In Zanesville, on November 13, 1966, local barber and amateur astronomer Ralph Ditter took the two spectacular UFO photos shown here. Later, Rand Corporation dealt with the photographic analysis of the photos. The report stated, (1) the object in the photos was 3 to 4 inches in diameter, not 30 feet as claimed by Mr. Ditter, (2) the object was not at a considerable distance, but a mere 3 to 4 feet from the camera lens, and (3) the photos were not taken in rapid succession, but approximately one hour and ten minutes had elapsed between photos. Also, the numbers on the backs of the photographs were out of sequence with Mr. Ditter’s story.
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What has happened is that Mr. Ditter faked to UFO pictures to please his daughter. She had read a book about UFO and asked him when he would take UFO pictures for her. When customers of his barber shop saw the photographs, the ball begun rolling. Ditter started a story about a UFO observations, but it was inconsistent with the photographic sequence. That was enough proof for many investigators and the photos were dubbed a hoax. The photos were then sent to the Rand Corporation for analysis. And their analysis was totally accurate. Unfortunately, as much time went by, the media lost interest in the story, and did not learn about the hoax: Mr. Ditter’s photographs still show up occasionally in books and magazines as "authentic" UFO pictures.
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This does not mean than there were no UFO in this sector in 1966: at least two of these sightings were made by law enforcement officials, credible witnesses on everyone's list. In Toledo, on March 25, two Lucas County deputies, Robert Schultz and Stanley Nelepa, reported seeing a huge object floating at treetop level. Four days later, a glowing orange object was seen floating over the Ohio Turnpike administration building in Berea. Three days later it was spotted a second time, by Berea patrolmen Clarence T. Janowick and John R. Galik Jr.
