Travis Taylor, Brandon Fugal & Paranormal Investigation Team Reveals a Dark Secret.
Travis Taylor, Brandon Fugal & Paranormal Investigation Team Reveals a Dark Secret.
Travis Taylor, astrophysicist, aerospace engineer.
Raised in Alabama with a NASA engineer father, Travis built telescopes as a teen, earned two doctorates and four master’s degrees, and led military UAP research for the Pentagon. His reputation on the ranch stems from a fearless, hands-on attitude. He risks exposure to strange phenomena and pursues truth by designing high-tech experiments and modeling unknown energies. Taylor’s charismatic leadership style combines skeptical science with sci-fi passion and public advocacy for rational analysis of mysteries.
Eric Bard, principal investigator, physics engineering.
Born in 1973, Bard holds a master’s in plasma physics from Brigham Young University and an impressive record inventing archival optical technologies like MDICk. Originally skeptical, he was drawn to the ranch by curiosity about the convergent paranormal themes and now leads investigative design, sensor deployment, and data analysis with strict scientific rigor. Bard is a methodical problem solver dedicated to separating myth from measurable fact and continuously developing new tools to capture the ranch’s elusive anomalies.
Thomas Winterton, superintendent, ranch operations.
With a background in construction management and a lifelong connection to the Utah basin, Thomas Winterton brings practical expertise and grounded leadership to one of the most enigmatic research sites in the world. Before his involvement with Skinwalker Ranch, he built a successful construction and development company, managing complex infrastructure projects across the region.
His reputation for integrity, precision, and problem solving caught the attention of Brandon Fugal, who recruited him in 2016 to help restore the ranch’s deteriorating facilities and transform it into a functioning research base. Winterton quickly became far more than a project manager. His deep familiarity with the land, its unpredictable conditions, and its history made him indispensable to the investigative team.
He oversees all day-to-day operations, maintaining buildings, power systems, irrigation lines, cattle management, and heavy equipment, while also serving as the team’s logistical backbone during experiments. When scientists need to dig, drill, or deploy sensors, it’s Thomas who ensures the work is done safely and effectively.
Yet Winterton’s role took a dramatic turn early in his tenure when he suffered a sudden mysterious scalp injury while supervising excavation work on the ranch. The incident, which left him hospitalized with severe swelling and intense pain, became one of the most infamous moments in Skinwalker Ranch history. Despite no clear medical or environmental explanation, the event coincided with anomalous readings in electromagnetic and radiation sensors, fueling the now iconic phrase, “Don’t dig on Skinwalker Ranch.”
That experience profoundly changed his relationship with the property. While Winterton remains deeply skeptical of paranormal claims, he is also pragmatic enough to acknowledge that something genuinely strange happens there—something capable of affecting both machinery and human biology. His cautious respect for the unseen forces at work has made him a voice of balance between scientific inquiry and personal safety.
As superintendent, Thomas is often the emotional anchor of the team. His calm demeanor, rural sensibility, and unwavering sense of duty ground the often chaotic and high-stress environment of the ranch. He bridges the divide between the local community who have long feared and respected the land’s reputation and the scientists who probe its mysteries. In many ways, Thomas Winterton embodies the human side of Skinwalker Ranch—a man rooted in reality, drawn into the extraordinary, and determined to keep the investigation moving forward even when the ground beneath his feet seems anything but stable.
Caleb Bench, Security, Ranch Operations.
A US Marine Corps veteran and seasoned law enforcement officer, Caleb Bench brings a disciplined, tactical mindset to one of the most unpredictable environments on Earth. Recruited to Skinwalker Ranch in late 2017 by his brother-in-law, Thomas Winterton, Caleb was initially brought on for his physical presence and expertise in security operations. However, his role quickly evolved far beyond guarding gates and monitoring perimeters.
He became a critical part of the investigative team, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with scientists during some of the ranch’s most intense and unexplained events. Caleb’s military background instilled in him a calm, mission-first mentality perfectly suited for the high-stress conditions of the ranch. Whether it’s a sudden radiation spike, malfunctioning equipment, or an aerial anomaly appearing overhead, he remains composed and focused, ensuring everyone’s safety while gathering real-time observations.
