For the record, I do not work for any government agency or authority, either directly, by contract or unofficially. But this is one of the interview transcripts that were given to me by a reliable source and I believe the public should know what their government is covering up.
File Number: GZ-4839267
Recording Name: 182736_01.WAV
AGENT TAYLOR Name and occupation please.
LLOYD My name is Al Lloyd and I’m the senior police officer that serves the small town of Gransfield. We kind of joke that Gransfield is so small that some map makers forget to include it on their maps. We may only have just over four hundred people living there but I do my best to keep the peace for each and every one of them.
Now there isn’t a lot to do for a police officer in a town where every one knows each other but they still needed someone to enforce the law so I was hired. Sick of city policing, I moved my wife and two boys almost ten years ago now.
AGENT TAYLOR Uh, thanks Officer Lloyd. Could you describe the incident for me?
LLOYD Sure. The trouble began when I arrested Dennis Foley for a drunk and disorderly. His parents let him live in a trailer on their property. Hasn’t really been much trouble despite the rumours floating around about drugs. Every time I drive by I always say hello and he either shrugs his shoulders or even puts in the effort to say “hello officer”.
But that night I got a report about a man on main street screaming and endangering poor Laura Hardy who was trapped in the post office.
AGENT TAYLOR Who is this Laura?
LLOYD She just works there, at the post office. I think it was just a case of wrong time, wrong place.
When I saw it was Dennis, my first instinct wasn’t to arrest the poor kid. That’s not how we do it in this town. I drove up slowly, got out of my car, and tried saying hello to talk to him as he was pounding the front door of the post office. I’ve had to deal with a few domestic violence situations in this town but that was usually after the incident happened.
Couldn’t get through to him. He kept going on about how everyone in the town failed him and he needed help, he needed an ambulance. I told him I was there to help, I’ll get him an ambulance. He turned to look at me, his face pale and his eyes were bloodshot. Made a snap judgement and thought he was strung out on drugs or something. Tweaked out on a psychotic episode.
Asked him what’s wrong but he just shook his head, sweat running down his face. “I need help, I need help”, were the only words he said.
“I want to help you, just sit down until an ambulance arrives.” My head was racing at that point, my knees started to get wobbly, at that point I didn’t know how he would react. Would he charge? Would he pound the door harder?
He did neither. Dennis just slumped to the ground and buried his head in his arms. Immediately I rang the ambulance. The nearest hospital was twenty minutes away, I told them to get here in ten.
There I was, on the main street of our small town, Dennis curled up into a ball, poor Laura still terrified behind the counter inside the locked post office, then there was me directing traffic and telling people to get a move on.
Get this, Old Mrs. Anderson stopped on the sidewalk on the other side of the road pretended to do her shoelaces for five minutes while staring at Dennis. Tired of sticking her nose into other people’s business, I walked over to her, tied her shoelaces myself and told her to get a move on.
AGENT TAYLOR What was happening with Dennis?
LLOYD Right. Dennis got worse in the ten minute wait for the ambulance. Over that time, his sobbing got slower, he mumbled less and less and eventually he just lay flat down on the sidewalk. Kept trying to get the boy to tell me what he took but he just kept shaking his head and saying, “I don’t remember.”
It was probably the worst ten minutes of my life, watching somebody waste away while you were helpless to do anything. Whatever excitement I had when I heard the ambulance sirens in the distance turned to dread when I turned around and found Dennis lying on the ground.
The sirens seemed to blare louder when I looked down on his lifeless body. Then the sirens stopped as the paramedics burst out the door and ran towards me and Dennis.
One of the paramedics said something but I was so focussed on the boy’s eyes, they were facing forward, looking to oblivion.
I heard, “What happened?” and snapped out of it. Turned to the paramedic right next to me.
Told him, “Drug overdose, I think.”
Asked me what did he take and I told him, “I don’t know”.
At the same, I watched as the other paramedic slowly approached Dennis’ body and pinched his neck. Then the paramedic pressed down on Dennis’ chest and after a few moments, rose up and shook his head.
“Dead.”
I pleaded with him. “It was only a minute ago, is there nothing you can do?”
“No heartbeat, no chance. Did you know him officer?” The paramedic said.
