Kriti Mehrotra
As a documentary series that lives up to its title in every way conceivable, Netflix’s ‘Investigation Aliens’ can only be described as equal parts baffling and intriguing. That’s because it follows legendary reporter George Knapp as he travels across the globe to investigate not just UFOs but also USOs to figure out why they are here. It thus comes as no surprise we get a insight into every aspect of his professional life and how he works hard to investigate such matters for the sake of society as a whole.
George Knapp Worked Hard Just Earn the Title of Journalist
Although born on April 18, 1952, in Woodbury, New Jersey, George was actually primarily raised in Northern California alongside his loved ones in a happy, stable home. It was there that he developed an interest in the field of journalism, driving him to pursue a Bachelor’s in Communications from the University of West Georgia almost as soon as he graduated from Franklin High School in Stockton as the senior class president. He then even earned a Master’s in the same field from the University of the Pacific back in his home town of Stockton, California, only to then evolve into a professor.
The truth is George spent the initial few years of his professional career teaching debate and forensics at both the University of the Pacific and University of California, Berkeley. However, when the opportunity arose for him to relocate to Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1979, he grabbed it with both hands even if it meant he had to make ends meet by working as a cab driver for the initial few months. Thankfully, though, his luck soon turned around and he landed the position of an intern at KLVX-TV Channel 10, shortly following which he rose the ranks as a reporter as well as a news anchor before joining KLAS in 1981.
George Knapp Was Enamored by Claims of UFOs and Aliens
While George has held a myriad of positions at KLAS over the 4+ decades he has served there, most of it has actually been focused on paranormal investigations, particularly UFOs. However, that was not always the case – in fact, he primarily reported on topics such as government corruption, organised crime, as well as standard daily news in the initial years. Everything turned upside down, though, in the late 1980s when aviator and UFO claimant John Lear walked into the KLAS office and handed his boss a massive file full of documents on such sighting asserting it was be the story of a lifetime.
The truth is George’s boss didn’t show much interest in the same, so he stopped him as he was walking out, asked to look at the files, and asked if he would be willing to go on the air with his claims. Little did he know that his interviews with the pilot between January 1987 and January 1988 would blow up across the nation, resulting in getting several calls and mails from alleged witnesses from all over. That’s when George realized that there was truly something there, and he began looking into the same – the only difference between his work and those of many ufologists is that he even looks into claims of hoaxes.
George has honestly been left disappointed as some allegations turned out to be lies, but most of what he has heard of and encountered allegedly have no human intelligence explanations. As if that’s not enough, he has even looked into the secretive Area 51 in his now home state, international allegations of UFO and USO sightings and possible alien contact, possibility of aliens being time traveling humans from the future, the different connections between them all, and continues to look into the same. After all, he believes such information should be made public as it would help people understand society and the world better, all the while being prepared for what’s out there.
George Knapp is a Man of Many Hats
While George’s work has resulted in him facing ridicule by many professional journalists over the years, he doesn’t seem to mind it much as he knows he investigates all possible angles. Nevertheless, it’s imperative to note that he did indeed part ways with KLAS in 1991 to serve at a public relations firm named Altamira Communications, only to return in 2005 for good. In fact, he is still employed at the organization to this day, where he reports on a myriad of news stories from across the globe, all the while also frequently hosting a syndicated paranormal radio show called Coast to Coast AM wherein UFOs are a frequent topic.
We should also mention that George worked with the now-defunct group National Institute of Discovery Science (NIDS) between the late 1990s and early 2000s to study unusual phenomena. That’s what inadvertently led him to biochemist Colm Kelleher, unaware they would soon end up becoming collaborators – most recently, in 2023, they published ‘Skinwalkers at the Pentagon: An Insiders’ Account of the Secret Government UFO Program’ alongside co-author James T. Lacatski. It thus comes as no surprise he has been described as one of the most prominent news anchors in the Las Vegas area over the years, especially with his award-winning weekly column for a local Las Vegas newspaper too.
Coming to George’s personal life, he actually prefers to keep the same well away from the limelight for privacy and safety reasons. However, we do know he has been married to his long-time girlfriend Anne “The Viking” Fechner since August 5, 2010 – they tied the knot in a cozy, intimate ceremony in Kauai, Hawaii. It’s also imperative to note that this cat dad is a massive sports enthusiast too, with his preferred game being baseball as well as football, and a music fan. In fact, whenever he is not working or spending quality time with loved ones, it appears as if he likes the experience of live concerts – whether it be pop rock bands such as Blink 182, rock band Angels & Airwaves, or John Fogerty, he has seen them all live in the past few years alone.
Read More: Kevin Randle: Where is the Ufologist Now?
