The CIA Said Records of a Space-Related Message Had Been Destroyed

In January 1958, a CIA contact called Dr. Leon Davidson and told him that records of a message linked to space, along with the device that transmitted it, had been destroyed.

Davidson wanted to learn more about the message and its transmitter. But the answer was familiar: he had heard it before. An internal CIA memo reveals that its author also recognized the response as evasive and thought Davidson probably would not accept it.

The Same Answer, Again

The memo was written on January 9, the day after the phone call. It summarizes the conversation and related information. According to the memo, the contact told Davidson there was no way to answer his question because the agency that had handled the matter had destroyed the records.

A transmitter is a device that sends a signal, like a radio transmitter. The memo does not explain how the message was created or exactly what was transmitted. It only records that Davidson asked about a particular message and its transmitter.

Davidson accepted the answer but pointed out that he had already heard the same thing. He hinted that he might ask again about the message later. The memo’s author concluded that they would hear from him again.

What Was Said Behind the Scenes

The memo’s author explained that the response had been given under instructions. It was, he said, the only way to avoid contradicting statements previously made by the CIA and other agencies.

But the document also contained blunt criticism: the author described the response as evasive and unfair to Davidson. He thought the investigator was unlikely to accept it. The memo thus recorded both the explanation given to the investigator and the acknowledgment that it was inadequate.

What Remains Unknown

The memo does not reveal what the message was, who created it, or what happened to the transmitter. Davidson was told that the agency that had handled the matter had destroyed the records.

A message with no record. And an answer its own author knew would not be enough.