Told him I knew him enough. Really, it was never easy watching someone die but it was worse when you couldn’t do anything to help and just watched as he died.
For a few minutes I explained the situation to the paramedics and they said the only thing they could do was take him to the pathology lab at the hospital.
Just as the paramedics were radioing the hospital and letting them know they’re bringing back a dead body, there was a small movement out of the corner of my eye.
Suddenly, I turned to Dennis’ body and just stared, holding my breath. No movement.
I thought I was going mad so I kept staring.
A twitch. His arm twitched.
Then his leg. Dennis’ entire body was convulsing, there were grunts, his eyes fluttered. The paramedics looked on bewildered and I just stood there like a deer in the headlights. The only person moving was Dennis and he was supposed to be dead.
Then it stopped. I took my first breath in what seemed like forever, I was lightheaded and nearly fell over. I looked over at the paramedics for support but they were just as shocked as I was.
Then I could hear the scraping. Dennis’ fingers began clawing the concrete pavement, trying to find a way to prop himself up, his limbs splayed out, thrusting his torso up. It was like a God damned horror show and I was in the middle of it.
I meekly called out, “Dennis?” Hoping for some sort of intelligent response.
Then his head and neck jerked up at me, his dull eyes staring right at me.
I wasn’t prepared when he started charging at me, straight up spear tackled me to the ground and began biting, gnawing, gnashing at my face.
Didn’t have time to think, couldn’t think. Dennis was out of his damned mind and he was going at me like he was going to eat my face. I was scared, the sweat on my palms made it hard to wrists back. He wasn’t a big lad but he was able to keep me pinned down. I was trying to think of anything that could help me.
But his fetid breath smothered my face, his drool splattered against my cheeks, I was quickly running out of time before this madman killed.
When you’re down, roll around!
I don’t know where those words came from. High school wrestling? Police academy?
Look, didn’t matter, I didn’t care, with my full weight I rolled to the side and managed to press my full body weight down on Dennis. His arms were still flailing at me, trying to claw my face and eyes but I managed to protect my face.
It was at that time the paramedics decided to be useful and pinned down Dennis’ arms. I didn’t hear over the screams and grunts but one of the paramedics barked orders at the other one and that other one came back with a syringe that he plunged in Dennis’ arm.
“Dennis, son. Snap out of it.”
I was trying hard to talk some sense into the kid. Trying to calm him down. But there was no use. He was out of his mind, his eyes were glazed but every bite, every swing, convulsion, thrash, and motion had an intensity like I’ve never seen before.
This was the most intense psychotic episode I’ve ever seen in my life. Over five minutes his frenzy seemed to slow down, the gnashing and the screams got quieter, the small crowd around us grew.
Until finally, Dennis stopped.
I let the paramedics do their job while I tried to break up the small crowd that gathered around us.
“What happened Al?”
“What did he do Al?”
“Is he dead?”
Told them it all it was a police matter, that it was none of their concern, and I don’t know.
Eventually, the crowd of people walked off. Some of them just walked off to the corners and kept looking while some of them shook their heads as they walked off and did the whole “that boy just ain’t right” routine. You’ll be pleased to know that Laura stuck in the shop wasn’t hurt. Emotionally traumatised but not hurt.
AGENT TAYLOR Yes, good. What happened to this Dennis after that?
LLOYD Yeah, those paramedics started arguing about him, heard one of them say to the other, “I thought you said you found no heartbeat. This is the worst case of fibrillation I’ve ever seen.”
I turned around to see Dennis in the ambulance, restrained heavily with straps, bare chested and hooked up to a defibrillator. The senior paramedic hurried to me and said, “We got to get him to the hospital, I don’t know what’s wrong with him, but it’s not good.”
“Stay safe.” Was the only thing my brain seemed to let me say and then I watched as the ambulance drove off, leaving me in a town with no answers.
AGENT TAYLOR What did you do then?
LLOYD Well, I first let Dennis’ parents know what hospital he was taken to and explained to the best of my knowledge what happened.
Then I just asked standard police questions like “Do you know who he may have been with last?”
“Been hanging around with that no good Comben girl.” Was his mother’s response.
