From Personal Encounter to Unveiling the Truth: How a 25-Year Journey Led to the Identification of the Illinois UFO Events

By James Welsh

The journey that brought me to uncover definitive answers about the mysterious January 5, 2000, triangular UFO sightings over Illinois began long before that pivotal night. My own encounters with unidentified flying objects, particularly those in December 1999, served as the spark that ignited an unrelenting quest for the truth. Over the past 25 years, this pursuit has evolved from personal curiosity to groundbreaking revelations, intertwining personal experiences, NASA mission analysis, and a deeper understanding of historical UFO events.

The Catalyst: December 1999

In December 1999, my life changed forever when I had a close-range encounter with an unidentified craft. The incident was as undeniable as it was perplexing, defying conventional explanations and sparking a need to understand what I had seen. My official report, submitted to the British Ministry of Defence, led to a curt response: unless there was corroborating evidence, they would not investigate further. This dismissal set the stage for what would become a life-defining mission—to find that corroborating evidence myself.

Discovering the STS103 NASA Mission

In 2012, I unearthed something extraordinary: publicly accessible imagery from NASA’s STS103 mission. Conducted in December 1999, this mission was ostensibly tasked with servicing the Hubble Space Telescope. However, the photographic data revealed much more than NASA’s official narrative would suggest. Structured craft, displaying advanced technological features, were visible in orbit alongside the Discovery shuttle and Hubble itself. These findings were not mere anomalies; they were irrefutable proof of something extraordinary.

Applying principles of light physics and mechanics to the imagery, I validated the presence of multiple structured objects that could not be attributed to natural or manmade sources. These discoveries became the foundation of my 2014 publication, Corroborating Evidence: The UFO Investigation of the Millennium, and propelled my investigation into historical UFO events, including the Illinois sightings.

Revisiting the Illinois Triangle UFO Events

The Illinois events, which occurred on January 5, 2000, represent one of the most credible UFO sightings in modern history. Witnessed by numerous individuals, including law enforcement officers, the event described a massive, silent, triangular craft with bright lights hovering low over the landscape. For years, the case remained unexplained, shrouded in speculation and mystery.

Armed with the methodologies and insights developed from my STS103 analysis, I revisited the Illinois case with a new perspective. By cross-referencing eyewitness accounts with the technological characteristics observed in the STS103 imagery, I identified striking similarities. The triangular craft observed in Illinois matched the configuration and advanced technological features of the objects documented in NASA’s imagery.

The Connection: STS103 and Illinois’s Triangle Craft

The overlap between the Illinois sightings and the STS103 findings was undeniable. Both sets of data pointed to advanced craft exhibiting:

• Silent propulsion systems
• Structured designs inconsistent with known human technology
• Consistent geometries and lighting patterns

The Illinois craft, long unidentified, could now be fully contextualized within a broader pattern of observed phenomena. These findings further validated the claims made in my earlier work, linking disparate events into a cohesive narrative that defied coincidence.

From Mystery to Revelation

This journey has not merely been about identifying the unknown but about challenging entrenched narratives and exposing the systematic obfuscation of evidence by institutions like NASA. The STS103 data proved pivotal not only in understanding my own encounters but in providing the tools necessary to unravel other long-standing mysteries, including the Illinois case.

The 25th anniversary of the Illinois triangle UFO sightings marks a critical moment in this journey. What was once a local mystery has now been definitively identified, thanks to the combination of personal experience, rigorous analysis, and the unassailable data uncovered from NASA’s archives.

The Implications for Humanity

The identification of the Illinois craft—and its connection to other historical sightings—is not just a triumph of investigation but a call to action. These findings demand a re-evaluation of how we approach the UFO phenomenon and challenge institutions to finally embrace transparency. The era of dismissing these events as mere anomalies is over.

As we commemorate 25 years since the Illinois sightings, the evidence stands as a testament to what is possible when persistence meets opportunity. My journey, which began with a singular experience in 1999, has culminated in uncovering truths that have eluded humanity for decades. The triangle over Illinois is no longer a mystery; it is a revelation—one that redefines our understanding of the cosmos and our place within it.

A New Era: The Disclosure of Majestic Evidence

Soon, I will release the full findings of my investigation in my upcoming work, Majestic Evidence. This publication will permanently redefine the UAP conversation by presenting a meticulously constructed body of evidence that connects decades of UFO phenomena to irrefutable conclusions.

This work is not just about understanding the unknown; it is about exposing the truths that have been systematically withheld from humanity. Majestic Evidence will challenge established narratives, demand accountability from institutions, and serve as a catalyst for a new era of transparency and exploration. The time for ambiguity has passed. The time for clarity, understanding, and progress is now.