 Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and is intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised. Interestingly or not, the case of Filiberto Caponi is one that divides the UFO community as to the authenticity of the claims, and it is also one of the most intriguing and fascinating on record. Several different encounters with an apparent alien entity would unfold around Filiberto Caponi beginning in the early summer of 1993. Not only would the witness manage to capture several photographs of the strange creature, but the case itself would also take several twists and turns during the many months that it would unfold over. Furthermore, even though many now view the case as nothing more than an elaborate hoax, when we examine the intricacies and timeline of the encounters, there is ample reason to believe that this perception is one purposely manufactured by the Italian military police who would often involve themselves in such cases. The incident will either prove to be one that opens up the inner world of the world's governments and their real stance on such matters, or it will be a cautionary tale to investigate such outlandish claims thoroughly and extensively when they happen, something which would appear many of the UFO investigative groups in the region failed to do. The encounter comes to us initially from the files of the Centro Naginol Euphologico or CUN and more recently by Timothy Good in his book Unearthly Disclosure, which I will link to in the show notes. Good would spend several years corresponding with Filiberto, both in person and through the mail, following a friend who lived in Italy, seeing a documentary on an Italian current affairs show and arranging a meeting between the two. It is a most fascinating case and one that continues to divide opinion in the UFO community as to its authenticity. I'm Darren Marlar and this is Weird Darkness. Welcome, Weirdos. I'm Darren Marlar and this is Weird Darkness. Here you'll find stories of the paranormal, supernatural, legends, lore, the strange and bizarre, crime, conspiracy, mysterious, macabre, unsolved and unexplained. Coming up in this episode, the Filiberto Caponi alien encounters, the story, the evidence and the theories to his veracity. The photos are intriguing. The tale is elaborate and intricate, but the conclusions range everywhere from it being a real incident to an ingenious fraud, to a clever conspiracy to cover up the real truth of what happened. If you're new here, welcome to the show. While you're listening, be sure to check out WeirdDarkness.com for merchandise, my newsletter, to enter contests, to connect with me on social media. Plus, you can visit the Hope in the Darkness page if you're struggling with depression or dark thoughts. You can find all of that and more at WeirdDarkness.com. Now, bolt your doors, lock your windows, turn off your lights and come with me into the Weird Darkness. In the small and quaint village of Ascoli Pisano province of Italy, near Portare di Arcata del Toronto, 23-year-old Filiberto Caponi was driving home from a nearby village at around 11.30 p.m. It was as he was about to park his vehicle in the garage at the side of the family home that he heard a very strange cry from somewhere in the surrounding countryside. Filiberto got out of the car, not particularly disturbed by the noise, as there was often strange sounds from the many wild animals, cats and dogs that roamed the area during the nocturnal hours. However, once he was outside, he could tell that this sound, whatever it was, was completely different from anything he had heard before. By the time he had parked the car and was in the process of closing the garage door, he could tell the sound was getting closer, and for the first time that evening, he began to feel a little unnerved. Although the area was dark, aside from the natural light of the night and the lights from the house, he could still see down the roadway, and while the sound continued, he could see nothing of consequence. Despite this, though, he decided to walk down the quiet path to investigate. When he reached the corner of the pathway, which stood with the wall on my right in a house where the dim light of a streetlight created a dark corner, he noticed something strange on the ground. In front of him, a short distance away was a whitish, spherical shape, and what's more, it appeared that the strange sounds and calls were coming from this strange object. Filiberto began to wonder if the object was in fact a plastic bag that housed an abandoned or trapped animal. Cautiously, thinking what was inside the bag might bite him through fear if he simply reached out and touched it, he instead used his foot to give it a tap. As soon as he did so, though, the bag leaped into the air amid a terrifying scream. This caused Filiberto to back off somewhat, although he kept his eyes on this bizarre scene unfolding in front of him all the while. He would recall that the bizarre creature appeared to stretch itself like an elastic band from the balled-up position it was previously in. By the time the creature had hit the ground, it was running down the roadway as fast as it could and what Filiberto would describe at alarming speed. As it did so, however, he could see for the first time that the creature was distinctly humanoid with a head, small arms, and long legs. What's more, there appeared to be bandages hanging from its frame. He further noticed a strange brownish bundle on the creature's back which appeared to deflate. The creature also appeared to have stains and spotted marks on its scalp and across its body. Filiberto would later wonder whether these were scorch or burn marks. As Filiberto watched, it would run headlong into a brick wall at the end of the road. It took a moment to gather itself and then, using only its legs, it would jump over the wall, clearing it easily and disappeared into the woodland. Filiberto would find himself simply staring at the wall for several minutes following the incident, replaying the event over and over in his mind. When he did finally snap back to his senses, he would return to the garage and enter his car once again, deciding to drive around the village for a little while so as to clear his head. Although the music was playing on the vehicle's radio, Filiberto hardly noticed it. Instead, his mind was full of the bizarre encounter he had just witnessed. He went over and over the possibilities to explain the strange creature. Might it have been a monkey possibly escaped from a laboratory or even a circus? Or might it have been a short human being possibly from the same place but who had somehow found himself hurt and in the middle of nowhere? He would continue driving around, paying little attention to the music as the songs changed, his mind full of tumbling thoughts concerning the strange sighting. After around 15 minutes and beginning to fear that the bizarre creature would jump out at him, he would make the decision to drive home once again. On his return journey to the family house, he recalled how scared the creature sounded, as if it was it who was frightened of him as much as he was of it. Upon arriving at the property and pulling the car once again into his garage, his mother, Domenica, greeted him at the door and could tell straight away that something had happened to her son. Filiberto would play down that something had occurred in an attempt to satisfy his mother's concerns. And while his father, sister and brother-in-law were seemingly convinced, his mother was not so. He would eventually relent and tell all of what he had seen. While his mother believed her son unreservedly, the others, most predominantly his father Luciano, who was convinced it was a trick of the light, would grab a torch and urge his son