Now, Alicia Comben was seen as another of the town’s “undesirables”. Always had nasty rumours swirling around, she slept with him or I saw her taking that. That sort of thing.
Personally, I just thought she was a shy young girl who didn’t have any friends in this small town.
Found her easily enough at her mom’s house. Her mother was a real piece of work, I know for a fact that she was the cause of a few marriage problems in this town. A part of me thought those nasty rumours about Alicia were easily true about her mother.
Anyway, when I arrived at the house Alicia’s mother was as polite as you can be with a scowl on her face and she led me to the door of Alicia’s room. Did not hesitate to bang on the door.
“Alicia! The police are here to haul your ass,” she said through the door.
She let out a small sadistic chuckle after that and just walked away to the end of the corridor. Not trying to make my job easy.
I knocked a bit softer. “Alicia, it’s Officer Lloyd here. You’re definitely not in trouble. Your mother doesn’t have the best sense of humor.” I shot a glance back at that bitch. She wasn’t impressed.
I could hear some movement, shifting of furniture, before a small, nineteen year old girl with raven black hair opened the door. She looked up at me guiltily, but I tried to do my best warm, small town police officer smile.
“Can we just sit outside the house and have a chat?” I asked.
It was sunset by then and as I was looking down the street standing next Alicia.
Got right to asking questions. “I understand you’ve been hanging out with Dennis lately.”
Silence from her.
Pressed again. “Again, you’re not in any trouble. I don’t care what drugs you and Dennis have taken, I just need to know we’ve they’ve come from.”
She looked up at me confused. “Drugs?”
“Dennis is at hospital right now from a drug overdose. I need to know what he took and where he got them from.”
Alicia looked even more confused and said “I don’t know anything about drugs.”
I looked at Alicia confused.
“What were you so nervous about then?” I asked her.
Then she goes on to tell me about how her and Dennis had been seeing each other lately. I mean, good on them for finding each other. But they don’t want the small town breathing down their neck, watching everything they do. So what do they do? They go out camping spending time in the forest away from all the gossip and talk you get in a small town.
I said “big deal”. I can keep secrets. I just want to know what drugs he took to save his life.
She just shook her head. It was the day before she said. They were “hanging out” when suddenly this psycho supposedly attacks them. Dennis punches back, knocking the guy over and the two of them run off. Didn’t look back. But said Dennis got bit or something. Didn’t have a good look at the guy who attacked them but said the smell was awful, she was ready to hurl it was that bad. Said she was afraid to report it because Dennis may have been charged with leaving him for dead or something.
Now, as she’s saying all this I think it’s turned from a drug psychosis to some sort of rabies or something like that.
Tell her she or Dennis is not at fault but just tell me where they got attacked and I’ll look into it.
AGENT TAYLOR Where did that attack take place?
LLOYD It was in the forest around the Old Hobson place. But the Hobson’s didn’t live there anymore. The old man died nine months ago and all his kids have moved away. Sad really. There was someone else that moved in though.
Paul Miller.
Paul Miller had moved to town six months ago with his young daughter Eliza. They moved into the old Hobson place and only come into town to do shopping. No one knows much about Paul and what he does for a living. They don’t seem to mingle with the townsfolk that much but when they do most people find Paul to be charming.
Eliza on the other hand has never said a word. She’s always looked deathly pale and some reckon she has some sort of medical condition but no one knows what.
AGENT TAYLOR So you’ve never had contact with them before.
LLOYD Yeah, I don’t think so. Not the worst thing, I guess. Means they’ve never been in trouble with the law right?
AGENT TAYLOR Right. Getting back on track, did you investigate the scene of the attack.
LLOYD I did. Went to that section of the forest from coordinates that Alicia gave me from her phone. Didn’t find anything or nobody.
AGENT TAYLOR But I understand you went to visit Paul Miller afterwards?
LLOYD Right. Right. I figure he may possibly know something about the attack or, at least I thought I should warn him about this psycho. Better to be safe.
So, I arrived at the old Hobson place around nine o’clock. Was just going to have a quick chat more than anything.
The old Hobson place was a farmstead about twenty miles out of town. Mr. Hobson used to grow mostly either wheat or corn but nothing had grown here for what seemed like years. The only things that were still there were the house and the red barn behind it.