His training in reconnaissance and situational awareness has proven invaluable during field experiments, especially when the team ventures into remote or volatile areas where communication and visibility are limited. Standing tall with an intimidating yet approachable presence, Caleb commands respect—not through authority, but through quiet confidence.
He’s deeply loyal to his teammates and family, often taking on a protective role, both physically and emotionally, when the atmosphere on the ranch turns tense. That loyalty extends to the mission itself. Caleb believes in confronting the unknown with courage and reason, no matter how unsettling the circumstances.
Over the years, he has been directly involved in several alarming encounters—from strange lights moving across the ridge to incidents of sudden equipment failure and unexplained physiological effects among team members. His firsthand experiences have made him more open-minded, yet his perspective remains rooted in practicality and evidence. To Caleb, every anomaly is a potential threat until proven otherwise—a stance that keeps the team alert and grounded in their pursuit of truth.
As both protector and participant, Bench stands at the intersection of science and security, embodying the physical and psychological resilience required to work on Skinwalker Ranch. His steady presence under pressure, unwavering loyalty, and readiness to act make him one of the team’s most trusted figures—a quiet guardian in a place where even reality itself can’t always be trusted.
Brandon Fugal, owner, financier.
Brandon Fugal is a visionary real estate magnate and technology entrepreneur whose fascination with the mysteries of existence led him to acquire one of the most enigmatic properties in America—Skinwalker Ranch. Known for his role as co-founder and chairman of Kier International in Utah, Fugal built a business empire long before stepping into the world of the unexplained.
His career spans massive commercial real estate ventures, tech startups, and aerospace collaborations, earning him a reputation as one of the most influential businessmen in the Intermountain West. Yet behind the sharp suits and boardrooms lies a lifelong curiosity about life’s biggest questions—space, consciousness, and the unseen forces that shape reality.
When Fugal purchased Skinwalker Ranch in 2016 from aerospace billionaire Robert Bigelow, he did so under strict confidentiality—driven not by profit, but by a personal quest for truth. His goal was to apply legitimate scientific investigation to decades of folklore surrounding the ranch, a place long rumored to be a nexus for UFOs, electromagnetic disturbances, and paranormal activity.
Once the secrecy was lifted in 2020, Fugal emerged publicly as the ranch’s owner, surprising both skeptics and believers by opening the site to rigorous documentation and media transparency. Fugal’s leadership is defined by a rare blend of business precision and genuine wonder.
He oversees funding, strategic operations, and long-term vision for the investigation, ensuring that world-class experts have the resources to explore the ranch’s mysteries with cutting-edge technology. Under his direction, the ranch has evolved from an urban legend into a modern research hub equipped with sensor arrays, radiation detectors, ground-penetrating radar, and aerial surveillance systems—all designed to capture objective data from phenomena that defy explanation.
Despite his corporate background, Fugal approaches the subject with both skepticism and openness. He’s quick to challenge unsubstantiated claims while remaining deeply respectful of the unexplained. His philosophy centers on intellectual honesty—to seek truth wherever it leads, whether the findings confirm scientific principles or suggest something beyond them.
Outside the investigations, Fugal is known for his generosity, spiritual depth, and fascination with cosmology, theology, and the possibility of intelligent life beyond Earth. His willingness to expose his own project to public scrutiny through research publications, government collaboration, and the television series The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch has helped legitimize the study of high-strangeness phenomena in mainstream discourse.
Through Fugal’s stewardship, Skinwalker Ranch has become not just a property, but a living laboratory—a place where science meets the supernatural, and where the line between myth and measurable reality grows thinner with every discovery.
Bryant “Dragon” Arnold, head of security.
Bryant Dragon Arnold is the steadfast guardian of Skinwalker Ranch, a man whose presence commands respect and whose instincts have earned him legendary status among both the investigation team and fans alike. With a background in private security and tactical operations, Arnold was recruited to establish and lead the ranch’s protection unit—a role that demands vigilance, discretion, and courage in equal measure.
His nickname, “Dragon,” reflects not only his toughness, but his unyielding determination to safeguard both the people and the mission in one of the most unpredictable environments on Earth. Arnold runs the ranch with a precision that mirrors military-grade discipline. From securing perimeter sensors and operating drone countermeasures to coordinating safety during high-risk experiments, every move he makes is grounded in preparedness.