to take him to the spot where he had seen the strange entity. The pair would do so, and while he waited nervously a little way from the spot, his father made the discovery of what appeared to be a standard medical bandage on the ground where Filiberto saw the creature run into the wall. The bandage was soaked in a reddish substance which the pair both believed looked akin to blood. Now a little more convinced, Luciano believed this was the bandages his son had witnessed around the strange creature's legs. Deciding there was nothing more to achieve, the pair took the bandage and returned to the house. They planned to take it to the town the following morning and have it subject to analysis. They would however decide against bringing the bandage into the house in case there were any contaminating substances on it. Instead, Filiberto would place it underneath an old washing machine that rested against the wall of a neighboring house. The family would retire to bed. However, several hours later it would appear the strange creature was back. It was around 4 a.m. when an already wide awake Filiberto heard the same strange screaming sound coming from outside the house. He would immediately head for the front door calling out as he did so that the creature had come back. What's more, the closer he got to the door, he could hear the hurried footsteps on the cobbles outside the property. He flung open the door and stared outside into the darkness of the early morning hours. No creature stood, nothing even moved, just the usual and expected stillness of the night. He remained where he was on the doorstep for around 15 minutes, scanning the area intently over and over again. It was only when he had ventured several yards from the house and was stood in the middle of the street in his pajamas if he returned to the moment somewhat. At the same time, alerted by his son's calls, Luciano would watch the scene from the upstairs window of the property overlooking where Filiberto now stood. He too had heard the strange screaming noise. However, he too also had seen nothing out of the ordinary. Filiberto would return inside. However, instead of returning to bed, he would head for his parents' bedroom. Once there, he would take up a stakeout position at the window alongside his father. They would remain there for around 30 minutes before Luciano stated they should turn in for the night and then take the bandage for analysis as planned. Just as Filiberto was about to relent and head to his room though, the piercing, chilling, high-pitched screech cut through the night once more. This time Filiberto flung the window open immediately, looking out onto the scenery before the property. As he was focusing in, he saw the strange humanoid entity running across the road quick as lightning. He zeroed in on the moving creature as best he could, eventually losing sight of it as it disappeared underneath an archway ahead. Filiberto noticed that his father had also returned to the window. He too witnessed the creature and was now convinced of his son's claims. They stood for several moments to gather their thoughts, and given that they had each witnessed the creature running away from the house, they determined it was unlikely to return, at least before the morning. With everyone in the house now, fully awake and preoccupied with strange events, they would decide against returning to their respective beds. As they spoke between themselves until the morning hours, Filiberto's mother would state matter-of-factly that maybe the creature was coming back for its vantage. Little did they know at the time, upon waking the following morning, her words were seemingly more accurate than any of them could have imagined. Up next, the vanishing evidence and the second return of the alien creature. If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, dark thoughts or addiction, please visit the Hope in the Darkness page at WeirdDarkness.com. There, I've gathered numerous resources to find hope and solutions. For those suffering from thoughts of suicide or self-harm, there is the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, as well as the Crisis Text Line. Both have trained counselors at all hours to help those in need, and the page even includes text numbers for those in the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland. Those struggling with depression can get help through the Seven Cups website and app, and there's information for anyone to read more about what depression truly is and how to identify it through our friends at ifred.org. There are resources for those who battle addictions, be it drugs or alcohol or self-destructive behavior, along with help for those related to addicts. The page has links to help you find a therapist or counselor, to find help for those who have a family member with Alzheimer's or dementia, help for those in a crisis pregnancy, and more. These resources are always there when you or someone you love needs them on the Hope in the Darkness page at WeirdDarkness.com. When daylight arrived, Bilberto and his father went to retrieve the bandage from underneath the washing machine so they could take it for analysis as planned. However, they would find it had disappeared completely. It would have been impossible for a wild animal to simply drag the cloth away with them as it was secure underneath the appliance, which was of a considerable weight, heavy enough that it was an effort for either of them to shift it. Bilberto remembered his mother's words only hours earlier. Maybe the creature really was responsible for the missing bandage. Whoever or whatever was the culprit, the pair now had no proof of the incident. Because of this, they would make a decision to not speak of the incident outside of those in the house who had witnessed it. As the days went by, Bilberto in particular would become increasingly bothered by the events. He would spend hours searching out of the windows of the property night after night in the hope that he would see the strange creature once more. It became an obsession and quickly led to him becoming detached from the outside world, and he would describe feeling a terrible emptiness in the aftermath of the incident. Eventually, Bilberto obtained a Polaroid camera. If the creature did come back, he wanted to make sure he got proof of the encounter. More than that, he would actively set up stake-out-type missions waiting in various locations, camera at the ready, in an attempt to capture the strange creature on film. Then, a fortnight after the first incident, the creature was seemingly back in the vicinity of their home. In the early hours of May 23, the now familiar screeching sound rang out once again. To Bilberto, it was a call to action, making him reach for his camera and head straight for the front door. He stepped outside and could hear the creature moving clearly. However, he could not see it. He quickly scanned the surroundings before studying himself and aiming the Polaroid in the direction the sounds were coming from. Then, he noticed the creature in the shadow of a street lamp, meaning, although he could see it, he wouldn't be able to capture a clear picture of it. He didn't want the creature to notice him, so he remained where he was and waited. To his disbelief, the creature appeared not to pick up on his presence, and instead continued to walk to wherever it was heading. As it came more into the light, the Bilberto pressed down on the button and captured the first picture. When the flash went off, the creature stopped for a moment before then continuing on its way. As it was a Polaroid, the picture came out instantly and was visible in seconds. However, as soon as it began showing, he realized it was not clear. The Bilberto discarded it and made the decision