The Adamski ‘Alien Murder Mystery’ Solved: Maybe?

The Strange Death of Zigmund Adamski


In the early summer days of 1980 a dead body was discovered on top of a pile of coal near railway tracks on June 11th in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, England. A man in his fifties wearing pants and shoes, but strangely, no shirt was later identified as Polish immigrant, Zigmund Adamski. Strange burns were found on the back of the head, neck and upper shoulders. His wife had reported him missing on June 6th, some 5 days earlier.

One of the policemen attending the scene was Alan Godfrey (link ) who later had a strange alien encounter himself in November of the same year. George Adamski was a famous UFO contactee who had died a couple of decades earlier. The coincidences were noted and it seems this event has been labelled as a UFO story ever since. If a different police officer had arrived and the victim’s name was different then it would probably have been treated as simply an unsolved murder.

But in 1981 Britains’s tabloid newspaper the Sunday Mirror featured a front page story with a sensational theory... Adamski had been abducted by a UFO, he had then died aboard the spacecraft, and his body dropped onto the top of the coal tip!

It has been the subject of many articles and TV documentaries ever since.


click for larger image.

The Murder Investigation


The investigation into his death uncovered some odd facts.

Adamski was a 56 years old miner working at Lofthouse Colliery at the time of his death and lived in the village of Tingley, about 20 miles from Todmorden, where his body was found. He had been married happily to his wife Lottie since 1951. Lottie was suffering from multiple sclerosis and Adamski had recently had a request for early retirement to care for her rejected. Zigmund himself had chronic bronchitis and a heart condition.


Adamski had gone missing for 5 days prior to his death. On June 6th, he had had an afternoon meal with Lottie and some relatives. The whole family was looking forward to his god-daughter’s wedding the following day. Adamski left the house shortly after the meal telling them he was going to pick up some supplies before the wedding and then appeared to vanish from the face of the earth.

An open verdict was given at the autopsy. It identified the cause of death as heart failure and the time of his death was placed at between 11:15 AM and 1:15 PM on June 11th. But, the strange burns to the head, neck and back were estimated to have taken place on June 9th...two days before the discovery of his body on a pile of coal. There were also traces of an unidentified ointment, as if somebody had tried to treat the burns. Adamski’s whereabouts were completely unknown from the moment he left the family home (other than a brief chat with his neighbours as he left the house).

The case leaves many unanswered questions:

* Why was Adamski’s shirt and watch missing when he was found?

* How did the body come to be on top of the coal tip miles from his home and what caused the burns?

I’ve known about this case for a long time but until recently only stumbled this explanation of the mysterious events surrounding Adamski’s death. Even if it’s still not conclusive.

It seems that John Hanson and David Sankey, two researchers, had done some more digging around this case in 2006 and spoke to a close friend of Adamski and his wife. The belief was that Adamski had been held against his will and this eventually led to his death.

Source : www.tinyurl.com...

Trevor Parker, in charge of the coal yard at the time, states he arrived at 8am and left there at 11am. At which point nothing unusual was observed. He returned around 4pm to find Adamski face down on the heap of coal.
 
Police Theories on the Case

The police at the time worked on a number of theories:

* Had he arrived by train and then walked into the coal yard alone?
* Was he placed on top of the coal as a statement from his abductors?
* Did he jump from a bridge onto a passing coal truck and die from his injuries, ending up on the coal pile due to an unsuspecting delivery driver?

The latter was ruled out once Parker confirmed there had been no coal deliveries for a few days.

The peculiar marks on the back of Adamski’s head have been possibly attributed to acupuncture treatment that Adamski was receiving at the time called moxi- bustion. This includes placing an ignited cotton wool ball soaked in alcohol against the skin. The unidentified ointment perhaps being administered after such treatment went wrong and may also explain why his shirt was missing (it had burned).

Another possibility came from a story that Adamski was due to give his god-daughter away at the family wedding mentioned earlier. He was apparently none too happy about this, believing it to be the responsibility of another family member who he was not on good terms with. The wife of this man had sought sanctuary at the Adamski’s to avoid intimidation and harassment from him. The implication then being that maybe Adamski made his excuses about going to the local shops but really went to visit this unidentified male family member. He was then captured and locked in a garden shed after an argument of some kind. Adamski attempted to escape and came into contact with battery acid causing the burns on his neck. (Apparently this person has been identified and was interviewed by police although not charged with any crime).

A number of issues remain a mystery.

* Adamski was found with about a day’s growth to his beard and his hair had been cropped. So he must have had access to a razor, soap and water, during the time he was missing. Where was he during this time?

* If he died from a heart attack did he die whilst in captivity, from the after- shocks during escape or is there another explanation?

* We really don’t know how he came to be on top of that coal pile either. Someone or something placed him there in daylight.

Access to the Coroner’s files were refused when the researchers asked Bradford Coroner’s Court because they were ‘not interested parties’. The actual Coroner, James Turnbull, also failed to respond to requests for more information when Hanson contacted him.

