Donald E. Flickinger "Sons of Satan" Investigation (Federal Bureau of Investigation)

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

All records mentioning or pertaining to the investigation conducted by Donald E. Flickinger, special agent for the Treasury Department's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, during the period of 1975 through 1985. Special Agent Flickinger was tasked with investigating the claims of a convict name A. Kenneth Bankston who was serving time in Leavenworth Prison in Kansas for bank robbery. Bankston specifically claimed that a group named the "Sons of Satan" was perpetrating the cattle mutilations occurring in the Midwest during that period. Bankston originally contacted Ross Doyen, a Kansas state senator, with these claims. Additionally, a man named Jerome Clark began corresponding with Senator Doyen and Bankston about the claims that such a group existed. Bankston subsequently claimed that this group was also associated with individuals involved in the bombing of the "Sterling Hall" Army mathematics lab at the University of Wisconsin in 1970; the theft of plutonium related to the "Karen Silkwood" case in 1974; and that the group maintained a list of US politicians that they planned to assassinate. Federal and state law enforcement took Bankston's claims serious enough that Special Agent Flickinger corresponded with the United States District Attorney's Office in Minneapolis, Federal Judge Myles Lord, and the Warden at the Marion Penitentiary in 1975 to transfer Bankston to a minimal security facility. Special Agent Flickinger subsequently spent the next few months in 1975 officially investigating Bankston's claims. We request copies of all files and correspondence related to Donald E. Flickinger's investigation into the claims of A. Kenneth Bankston, and/or the "Sons of Satan" (or any other groups associated with Flickinger's investigation into Bankston's claims). We additionally request copies of all correspondence between Special Agent Flickinger, J. Allen Hynek and Jerome Clark.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Nathan Isaac