to follow the creature in an effort to get a better picture. He made the decision in his mind that although the creature could see, as it had reacted to the flash of the camera, that it likely couldn't hear as it didn't seem to react to his footsteps. The Bilberto continued on in an effort to catch up with it. The young man continued to follow the creature. When he was within only several meters of it, it still had not turned around or noticed him approaching. This further convinced him that the creature was either very poor of hearing or completely deaf. The closer he got, however, the more nervous he became. Wanting to wait for exactly the right moment, he finally pushed the button once more, forcing the flash once again. At this, the creature began to turn around. The Bilberto caught the picture from the bottom of the camera and turned and ran in the opposite direction as fast as he could. As he raced to the house, he called out that he had managed to get the picture, which caused his family to wake up and view him returning to their home. On his way back, he scooped up the first picture he had discarded and made his way into the house to show his waiting family the proof of the strange creature they had sought. The family would examine the pictures with great interest, and while the first one was not at all clear, the second was of much better quality. One thing that the Bilberto would state to the rest of the family was the distinct feeling that whatever the strange creature was, they were not dealing with a dangerous entity. After several hours discussing the pictures and what the creature might be, the family would return to their beds. The Bilberto would place the pictures in a keepsake box by his bed. The following day, after informing Bilberto's elderly grandmother of the bizarre events of the last two weeks, he would return to his room to examine the pictures once more. However, when he did so, he immediately noticed that the lid on the wooden box that housed them was… curving. When he opened the box, a strange and intense aroma of burned plastic hit him straight away. He looked inside and noticed the picture appeared to have altered somewhat. When he lifted it out, he further realized the pictures were stuck together. Even more bizarre, the picture appeared raised as if it had transformed itself into a strange 3D image. He became immediately frightened and dropped the picture to the floor. He would gather the rest of the family to examine the photographs. When they finally managed to pull apart the two pictures, they could see that the second picture had also changed. They would examine the rest of the box's contents and discover that none of them were damaged in any way. Bilberto would recall that it appeared as though a beam or source of heat had somehow cut through the lid of the box and targeted these pictures intentionally. He and his father, as much as they couldn't explain it, began to wonder if the alteration might be nothing more than a chemical reaction. His mother and grandmother, however, began to question whether they were dealing with a supernatural situation, possibly an evil spirit. The family would discuss their next move, which would ultimately be to remain quiet and not speak of the encounter to anyone else, at least until experts had been called in. Bilberto would carefully place them in a clear plastic bag for storage. However, only two days later, while in the village, he would overhear two women speaking, which brought the incidents flooding back to his mind. He would overhear the two women, both of whom he knew, speaking of hearing strange screams in the middle of the night. What's more, it appeared that others around the village had also heard these strange screeches and, in turn, a number of theories and claims as to who or what was behind them were circulating. These ranged from the screams being the spirit of an elderly lady from the village who had recently died, to them being nothing more than the work of drunks or pranksters. Bilberto would join in the conversation, having to fight the urge to relay what he knew of the strange screams and what might be behind them. He managed to do so, though realizing that even though others had heard the screams, they had not witnessed the creature. It was around this time that Bilberto began buying as many magazines as he could on the paranormal and UFOs. He would take note of several organizations that looked at strange events and incidents, one of them being the National Euphology Center in Rome. He would make the decision that he must visit the NCU as soon as possible with a report on the incidents and the photographs for them to examine. Several days later, though, he would speak to a friend of the account. Around 10 days later at the end of May, Bilberto would visit a friend named Carlo on an unrelated matter. It wasn't long, however, before Bilberto told his friend everything that had happened over the previous weeks. Much to his surprise, Carlo would take Bilberto's story very seriously, admitting that he too had heard several rumors around the village of strange screams. However, he would state that until hearing his friend's story, he had dismissed the stories as nonsense. It was during this offloading of information by Bilberto that Carlo's brother walked into the room and from the look on his face, it was obvious to both men that he had heard their conversation in full. Even more bizarre was Carlo's brother's comments that he had heard several strange rumors from around the village himself. He would state that according to some people, an unknown family was hiding a deformed child. Furthermore, they would only let this child out at night. The three of them even spoke of a family that could be responsible for such an act. However, Bilberto insisted that the creature he had witnessed didn't move or act as a young child would. He began to regret telling his friend about the incident, especially when the two brothers asked if they could see the pictures in question. He declined, insisting that it was probably nothing and would leave hoping that they would let the matter rest. On his way home, however, when he stopped at a local cafe, he would overhear another bizarre and strange conversation. As Bilberto sat listening to a conversation between two local men, he learned that there was an abnormally high number of deaths among the local chickens. The man claimed that this was down to a beast that was roaming the area. One of the men even claimed that dozens of his own chickens had been killed already. Furthermore, a third local would overhear the conversation and volunteer that he too had lost 20 chickens in one night. He would, he claimed, find them one morning piled on top of each other with no traces of wounds or blood. As Bilberto listened to the bizarre conversation, he began to question whether the dead birds were the work of the strange creature he'd photographed several weeks earlier. He would ask himself whether the creature was some kind of vampire that required the blood of the birds to live. As he sat contemplating this new piece of information, he suddenly made the decision that he would have to examine one of the bodies of these dead birds. Armed with an excuse that the recently perished poultry could be of use for starving dogs, he approached the owner of their recently deceased birds and asked if he would disclose where he'd buried them. As strange as the man undoubtedly thought this was, he nevertheless revealed that they were in the ground surrounding the henhouse. Although the man expressed concern that the birds would not be appropriate for use to feed dogs, Bilberto made his way to the area unchallenged. Upon examining the land, however, he quickly realized he had no idea exactly where to dig