Brooklyn Bridge UFO Abductions, Bud Hopkins

On November 30th, 1989, just after 3 A.M., Janet Kimball was driving over the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City when her car stalled and slowly rolled to a stop. After a few unsuccessful attempts to restart the car, Janet was suddenly engulfed by a bright light, so intense that she had to shield her eyes. The light seemed to be coming from an apartment building, and she initially thought it might be related to a film shoot, which was not unusual in New York City.

However, as she looked closer, she realized the light was emanating from a saucer-shaped craft hovering above the building. “Okay, it's a science fiction movie,” Janet thought. But it wasn't. This was happening for real. As her eyes adjusted to the brightness, she noticed objects floating up to the saucer. To her shock, she realized they weren't just objects—they were people. One of them was levitating in the light.

In an instant, the light vanished, and the saucer plunged into the East River. There were 23 eyewitnesses to this event, including one of the highest-ranking politicians in the world. Yet, the most bizarre part of the story was that people were being transported to a UFO by a beam of light in the middle of New York City.

On November 30th, 1989, just after 3 A.M. in New York City, as Linda Napolitano was falling asleep, she felt a strange numbness creeping up her legs. Opening her eyes, she saw a small, pale humanoid creature with a large round head and big black eyes standing at the foot of her bed. From behind the curtains, another creature emerged, followed by another, until four or five of these beings were silently approaching her bed.

Linda screamed for her husband, lying right next to her, but he didn't wake up. The numbness reached her neck, paralyzing her. She attempted to scream again, but a voice in her mind commanded her to be quiet. Suddenly, she felt herself levitating above the bed, floating slowly from the bedroom to the living room, with the creatures silently walking beside her. She floated through a window and past the safety bars outside, finding herself hovering 12 stories above the ground. She remembers thinking, “Oh my God, I hope I don't fall.”

Surrounded by a bright white-blue light, Linda and the other creatures ascended into a saucer-shaped craft. Inside the ship, the humanoid creatures escorted her down a hallway lined with benches. As they passed various rooms, she heard the hiss of doors sliding open and closing. The creatures conversed quietly in a language she couldn't understand. Finally, they brought Linda to a bright room with a long table at its center.

Panic set in as Linda saw the dreaded long table. She screamed in her mind, “What do you want from me?” but the words that came out of her mouth were in an alien language. One of the beings placed a hand over her mouth, and she felt something being inserted into her right nostril—a long medical instrument. One of the creatures gently ran its hand through her hair and placed a warm hand on her cheek. When she asked, “Why am I here?” he replied, “Just for a visit.”

Instantly, Linda was able to move. She sat up on the table, heard a loud roar, and then found herself back in her bed. She tried to wake her husband Steve, but he remained unresponsive. Panic washed over her as she thought of her children. She bolted down the hall to the bedroom shared by her two young sons. Calling out to them, she received no response. Grabbing her youngest, Johnny, she sobbed and shook him, but he did not wake up.

In the art world, Budd Hopkins was a significant figure. His work is part of the permanent collections of the Guggenheim, the Whitney, the Met, the Museum of Modern Art, and the British Museum, among others.

Budd Hopkins was not just a renowned artist; he also made a name for himself as a UFO investigator. He was one of the leading experts on alien abduction experiences, investigating hundreds of cases and writing several books, including the bestseller “Intruders” and “Missing Time.” He even hosted support groups in his home for witnesses and survivors.

