Mr. Sam Wormley:

You refer to Mr. Nickell three times in your article above
(I cut it away because it was so long).

How reliable you think your reference Mr. Nickell is ?

I found following text in his Home Page :

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"Joe Nickell, Ph.D. (University of Kentucky, 1987),
is Senior Research Fellow of the Committee for the
Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP) -
an international scientific organization - and investigative
columnist for Skeptical Inquirer magazine.

A former professional stage magician (he was Resident
Magician at the Houdini Magical Hall of Fame for three years)
and private investigator for a world-famous detective agency,
Dr. Nickell taught technical writing for several years at the
University of Kentucky before taking the full-time position
with CSICOP at its offices at the Center for Inquiry in
Amherst, New York.

Utilizing his varied background, Nickell has become widely
known as an investigator of myths and mysteries, frauds,
forgeries, and hoaxes. He has been called "the modern
Sherlock Holmes," "the original ghost buster," and
"the real-life Scully" (from "The X-Files" ). He has
investigated scores of haunted-house cases,
including the Amityville Horror and the Mackenzie
House in Toronto, Canada.

Books

Nickell is the author (co-author or editor) of more than
twenty books, including Inquest on the Shroud of Turin (1983, 1998);
Secrets of the Supernatural (with John F. Fischer, 1988, 1991);
The Magic Detectives (1989); Pen, Ink,
and Evidence (1990, 2000, 2003); Wonder-Workers! (1991);
Ambrose Bierce Is Missing (1992); Missing Pieces
(with Robert A. Baker, 1992); Mysterious Realms (1992);
Looking for a Miracle (1993, 1998); Psychic Sleuths (1994);
Camera Clues (1994); Entities (1995); Detecting Forgery (1996);
The Outer Edge (1996); The UFO Invasion (1997);
Crime Science (1999); Real-Life X-Files:
Investigating the Paranormal (2001); The Kentucky Mint Julep (2003);
The Mystery Chronicles (2004); Secrets of the Sideshows (2005);
and Lake Monster Mysteries (with Benjamin Radford, 2006).

Media Appearances

He has appeared on numerous national TV shows, including CNBC's
"News with Brian Williams," "Dateline NBC,"
"TLC's Best Kept Secrets," "Larry King Live," "Oprah,"
"Ricki Lake," "Jerry Springer Show,"
"Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious Universe," "Unsolved Mysteries,"
"Politically Incorrect," "20/20," A&E's "The Unexplained," "48
Hours,"
and "Exploring the Unknown," in addition to several documentaries
on the Discovery Channel, (such as "The Science of Magic,"
"America's Haunted Houses," and the "Science Mysteries" series),
History Channel, National Geographic Channel, and many others.
Nickell has been profiled in the New Yorker magazine
and on the Today show."

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Best Regards,

Hannu

"An opinion is like a rear end, everyone sits on his own."