Remember when Georgia fell for the ole alien monkey trick
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The monkey that hoaxsters tried to pass off as an alien body is on display at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's museum. Photo: Courtesy of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation
For one glorious week in 1953, Georgia was the middle of martian mania. Then reality reared its ugly head.
Why it matters: The list of great hoaxes wouldn't be complete without a tricky trio who tried to pass off a dead, hairless monkey dyed green as an alien body.
Catch up quick: On July 8, 1953, Cobb County police officer Sherley Brown encountered three young men on Bankhead Highway and their astounding discovery: a lifeless martian the friends hit with their pickup.
- Two other little green men escaped the scene, the men — Atlanta barbers Edward Watters and Tom Wilson and butcher Arthur "Buddy" Payne told Brown.
Zoom out: Astonishingly, Brown let the young men go on their way with the creature. The story went viral, 1950s-style, sparking telephone calls to TV stations, newspapers and police departments with reports of similar phenomenon.
Yes, but: The GBI and Dr. Marion Hines, an anatomy professor at Emory University, quickly shot down the group's claims. "If it came from Mars, they have monkeys on Mars," Hines reportedly told the Associated Press.
State of play: Today, the preserved monkey is on display in the GBI's appointment-only museum located in the lobby of its Panthersville Road headquarters.