and would have likely overturned the entire area in an effort to locate the carcasses. He did, though, notice that the only way into the henhouse was a small window above the ground, certainly enough to allow the creature he had witnessed to get access to the interior. He began to suspect that the beast behind the deaths of the birds was the same creature he had witnessed and photographed. When he spoke further to the owner, they claimed that some of the creatures were even found strangled, while some were missing altogether. All of these thoughts and possibilities would swirl around his mind. The following day, however, things would take on a more intense nature. Upon returning to the cafe, a strange quiet descended in the room. He had the feeling that something was amiss. When one of the locals stepped toward him and asked if he could speak with him outside, this feeling intensified. He would then inform him that he knew of the strange creature he had witnessed and that he had photographs of it to boot. Bilberto would deny this and claim that someone was having a joke with them. However, when he later met with Carlo and accused him outright of betraying his trust, he would eventually relent and admit that he had told a friend in confidence, a confidence they had obviously betrayed. From then on, Bilberto was stopped in the street regularly by people wanting to see the photographs and hear of the encounter. Eventually, he would state that he no longer had the photographs as he sent them away for analysis and research. The following weeks would border on unbearable for Bilberto. Not only were people in his village aware of his account, but those in the surrounding villages and even larger towns knew of them too. He began to feel so cornered by this sudden interest that for a short period, he stopped leaving the house altogether. By mid-June, he would finally make the decision to contact the Daily National newspaper Ilmas Aguero to make a report of the sightings. Much to his surprise, news of them had already reached them and they informed him that a reporter was on his way to the region to cover the story. He would reply that it would be best to speak with him directly as he was the only witness to the events. An appointment was arranged and on the 28th of June, two weeks later, he and his mother would travel to the newspaper's main editorial offices. Although he took them with him, the reporter who they met had no idea that he had captured the pictures. Upon seeing them, his interest in the story and their accounts evidently increased, he admitted he had not thought much of the strange claims. But now, with the pictures in his hands, he believed the account was much more intriguing and credible. The pair would conduct an interview with the reporter, stressing to him that they had no idea what the creature was and wouldn't wish to hazard a guess. Several days later, the story appeared in print. In their July 1, 1993 edition, the Ilmas Aguero newspaper would publish their interview with Filiberto using the headline, I Have Seen E.T. Filiberto's account was relayed, along with black and white copies of the two photographs he had taken. The reproduction of the prints was not great quality and Filiberto would comment to author Timothy Good years later that even he struggled to make out what they were. Furthermore, every single word printed was of complete accuracy aside from one detail, which could force people to view Filiberto in a slightly different and less credible light. He had informed the newspaper that he returned home on the night of the first sighting. His mother had given him a glass of water as he looked shaken and upset. However, the newspaper had printed that this drink was a glass of mulled wine. A small detail, but the insinuation of alcohol being consumed, is a detail that skeptics would seize upon. As was perhaps expected, several UFO and paranormal organizations would contact Filiberto after his account appeared in print. One of them was the Italian Center for UFO Studies, CISU, who would request a report from as well as copies of the photographs. Although he would send them a lengthy report, he would decline to send the photographs as he had no negatives and didn't wish to lose the originals. While he awaited for a response to the report he submitted to the CISU, he was bombarded with letters and requests from all around the country. Many were of a friendly nature, welcoming the fact that someone was speaking of such strange things. Even so, the attention was once again putting a strain on Filiberto that he was not at all comfortable with. By this time, the story was getting out of hand, and it wouldn't stop. When we return, we look at reports of other sightings in the surrounding villages. In the near future, virtual reality games are indistinguishable from the real world. Players can take on the role of a star quarterback, or rule as the king of a virtual kingdom. 13-year-old Jake prefers to spend his free time building Zaloria, a virtual world he created from scratch, where he and his two best friends, Des and Kerry, spend their afternoons completing quests and collecting treasure. However, all in Zaloria is not what Jake expected. When Jake discovers that the world he built is growing and changing on its own, he and his friends uncover a secret that could change the world forever. Jake and his friends must fight for survival when his virtual world takes on a mind of its own. Game Alive, a science fiction adventure novel by Tripp Ellington, narrated by Darren Marlar. You're a free sample on the audiobooks page at WeirdDarkness.com. By the end of June, Filiberto's account and pictures of the strange creatures and the subsequent other sightings were beginning to take on a life of their own. One particular afternoon during a meeting with Carlo and Professor Alfred F., who had also taken an interest in the case, he would disclose of two recent sightings in the nearby villages of Pescara and Salmonia. Descriptions of the creature were extremely similar to the one witnessed by Filiberto back in May. Perhaps even more bizarre, and the first reference to an actual UFO in relation to the strange sightings on the ground was an incident that occurred on the afternoon of June 15th. In a fire brigade helicopter piloted by Captain Vincenzo Di while flying over Pescara, five experienced firemen would report an unusual object approaching their position at an altitude of around 600 meters. At the very last minute, the strange craft changed its position, avoiding what had looked to be a certain collision. Only a week later, on the afternoon of June 20th, near Salmonia, Giuseppe Zatea would witness a strange creature in a wheat field. The Air Force veteran at first noticed a balloon-like object that appeared to land gently in the field. It appeared to have the shape of a doll. However, when he went to investigate it, he quickly realized that it was a living creature. He would estimate it to be around 80 centimeters tall, a similar size to the creature described by Filiberto, and appeared to be covered in a strange black plastic. He would further recall that while it remained completely silent, it looked at him in the face. Zatea said, no doubt it was alive. When he moved forward, the creature jumped into the air and disappeared into the distance. Although Filiberto had not witnessed the strange entity become airborne, the majority of the descriptions were eerily similar to the creature he had witnessed outside the family home several weeks previously. What's more, there were several other very similar reports that would come in on a regular basis in this particular region of Italy during the summer of 1993. Whether they were a case of copycat sightings, possibly a sign of public hysteria at the