Pat McGuire Contact Case — Timeline
| Incident Name: |
Pat McGuire Contact Case — Timeline |
The following timeline documents all confirmed and reported events in the Pat McGuire Contact Case, from the first reported contact to the posthumous publication of his son's account.
| Date |
Event |
Notes
|
| c. 1940s |
Patrick McGuire born, Wyoming |
Exact birth year not established in public record
|
| 1970 |
First contact experience (recovered under hypnosis, 1978) |
Instructions reportedly included directive to purchase the Bosler ranch property; this event predates ranch ownership
|
| Date |
Event |
Notes
|
| Early 1970s |
McGuire purchases the Bosler, Wyoming ranch |
Approximately 5,000 acres, Albany County; altitude ~7,000 feet
|
| October 1973 |
Teton Mountains hunting trip; missing time incident |
Six-hour gap; orange aerial glow observed; brother-in-law also present; incident filed as unexplained and not publicly reported
|
| Mid-1970s |
Cattle mutilations begin on ranch property |
Pattern consistent with documented American West livestock mutilation phenomenon
|
| Mid-1970s |
Orange aerial lights observed over ranch property |
Precursor to craft landing reports
|
| Date |
Event |
Notes
|
| 1977 |
Water well drilled at Star People-designated location |
Well driller: Rick Henderson; location specified by McGuire using three placed rocks; water found within 10 days; Wyoming State Farm Loan Board grants irrigation loan
|
| 1977–1978 |
Center-pivot sprinkler systems installed; barley planted |
Per Star People instructions; crop subsequently fails at altitude
|
| 1978 |
First hypnotic regression session with Dr. Leo Sprinkle |
University of Wyoming; begins systematic recovery of contact memories
|
| 1978–1981 |
24 hypnotic regression sessions total with Dr. Sprinkle |
16 contact events recovered; material spans 1970–present
|
| Unknown |
Cattle beam incident / Fence Incident (Michael appears) |
McGuire attempts to shoot craft taking cattle; paralyzed; Michael materializes beside him; date not precisely established in public record
|
| Date |
Event |
Notes
|
| 1979–1980 |
Investigative reporting by Greg Bean, Casper Star-Tribune |
Ranch visit; Bean's assessment: left with less skepticism than arrived with
|
| March 5, 1980 |
ABC Eyewitness News appearance |
McGuire states "25 to 30" craft landings; corroborating witnesses appear; national broadcast
|
| 1980–1981 |
National Enquirer feature |
"Farmer: Aliens Use My Ranch as Their Landing Place"
|
| 1981 |
NBC That's Incredible appearance |
Live hypnotic regression with Dr. Sprinkle before national prime-time audience
|
| 1980–1981 |
Local ridicule intensifies; community alienation |
Described as relentless by McGuire and his friend/colleague
|
| Early 1980s |
Political career ends |
Gubernatorial ambitions destroyed by public disclosure
|
| Date |
Event |
Notes
|
| Early 1980s |
Barley crop fails |
High-altitude Wyoming conditions incompatible with viable barley production
|
| Early 1980s |
Mortgage/loan default |
Farm Loan Board foreclosure; federal and state action
|
| Early 1980s |
Ranch lost |
Five-thousand-acre spread; both property and water system pass to new ownership
|
| Early 1980s |
Marriage ends |
Timeline approximate
|
| Early 1980s |
Dr. Sprinkle departs University of Wyoming |
Institutional friction over McGuire case association
|
| 1980s–2000s |
McGuire lives without fixed property |
Reduced circumstances; ongoing contact with UFO research community
|
| Late 2000s |
Health deterioration |
Cancer diagnosis
|
| May 14, 2009 |
Patrick McGuire dies |
Colorado hospital; cancer; approximately 76 years old; son David Riedel not present by choice
|
| Date |
Event |
Notes
|
| 2009–2022 |
Case documented in UFO research literature |
Referenced in documentary programming, research databases, and investigator accounts
|
| 2023 |
David Riedel publishes personal essay |
Written in context of congressional UAP hearings; states belief that "something odd and unusual happened" to his father; "not so sure anymore" about dismissing the case
|