Because of his reputation and open-door policy, Budd received a lot of mail. However, a letter he received in February 1991 stood out from the others:

—

Dear Mr. Hopkins,

My partner and I are police officers. We've been in a serious dilemma because of our strict profession and our lack of knowledge on this subject. About 3:30 a.m. in late November 1989, we sat in our patrol car underneath the elevated FDR Drive. There it was, a strange oval hovering over the top of an apartment building two or three blocks from where we were sitting, a very bright blue light coming from the bottom of it. I yelled for my partner, who was just as excited as I was. We were going to get out of the car, but what could we do for that poor little girl or woman wearing a white nightgown? She was floating midair in a bright beam of whitish-blue light, looking like an angel. She was then brought up into the bottom of that very large oval, about three-quarters the size of the building across. This poor person was escorted out of a window by three ugly but smaller human-like creatures. After she was up and in, the oval plunged into the river not far from the Brooklyn Bridge. Mr. Hopkins, the oval never came up from under the river. The guilt has lingered, and we find it difficult to live with ourselves. My partner and I have been debating if we should seek her out. We know the building and we know the window. Perhaps she was just a figment of our imagination. If she isn't, is she alive and well? We have to know. If we should decide to seek this person out, we'll contact you again with further information. If we do find her, and I hope we do, many thanks.

Police Officers Dan and Richard

—

Budd Hopkins was amazed. He knew the woman referenced in the letter; she had been attending his support groups. It was Linda Napolitano. This was the first time Budd had accounts of the same event from different people. About two weeks later, Linda called. She was agitated. She had just had a visit from two police detectives named Richard and Dan. The visit was strange.

It was almost 11 at night when Linda heard a knock on her door. Peering through the peephole, she saw two men dressed in dark suits. They showed her badges and announced themselves as detectives. She let them in—it was Richard and Dan, the men who had sent the letter to Budd Hopkins.

Linda noticed that Dan seemed a bit standoffish and distant, while Richard was very nice but noticeably nervous. During their 30-minute conversation, Richard almost broke down in tears at one point. Linda recounted her experience, explaining how her husband and children had been put into such a deep sleep that she couldn't wake them for a few hours. She even put a mirror under her son's nose to ensure he was still alive.

Linda asked Richard and Dan to call Budd Hopkins, but they said they weren't comfortable doing that. The men left, and Linda thought that was the end of it. However, Budd Hopkins soon received another letter:

—

Dear Budd,

We're hoping that this audio tape is satisfactory. We don't know how well, but use it as you wish. We'll keep in touch. Thanks.

Dan and Richard

P.S. Linda is a darling little lady.

—

Along with the letter was a cassette tape. The recording featured Richard alone, and it began mid-sentence.

“You know your feelings on the whole matter, I understand. As far as the statement is concerned, I've written everything down so that it'll be easier to express on tape. Please excuse my reading voice. The subject matter was the strangest ever in my life work. Linda is a nice person. We saw through all the discomfort she felt. Linda expressed the deep importance of our reaching you, and speaking with her, we could see just how frightened and sincere she was.”

Richard went on to recap the events of the night Linda was taken. Even though he didn't want to publicly confirm the story, he thought an audio recording would be useful to Budd.

“We'll never forget the look on her face, pure white with no expression—a white mummy doll hanging in the air. With my binoculars, I could see three of the ugliest creatures I ever saw. I don't know what they were, but they weren't human. Their heads were all out of proportion, with no hair. The eyes were very large, very large eyes. Those buggers were escorting her into the craft.”

“Thank you, Budd, for keeping her in good hands. I don't know what you're going to do with this tape, but I do know it's all I can do for you, Budd, for Linda, and all the other people like her. Please respect the importance of our credibility. We just can't be identified or we'll be laughed at. Thank you, Budd.”

Richard and Dan were struggling to process what they saw. Richard was doing okay, but Dan—his sanity began to unravel.

A few weeks after Budd Hopkins received the audio tape from Richard, he received a letter from Dan.

—

Dear Mr. Hopkins,

My name is Danny. You are acquainted with my partner, Richard. I decided to get in touch with you after a long fishing trip.

I'm not depressed anymore because Linda's alive. However, anger, fear, and embarrassment set in. Richard is dealing with these very same feelings in his own way. He remedies it by secretly watching Linda. I don't think she would like to know that. Seeing her reinforces the reality of it all, and he doesn't feel crazy anymore. This doesn't work for me. When I see Linda, I tremble. I don't need reminders. I'll never forget what happened for the rest of my life.

