In my article on the James Leininger case (forthcoming, the Journal of Scientific Exploration), I refer to correspondence I had with Bruce Leininger as part of my investigation into the case. Due to the length of my JSE paper, I was not able to include my emails to Bruce as appendices to the article. However, I believe the content of these emails is important, though this is likely to be more apparent after readers have my JSE article in hand.
Below I reproduce my last email to Bruce. The email is dated 9/27/21. It was a resend, with attached note, of my previous email to Bruce dated 8/28/21. The email involves a series of questions and follow-up queries related to materials Bruce had said he would look for. Bruce had responded to an earlier email, then without explanation ceased communicating with me.
Brief background. Prior to the 2020 pandemic, Bruce extended an informal invitation to me through a third party to come to Lafayette, Louisiana to view documents and discuss the case with him. The pandemic put this on hold. I also temporarily suspended my research on the case due to personal circumstances and new teaching assignments related to the pandemic.
In late 2020, I resumed my investigation of the case. I postponed connecting with Bruce until I had conducted interviews with several other individuals and completed reviewing interviews others had with the Leiningers. I wanted a good handle on the case before speaking with Bruce.
I wrote Bruce an introductory email on June 5, 2021. I explained that I was working on a chronology of events and had questions Jim Tucker couldn’t answer but which he (Bruce) was best situated to answer for me. Bruce didn’t answer my June 5 email, so I wrote him a follow-up on July 9, 2021. He responded to my email the same day. He answered several questions and said he would get back to me with answers to others, as well as look for specific documents I had requested. Alas, Bruce would never get back to me.
I replied to Bruce on July 10, thanking him for his response and giving him a brief background on my interest in questions concerning postmortem survival. After not receiving a reply to my July 10 email, I wrote Bruce again on August 28, 2021. Again, I received no response. I wrote a follow-up on September 27, 2021. As of today (12/4/21), he has not responded. And, at this point, I’m not expecting to hear from him anytime soon.
The correspondence I reproduce below is my email to Bruce Leininger dated September 27, 2021, which also includes my previous 8/28/21 email. The only redactions are the omission of our email addresses and the name of a former ABC producer with whom I spoke. Naturally, my questions suggest a few things about the content of my forthcoming JSE paper. However, my intention here is simply to document supporting material I reference in the JSE paper.
M.S.
Explanatory notes:
In my email to Bruce Leininger, I make reference to Jim Tucker. I have discussed the James Leininger case with Jim Tucker since 2019. My interest in developing a robust chronology of events was partly the consequence of Tucker declining the request I made to him in December 2019 to send me a detailed chronology. His work responsibilities at the time prevented this, though he was willing to review any chronology I put together. We had many subsequent email exchanges about the case, mostly in 2021. And Tucker and I met for a two-hour zoom session in September 2021. At that time I disclosed to him some of my findings and concerns about the case. I invited him to write a response to my JSE paper.
Question (1) in the email below concerns Andrea Leininger’s correspondence with past-life researcher and therapist Carol Bowman. My question makes reference to “summer of 2000.” The timeframe here was prompted by what Bruce had said in his earlier email to me, and he had in previous presentations of the case used “summer 2000” as the general timeframe for Bowman’s initial involvement with the Leiningers. Bowman subsequently confirmed with me that her correspondence with Andrea Leininger began in February 2001, not summer 2000.
September 27, 2021 Email to Bruce Leininger
Begin forwarded message:
From: Michael Sudduth <…………………. >
Subject: Research Query – Follow Up
Date: September 27, 2021 at 3:24:45 PM PDT
To: Bruce Leininger <………………..>
Hi Bruce:
Hope you’re well.
Just sending you a follow-up email to the one I sent you about a month ago. Earlier email is below with the questions I had and check-in on some items you were going to look up for me.
Thanks,
Michael
Begin forwarded message:
From: Michael Sudduth <……………..…>
Subject: Re: Research Query – Follow Up
Date: August 28, 2021 at 4:17:44 PM PDT
To: Bruce Leininger <……………….…>
Hi Bruce:
I’m just following up on your earlier helpful email. I see there’s a hurricane heading toward LA. Be safe. You’ve got a hurricane. Here in Northern California, we have fire, smoke, and a lot of ash.
Let me see if I can distill the questions we were discussing earlier. Most of these relate to my working out a detailed chronology of events, especially between February 2000 and late fall of 2002.
(1) You were going to look for the correspondence Andrea had with Carol Bowman, the earliest correspondence. I realize the summer of 2000 was a long time ago, but I’d be interested in looking at that correspondence to help fill out some details for a robust chronology of events.
(2) Do you have a DVD copy of the 2002 ABC TV program that never aired? <……………..> was the producer. I spoke with her and she indicated that ABC would be reluctant to grant access to the show because it was unaired (a bunch of liability issues), but that I’d have better luck asking you or Jim Tucker (whom I’m also asking).
(3) In connection with the 2002 ABC program, Tucker informed me that the segment on James didn’t include his giving the name “Natoma” or “Jack Larsen,” which is why Tucker didn’t include those important items in his list of claims documented in the interviews of the 2002 program. Do you recall why <……….> didn’t include those important details of what James had said to you and Andrea?
(4) After the 2000 Memorial Day visit to the Cavanaugh Flight Museum, did you ever take James back there again? If so, do you remember the approximate dates?
(5) You said you were going to look in your computer files for any early chronologies you put together. I believe you prepared one for John DeWitt and/or his daughter in fall 2003. Perhaps you can locate a copy of that, or any others you put together closer in time to the events.
(6) Do you know anything about Vintage Wings and Things that was located in Lafayette, LA. It was owned by David Jeansonne – a collector of vintage planes and cars – who unfortunately died in an aviation accident near Lafayette in February 2001.
(7) On page 174 of Soul Survivor, you make reference to a summer trip to Hawaii when James was four (hence summer 2002). Did you take him to the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum?
Thanks, Bruce.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Michael Sudduth
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