OUT OF
THE SHADOWS
Former Pentagon UAP Investigator Breaks His Silence
For years, the public has asked what government investigators really know about unidentified objects in American skies. Now one former senior intelligence official is telling his story.
Jay Stratton, a longtime U.S. intelligence professional and former director of the Pentagon's Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force, has published a memoir titled Out of the Shadows: Revealing the Truth About Non-Human Intelligent Life.
Released October 13, 2026, through William Morrow, the book describes his experiences investigating unidentified anomalous phenomena, commonly known as UAPs.
Stratton's account reaches far beyond ordinary reports of unexplained lights.
He describes encountering information and testimony that, in his view, point toward nonhuman intelligence and technology. His allegations include secret government efforts to study recovered craft and a long-running effort to conceal significant discoveries from the public.
Among the experiences he discusses is viewing footage of an unusual dark, triangular object near sensitive American airspace. He has described the object's apparent performance as unlike conventional aircraft.
Stratton also connects his investigative work to reports involving military facilities and nuclear-related sites, an area of particular concern for national security officials.
His career gives the memoir an unusual perspective. Rather than approaching UAPs solely as a civilian enthusiast, Stratton spent years working within the national intelligence community.
That background makes his testimony noteworthy, while the specific events and conclusions he describes remain matters for further investigation, disclosure and public examination.
The memoir arrives amid growing public attention to UAP investigations, government transparency and the testimony of former officials.
For some readers, Stratton's account may reinforce long-held beliefs about extraterrestrial visitation. For others, it raises questions about classified programs, the interpretation of unusual observations and the evidence that governments may possess.
But the most important question may be what happens next.
Will additional records become available? Will other witnesses come forward? And will the public receive enough information to examine these extraordinary accounts for itself?
Stratton has placed his experiences before the public under his own name.
The conversation surrounding them is far from over.
Further reading: People magazine's interview with Jay Stratton and the publisher's book listing.
Shepherdstown Opens Its Doors to the Spirits of October
Ghost tours, paranormal investigations and a historic town with stories around nearly every corner.
In Shepherdstown, West Virginia, Halloween is more than a single night on the calendar.
The historic Eastern Panhandle town is celebrating October with a season of activities leading into its annual BooFest festivities.
With old buildings, centuries of local history and a longstanding reputation for ghost stories, Shepherdstown provides a particularly atmospheric setting for the season.
Experience Shepherdstown has organized a calendar that combines family entertainment, local businesses, costumes, storytelling and paranormal-themed activities.
One especially interesting event is scheduled for Saturday, October 24, at the Historic Shepherdstown Museum.
From 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., the museum is offering free ghost tours, departing every half hour.
Later that evening, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., the museum is scheduled to host a ticketed paranormal investigation involving local investigators, a psychic medium and a dowser.
The investigation is advertised at $20 per participant, with advance registration required.
For visitors interested in the town's haunted reputation, the events offer two different approaches: hearing the stories during a guided tour and participating in a paranormal-themed investigation.
Shepherdstown's Halloween programming also includes the October 23 Vampire's Ball and a range of seasonal gatherings throughout the downtown area.
The town's appeal is not limited to its supernatural reputation. Its preserved streetscape, historic structures and connections to regional history give visitors plenty to explore even without encountering a ghost.
And that may be what makes Shepherdstown such a fitting destination for paranormal enthusiasts.
The ghost stories invite curiosity, while the buildings and streets remind visitors that the past was once everyday life for the people who lived there.
Whether visitors arrive for history, Halloween entertainment or the possibility of something unexplained, Shepherdstown is ready to welcome them.
Event information: Experience Shepherdstown's October 2026 Halloween schedule. Check organizers for updates, availability and registration.
Halloween Nights Returns to Eastern State Penitentiary
One of America's most recognizable historic prisons is once again opening its gates for a season of elaborate Halloween entertainment.
Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia is hosting its 35th Halloween season, with Halloween Nights scheduled on select evenings from October 2 through November 7, 2026.
This year's event includes five haunted houses, live performances, themed gathering spaces, special effects and opportunities to explore the historic prison environment.
But Eastern State is more than an atmospheric setting for theatrical scares.
Opened in 1829, the penitentiary became an influential institution in American prison history. Its imposing architecture and cellblocks now provide the backdrop for both historical interpretation and seasonal entertainment.
Visitors should understand the distinction between the prison's documented history and the fictional horror experiences created for Halloween Nights.
According to the organization, proceeds from the event support the preservation of the historic site, educational programming and related initiatives.
That means an evening spent enjoying the scares can also help maintain an important American landmark.
The final weekend, November 6 and 7, is scheduled to feature a special Halloween Nights REMIXED experience.
Official event information: Eastern State Penitentiary — Halloween Nights.
Hauntober Brings the Old West Back to Life
In Nevada's historic Virginia City, October has a name of its own: Hauntober.
Throughout the month, the former mining boomtown is embracing its reputation for ghost stories with tours, historical attractions and seasonal events.
Virginia City's past is filled with the dramatic ingredients of Old West history: mining fortunes, saloons, dangerous working conditions, crowded streets and generations of stories about the people who lived and died there.
Today, the town uses that history as the foundation for a Halloween celebration that stretches through October 31.
Among the upcoming highlights is The Spirits Made Me Do It Saloon Crawl, scheduled for October 24.
That same evening, the historic Fourth Ward School Museum is scheduled to host an All Hallows Eve Victorian Ball.
Additional programming includes guided ghost tours and paranormal-themed experiences at local historic attractions.
For travelers fascinated by haunted history, Virginia City offers something particularly appealing: many of the places connected with its legends still stand within the historic town.
Visitors can walk through the same streets that once served one of the American West's great silver-mining communities.
And after sunset, those streets provide an unforgettable backdrop for a ghost story.
Official event calendar: Virginia City — October 2026 events.
THE UNKNOWN IS STILL MAKING NEWS
October is the season when ghost stories return to the headlines, historic buildings welcome curious visitors and the unexplained seems to capture everyone's imagination.
But this week's Gazette also reminds us that paranormal curiosity extends far beyond Halloween.
Jay Stratton's newly published memoir brings the UAP discussion into the present, raising questions about government investigations and what the public may learn in the years ahead.
Meanwhile, communities such as Shepherdstown, Philadelphia and Virginia City are finding ways to connect their histories with visitors who are eager to explore.
Some arrive looking for a fright. Others want to understand the past. And some hope that, somewhere along the way, they might experience something they cannot explain.
At True Hauntings of America, we believe these stories deserve curiosity, careful research and respect for the people and places behind them.
Because the world is full of mysteries, and the most interesting stories often begin with someone willing to ask another question.
Sources & Further Reading
Jay Stratton: People, October 2026 interview; Out of the Shadows, HarperCollins, October 13, 2026.
Shepherdstown: Experience Shepherdstown, 2026 Halloween event calendar; West Virginia Public Broadcasting, October 8, 2026.
Eastern State Penitentiary: Official September 2026 announcement.
Virginia City: Official October 2026 event calendar; Travel Nevada, Hauntober 2026.