thought of alien creatures roaming the villages at night, or whether they are genuine sightings, remains open to debate. During this time, Filiberto would continue to educate himself on such matters as UFO and alien sightings and encounters. One late June night, though, he would see the creature once again. The evening had begun with a gathering at a village club in order to watch a film. Filiberto would spend the evening there with Carlo and several other friends. Following the end of the evening, the pair would leave the club together. Their journey home would prove to be one of the most eventful and unforgettable of their lives. As they were walking home, the now familiar, piercing and chilling scream, at least to Filiberto, broke the relative silence of the night. Filiberto noticed that his friend, who had obviously heard it too, was pointing toward a large gate, convinced that the noise had come from that area. The pair looked at each other and cautiously made their way toward the gate. There were others in the vicinity who would obviously also heard the scream. What's more, from what Filiberto could hear behind him, a couple could also see the strange creature. A man and his girlfriend were arguing with the girl pleading with her boyfriend not to approach the strange creature. Meanwhile, as the two men were approaching the gate, Carlo was becoming increasingly nervous, so nervous in fact that he wished to retreat. Filiberto, desperate for another witness, urged him to continue onward, but to no avail. As these events were taking place, the intense screaming noises continued, making all concerned extremely nervous. By this point, the girl's boyfriend had approached the gate where Filiberto was still stood. He immediately climbed up on it and began throwing stones and rocks in the direction of the screaming sounds to which Filiberto told him to cease. Within several seconds, however, the scream was dying down, indicating that the creature was moving away from them, disappearing once again into the night. The group would debate whether they should inform the police of the incident and would eventually decide against doing so before the CISU had completed their investigation. Over the following weeks, the Liberto would begin to relent on showing the photographs to interested parties, partly because many were beginning to suspect and some would even accuse him of having made up the entire account. Further stories appeared in the press, and further and increasing phone calls came to Filiberto's home, including one that inquires whether he had any visits from the men in black. This mysterious caller also urged Filiberto against making his story well known, lest he triggered some kind of intervention by the intelligence agencies of the United States. Even more unnerving for Filiberto was the advice not to attempt to capture the strange entity. He would claim that he had done so and had almost ended up blind as a result of the creature's defenses, which he didn't detail. He did though go on to describe burn marks all over his body, which Filiberto took to be a result of the alleged encounter. Most unnerving of all, however, was the warning to look out for dark cars, which would contain these mysterious men in black who were responsible for the disappearances of many people who had been in contact with aliens. Several days later, he would receive another phone call, this time from a mysterious group who claimed that they had all had their own encounters with these strange creatures, and what's more, all could demonstrate proof of such encounters with strange scars and markings on their bodies. It was also revealed to Filiberto that the mysterious caller who had warned him several days previously was also a part of this group. The intense scrutiny and interest in Filiberto and his claims continued, and numerous people ranging from those with an interest in UFOs to people looking for a chance for a miracle cure by witnessing the strange creature. In early August, however, almost three months after the initial encounter came perhaps the most intriguing incident of all. On the evening of August 10th, Filiberto was outside his home, watching the parisades meteor shower. He was alone and still entertaining his thoughts of seeing the creature once again. After being sat there for some time, he suddenly became aware of a strange presence watching him. Then the strange creature would appear in front of him as clear and as close as it had ever been, realizing that this might be his chance to both get a clear picture and even attempt to communicate with it, he carefully and slowly stepped forward. As he got closer, he began to take mental notes as to its appearance. He would recall that it had big, black, almond-shaped eyes. Furthermore, these appeared immobile in their sockets. This made them shine like plastic. He would further describe them much like other people as the magnified eyes of a fly. He noticed two small holes which he believed was its nose and every once in a while what appeared to be a mouth open, although he could see no teeth and only what appeared to be gums. Furthermore, he would also see how the arms were seemingly too short for its body and that its legs contained the strange bandages as he had seen back in May. The liberto would raise a hand and a greeting sign to the creature, however it either didn't notice the gesture or ignored it. Instead, it appeared preoccupied by its surroundings. Suddenly realizing that he didn't have his trusty Polaroid with him, he began to quietly back off before rushing back to the house. He quickly went to his room, grabbed the camera and rushed back to the spot where the creature had been only minutes before, hoping against hope that it was still there. He wasn't disappointed. Within a few moments of rushing toward the creature who still seemed content examining the houses and streetlights, he stopped several meters from the creature, not daring to alarm it. He brought the camera up to a height and then pressed down on the button. The flash once more sent the creature high into the air before it vanished into the distance being swallowed up by the blackness of the night. He remained where he was, catching the photograph that dropped from the Polaroid. He began to wish he had managed to fire off more than the one picture, however when he saw the quality of the one he had taken, it more than made up for the lack of quantity. Not only was it clear and close up, but it showed clearly the details on its face and body. I'll place a link in the show notes where you can see this photo and others that were taken of the creature. He would keep the events to himself for just short of a week when the family was gathered for a meal to celebrate his brother-in-law's birthday. During the course of the evening, the liberto would show the picture much to the surprise and shock of all present. Although they would keep the most recent pictures to themselves, the requests for interviews and information would continue to come in. These would include requests for appearances on television. Despite this, though, the liberto was still waiting to hear back from the UFO group who were conducting their investigations on the case. This persistent waiting made the liberto contemplate going to the authorities to report the incident to them officially. However, remembering the warnings he had received, he felt sure they would confiscate the pictures and leave him with no proof whatsoever of the encounters. He would ultimately decide against it. However, he would resist the urge to do so. Not least, as he suspected, they would not only not believe his account, as it would turn out, events in the upcoming months would prove him correct. For several weeks after the August incident, things