I knocked on the door and young Eliza opened the door.
“Hey there young lady, Eliza is it?” But she didn’t say anything. She was indeed deathly pale but otherwise seemed like a perfectly normal teenage girl.
“You’re probably wondering why I’m here. I was just wondering if I could have a word with your father.”
She silently motioned for me to come inside. The interior was…strange. The pale beige colour scheme made it feel like I stepped inside a hospital and not someone’s home.
“Eliza let me answer the…”
Paul Miller stopped at the end of the corridor and stared at me.
“Hello…officer.”
“Hello Mr. Mller, I haven’t had the opportunity to introduce myself. I’m Officer Lloyd. Uh-“ He looked at me bewildered, wondering what the hell I was doing there. I could only assume he confused as to how I got in the house.
“Your daughter let me in.”
“Oh.” He said.
“I just want to warn you about an attack that occurred in the nearby forest. Can we have a seat?”
I’ve never been to the Old Hobson place but I could see that work had been done. You see, most of the houses in town had this old rustic look about them, since most of them were built fifty years ago. Including the Old Hobson house. But the inside of Mr. Miller’s house seemed almost like a hospital. All the walls and the ceiling were painted with a light beige, I almost got the sense he was leading me to a doctor’s office when he showed me the way to the kitchen.
We sat down at the kitchen table, all three of us. It seemed like, it seemed like Paul didn’t want Eliza there but she just walked in there anyway. Never said a word either.
So I told Paul all about the attack on Dennis, how Dennis and his girlfriend were in the woods nearby, didn’t tell him they were doing drugs though, then told him how they were attacked in the dark by what they thought was some freak junky.
“We’ll keep an eye out officer.” Paul told me. We’ll keep an eye out officer? As if some lunatic running around wasn’t that big of a deal. Paul wasn’t a suspect, mind you, but I don’t know. Something didn’t sit right. Then he told me if there was nothing else he would happily help me out.
But then my detective instincts kicked, started asking question. Standard stuff, like you haven’t seen anybody around here, is it just you two living here, no signs of suspicious activity, even got a bit smart and asked if he was the attacker after getting drunk.
Paul just responds in the coldest way possible, no emotion whatsoever. It was weird.
So then I ask him what he does for a living. What brought him out here? It’s a small town, for better or for worse, everyone knows everyone. But I didn’t know anything about Paul.
“I worked for the military.” He said.
“Army? Navy? Air Force?” I ask.
He just sort of shrugs and looks away. “Don’t really want to talk about it.”
AGENT TAYLOR And that’s all he said?
LLOYD That’s all he said. Wasn’t the most talkative of guys it seemed. So I tried to talk to his daughter, Eliza, instead.
She seemed like she was still a teenager, some of the people in town have seen her and her dad buying groceries now and again, but no one has ever actually spoken to her. Some of the teenage boys have tried to, believe me, but she either doesn’t say anything or her dad cuts them off.
Just asked her what school she went to since nobody’s seen her at the nearby high school. But she just blankly stared, I think she heard me, she just didn’t want to say anything. At least, that’s what I thought until Paul said, “She had encephalitis.”
I’m not a doctor so I asked him what it was.
I think he said something like, “it’s an infection of the brain. She can’t speak anymore.” When he said that, he was nearly tearing up. Going from stone cold to crying in the space of a minute shook me up, you know?
“Nearly killed her…” Then he starts wiping away the tears from his eyes. “Sorry officer, lost my composure. Rest assured, we’ll keep an eye out for any vagrants or anybody like that. I won’t let anybody harm my daughter, I can assure you.”
I…didn’t have much else to ask really. He wasn’t really a suspect, even if he was, I didn’t have any evidence to go off. If he did attack Dennis, then I guess he gets away with it. Not like he supplied them the drugs that put Dennis in hospital.
So I just thanked them for their time and walked towards the front door with Paul following me.
As I got out onto the front porch I turned around and told him I’ll be hanging around the property, as in the forest nearby, see if I can find anything that suggests somebody was camping out there. But first I just wanted to check out the barn. God, this sounds stupid, but that barn was probably nearly a century old, not like all the new metal ones everyone’s got now. Probably think I’m some dumb hick but I just wanted to check it out. Didn’t even suspect anything at that point, there’s just not a lot to do in a small town you know?