Now, Linda did say she saw a white van parked near her building and felt like she was being followed and watched. That November incident was the worst time of my life. Seeing the UFO wasn't enough; we had to see some young woman being taken. What were they going to do to her? What could I do to help her? These thoughts were more than I could take. Did Richard tell you about our nightmares, Mr. Hopkins? I sleep with my pistol beside my bed. If they could take Linda, they could take me. Richie has the same fear.

We understand that you need us to come forward because these people, your witnesses, are considered crazy. We know they aren't crazy. But to be honest with you, you're going to need more than a couple of detectives to figure out what the hell has been happening to a lot of people. Good luck in your investigations. If you ever stumble upon good tangible evidence, be careful whom you give it to. There's an obvious cover-up going on.

Thanks for taking the time to read this very long letter.

Sincerely,

Danny

—

This was when Budd Hopkins decided he had to track down Richard and Dan. He went to precincts all over the city and put up flyers. No cops came forward, but that wasn't surprising—because Richard and Dan weren't cops.

Hopkins didn't tell Linda that Richard and Dan had lied about being detectives. He wanted to wait and see what else he could find out. A few weeks later, Budd received another letter.

—

Dear Mr. Hopkins,

We're writing to you once again because of the utmost importance of what has to be said. There is much more involved. We were given permission to reveal more facts from a third party also involved in the November 1989 incident. This third party is a very important person and often speaks to many corners of the globe.

—

Eventually, Hopkins learned that this third witness was Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, the Secretary General of the United Nations. He was one of the highest-profile and most important political officials in the world. Richard and Dan had been working as a security detail for the Secretary General, driving him to the heliport downtown when their car died near Linda's building. The three of them saw everything that happened.

Pérez de Cuéllar insisted on not being identified, so Richard and Dan pretended to be cops. The Secretary General was relieved to hear that Linda was safe but wanted no further involvement. However, Richard and Dan continued to struggle emotionally.

A few weeks later, on April 29, 1991, Linda was on her way to the supermarket when she heard someone call her name. She turned and saw Richard. They made small talk, and then Richard pointed to a black luxury car parked nearby with its rear door open. He asked Linda to take a ride so they could talk. Linda said she had too many errands to run but invited Richard to come to her apartment later that evening to talk. Richard said he couldn't do that and asked her to reconsider.

Linda apologized again and renewed the invitation for Richard to come by later. Suddenly, Richard's face turned dark, and he grabbed her. Dan jumped out of the car and said, “Come on, cutie, he's got you.” They shoved her into the car, and Richard held her down while Dan jumped into the driver's seat. The car then tore away from the curb and disappeared into traffic.

Richard and Dan interrogated Linda, demanding to know who she was working for—if she was working for any government or for the aliens. Linda denied all of this through sobs. Then Dan got angry and told her to stop crying, saying, “You're one of them, aren't you?” He thought she was an alien. Linda denied this too. Dan, growing increasingly frustrated, pulled into a rest stop.

Dan demanded that she take off her shoes so he could examine her feet.

Though she felt ridiculous, Linda complied and showed them her feet. She knew that if she didn't do this willingly, they would just force her.

For almost four hours, they drove around, bombarding Linda with questions. Who were the aliens? Where did they come from? What did they do when they took her? Where did they go? She answered repeatedly that she was only partly conscious and couldn't remember anything.

Finally, they dropped her off at her building. Richard apologized, but Linda said she never wanted to see them again.

To try and get more details, Budd Hopkins conducted a hypnosis session with Linda. They learned that the car was a Rolls-Royce with a blue United Nations sticker and diplomatic plates. There was a second car that followed them, a Mercedes. Linda was able to remember a couple of numbers from the plate. Using this information and calling in a favor from a friend, Budd Hopkins confirmed that the Rolls-Royce belonged to the Secretary General.

A few weeks later, Linda heard her name called again. It was Richard. She ran, and he chased her. Eventually, she was able to get away from him and into her apartment building.