appeared to quiet down. Then, one evening in mid-September, another incident would unfold near the Caponi family home. The entire family was in bed when the screaming noise rang out, causing Filiberto and his father to simultaneously make their way to the windows overlooking the front of the property. By the time they focused in on the dark surroundings outside, they could see something moving in the bushes, but couldn't see the creature clearly. Just as Filiberto was about to retrieve his Polaroid camera, a trail of light illuminated the area where it appeared the creature was moving. So bright, it was almost like daylight. The light appeared to grow even brighter so that it temporarily blinded the father and son. When the light had gone, so too had the strange creature. This is an interesting detail in terms of close contact encounters with apparent extraterrestrial entities. Many accounts state that, particularly when approaching such an entity, a sudden, bright, blinding white light would often halt them. When this light was gone, much like the creature in front of the Caponi home would also no longer be there. Does this detail land a further notch of credibility to the Filiberto encounters? Several weeks later, in early October 1993, almost half a year after the initial incident, another encounter would unfold, and this encounter would feature another detail that shows up in many other close encounters. On the evening of October 9th, the Liberto would awaken suddenly for no apparent reason. However, try as he might, he could not return to sleep and was wide awake. He would get up and visit the bathroom before returning to his bedroom. On a whim, he would walk over to the window and looked out into the rainy night. To his shock, right there in front of the house was the strange creature once again. We should ask at this point, was Filiberto awoken by some strange calling, which many other people who claim close contact encounters say they are? Was it merely a coincidence? Might he have even heard the creature outside if only in his subconscious mind? Whatever the reason, the creature was there in front of him, staring up at the street lamp as it had several weeks earlier. The Liberto would turn on his bedroom light in order to retrieve the camera. This would cause the creature to look directly up at him, but it remained where it was. He realized that he not only had to obtain another picture of the strange creature, he had to make sure that another person saw it also. Not wanting to call out and risk frightening it away and not having enough time to go to his father's room, he would decide to wake his elderly grandmother. He did so, even covering her mouth with his hand so she didn't scream out. When he took her to the window, she too saw the creature, which remained in the same spot as it had been when he had left the room moments earlier. Sure that his grandmother would be afraid, he was a little taken aback when she exclaimed, he's so small, he's a darling, what's he looking at? Although she was perfectly calm, his grandmother urged him not to go outside even to photograph the strange creature. However, the Liberto realized that he might not get another chance to obtain such a picture up close, though he brushed off her concerns. All the while, the creature would occasionally turn its head to look in their direction. The Liberto would insist that he take the picture and would request that she remain at the window and make sure that he was okay. He would then make his way carefully outside, eager not to scare the creature away. He once again got to within several meters of the strange creature before he took the photograph. This time, however, although the creature did turn its head to look at him upon seeing the flash, it remained where it was before turning its attention to the light once again. It was at this time that the Liberto would reach out his hand in an attempt to touch it. However, as he was doing so, he heard his grandmother's voice calling out to him not to touch it. This warning appeared to cause the creature to back off slightly. Even so, the Liberto would reach forward again. The creature remained where it was, as if allowing him to get closer. However, at the very last moment, just as he was about to make contact with its skin, it ran off into the distance. His grandmother would shout from the window that it had gone toward the archway nearby. Not wanting to give up the chase, he headed in that direction. He would explore the dark, tunnel-like area for almost an hour, but there was no sight of the creature. He would eventually return home, a little dejected, but still with another close-up photograph of the strange humanoid entity. Several nights later, during the early evening of October 13th, the Liberto's brother-in-law would witness a strange light in the skies overhead as he was driving home. He would dismiss it, even though he was intrigued by it. However, the following morning, the Liberto's wife would state that she had awoken in the middle of the night to find her husband standing at the side of the bed, almost in a trance. When he eventually spoke to her in the morning, he would recall that he awoke to a strange, bright light shining in from outside the room. He would get up to go to the window to see what the cause of the light was. He would trace it to a small ball just outside the window. Following this encounter and with a half a dozen photographs of the creature in his possession, some of which had never been seen before by anyone outside of the house, he would toy once again with the notion of making his encounters official and reporting them. The Liberto would set out to roam with his brother-in-law in order to arrange interviews with National Press, in particular the Italian National Press Agency, ANSA. Their photographic expert, Renato Bianchi, would state that he was genuinely shocked at the photographs, which appeared to be genuine. He would meet with the two men and state that he believed the agency would be extremely interested in running the story. He also stated that they would need access to the pictures at some point, as they needed to ensure they had the details correct. Once they ran with it, he would claim newspapers and television stations would pick it up around the country. Five days later, however, Bianchi would contact the men again. This time, he would state that the agency was not interested in the story as they didn't involve themselves in such cases. Bianchi himself, however, was still more than intrigued and would ultimately ask Filiberto to return to Rome several days later. This time, the photo expert had more ominous information to pass over. He would claim that after meeting with Filiberto and his brother-in-law, two strange men approached him out of nowhere, asking to tell them about the meeting. Following a brief exchange, the two men warned Bianchi to drop the matter and not to publish the account. Furthermore, when he returned to the offices, he was issued a similar warning from two longtime colleagues who would claim that they were part of a religious sect when he demanded to know who they were representing. Despite this, Bianchi still wished to publish the pictures. However, he would likely have to bypass the agency and approach the tabloids. He would suggest approaching his son, Alessandro, a former police officer and now well-connected photojournalist. Shortly after, he was on the phone. Up next, the phone call and more strange watchers. Are you a member of the Darkness Syndicate? The Darkness Syndicate is a private membership where you receive commercial-free episodes of the Weird Darkness podcast and radio show. 