When electromagnetic spikes, radiation bursts, or sudden power failures occur, it’s often Dragon who steps in first—assessing the threat, protecting the scientists, and maintaining order in the face of chaos. His sharp situational awareness and calm command under pressure have repeatedly proven critical during encounters that defy rational explanation.
But beyond his tactical skill set, Dragon’s greatest asset may be his intuition. Team members frequently remark on his uncanny ability to sense when something isn’t right long before instruments detect anomalies. This instinct, honed from years of experience dealing with unpredictable situations, has saved lives and equipment more than once.
He trusts his gut, but he also respects the data—embodying the balance between streetwise caution and scientific discipline that defines the ranch’s investigative spirit. Despite his gruff exterior, Arnold is deeply loyal and protective of his team. He’s not just a security chief, but a moral anchor—keeping tempers cool, egos in check, and everyone grounded when the atmosphere turns charged with fear or fascination.
His relationship with Brandon Fugal is built on mutual respect and absolute trust, making him one of the few people with both the authority and the instinct to decide when to halt an experiment or push forward into the unknown.
To those who’ve watched him in action, Dragon represents the beating heart of field security at Skinwalker Ranch—skeptical yet open-minded, fearless yet prudent, always ready to confront the extraordinary. Whether he’s tracking an unidentified object across the night sky or standing guard at the edge of an active anomaly zone, Bryant Dragon Arnold remains the team’s first line of defense—and the last person you’d want to cross when danger starts to manifest.
Additional experts
Jim Royston, CEO, Omnitude Technology Engineering.
Jim Royston stands at the intersection of advanced technology, data science, and frontier research, serving as the CEO of Omnitude Q—the company behind the digital backbone of Skinwalker Ranch. With decades of experience bridging defense, aerospace, and private sector analytics, Royston’s expertise lies in transforming chaotic streams of raw sensor data into meaningful, actionable insights.
Under his leadership, Omnitech has become indispensable to the ranch’s operations, supplying the sophisticated AI, visualization, and data integration systems that power the now famous war room. Royston’s background includes extensive work with government and intelligence agencies, where he specialized in systems designed to interpret complex multi-sensor environments—skills that translate perfectly to the bizarre and unpredictable data coming from Skinwalker Ranch.
He and his team at Omnitech have built a centralized command architecture capable of merging readings from electromagnetic sensors, radiation detectors, seismic monitors, and atmospheric probes into a real-time 3D analytical interface. This digital ecosystem allows investigators to track correlations between physical, environmental, and possibly non-physical events as they happen.
What makes Royston particularly valuable to the ranch effort is his ability to unite scientific and operational mindsets. He brings the structured logic of engineering to a field where chaos often reigns, applying pattern recognition, machine learning, and statistical modeling to phenomena that challenge conventional explanation. His goal is not to prove or disprove the paranormal, but to extract clarity from the noise—to find repeatable patterns that may hint at hidden physical mechanisms behind the ranch’s anomalies.
In the war room, Royston’s work comes to life. Large screens display synchronized feeds from cameras, sensors, and atmospheric monitors, all processed through Omnitech’s AI-driven systems. When anomalies occur—whether sudden spikes in radiation, unexplained temperature inversions, or strange aerial signatures—his software highlights the correlations instantly, allowing the team to respond with scientific precision rather than guesswork.
Colleagues describe Royston as calm, analytical, and quietly driven—a man who sees technology as the bridge between mystery and measurable truth. While others focus on what’s happening at the ranch, Royston’s mission is to understand why it’s happening and how to document it in a way that stands up to scientific scrutiny.
Through his technological vision and engineering prowess, Jim Royston has helped transform Skinwalker Ranch from a site of anecdotal folklore into one of the most advanced multidisciplinary research environments in the world—where every strange event leaves a digital footprint waiting to be decoded.
Sam Disso, chief engineer, Omnitech.
Sam Disso is the engineering mind behind the technological transformation of Skinwalker Ranch into one of the most instrumented paranormal research sites in the world. As chief engineer for Omnitech, he designs, builds, and maintains the intricate network of sensors, cameras, and data collection systems that monitor every inch of the property above and below ground.
Disso’s expertise spans electrical engineering, systems integration, and signal processing, allowing him to create ruggedized sensor packages capable of surviving Utah’s extreme conditions while capturing delicate electromagnetic and environmental data with millisecond precision.
