

Zanfretta claimed:

• The beings gave him a physical artifact
• A transparent sphere
• Containing a pyramid structure
• Of unknown material

What Happened to It

The artifact:

• Was allegedly confiscated
• By unknown authorities
• Never publicly examined
• Its fate is unknown
• A significant missing piece of evidence

Later Years

Zanfretta’s Life

After the encounters:

• He continued working
• Tried to live normally
• Occasionally spoke about his experiences
• Maintained his account until the present
• Never profited significantly from the story

Ongoing Interest

The case:

• Remains studied by ufologists
• Is considered one of Italy’s most significant
• Continues to generate research
• Has never been debunked

Analysis

What Makes This Case Notable

Unique elements:

• Multiple abductions of the same person
• Extensive documentation
• Police investigation
• Witness corroboration
• Physical evidence at multiple scenes
• Consistent hypnotic regression

The Reptilian Element

Zanfretta’s description preceded:

• Much “reptilian alien” popular culture
• His beings don’t match later stereotypes exactly
• Independently described before the concept was widespread
• Suggests genuine experience or prescient imagination

Legacy

Impact on Ufology

The Zanfretta case:

• Is a cornerstone of Italian UFO research
• Influenced international abduction studies
• Represents thorough documentation
• Challenges easy dismissal

Ongoing Questions

We still don’t know:

• What Zanfretta actually experienced
• Whether his memories are accurate
• What happened to the alleged artifact
• Whether the beings are real

The Question

An Italian security guard was taken from Earth eleven times.

He met creatures ten feet tall with green skin and glowing eyes. They examined him. They spoke to him telepathically. They gave him a message about watching humanity.

Police investigated. Hypnotists verified. Witnesses corroborated.

And still, we don’t know what happened to Pier Fortunato Zanfretta.

Was he the victim of an elaborate hallucination? A hoaxer skilled enough to fool everyone? Or was he, as he claims, repeatedly taken by beings from another world?

The beings said they would make contact eventually. They said Earth was being watched.

Zanfretta still lives in Italy. He still maintains his story.

And somewhere, perhaps on a planet called Teetonia or somewhere in the depths of Earth’s oceans, the Dargos may still be watching.

Waiting for the moment they said would come.

The Zanfretta abductions. Eleven encounters. Dozens of witnesses. Physical evidence.

And absolutely no explanation that fits.