It appears that case is still unresolved. Does anyone still make a case for it being aliens?

a reply to: mirageman

Nice read, thanks for putting in the work…

Does anyone still make a case for it being aliens?

Not really… sounds like all the unresolved bits had a real world possibility.

The weird "acupuncture" burns, the family disagreement. His cause of death ruled a heart attack and he suffered from Bronchitis and a heart condition?

Too little to make an aliens did it claim. Sounds like an old coal miner died of complications from his profession. His message may have been to die on the pile of coal to reflect that?

Well I think this is a case of people getting carried away..... Why would anyone attribute a man on a coal pile to aliens? I'm baffled!! I think story's like this are doing the ufo scene no good what's so ever.. It's embarrassing.

Oh well. Can't really add more than that.

a reply to: DigitalResonance

It's 34 years old and has been part UK UFO history despite there not being any real evidence of alien involvement.lf the bloke hadn't been called Adamski I doubt anything would have ever come of it. But like many other modern myths once it's let out into the wild it gets a life of it's own.

a reply to: mirageman

Interesting presentation, OP. After all this time, would FOIA not be able to reveal some more tidbits? The UFO angle is a stretch, imo. Family dynamics should perhaps have been more deeply delved into?

a reply to: mirageman

Definitely foul play, the police investigating did not do a good job at all from what you tell us and this poor fellow has never recieved justice for his murder.
The sensationalism around his death obviously did no help either but this case should be re opened and passed on to modern patholigists for more up to date forensic analysis, sadly his body will long be gone but some evidence will still remain and with modern DNA analysis even his pant's could tell the tale of whom he came into contact with, while this would be unlikely to provide a conviction a good interigation of the prime suspect them enlightened by the find would probably break them down to a confession or at least garner new evidence.
Other location's which might have held DNA evidence would be the ointment but it was most likely contaminateda.
The age of this and the poor police work at the time (though these techniques have been used to solve older crimes) will probably mean this one goes unsolved barring a death bed confession which is highly unlikely.

It is, and probably always will be, a truly baffling mystery.

Why would a man climb to the top of a coal heap, lie on his back looking at the sky...and die?

The police officers who attended the scene observed that the body was relatively "clean", implying that Adamski would have been covered in coal dust had he climbed the heap.

If he was the victim of foul play (surely this is the most sensible conclusion), why would his killer/killers leave the body there?

Concealing the body doesn't seem to have been a priority for them.

Then again, if they weren't bothered about concealing the body, why not just dump it somewhere on open ground?

Did the coal heap have symbolic significance (Adamski being a coal miner)?

I think the association with coal is significant.

This is part one of the Alan godfrey story... In the later parts it includes the Adamski case.. I was living in Halifax in the seventies when I first read the story in the local rag and have been intrigued with this case ever since.. You'll find the rest of the episodes on Youtube..

I never really knew the particulars of this case, but after pondering what you've written I really do not think aliens are a viable option. Even if they exist and are visiting earth, the majority of eyewitness testimony would not align with this particular case and the details it contains. Not to mention the fact that all of these particulars can be explained in a much more conventional manner. Either he was held against his will, or he willingly did not return home. The latter seems quite unlikely. Or a third option, that he had an accident of some kind.

It seems he was treated fairly well while in captivity, if that is the case, which likely means the person who captured him knew him. A stranger may have kidnapped and later killed the guy, but this doesn't make sense to me. Perhaps someone dumped his body after they got scared because he had had a heart attack. Maybe whoever was doing these strange treatments he was receiving. It would be difficult for a person to kidnap this guy and then make him have a heart attack or make his death appear to be accidental. And if they wanted his death to appear accidental, why dump him on top of a pile of coal? That is suspicious in itself, mainly because it would have been uncharacteristic for this man to go climbing or traipsing around this area at such a time.

There are many possibilities, but I think there is some manner of foul play involved in this case. I think that, lacking any other injuries, this man likely succumbed to a heart attack during a confrontation of some kind. His assailant may not have wanted him dead, but may have panicked and decided to get rid of the body. Fear and adrenaline, and the confusion after such an occurrence, could easily explain the less than stellar decisions on that individual's part...although if this is what happened, the person seems to have gotten away with something.

Sounds like a totally human situation for his death. Either accidental or on purpose. But I'm not seeing anything that could remotely support an alien conspiracy theory on this ....

originally posted by: CJCrawley

It is, and probably always will be, a truly baffling mystery.

Why would a man climb to the top of a coal heap, lie on his back looking at the sky...and die?

The police officers who attended the scene observed that the body was relatively "clean", implying that Adamski would have been covered in coal dust had he climbed the heap.

If he was the victim of foul play (surely this is the most sensible conclusion), why would his killer/killers leave the body there?

Concealing the body doesn't seem to have been a priority for them.

Then again, if they weren't bothered about concealing the body, why not just dump it somewhere on open ground?

Did the coal heap have symbolic significance (Adamski being a coal miner)?

I think the association with coal is significant.