But Paul, he just gave me this really dirty look, like as if he was saying just get out of here already.
AGENT TAYLOR But you stuck around?
LLOYD Yeah…yeah I did. It wasn’t…wasn’t anything behind it really. But Paul started getting really antsy. He was staring, fidgeting, as if he was in two minds you know? Didn’t know him that well so maybe that’s what he’s normally like. Maybe just a really private guy. Felt kind of bad but I was just going to have a look at the outside of his barn, didn’t even plan on going in.
AGENT TAYLOR So what did Paul do?
LLOYD He just gave up and said he’d show me around. Still seemed nervous and quiet but he walked with me around the house and we were standing out the back just looking at the barn. Then I kind of did want to check out the inside but I came there unannounced and I didn’t suspect him of anything so I thought I’d just do a quick search around the property for anything and then go back to town.
Then I heard the scream.
AGENT TAYLOR Scream?
LLOYD Yeah, it was terrifying. Literally chills down my spine stuff. Thought it was coming from the barn.
AGENT TAYLOR Man? Woman?
LLOYD I don’t know. Thinking about it, I still don’t know. Wasn’t anything like I’d heard before. It actually scared me. I’ve heard cries for help before but that scream sounded like whoever it came was out for blood. I know how stupid that sounds but it did.
When I looked to Paul behind me he was pale as. Practically more scared than I was.
When I asked him what it was though, he just said it might be some coyote or a bear. Told him that was stupid and I’m going to check it out.
As soon as I took a step he grabbed me.
Had to stop myself from throwing down, you just get really defensive as a police officer but I tried to be as civil as I could be. So I turned and tried to reason with him but he was looking at me bewildered. First thing that comes out of his mouth is, “Don’t go. Whatever you do, don’t go.”
Gently, but firmly, I grasped his hand and reminded him that I’m an officer of the law and I have a duty to investigate whatever that noise was and he was not to use force against an officer again.
But he didn’t let go. He looked even more scared but he didn’t let go.
Get this, he says to me, “It’s for your safety. Don’t go back there.”
Then I ask him, what’s back there that will put me in danger.
He just says he can’t tell and that I should just drive off and he’ll deal with it.
Starts gripping me tighter. Had to deescalate the situation somehow. Forcefully, I told him to please let go in a firm voice but he just tells me to drive back to town for my own safety.
I know this sound’s stupid, but sometimes when someone tells you to do something you just dig your heels in and do the opposite. That’s what I felt, but I had to remember that I was an officer, so I firmly warned him if he didn’t release me, I’ll have to arrest him for assaulting an officer.
That made him tear up and he lets go.
Maybe I should have arrested him. Thinking back, I should have. Got it into my head that the scream was more urgent, that this crying stranger in front of me was in no danger and he was just scared. I’ve never, and I don’t think I’ll ever be, in a situation like that again.
But I started walking towards the barn and Paul starts walking with me.
He starts pleading with me now, “Officer, please, go back, I’ll deal with it.” Or something like that. We’re about halfway when he does it. I’m still kicking myself for not taking him seriously as a threat.
He went for my gun.
No warning. Heart nearly jumped in my throat as I’m trying to stop this crying lunatic from pulling my gun out but my holster kept it in there. I wasn’t really thinking but I had one his wrist and with my other arm I was just trying to beat him senseless. Anything to make him let go.
We’re…tossing, turning, thrashing, do everything in my power to keep him pulling out my gun and keep my feet. That was the thing, it would be real easy to just drop to the ground but then I knew it would be over.
It was just intense. Never been more scared for my life up until then. Somehow, I managed to beat him senseless enough that he wobbles for a bit and lets go, then stumbles onto his ass.
And I just look down at him, out of breath and pissed.
He was pathetic. So pathetic.
Now, this is the part the I’ve run through my mind over and over and I still don’t understand.
While I was standing there thinking about how to haul his ass to prison and he was sitting on the ground crying…that’s when the barn doors banged open.
I…didn’t know what I was expecting. Definitely not two people screaming, running at us. We were probably a good twenty yards away from the barn but they seemed to clear that distance in no time.
