What happened to Travis Walton? Details about Expedition Files subject explored

The pilot of Expedition Files featured the case of the alleged alien abduction of Travis Walton and two other cold cases from the past. These included the death of Charles Lindbergh's son and invisible attacks on CIA men in Cuba. The episode premiered on the Discovery Channel on October 30 at 9 ET/PT 2024.

Travis Walton's is one of the most talked-about alien abduction stories in history. His experience on November 5, 1975 has fascinated UFO enthusiasts and puzzled skeptics for decades. Walton was working with his crew in Arizona's Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest when he claimed he was struck by a beam of light from a mysterious craft.

He disappeared for five days and a massive manhunt as well as a media frenzy was sparked. When he came back, he had this incredible tale of being taken on board an alien spaceship. Despite passing several polygraph tests, his story remains quite controversial.

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The alleged alien encounter and Travis Walton's disappearance

Travis Walton was a 22-year-old Arizona native who was working with six fellow workers in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest when this alleged abduction took place. The group was on the way back to Snowflake, Arizona, when they encountered a saucer-shaped craft hovering near the road. Walton approached the craft while his fellow workers tried to stop him.

Talking to The Sun, Walton claims that a beam of light hit him while he was close, throwing him several feet into the air and knocking him out. The crew ran out of there, panic-stricken, but they soon came back to find Walton gone. This caused a mass-scale search involving lawmen and volunteers, but Walton didn't turn up for five days. On November 10, 1975, Walton was found staggering out of the woods in Heber, Arizona.

Travis Walton described that he woke up in what was almost a hospital room. Short, bald humanoids filled the room. He could describe the fight with those humanoids before being moved into another room by one other human-like figure. They forced him to the other end of the room with the others. They strapped him down and put this gas mask over his head and face. He woke up along the road near Heber.

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Polygraph tests and skepticism surrounding Travis Walton's story

Walton's account was highly scrutinized with accusations of him fabricating the story for publicity. As per The Sun, Walton and his coworkers, however, successfully passed multiple polygraph tests conducted by the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization and The National Enquirer. They were also reportedly rewarded with $5,000 for "Best UFO Case of the Year."

However, critics found errors in the tests and accused Walton of using trickery to defeat them. The controversy re-emerged in 2008 when Walton appeared on the TV show The Moment of Truth. The show concluded he was lying about the abduction, fueling further doubt. However, Walton has remained steadfast in his story for nearly 50 years, insisting he knows what he experienced.

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Travis Walton's life after the incident

In 1978, after the event, Walton wrote a book called The Walton Experience, which was then made into the movie in 1993. The film dramatized his story and gave his account a wider reach. Through the years, Walton has appeared in several documentaries, podcasts, and interviews including The Joe Rogan Experience to tell his version of events.

Currently residing in Snowflake, Arizona, Walton is now in his late 60s and prefers quiet living. He rarely ventures into public appearances, however, does make occasional public addresses at UFO conventions. So long as the debate is not closed, Walton remains an important part of the UFO lore and abductions.

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The next episode of Expedition Files is set to premiere on November 27, 2024, at 9 PM ET/PT on the Discovery Channel.