Working closely with the investigative team, Disso has developed specialized RF spectrum analyzers, triangulation tools, and real-time visualization interfaces that feed into the ranch’s AI-powered war room, where data from multiple domains—thermal, magnetic, GPS, atmospheric—converge for pattern recognition and anomaly correlation.
His ability to translate raw sensor readings into intelligible digital maps makes him indispensable during live experiments, often guiding where to focus drones, cameras, or radiation detectors during unfolding events.
Colleagues describe Sam as meticulous and unflappable, with a quiet intensity that keeps him grounded even during the ranch’s most chaotic phenomena. Whether debugging a failing node under a star-filled sky or rapidly recalibrating a radar array after a mysterious system spike, he’s the one ensuring that no anomaly goes unrecorded.
Through his engineering vision, Skinwalker Ranch has evolved from a place of legend into a living, data-driven laboratory.
Cameron Fugal, CEO, aerodynamic aerospace specialist.
Cameron Fugal, the younger brother of ranch owner Brandon Fugal, brings a powerful mix of aerospace innovation and hands-on aviation expertise to the Skinwalker Ranch investigations. As CEO of Aerodynamic—a cutting-edge aerospace and aviation firm—Cameron specializes in aerial surveying, LiDAR mapping, and precision data capture, skills that have become critical to understanding the ranch’s complex topography and enigmatic aerial bubble phenomena.
A seasoned helicopter pilot, Cameron personally conducts many of the high-resolution LiDAR flights over the ranch using advanced instrumentation capable of generating centimeter-level surface and subsurface maps. These aerial surveys have revealed unexpected anomalies—localized distortions, magnetic hotspots, and irregular voids—providing visual evidence that supports the team’s ground-based measurements of electromagnetic disturbances.
His work bridges traditional aviation with frontier science, offering both technical rigor and bold curiosity. Beyond data collection, Cameron contributes strategic insight into aerospace dynamics, helping the team interpret how UAPs or energy events might interact with the local airspace and terrain.
Colleagues respect him for his calm precision, safety-first mindset, and commitment to marrying engineering excellence with scientific exploration. Through Cameron’s aerial expertise, the Skinwalker team has gained an invaluable eye in the sky—one capable of charting not only the land beneath, but the unseen forces moving above it.
Pete Kelsey, technologist, geospatial mapping expert.
Pete Kelsey is a pioneer in 3D geospatial technology, best known for transforming physical environments into ultra-detailed digital models that reveal what the naked eye cannot see. With a career spanning top-tier engineering and mapping projects for companies like Autodesk and major government agencies, Kelsey brings to Skinwalker Ranch a rare combination of fieldwork and data artistry.
His expertise lies in photogrammetry, LiDAR, and aerial and terrestrial scanning—tools he wields to expose the ranch’s hidden geometries, subsurface voids, and atmospheric distortions. At Skinwalker Ranch, Kelsey’s work has been instrumental in visualizing what investigators call portal-like bubbles—zones where electromagnetic readings spike, GPS signals warp, and light behaves unpredictably.
By merging drone imagery, LiDAR sweeps, and ground-penetrating radar data, he builds dynamic 3D reconstructions that help scientists visualize anomalies in context—revealing spatial relationships between phenomena that traditional mapping would miss.
Kelsey is known for his methodical approach, grounded in engineering precision yet open to the mysteries that data often hints at but can’t yet explain. His digital models don’t just map the terrain—they tell its story, showing how the land itself seems to respond to human presence and experimental energy.
Whether charting the contours of the mesa, scanning beneath the east field, or analyzing distortions above the triangle, Kelsey’s work provides the team with a clear, data-driven window into one of the most enigmatic landscapes on Earth.
Together, these extraordinary individuals—spanning astrophysics, aerospace engineering, advanced data analytics, geospatial mapping, and tactical security—form a multidisciplinary team unlike any other.
They transform Skinwalker Ranch from folklore into a living laboratory of American strangeness. Every day they confront the unknown with courage and curiosity, using science as both shield and compass. Their collaboration fuses cutting-edge technology with old-fashioned grit, pushing the limits of what can be measured, modeled, and believed.
In their hands, the ranch becomes more than a mystery—it becomes a frontier where the boundaries of science and the supernatural blur, and discovery itself takes on an otherworldly edge.
