EXCLUSIVE: On-location with Unsolved Mysteries "Berkshire UFO"
EXCLUSIVE: On-Location with Unsolved Mysteries — “Berkshire UFO”
As a child, I was hooked on Unsolved Mysteries. I never missed an episode. So when Netflix announced a reboot of the series, I was instantly intrigued. One episode in particular — Berkshire UFO — caught my attention.
The opening scene features a sign for the Vault Gallery, a business owned and operated by my family for over two decades. Having spent so much time in Berkshire County, I’ve come to know the locals as honest, private, and uninterested in the spotlight. That’s why this story — and the people involved — resonated with me so deeply.
The episode aired shortly after the Pentagon released declassified footage of what they now call “UAPs” — Unidentified Aerial Phenomena. Those same Navy pilots later appeared in a groundbreaking 60 Minutes segment, further fueling global interest in the unexplained.
As the Unsolved Mysteries episode unfolded, I found myself drawn to the story of Tom Warner, a lifelong Berkshire resident and author of Beyond the Stars — the foundation for both the episode and a soon-to-be feature film. Though I’d never met Tom, something about him felt oddly familiar.
His experience on the night of September 1, 1969, is extraordinary — and compellingly corroborated. Over 250 eyewitnesses confirmed seeing something unexplainable that night.
The Great Barrington Historical Society and Massachusetts historians have even recognized the incident as a “significantly historic and true event.”
After one long, fascinating conversation with Tom that spanned a galaxy of subjects, I became a believer.
Tom is intelligent, funny, and remarkably honest. He still lives in the house where the event occurred — the very home he grew up in — with his wife and two children.
I asked if I could share his story with the always-curious Following Boston community. He graciously agreed.
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MK: What does it mean to you to be a multigenerational Berkshire native — and how does Boston factor into your family’s deep New England roots?
TW: I still live in the 1835 Warner Homestead, which is listed in Historic Homes and Institutions of Berkshire County, Massachusetts. My first ancestor, Samuel Wildbore, was admitted as a freeman of Boston on March 4, 1634. On the advice of Roger Williams, he left and helped form Rhode Island. He was one of the six signers of the Portsmouth Compact — a prelude to the Declaration of Independence.
The Warners were in Boston in the 1600s, then Nantucket, where my great-great-great-great-grandfather lost his life at sea during the Revolution. We are who we were — generation after generation. Boston is history, and I’m proud to be even a small part of that. In the Berkshires, we’ve been in the same house for six generations.
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MK: How has your life changed since appearing on Unsolved Mysteries, and what was your reaction to the episode?
TW: Netflix and the producers kept me in the loop before it aired, so I had an idea of what to expect. But learning that over 150 million people worldwide would see it — I mean, it airs in 178 countries. I didn’t even know there were that many!
The show brought attention to my book, Beyond the Stars, which I had started before filming. I really just wanted to document the experience for future generations. Now it’s being made into a film.
But the most powerful part? I got calls from people who said they were struggling, even suicidal, and that seeing the episode — and connecting with me — gave them hope. That touched my heart deeply. I’m grateful to be there for people.
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MK: Were you a fan of the original series, and how did your family react to your participation?
TW: Of course! My daughter Kate was a big Robert Stack fan. When I got home, she was excited and told me they had called. I said, “I’ll call them back after lunch.” She said, “No, you’ll call them now!”
My family knows this journey has always been about helping others, even if it comes at the expense of my privacy. Our Warner family motto is Non Nobis Tantum Nati — “Not for us alone are we born.”
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MK: You’re one of the most positive people I’ve ever met. How do you maintain that sense of hope and safety after such a traumatic experience?
TW: There isn’t enough brain bleach to erase it, honestly. What happened on September 1, 1969, wasn’t the beginning — and it wasn’t the end. The question is: Why me? Why Tommy Warner?
It’s complicated. But I believe I’m meant to be a messenger — to help humanity understand this phenomenon. That said, I’ve never truly felt safe. Not then, and not now.
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MK: In closing — what would you say to someone skeptical of your story, or of UFOs in general?
TW: People once believed the Earth was flat. In time, we learned more.
Just look up. See the stars. Think about how many planets are out there. One day — if we take care of this Earth, and each other — we’ll have a real chance to understand.
Until then, keep an eye to the sky...