A few months went by without incident, but then Budd Hopkins received another letter from Dan. And if you thought this story was wild before…

September 17, 1991

Dear Bud,

I hope this letter finds you in good health and happy spirits. Much has happened since I last contacted you. Dan apologized for what they did to Linda, acknowledging there was no excuse but explaining that he and Richard are under a tremendous amount of stress. It turned out that Richard, Dan, and Secretary General de Cuellar had a shared memory that was triggered by the events of the past few months.

After the UFO plunged into the river, the three men suddenly found themselves on a nearby beach. They saw Linda and three aliens digging in the sand and could hear them speaking in an alien language. Linda and the aliens then walked up to the men. Linda's face was blank, but she held up a dead fish and yelled at them, “Look and see what you've done!” One of the beings said, “Lady of the Sands.” The men noticed the aliens had no toes.

Linda and the aliens then walked toward the water, and suddenly Richard, Dan, and de Cuellar were back near their car, though the Secretary General was on the roof of the car. Dan and Richard helped him down.

In the letter, Dan gets annoyed. “When we questioned Linda last April, we knew she was withholding information. Perhaps she was frightened and didn't know what our intentions were. The fact remains, we still don't know who she is. We were led to believe that she is the Lady of the Sands, whatever that is. Whatever the case, we need to know who she is. As for me, Linda is a pain in the rump. I dislike admitting that. She could fly to the moon in her spacecraft, and the distance wouldn’t be far enough as far as I’m concerned. On a good day, I think about having a heart-to-heart talk with Linda. Linda would never consent to such a meeting, but we will meet in the near future.

Linda says she is indifferent, but she is different, and I’m going to find out the difference. If you can prepare Linda for a visit from me, I don’t want to run her off again. Please start trying to find us, and please tell Linda we honestly didn’t kill that fish.

Thank you, Bud. Danny”

So, Bud hypnotized Linda again to see if she could remember any of this. Did she remember? She did—all of it. She said they were taking samples of the sand to see if they could figure out why the fish were dying. She also remembered being called Lady of the Sands but had no idea what it meant. Bud then read her Dan’s letter that said he would be coming for her. And on October 15th, in broad daylight, Dan grabbed her and shoved her into his car. This time, he was alone and out of his mind.

Dan drove for a while and then pulled the car over. He whispered to Linda, “Come here, half-breed,” then kissed her all over her face.

They kept driving, and periodically he would grab her knee. She would resist, and he would say things like, “Oh, you're a tough one.” Eventually, they arrived at a beach house on Long Island. By now, Linda stopped resisting, figuring that whatever Dan wanted to happen was just going to happen and resisting would just make it worse.

Anyway, when they got into the house, Dan kissed her all over her face again. He told her to make herself at home and went to the kitchen to make coffee. She looked for a phone—there wasn't one. She looked for some identifying information so she could learn Dan's last name—there was nothing. There were two pictures framed: one was of Linda kissing her son Johnny goodbye, and the other picture was of Linda by a lighthouse.

Dan returned from the kitchen carrying a white gift-wrapped box. “Linda, open it.” Inside was a negligee.

He told her to put it on. She refused. She could see the anger in Dan's eyes, so Linda offered to put it on over her clothes. Dan agreed. Dan then went white and said, “Oh my God, it was you.”

Dan then dropped to his knees and started crying. Linda gently put a hand on his shoulder and then bolted for the door and out onto the beach.

She ran as fast as she could. She could hear Dan screaming behind her, and he was getting closer. Finally, he grabbed her, and instead of hurting her, he started gently rocking her back and forth. He said, “Isn't this nice? We'll go far away and make a new family.”

Linda said she didn't want a new family. Dan snapped. He shoved Linda's face into the sand and yelled, “Dig more holes, Lady of the Sands.” He tried to kiss her and grabbed her clothes. Linda screamed for help, but the beach was deserted. Finally, Dan yanked Linda to her feet and said, “Let's clean your face.” He dragged her by her hair and shoved her head under the water. Linda blacked out.