Adamski was actually found face down by the ambulance crew (which is not really mentioned in many versions of the tale). When PC Godfrey arrived the medics had probably moved him to check for signs of life so it is often reported he was facing skywards. The body was relatively clean but it had also been a particularly rainy day.

Every other point you make is spot on and perhaps the coal was significant in some way which makes this case still an interesting one even if there is nothing to link it to UFOs or aliens.

originally posted by: aboutface
a reply to: mirageman

Interesting presentation, OP. After all this time, would FOIA not be able to reveal some more tidbits? The UFO angle is a stretch, imo. Family dynamics should perhaps have been more deeply delved into?

From reading the full transcription of the investigation by John Hanson (a retired police officer himself) and David Sankey they tried to get documents via FOIA from the West Yorkshire Police. The police advised that all documentation was with the Coroner's Office. When they requested the information via FOI they were refused the Coroner's reports and told this would not be possible as they were not adjudged to be 'interested parties'. They even contacted the actual coroner involved in the case, James Turnbull, but he did not respond to requests for further information.

The case file is still open and the murder has not been solved to date. Nor does anyone seem interested in solving it.

a reply to: lewtra

Thanks for adding the video. It's a good addition to the thread. Although the reconstruction was obviously filmed in bright sunshine when Alan Godfrey (the PC who attended) clearly says in the video that there was 'inclement weather'.

How and why was the body at the top of that pile of coal?

a reply to: JiggyPotamus

I agree. Adamski was also found around 30 miles from home to add further mystery to this case.

I would speculate that if the story about the wedding is true and he didn't feel he should be giving away his god daughter then I think Adamski left his family with the intention of having words with Mr. X. When he arrived an argument broke out and perhaps even a scuffle where Adamski was then locked away until after the wedding had taken place. Perhaps he had a heart attack whilst there. Another theory I've heard is that he perhaps visited a lady of ill repute due to his wife's illness. Although that wouldn't account for him being absent for 5 days surely?

Of course it's also possible that he'd privately decided to have nothing to do with the wedding and made arrangements with a friend to stay elsewhere without telling a word to his family. Perhaps something happened there that results in his death. But being found dead at the top of a coal heap makes this story a very odd one.

originally posted by: mirageman
a reply to: lewtra
Alan Godfrey (the PC who attended) clearly says in the video that there was 'inclement weather'.

How and why was the body at the top of that pile of coal?

That is what makes the Adamski connection with the Godfrey Ufo sighting interesting.. To say he climbed up a heap of coal and be relativity clean is the mystery, the marks and jelly like substance on his neck are unusual also.. Tbh I've been baffled for 40 plus years about the Adamski case, now did pc Godfey have a close encounter/abduction? only he knows, but he does seem sincere and does not come across like a Greer type..

I dont think we will ever get to the bottom of it, unless someone involved with his death comes to light.. But it makes for a great mystery..

a reply to: lewtra

Exactly

Even if you take all the alien/UFO connections made over the years out of this story you still have an interesting story left in which parts remain unsolved.

Godfrey's own encounter a few months later is certainly one of high strangeness and sadly affected the man's career even though he never sought the attention or to gain anything from telling his story.

What I have always thought is that he had an affair with someone (maybe homosexual which was more taboo at that time) maybe with the person who performed the acupunctures, and had a heartattack while with that person.

Why I think this is because his body was placed on a coal pile where he would be easily found, and knew he worked at a coal mine. And was cleaned and shaved (hair continues to grow after death) which makes me think it was someone close who cared abut him and wanted him to have a proper burial, but could not come forward because of shame or something along those lines.

originally posted by: WeSbO
What I have always thought is that he had an affair with someone (maybe homosexual which was more taboo at that time) maybe with the person who performed the acupunctures, and had a heartattack while with that person.

Why I think this is because his body was placed on a coal pile where he would be easily found, and knew he worked at a coal mine. And was cleaned and shaved (hair continues to grow after death) which makes me think it was someone close who cared abut him and wanted him to have a proper burial, but could not come forward because of shame or something along those lines.

That's a very interesting theory and quite plausible.But I still have to wonder not only who, but how, he was lifted up onto a pile of coal in the pouring rain during daylight in an area where trains passed by.

How difficult is it to walk up a pile of coal? How about while dragging a body? This would take 2 people at least, I guess. And would you really want to risk getting caught with a dead body? Why take all that extra trouble and you would be covered in coal making it obvious who did it should anyone see you afterward, and then later hear the very odd story of a body found atop a coal pile? Strange...

originally posted by: 3n19m470
How difficult is it to walk up a pile of coal? How about while dragging a body? This would take 2 people at least, I guess. And would you really want to risk getting caught with a dead body? Why take all that extra trouble and you would be covered in coal making it obvious who did it should anyone see you afterward, and then later hear the very odd story of a body found atop a coal pile? Strange...

This is the one mystifying part of this case. Who put Adamski on the top of the coal pile? How was it done?

And finally WHY was it done?