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Filiberto, Bianchi, and Alessandro, Bianchi's son, would agree during the phone call to exchange the photographs and that a contract would be signed that would protect all parties and allow Alessandro to have them published on Filiberto's behalf. However, as the phone call came to an end, two strange men burst into the room and began searching through paperwork and computer files. However, Bianchi tapped Filiberto's foot underneath the table and forming him that these two men were obviously there to listen to what they were saying. The pair then made polite conversation, immediately changing the subject before Filiberto got up to leave and join his family waiting in the underground car park of the offices. He was conscious that he had all the photographs in his pocket. However, when he and his sister who had accompanied him into the office reached the outside of the building, they noticed that one of the men was following them. What's more, he didn't pretend to not be doing so. The pair would enter a cafe in order to lose the man which they ultimately did. However, after eating lunch and walking back to the car, the entire family realized they were being followed once again. What followed was nothing short of a chase, with the men following their car on foot as it became trapped in the busy traffic of Rome. However, due to Filiberto's brother-in-law's intimate knowledge of the Rome road networks, he would ultimately lose them. They would return to their quiet village, the photographs still in their possession. However, all of them were shaken by the encounter, particularly Filiberto, who recalled his warnings from the mysterious collars several weeks earlier. Filiberto's encounter and the photographs would eventually appear in Vista Magazine in their October 28th edition. Almost immediately, the press would converge on their small village to speak with the family further. What's more, the Liberto would state that many different and often appearing to be rival UFO groups and organizations would also suddenly contact Filiberto. They would warn against speaking to the press and on occasion other UFO groups. Indeed, this apparent needless rivalry not only reduces the credibility to outsiders to the UFO community, but it further muddies the already cloudy waters. The National Ufology Center, CUN, also contacted Filiberto. They would send Gianfranco Lollino to examine the case and speak with the family. Like Bianchi, he too was completely baffled by the photographs, in particular the ones that had burned together of their own accord. A little more ominously, he would be warned by Lollino of the potential visits of the men in black and even of white helicopters flying at low altitude. This particularly unnerved Filiberto who had witnessed just such a white helicopter very recently. Following the surge of publicity, the Liberto, his father and grandmother would appear on the Your Affairs television show on the evening of November 5th. The show was in-depth and featured all the details of the incident. The photographs would draw an audible response from the studio audience and the witnesses themselves would come across as genuine and of sound mind. The show itself, at least ratings-wise, was a phenomenal success and while there, as there always will be, a steady number of detractors and skeptics, many of the audience, both in the studio and at home, were more than impressed with the family and how they came across. However, following the appearance, the Liberto worried it was only a matter of time before he received a visit from the authorities, most likely the military police. As it happened, he couldn't have been more right. In mid-November, the military police would arrive at the Caponi House requesting to speak with the Liberto. When he reluctantly agreed, the police officer in question would produce a search warrant giving him permission to confiscate all the materials relating to the encounter involving the strange creature. Then came the kicker. According to the officer, the Liberto was accused of creating panic and spreading false rumors. Furthermore, if he were to continue with his claims, he would face serious consequences. Even more concerning, the charges were not brought against him by an individual but by the police themselves who did so after the Chief Magistrate was not convinced by the account. They would also disclose that he had been the subject of a six-month investigation before their visit this particular morning. We should perhaps pause here for a moment to contemplate this string of events. One of the charges the police brought would revolve around armed groups of people taking it upon themselves to take to the countryside in an attempt to locate and capture the strange creature. It is easy to see the responsibility of the police to stop this from happening. After all, there is a very real threat that such groups, armed to boot, would wound or even kill an innocent bystander. However, such measures can also be used to silence people. For example, it would appear apparent that there was enough evidence for an open, transparent investigation into Filiberto's claims. Might this have been what happened here? Was Filiberto essentially blackmailed into handing over the photographs to the police or else risk facing a trial in a possible jail sentence? Might that have even been the reason that he would also change his version of events, risking that all who had heard of his story, including those in his own village, of being nothing more than a hoaxer? Filiberto would state and sign his name to the statement that he had indeed seen the strange creature. However, he would state that he became increasingly frustrated at not being able to capture a picture of the entity. Therefore, using his skills as a sculptor would construct a clay puppet which he then photographed and passed off to the public as authentic pictures of an alien entity. Even more damning for Filiberto was the piece of clay the police had in their possession as proof of the puppet. For his part, Filiberto would claim to Timothy Good that as he didn't have a puppet, as he claimed he had only manufactured the story to save himself from police charges, he simply took the officer to his workshop and picked up the first piece of discarded clay he could find and claimed it was indeed part of the puppet. The police appeared satisfied with this but would state that he would still need to speak with the judge and pay a considerable fine. Furthermore, the police would make all attempts to stop any articles relating to the incident from being published, even sending a police helicopter to France to stop an upcoming article in Le Figaro. The day following the meeting with the police, newspapers nationwide would report the story that the whole incident was a hoax due to the lack of being able to obtain a photograph which in turn made Filiberto worry his story of seeing the creature was even less credible. However, despite several local residents taking exception to the hoax, generally speaking, most people around the country took even more interest in the case, with many even suspecting that the police had indeed applied pressure on Filiberto to alter his version of events. And what's more, at least according to the research of Timothy Good, it wasn't the first time the military police in Italy had taken such action when seven witnesses to a sighting of a silver humanoid entity in Naples would suddenly change their initial statements following a visit from the department following their advice that for their well-being they should forget all about it. What Filiberto claimed, surprised, shocked, and hurt him most was the fact that almost all members of the UFO investigative community, including the CUN, after warning him of the authorities and their tactics, as well as the backbiting warning of each