Department of Special Affairs Case File #2001-0885
Declassified: 17-May-2002 13:26
Date: 15 May 2001
Location(s): Hannibal, MO; Davenport, IA; Cairo, IL; Memphis, TN
Primary Agents:
        SA Christopher Mills (Executive Directorate)
        SA Jericho Aswan (Unconventional Research Directorate)
        SA Alexander Crane (Survey Directorate)
Supervising Agent:
        OCA Frank King, Atlanta Field Office
Case Status: CLOSED

Summary: Multiple murders along Mississippi River industrial dock areas. Bodies were subject to crude trephination and removal of brain tissue. Responsible entities were identified as catfish mutated by exposure to non-terrestrial chemicals and subsequently neutralized by primary agents and supporting elements from DSA Memphis, USCG, and Memphis PD.

Case Details:
At approximately 0630 on 13 May, a security guard in Davenport, IA discovered the decapitated body of an adolescent Caucasian female in an alley off Davenport's dock area. Fingerprint records in NCIC identified the subject as Amanda Thorp, 14, reported missing from her home in Chicago on 5 January. Medical examination revealed that Thorp had been killed by a single blow to the back of the neck with a blunt, rough blade at approximately 0200. Secondary wounds and environmental traces suggested that she was running away from the attacker at the time of the attack. The blow was strong enough to completely sever her neck, fragmenting the second cervical vertebra. Postmortem, the remains of her neck were removed and discarded and approximately 90% of her brain tissue was removed from her skull with an unknown implement. The missing brain tissue was not found on-scene.

At approximately 0600 on 14 May, two dockworkers in Hannibal, MO found two bodies floating face-down in the Mississippi River adjacent to Hannibal's dock area. Local authorities identified the victims as Raul Mendez (Hispanic male, 26) and Patricia Jackson (black female, 24). Mendez was a forklift driver for a local shipping company located in a warehouse approximately 300 yards from the scene; Jackson was known to local law enforcement as a prostitute. Both had been killed by multiple slashes to the torso and neck from one or more blunt, rough blades; Jackson also had defensive wounds on both forearms. Postmortem, both victims had undergone crude trephination and subsequent removal of approximately 90% of brain tissue, which was not present on-scene. Time of death was placed between 2300 and 0100. Toxicology revealed large amounts of alcohol in Mendez's bloodstream, as well as crack cocaine in both victims.

DSA received preliminary reports of the Hannibal incident at 0712 COLD WIRE. COLD WIRE personnel correlated the Hannibal incident with the previous one in Davenport and activated the situation as case #2002-0885. All field teams in DSA Memphis were on assignment, so HQ forwarded the case to DSA Atlanta. Special Agents Mills, Aswan, and Crane were briefed at 0900 and placed on OL3 for the duration of the assignment.

The primary agents decided to begin investigation in Hannibal, under FBI "friendly badge" cover. They requisitioned ammunition, evidence kits, and a portable DNA scanner and took commercial air transport to Hannibal, arriving at approximately 1300.

Initial investigation took place at the crime scene. Primary agents contacted Detective Robert Witt, Hannibal PD, and surveyed the scene and surroundings. SA Crane noted torn clothing and a wound on the right calf of victim Mendez that was inconsistent with the victim's other injuries. Further survey of the area revealed matching fibers on a chain-link fence outside the police perimeter. DNA scans of the secondary scene produced matching blood traces against both victims.

Agents followed blood traces to an alley between two warehouses. Heavy rubbish made visual and DNA scan survey difficult, but agents were able to recover Mendez' wallet, a crack pipe with saliva residue matching both victims, and a prophylactic wrapper. Further survey provided sufficient blood and tissue evidence to confirm that this was the scene of the murder.

After alerting Hannibal PD to their discovery, the agents proceeded to the Hannibal ME's office and contacted ME Mark O'Hearn. O'Hearn provided his report and access to the bodies, as well as shards of an unidentified bone-like material removed from the inside of Mendez's skull. The latter evidence was presumed to be fragments of the implement or organ used to extract the victims' brain tissue. DNA analysis pf the shards was inconclusive but pointed to non-terrestrial origin. SA Crane requested further mapping of the DNA samples from Technical Directorate support personnel. Agents then departed via rental car to Davenport, IA.

In transit, the agents received Technical Directorate's preliminary report. The non-terrestrial DNA sample was a hybrid between an unidentified (not in evidence database) terrestrial type and a fluid used in Grey extraterrestrial biocomputers.

Upon arrival in Davenport, the agents immediately proceeded to the ME's office. Assistant ME Julia Pollock provided access to Thorp's body and records. DNA scans of Thorp's cranial cavity revealed non-terrestrial residue with a 100% match against that found in Mendez.

SA Mills theorized that, due to the locations of both murders, the suspect entity could be moving via Mississippi River commercial traffic. He contacted US Coast Guard authorities and requested a report on all traffic with a movement pattern fitting the time windows of the two incidents.