Dan held Linda underwater, but luckily the undertow grabbed her and helped her break free. Exhausted, she crawled back onto the beach, indifferent to what might happen next. Surprisingly, Dan didn’t try to drown her again. Instead, he sat next to her, cradled her in his arms, and rocked her back and forth.

Then Linda turned around and saw Richard standing in the doorway of the beach house. Richard yelled for Dan to get off Linda, then helped her into the house. He calmed Dan down and persuaded him to go upstairs and get cleaned up. Once everything was calm, Richard took Linda home.

A few days later, Bud Hopkins received a letter from Richard:

—

Dear Mr. Hopkins,

I was angered and saddened by the incident that took place on October 15th concerning Linda and Dan. Linda is very special to me, and Dan is my closest friend, but I want my friend back. Dan just isn't the same.

Richard also included a couple of pictures that Dan took of Linda while she was running on the beach. In the letter, Richard explained that Dan was receiving psychiatric help. What had driven Dan over the edge was the fact that Linda had been speaking to them telepathically.

When Dan and Richard grabbed her off the street the first time, she telepathically said to them, “Be kind, don’t hurt me.” This was very unsettling for Dan.

Richard didn’t find this weird because, when they were on the beach with the aliens, Richard telepathically told Linda how much he loved her, and she telepathically returned his feelings.

Richard continued:

—

If that’s what you want to call it, she is kind and giving. Does Linda have this effect on others, or are we the unusual ones? I can tell you this: if she were the ugliest woman around, I would care for her just the same.

Please tell Linda there’s no reason to be afraid. Until she runs away, I won’t chase her. I’m so sorry for what happened. Many thanks and kind regards,

Richard

—

Richard seemed to be more settled by now. Then, a few days later, he went to see Linda, and things were about to take a dramatic turn.

On Thursday, November 21st, Linda was on her way to the post office when Richard appeared. They spent the day together, and Richard confessed his love for her. Linda had feelings for Richard too, but she was conflicted because she was married and had a family. Despite this, she didn’t resist when he kissed her.

The next day, Bud Hopkins received another letter from Richard:

—

Dear Mr. Hopkins,

The meeting yesterday between Linda and me went very well. She was very relaxed and comfortable. Linda is a very interesting person, and considering what she may be, there’s no wonder why.

I believe that Linda is from another place but resides here. Dan, unfortunately, has taken a turn for the worse and is now in a mental facility.

Here’s something I need to share. Since I was 10 years old, I’ve been dreaming about a girl I felt I grew up with. We didn’t know each other’s names, so we made up names for each other—she called me Mickey, and I called her Baby Anne. Over the years, my relationships suffered because no matter who I dated, I only had feelings for Baby Anne, whom I thought was just a figment of my imagination. The older I got, the more I dreamed about Baby Anne. When we were in our 20s, we were in love and wanted to spend our lives together. Then I would wake up. I stopped dreaming of Baby Anne for 20 years until that early morning in November 1989 when I saw Baby Anne hovering in a beam of blue light.

Linda is my Baby Anne; she’s real. I came away very angry that night after I left her apartment. It wasn’t fair, but I love her soul. Unfortunately, it’s too late. I’ve hinted to Linda about our bond, but she doesn’t remember. I feel as though I’m standing between the fire and the water—if I go in either direction, I’ll burn or drown.

—

Bud asked Linda if she had any imaginary friends as a child. She said she did, and his name was Mickey. Now that she thought about it, Mickey looked a lot like Richard. Even more oddly, her son Johnny resembled Mickey too.

Linda was shocked by Richard's letter, but she chose not to delve into whether Richard might be Johnny’s father, and Bud respected her decision not to press the issue. After that, Richard remained distant from Linda’s life.

However, Linda received a disturbing letter from Dan, who was writing from a mental institution:

—

Dear Linda,

By the time this Christmas greeting reaches you, I will have successfully managed to escape from this place. Would you believe I would let you go so easily? It seems like yesterday when I hated you, but then I think about looking into those big, deep brown eyes of yours, and the hate goes away. I can’t wait to watch you as you walk by. I’m going to inscribe our names with my lips on that full, heart-shaped mouth of yours.