other, suddenly turned against him, claiming he was an obvious hoaxer. It's an interesting charge against the country's UFO investigative groups from Filiberto, not least due to the apparent rivalry between them, at least according to their own claims. As he himself stated, of all the groups and organizations that should have come to his defense, it should have been those who investigated such encounters, especially following their very specific warnings of secretive departments and agents whose sole purpose was to shut down and cover over any mention of such encounters. Might someone from the military police have gotten to these UFO groups? Might they have decided to let one case go in order that they were relatively free to pursue other accounts? And if this was the case, should that not have alerted them to the potential authenticity of the Koboni case? Things were taken even further twist when a representative of the CUN was claimed to have been the person who advised the police that the Filiberto case was nothing more than a hoax. It would appear that even today there are many who cannot fully decide on the authenticity of the case nor the credibility of Filiberto. In his defense, however, even those who are skeptical of his claims are often equally damning of the shoddy investigation of the UFO groups in the region at the time. Of course, the possibility remains that the charges against Filiberto were accurate, as was his changed statement. However, even if we accept that he had manufactured the doll due to his inability to capture it on film, that still leaves several lingering questions. What happened to the strange, what was it and where did it come from? Was this creature an alien crew member who may have crashed to Earth? Was this alien alone and does that explain the apparent bandages and burn marks all over his body? Or might it have been something that itself escaped from alien captivity? And if that is the case, does that suggest an alien base on Earth that this creature escaped from? Perhaps even more intriguing is that the creature, whatever it might have been, escaped from a very terrestrial facility, one that is carrying out experiments of such a terrifying, unnatural and inhuman nature that any evidence of them must be destroyed. As always, these are wildly speculative possibilities. However, speculation is all that we have at the moment and through that continued speculation, we might one day get to the truth of this account and so many others that currently escape our collective understanding. It is most definitely an interesting case and one that deserves to be revisited by UFO and alien investigators. It also contains many elements and details that come up in other cases, right across the world and throughout the years. If we were to ever unlock this and other similar cases, we will likely find that the truth is far more outlandish and disturbing than many would ever wish to contemplate. Store for Weird Darkness t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, phone cases and more merchandise. Sign up for monthly contests. Find other podcasts that I host, like Retro Radio, Old Time Radio in the Dark, or Micro-Terrors, Scary Stories for Kids, and The Church of the Undead and more. WeirdDarkness.com is also where you can find the Hope in the Darkness page if you or someone you know is struggling with depression or dark thoughts. Also on the website, if you have a true paranormal or creepy tale to tell, you can click on Tell Your Story. You can find all of that and more at WeirdDarkness.com. All stories in Weird Darkness are purported to be true unless stated otherwise, and you can find source links or links to the authors in the show notes. The Caponi Alien Evidence, real, fake or an elaborate conspiracy, was written by Marcus Louth for UFO Insight. I've also linked to the book Unearthly Disclosure by Timothy Goode in the show notes, and I've linked to a page where you can see numerous photos of the creature in question. Weird Darkness is a registered trademark. Copyright, Weird Darkness. Now that we're coming out of the dark, I'll leave you with a little light. 1 Peter 4, verse 7, The end of all things is near. Therefore, be clear-minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 2 And a final thought. Acknowledge the part of you that may not want to let go. Be honest with yourself. Let go when you are ready and the change will come about. Myra Lewin, I'm Darren Marlar. Thanks for joining me in the Weird Darkness. Who would request a report from? Who would request a report from, as well as copies of, the photographs? Who would request a report piloted by Captain Vincenzo? Staring up at the street light? Staring up at the street lamp, as it had several weeks, would state that he was genuinely shocked at the photographs? Okay, I know Harleys are cool, but do they have to be so loud? Each one might hear from the other. Hey, Weirdos, our August Weirdo Watch Party is Saturday August 5th, with a movie presented by a perfectly named horror host show, The Weirdness Really Bad Movie with Dave Binkley. Dave will be presenting 1962's Dreck of a film, The Magic Sword, starring Basil Rathbone. And trust me, Rathbone is the only good part about this movie. The Son of a Sorceress, armed with weapons and armor, assisted by six magically summoned knights, embarks on a quest to save a princess from a vengeful wizard. That's right, it's not just an awful movie, it's an awful historically incorrect period piece movie. You've got a two-headed fire-breathing dragon, cursed shrunken people, a giant ogre that looks like a guy in a werewolf costume, a wicked and ugly witch, you'll see the cone heads from Saturday Night Live. While they look that way at least, you've got dated special effects, terrible acting, and costumes that look like they were ripped right out of a Monty Python skit. The Weirdo Watch Party is always free to watch online with all of us, so grab your popcorn, candy, and soda, and jump into the fun and even get involved in the live chat as we watch the movie. It's The Magic Sword, presented by The Weirdness Really Bad Movie Show, Saturday August 5th, starting at 10pm Eastern, 9pm Central, 8pm Mountain, 7pm Pacific. See a trailer for the film and invite your friends to watch along with you on the Weirdo Watch Party page at WeirdDarkness.com. We'll see you on Saturday August 5th for the Weirdo Watch Party. Bonus points if you're wearing your Renaissance festival costume while watching. When Salem Roanoke took a job near his family's new home as a hired hand in the Texas Hill Country, he anticipated learning the rancher's trade, but a series of strange events, shocking murders, and unholy revelations divert him down another path. This terrifying trajectory puts him directly into the middle of a struggle between monsters, magic, and men. Armed and backed by a militia of ranchers, Salem attempts to combat the creeping tide of evil that threatens to engulf his new home and destroy the people most important to him. Will Salem manage to save his home or have his actions condemn everyone he hopes to save? The Witch Trials, a summer of wolves and season of the witch by SR Roanoke. Available in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions, look for The Witch Trials by SR Roanoke on Amazon or find it on the audiobooks page at WeirdDarkness.com. That's WeirdDarkness.com slash audiobooks. Hey Weirdos, be sure to click the like button and subscribe to this channel and click the notification bell so you don't miss future videos. I post videos 7 days a week, and while you're at it, spread the darkness by sharing this video with someone you know who loves all things strange and macabre. If you want to listen to the podcast, you can find it at WeirdDarkness.com slash listen.