CIA-UAP-004: CASE 17708 (CLOSED) and DR. Leon Davidson
This released document records that records on the transmitter have been destroyed by the acting agency. The file preserves the source account or analysis but does not independently establish interpretations beyond the cited record. This document is useful as an officially released artifact because it preserves the file's provenance and lets its claims be compared with related Release 03 records.
- File
- Document · Release 03
- Date
- 1958
- Extent
- 1 pages
- Agency
- CIA
Search This File
Probed Assessment
Key takeaways
- Records on the transmitter have been destroyed by the acting agency.
- Dr. Leon Davidson accepted the statement about the destroyed records.
- Dr. Leon Davidson has a second article concerning Air Force handling of space sightings.
Why it matters
CIA-UAP-004, CASE 17708 (CLOSED) and DR. Leon Davidson is an officially released 1-page record with searchable page text, page-specific claim locators, dated events where supported, and document-level provenance.
Corroboration
The release establishes official provenance for CIA-UAP-004, CASE 17708 (CLOSED) and DR. Leon Davidson, but its reported observations, judgments, and interpretations remain source claims unless supported by independent records.
Open questions
- • Which companion records or contemporaneous sources, if any, independently corroborate the document’s key claims?
Probed separates this editorial assessment from the source claims below. It summarizes what the released artifact supports; it is not independent verification.
Official Description from War.gov
This 1958 CIA memorandum discussing a phone conversation with Dr. Leon Davidson regarding concerns about a destroyed "space message and its transmitter." A redacted version of this memorandum has been available on CIA's public website.
Preserved verbatim as source metadata. This wording is separate from Probed’s file-specific description and assessment.
File Context
Related entities
Tracker findings
Records on the transmitter have been destroyed by the acting agency
The record states: Records on the transmitter have been destroyed by the acting agency.
Release provenance
- Release
- Release 03
- Official ID
- release-03-file-013-cia-uap-004-case-17708-closed-and-dr-leon-davidson
- Cleared
- Jun 12, 2026
Referenced Timeline
Telecom with Davidson
Reference to a telecom with Dr. Leon Davidson.
CIA contacted Dr. Leon Davidson by telephone
CIA advised Dr. Davidson that records on the transmitter have been destroyed.
Source Claims
Claims are attributed to the released source and remain distinct from Probed’s assessment and tracker findings.
Records on the transmitter have been destroyed by the acting agency.
we cannot resolve his problem concerning the space message and its transmitter because records on the transmitter have been destroyed by the acting agency.
Dr. Leon Davidson accepted the statement about the destroyed records.
Davidson accepted this statement with the comment that he had been told this before.
Dr. Leon Davidson has a second article concerning Air Force handling of space sightings.
he now had a second article for publication concerning Air Force handling of space sightings.
Dr. Leon Davidson might wish to take up the matter of the space message again at a later date.
he hinted that he might wish to take up again at a later date the matter of this particular message.
There have been many cooks in the kitchen on this issue.
there have been many cooks in the kitchen on this dish.
The answer given to Davidson was noncommittal and evasive.
the noncommittal and evasive answer we were instructed to give Davidson.
The answer given to Davidson was the only one possible to avoid crossing up previous statements.
the only one possible if we were to avoid crossing up previous statements.
Dr. Leon Davidson knew he was dealing with CIA contacts.
knew he was dealing with the Agency in his contacts with Yalker and Skasich, that in fect, an effort bad been made to conceal their CIA identity from hin. We are Building conference rocm, he knew very well with whom