Linda, you don’t belong here, but I’ll find a place for you. I’m going to take you somewhere far away, and you’ll make a beautiful bride. If you see Richard, tell him I said go to hell. If I don’t get out of here, I’ll be thinking of you. If I do get out, I’ll be looking at you.

Happy holidays, pretty Danny.

—

As far as is known, Dan never appeared again, but the letter left Linda paranoid for years. As Linda’s experiences gradually faded, her son Johnny began to have strange dreams about little men who would take him to a round room and talk to him without moving their lips. Linda recalled that the aliens had inserted something into her nostril, and Johnny would often wake up with a bloody nose after these troubling dreams.

This bizarre and unsettling sequence of events left Linda and her family in a state of ongoing fear and confusion, with Johnny’s experiences adding another layer to the mysterious and disturbing events that had unfolded in their lives.

The story of Linda's abductions and the involvement of Bud Hopkins, Richard, and Dan certainly is a rollercoaster. It’s a tale filled with bizarre incidents, dubious claims, and a lot of controversy. Here’s a summary of the key points and arguments for and against the story’s authenticity:

### Summary of Linda’s Story: 1. Abductions and Encounters: Linda was allegedly abducted multiple times by individuals who later turned out to be connected to high-profile figures, including the Secretary General of the United Nations. The story involves UFO sightings, encounters with aliens, and strange phenomena such as telepathic communication.

2. Dan’s Obsession: Dan, one of the key figures in Linda’s story, exhibited increasingly erratic and dangerous behavior. His obsession with Linda and his actions, including his time in a mental institution, are central to the narrative.

3. Richard’s Affection: Richard, who was also involved, developed a romantic attachment to Linda and claimed a deep, almost mystical connection to her, believing her to be his “Baby Anne” from his childhood dreams.

### Arguments Against the Story: 1. Lack of Additional Witnesses: Critics point out that Linda is the only primary witness to the alleged abductions. While others, such as Janet Kimball, were mentioned, inconsistencies and doubts about their credibility exist.

2. Handwriting Analysis and Discrepancies: Handwriting analysis indicated that letters attributed to other characters were actually written by Linda. Additionally, there were inconsistencies in the accounts provided by Linda and her husband.

3. Unverifiable Claims: Claims about meetings with high-profile figures like Secretary General de Cuellar and extraordinary events were either denied or unverified. There were also accusations of Linda’s potential involvement in hoaxes or fabrications.

4. Literary Similarities: The story shares notable similarities with the Sci-Fi novel *Night Eyes,* leading some to suggest that Linda’s experiences might have been inspired by or adapted from fiction.

5. Linda’s Other Claims: Linda made several other sensational claims, including connections to famous figures and extraordinary abilities, which were excluded from Bud Hopkins’ book but raise questions about her credibility.

6. Bud Hopkins’ Methodology: Critics argue that Bud Hopkins, while compassionate, might have been overly eager to believe and support Linda’s story without fully addressing counterarguments or investigating alternative explanations.

### Support for the Story: 1. Witnesses and Documentation: Bud Hopkins provided audio tapes and other documentation supporting Linda’s account. Some of these materials were confirmed by third parties.

2. Emotional and Psychological Impact: Linda's experiences had a profound emotional and psychological impact on her, which aligns with the distress reported by her and the individuals involved.

3. Persistent Elements: The story includes elements that have remained consistent over time, and while critics argue about possible fabrications, some maintain that the core experiences could be genuine.

### Conclusion: The story of Linda and her abductions is a complex mix of personal testimony, psychological trauma, and controversial claims. It raises significant questions about the nature of belief, evidence, and the intersection of reality and fiction. Whether the story is true or a sophisticated hoax, it remains a compelling example of the UFO abduction genre and its impact on those involved. As always, the decision to believe or disbelieve ultimately rests with the individual, informed by the available evidence and personal judgment.