A Strange Harvest: Linda Moulton Howe Documentary Airs on CBS Denver
Linda Moulton Howe aired her documentary A Strange Harvest on KMGH-TV (CBS) in Denver, Colorado as a 2-hour special. The documentary provided striking visuals of the cattle mutilation phenomenon. It featured a visit to laser surgeon Arlen Meyers at Rose Medical Center who demonstrated that even advanced laser technology could not replicate the mutilation excisions, some 24 inches long and perfectly carbon-free. Former FBI agent Kenneth Rommel's official conclusion of 'predators' was contradicted by the physical evidence.
Background
EVENT TITLE: A Strange Harvest: Linda Moulton Howe Documentary Airs on CBS Denver
EVENT DATE: 1980-05-28
EVENT TYPE: document
Linda Moulton Howe's documentary, A Strange Harvest, aired on KMGH-TV (CBS) in Denver, Colorado, on May 28, 1980. The two-hour special focused on the cattle mutilation phenomenon, presenting visual evidence and expert analysis. The documentary included a demonstration comparing laser surgery to the excisions found in mutilation cases.
The Incident
On May 28, 1980, KMGH-TV (CBS) in Denver, Colorado, broadcast Linda Moulton Howe's documentary, A Strange Harvest. The documentary was a two-hour special dedicated to exploring the phenomenon of cattle mutilations. The program presented visuals of mutilation cases.
Howe's documentary featured an interview and demonstration with laser surgeon Arlen Meyers, M.D., at Rose Medical Center in Denver. Howe sought to compare laser excisions with the excisions observed in cattle mutilation cases. Meyers demonstrated the use of a traditional scalpel, an electrical cauterizer, and a laser on poultry.
Meyers found that using a laser for several minutes only created a three-inch diameter circle of charred flesh. This contrasted sharply with mutilation excisions, some of which were twenty-four inches long and carbon-free. Meyers also highlighted the impracticality of transporting a 400-pound laser device and its power supply to remote mutilation sites.
Investigation
Former FBI agent Kenneth Rommel investigated the cattle mutilation phenomenon for about a year, from 1979 to mid-1980, at the behest of the State of New Mexico. Rommel's investigation concluded around the same time that Howe's documentary aired. He was preparing his conclusion that the animal deaths were caused by predators.
Significance
The airing of A Strange Harvest brought the cattle mutilation phenomenon to a wider audience. The documentary presented visual evidence and expert testimony, raising questions about the causes and nature of the mutilations. The documentary's impact is underscored by its timing, coinciding with the conclusion of an official investigation into the same phenomenon. The documentary highlighted the differences between laser surgery and the excisions found on mutilated cattle.