There is one particular story from the annals of Ufology which I come across from time to time, and though little known outside various circles, it has always fascinated me. This would have to do with none other than the strange case of Western North Carolina resident Ralph Lael, a “contactee” of sorts who, according to books he wrote in the 1960s, had claimed to have made contact with the mysterious Brown Mountain Lights and even know their source as a result of information given to him by aliens. But aside from Lael’s incredible testimony regarding contact with foriegners from planet Peewam, he also owned an “outer space rock shop” in the Lineville Gorge near Morganton, NC, where he had what was arguably his most intriguing artifact on display to the public: an “alien mummy”.

http://shadowboxent.brinkster.net/alienmummy.html

I first learned about this “mummy” (see link above) through Joshua P. Warren, who had hosted a photograph taken of the creature by acclaimed UFO researcher Tim Beckley on the LEMUR website. After first viewing it, I remember how I remarked that it resembled “Kermit the Frog” draped in a loin cloth lying in a small coffin, hence the name I came to give it: “Ralph Lael’s Alien Muppet.”

Little is known about exactly what the small mummified body may have been, though as far as I have been able to tell, there have been some reports over the years that involved Lael telling folks who had lived in the Linville/Morganton area that it “might have been a pygmy” of some sort. Dr. Chris Blake, a writer and researcher who lives in the area today, discussed this with me during a MUFON experiment we attended that involved mapping an portion of the Lineville wilderness where the area’s famous ghost lights are seen, and alluded that many locals thought it might have been a sideshow attraction that Lael had purchased or had been given. Other minute features were discussed from time to time which might support theories that the mummy was indeed a human of some sort, like the recollection of Linda Wolff, Lael’s niece who is now a journalist living in Hickory, NC. As Wolff described in a tribute piece she wrote about Lael, “I remember peering into the glass covered ‘casket’ and staring in awe at the tiny teeth!”

In spite of this, Lael at least preferred to advertise the oddity as an actual “alien” similar to those he had claimed to have met in crystalline caverns beneath the Earth on many occasions. Aside from the outstanding nature of Lael’s claims, there is perhaps at least one other interesting twist to this story involving the mysterious muppet. Apparently, after Lael passed away his shop was demolished, leading some to believe that it (and the alien body within) were intentionally destroyed in some effort to cover up the fact that it might have been a bonafide extraterrestrial. But perhaps the body was never destroyed at all; could it be that the demolition of Lael’s shop had actually been intended to cause speculation as to what had really happened to Lael’s prize possession, and that the mummy itself was spirited away to some undisclosed location? Or even more likely, was the item merely thrown away with other of Lael’s belongings, since the building was being prepared for destruction anyway?

Recently in a Shaver Mystery Yahoo discussion forum, my friend and fellow researcher Tim Beckley (who had taken the original photograph) noted that “as for the ‘little man’ having mysteriously disappeared, that might be pushing it. I wasn’t there when the shank Lael worked out of was torn down (or fell down). It was an ancient looking building at the top of a winding road – sort of like the last outpost before the area where one would stop to see the lites. He also had some unusually large crystals he claimed he got from inside the mountain. I don’t know if he had any family, or if someone took the little mummy (it could have been real or not). Maybe one could track down a family member.”

That, in fact, is exactly what Joshua P. Warren and I have hoped for in the last several years; finding someone out there who may know where the “body” was taken after Lael’s death. Josh has given out an invitation for friends and family of Lael in the past on our radio program, Speaking of Strange, and now I will do the same here… If you or anyone you know has any information leading to the recovery of Ralph Lael’s “alien muppet”, please contact us here at The Gralien Report by emailing me at the following address: info@gralienreport.com.

With your help, perhaps we can solve this (as-of-yet unsolved) mystery….

UPDATE: In all likelihood, it appears that Ralph’s “alien mummy” was actually a sideshow attraction designed by a famous creator of curiousities named Homer Tate. You can learn more about Tate and some of his creations at the following links:

http://www.sideshowworld.com/HTC.html

http://doney.net/aroundaz/thing.htm