Throwback Thursday: The Lawton Triangle of 2002

This document, published on The Space Lizard Report on August 28, 2015, details the 'Lawton Triangle' hoax of 2002. The report chronicles how investigator Jim Hickman of the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) documented two separate sighting reports in Oklahoma. The first, occurring on March 11, 2002, involved a witness identified as 'Joe W.' near Lawton, who provided a photograph of a red, triangular object. Dr. Bruce Maccabee, a well-known ufologist and physicist, analyzed the photo and suggested it was a 'True UFO' or 'Alien Flying Craft.' A second sighting occurred on May 20, 2002, at the Quanah Range on Fort Sill, reported by a witness identified as 'TJ,' who claimed to see similar objects while working. Dr. Maccabee again expressed excitement, noting that the two photos appeared to show the same type of craft. However, the document reveals that these images were not of extraterrestrial craft, but were instead photographs of a Microsoft Optical Mouse taken in a dark room with the camera flash turned off. The document highlights the failure of MUFON investigators to identify the hoax, noting that Jim Hickman had planned to discuss the 'uncovering' of the hoax on a radio show in 2003 but failed to appear for the interview. The report serves as a critique of the investigative rigor of MUFON, pointing out that their files contained conclusions based on a computer mouse.