143: The History of Alien Abductions, Part 8: Karla Turner

143: The History of Alien Abductions, Part 8: Karla Turner

Author: Rob Kristoffersen March 6, 2023 Duration: 1:08:43

In the Spring of 1988, Dr. Karla Turner, an English instructor at the University of North Texas, unexpectedly asked her class to objectively evaluate evidence on Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, or UFOs. Despite describing herself as open-minded, she had limited interest in the paranormal. Karla believed that examining the evidence from an academic perspective would result in weak and inconclusive findings. She admitted that she had only looked at the evidence with a passing curiosity before assigning her students to evaluate it. Little did she know, this assignment would shatter her world and lead to her becoming one of the most tragic figures in the field of ufology. She fell victim to tin-foil-hat-wearing conspiracy theorists, charlatans, and misguided crusaders for the truth, who were oblivious or indifferent to the harm they caused to many others like her.

From this one assignment, Karla Turner and her family would become embroiled in the alien abduction phenomenon, becoming abductees largely over night. Everyone that came into her life would offer confirmation through stories of their own. This is the story of one of the abduction phenomenon's tragic figures, Karla Turner.

Sources & Links:

Into The Fringe: A True Story of Alien Abduction by Karla Turner

Taken: Inside the Alien-Human Abduction Agenda by Karla Turner

“51 - Ted Rice & The Occupants of Interplanetary Craft” by The Nonsense Bazaar

“Abductions in the Gingerbread House” by Karla Turner

Karla Turner’s Facebook Page run by Elton Turner

Theme song:

"Ufo" by Floats, available on Soundcloud, iTunes and Spotify

Logo designed by Megan Lagerberg

T-Shirt Designs by The Great Desdymona

Check out ourstrangeskies.com for all things related to the podcast!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


There's a long, winding story written across our collective past that doesn't always make it into the official records. Our Strange Skies: UFOs Throughout History follows that thread, tracing the phenomenon from ancient accounts to modern-day encounters. Host Rob Kristoffersen approaches these tales not just as mysteries, but as integral parts of our cultural and historical fabric, examining how they reflect the anxieties and imaginations of their times. Each episode focuses on a specific case, era, or theme, blending documented reports with the broader lore that has grown around them. You'll hear detailed breakdowns of famous sightings, deep dives into lesser-known incidents, and thoughtful discussions on topics ranging from reported abductions to the cryptic creatures often associated with these skies. Rob's conversations with a rotating cast of researchers, historians, and fellow experts add layers of context, ensuring the narrative is grounded even when the subject matter is decidedly ungrounded. This isn't about sensationalism; it's a careful, curious exploration of why these stories persist and what they tell us about ourselves. Tune into this podcast for a thoughtful journey through the archives of the unexplained, where history meets mystery head-on.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Our Strange Skies: UFOs Throughout History
Podcast Episodes
The Hum and the Silence, Vol 17: The Missing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:18
Greetings, y'all Since we covered David Paulides' shitty doc this week on the podcast, I figured I would cover some strange disappearances that have always stuck with me. Enjoy! Sources: The Cold Vanish: Seeking the Miss…
Bonus - The Abduction of John Womack [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:45
This week's main episode ran a little long, and we didn't want to deny anyone the story of John Womack in all its glory. In his book, I Was Picked Up By A UFO, John Womack detailed his time aboard a UFO and the strangene…
The Hum and the Silence, Vol. 16: Obscure Abductions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:26
On this installment of The Hum and the Silence we dive into more obscure abduction cases, including the case of Clarence Patterson, who was abducted with his truck near Loxley, Alabama; the story of Paulo Coutinho, who w…
The Hum and the Silence, Vol 14: The 1967 Addendum [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:09
For the final installment of our Addendum series, we return with some odd humanoids, UFO photos, and a series of encounters with short little men in the bedrooms of many Venezuelan residents. James E McDonald hits up the…
The Hum and the Silence, Vol 13: The 1966 Addendum [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:14
Greetings Patrons! I'm back with the 66 addendum. If you recall, 1966 was the Swamp Gas year; the straw that broke the camels back for Project Blue Book and led to a civilian study of the UFO phenomenon and Blue Book's f…
The Hum and the Silence, Vol 12: The 1965 Supplementary Material [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:09
Hello Patrons! Here is the first of three volumes of supplementary material from the 65-67 series! There were a number of trends from this year that stood out, that we didn't really get a chance to cover on the main show…
The Hum and the Silence, Vol 11: From the Pages of the MUFON Journal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:08
Hello patrons! on this installment of the Hum and the Silence, I bring y'all some cases from the MUFON UFO Journal from the 2000s. Cases include the saga of the Briese family on their North Dakota Ranch, a fire set by a…