I think I…managed to say something like “stop” but it all happened so fast. One of them, a man, I think ran straight at me and I tucked my shoulder in like this- like my high school football days. Sent him sideway but it was freakish. Seemed to crawl back up and go at me just like that.
My heart’s pounding. I can’t think straight. I was just done wrestling Paul, I’ve got these two- let me tell you right now. They weren’t human. This guy he was- his skin was all sorts of messed up. It didn’t seem like it was on tight, like it was sagging and rotting. And the screaming. As soon as they got out of that barn they were screaming their heads off. Think it damaged my ears.
So I’ve got these two screaming, my head’s pounding, I can’t think straight, I’ve had more life and death experiences in the past two days than I’ve had in the past ten years…then I hear Paul screaming, crying out for help.
But I couldn’t look behind me because this guy was coming at me again.
Fearing for my life, I unclipped my holster and fired at the son of a bitch.
But this is the bit, this is the bit I’m still trying to understand.
I shot him right, right here, in the chest. He goes down.
But then he’s back up again.
I couldn’t believe it. But I didn’t have time to think, so aim again for his head.
He stayed down. The son of a bitch stayed down. Had to wait a moment but that killed him. Before I could even think straight I hear Paul’s screaming, I can still hear it. It was…
This is another thing I just don’t get-
AGENT TAYLOR That’s okay. You can stop there.
LLOYD No. I have to tell someone. I can’t keep this to myself.
When I turned around I saw Paul, he had that woman on top of him and she was eating him. Her teeth were chowing through his neck and shoulder as if she was eating…I don’t even know what to compare it to. It’s like some crow picking off a dead carcass. All this blood, all this blood was pouring out, forming this pool around Paul and this sick bitch.
I was frozen. It’s like I walked into some nightmare.
She turns to look at me, hunched over Paul and with bits of his neck clenched in between her teeth and I just lost it. I fired. I fired my gun again.
I couldn’t save him.
AGENT TAYLOR I understand. No one is blaming you for using deadly force when necessary.
LLOYD Yeah. I know that.
AGENT TAYLOR I just need to know what happened after that exactly. I understand you called the state police for assistance? How quickly did you do that?
LLOYD It wasn’t right away.
AGENT TAYLOR Then what did you do before then?
LLOYD I made my way to the barn that I wanted to see so badly.
Wouldn’t even say I walked over, more like I shuffled. Barely lifted my feet. I…didn’t know what I was expecting. It’s a barn right? So I thought I should see hay or a tractor or something. Stuff you would normally find in your average barn.
But as soon as I walked through that door it was like I was transported into some lab experiment.
The first thing I lad my eyes on were the bodies kept on steel tables in the center. They were just lying there, rotting. I was so traumatised by what happned that I didn’t even notice the smell. It was disgusting.
I took my first deep breath and nearly keeled over. It was that bad. Was so shocked that I didn’t take a step forward and just looked around first. On the sides of the barn there were rows and rows of shelves, filled with vials and flasks and all sorts of other glass stuff. Then there was this big refrigerator hooked up near the entrance that I didn’t notice. Didn’t want to look inside.
Then there were the cages. Cages on the other side of the barn. Empty. Broken.
With the dead bodies and the lab equipment…I just had no idea what was going on. I was just standing there dumbstruck, trying to figure out what to do next.
AGENT TAYLOR What did you do next?
LLOYD Nothing. I couldn’t…I couldn’t handle any more of this. I went to my car, called the state police then walked inside and found Eliza. Sitting at the dinner table where I first sat down.
I couldn’t even tell her her father died. She never said a word. Just sitting there, blank faced.
When the first of the state police came half an hour later, I just let him handle it. You could see it on his face, he was as shocked as I was. Then you guys came shortly after somehow.
AGENT TAYLOR We get there when you need us.
LLOYD What happened there? I’ve been thinking. This sounds stupid. But were they, were they zombies? Like honest to God zombies? Is that what I killed? Just what was I dealing with.
AGENT TAYLOR Officer Lloyd you’ve done your community proud and gone above and beyond what any body would have expected of you. But there are no such things as zombies. What I do know is that we’re still investigating but when we do have answers, we will let you know.
[end of recording]