At 2310, a third attack occurred in Cairo, IL. The towboat Rupert Marshall was in dock when it was boarded and attacked by two or more unidentified entities. The attack was witnessed by Tony Jutz, the Rupert Marshall's assistant engineer, who was returning from a shopping trip at the time of the attack. He described two semi-bipedal (roughly ursine in bearing) creatures with silvery glistening skin and black plate-sized reflective eyes, approximately ten feet in length, with forelimbs resembling fans or palm fronds. Jutz subsequently became hysterical and was sedated by EMS personnel.

The other six members of Rupert Marshall's crew were killed by the creatures. Defensive wounds and other evidence revealed that at two attempted to fight back, using a fire extinguisher and axe, and injured at least one attacker. All six victim's brains were removed, as well as the heart, lungs, and liver of two.

The agents immediately departed Davenport for Paducah, KY via commercial air. Upon arrival in Paducah, they rented an SUV and proceeded to Cairo.

The agents arrived in Cairo at approximately 0300 on 15 May, contacted Cairo PD, and rented hotel rooms. At 1200, they met with Detective Charles Nichols and surveyed the scene.

Agents immediately departed for Memphis via rental vehicle, contacting OCA King while en route. OCA King authorized escalation of the case to OL4 and coordination with DSA Memphis for tactical support. He also passed on Technical Directorate's identification of the terrestrial component of the hybridized DNA: catfish.

SA Mills contacted DSA Memphis and requested tactical support. SA Grabowski of DSA Memphis activated his own cleaner team and two fire teams of field office security personnel, and began liaison procedures with Memphis PD and USCG authorities.

SA Crane requisitioned additional armament for the primary agents. SA Mills' standard kit includes an AR-15; SA Crane requisitioned M16A2s for himself and SA Aswan and a large supply of 5.56mm AP ammunition for magazine and caliber commonality.

Primary agents arrived in Memphis approximately two hours before Marie Donohue's scheduled port arrival. SA Aswan purchased a large supply of dynamite and fusing materials on the commercial market, along with approximately 400 yards of buoy line (enough to surround Marie Donohue's entire barge raft). SA Crane attached one stick of dynamite every 5 yards along the buoy line and fused the entire string for simultaneous detonation via radio command.

Upon Marie Donohue's arrival at 2015, USCG personnel directed the towboat to secure its barge raft at an isolated dock and proceed to dry-dock for immediate engine repairs due to the vessel's status as a "hazard to navigation." Memphis PD uniformed officers cordoned off the area and SWAT deployed along the dock. The primary agents, SA Grabowski's cleaner team, and the DSA security fire teams deployed around the barge raft in motorboats. The fire teams dragged the buoy line into position around the barge raft. All personnel stood off approximately 100 yards.

Upon detecting motion under the barge, SA Crane triggered the detonators, killing at least six hybrids instantly. The blasts visually obscured the scene for several seconds, during which time at least two surviving hybrids attacked the assembled personnel. One attempted to climb onto the barge raft, presumably with the intent of then moving to the dock, and was engaged and terminated by Grabowski and his personnel. The other boarded the primary agents' boat and was immediately shot and killed by SA Crane and SA Aswan.

Subsequent survey of the area revealed no surviving entities. DSA Memphis support personnel and Memphis PD SWAT stood down while the primary agents began interviewing Marie Donohue's crew, now in USCG and Memphis PD custody.

At 2116, Memphis PD began receiving multiple 911 calls from Blue Neon, a waterfront jazz club approximately one mile upriver from Marie Donohue's location. The callers indicated a violent disturbance in progress with nonhuman entities involved. The primary agents immediately responded via motorboat.

Upon arrival at Blue Neon, the agents observed multiple hybrids, larger than the ones from the barge raft, in the process of attacking civilians on the club's waterfront patio. SA Crane drove the agents' boat onto the patio, crushing one of the hybrids with a 30-knot impact. All three agents immediately engaged the surviving four hybrids with weapons fire. Three closed with SA Mills and SA Aswan, inflicting severe lacerations to SA Mills' arms, face, and chest before they were killed.

SA Mills was treated by local paramedics on-scene and released to DSA medical custody. SA Aswan and SA Crane supervised cleanup of both incident sites and accompanied the hybrids' remains to DSA Atlanta for autopsy and analysis.

Investigation into the origins of the hybrids is ongoing as of 18 May 2002. Current theory is accidental exposure to mutagenic Grey biotechnological material through unknown means. The hybrids had devoured the brain material that they had taken from their victims, breaking down the neural structure and incorporating it into their own brains, presumably as a means of maintaining an idiot-savant level of sentience which was undergoing gradual degradation without constant exposure to the initial mutagenic agent. Evidence suggests that the additional organs missing from the victims on board Rupert Marshall were used as genetic templates to further adapt the hybrids for extended amphibious activities.