Gary Sudbrink Phone Calls

 

(Thanks to a friend for telling me about this.) In February 1993 a man called Gary Sudbrink received a series of four phone calls that are of an extremely bizarre nature and whose mystery has never been solved. Gary was living and working in San Antonio, Texas USA at the time, but he had family in New York. He travelled by air to visit them and one of the first things he did when he arrived on the 8th was call his old friend Mike. Mike was confused because he said he had received a call from Gary the day before. This was strange because Gary had not phoned Mike then; so who had Gary spoken to? Gary had not announced in advance his return home. The mystery deepened. At 10.30 PM the phone at his family home rang. Luckily the Sudbrinks kept a routine recorder on their landline. An unknown individual they nicknamed "the Voice" began speaking. The Voice is masculine and sounds like it has been distorted by lowering the pitch. It speaks with a non-descript American accent. Here is a transcript of the call:
GARY: I'll tell you who it is.
VOICE: Hello?
GARY: Yeah. Do you want to speak to him?
VOICE: Is Gary Sudbrink there?
GARY: Yeah, who's this? Steven (Gary's brother)? Are you playing games with me or what?... Huh? Steven if you're playing games here, I'm going to kick your arse.
VOICE: So how long are you going to be back from Texas?
GARY: Huh?
VOICE: You're being impersonated by the other voice.
GARY: Yeah this is you, Steven, you idiot. You're pissing me off. Jerk. I'm going get you on... Let's see what it says. Review. One new call. Out of area? Is Steven out of the area?
VOICE: How long are you going to be back from Texas?
GARY: Wait, say that again.
VOICE: You're being impersonated by the other voice.
GARY: Wait, hold on. Is Steven out of the calling area or what?
MUM: How do I know?
GARY: What do you mean, you don't know? He's in Queens.
DAD: Well who are you talking to?
GARY: I don't know who the fuck I'm talking to…
VOICE: Hello?
MUM: Hello?
VOICE: Is Gary Sudbrink there?
MUM: Who is this?
GARY (in background): Let me talk to him.
MUM: Somebody sounds like a robot.
GARY: Hello?
VOICE: How long are you going to be back from Texas?
GARY: What was that again, sir?
VOICE: You're being impersonated by the other voice.
GARY (to family): Oh, be quiet!... Sorry, will you say that again?
GARY: Hello? I'm being impersonated by what voice?
VOICE: Hello?
GARY: Yeah. Hello?
VOICE: Is Gary Sudbrink there?
GARY: Yeah, hold on a second.
MUM: Who is that?
GARY: It's Steven. Okay. Yeah what is your question? I'll answer it.
DAD (in background): …a strange voice.
VOICE: So how long are you going to be back from Texas?
GARY: How long...
VOICE: You're being impersonated by the other voice.
GARY: Right. When am I coming back? Is that your question?
VOICE (quieter voice): Sudbrink there?
DAD (in background): What's a matter with you?
GARY: Okay there was a break, hold on. You want to know when I'm coming back to Texas. Uh, is that your question?
VOICE: So how long are you going to be back from Texas?
GARY: How long am I going to be back from Texas? That question doesn't even make any sense.
VOICE: You're being impersonated by the other voice.
GARY: Okay. I'll be coming back eventually. Erm... I can't tell you when. You should know that question, the answer to the question because you seem to know more about me than I do. You know what I'm saying?
DAD: Are you a intergalactic... er... person?
GARY: Are you a space alien?
DAD: Sounds like he hung up.
GARY: I can't believe this.
DAD: He hung up, Gary.
GARY: See if he comes back.
DAD: Alright, I'll hang up.
This caller appears to be speaking in a series of pre-recorded sentences. It just repeats a set of phrases and does not reply to any of the recipients. The phrases all have the same intonations on the repeats and he stutters slightly over Gary's name in one. It obviously knows Sudbrink and knows that Gary is in his parents' home, and also knows he will eventually return to his current work in Texas. Gary assumes at first that it is his brother Steven playing a practical joke because he didn't think it could be anybody else. Oddly enough, on his journey to New York Gary was pestered by two men with clipboards asking him lots of questions.
 
Forty minutes later the phone rang again. Here is a transcript of the second call:
(Unidentified beep—From telephone or answering machine?)
GARY: Yes, er... speaking.
VOICE: Is this Gary Sudbrink?
GARY: Yes. Could I answer any questions for you?
VOICE: Are you back from Texas?
GARY: I'm not back yet. No.
VOICE: How long are you going to be back from Texas?
GARY: Let me answer. First you tell me where are you calling from?
VOICE: Is this Gary Sudbrink?
GARY: Yeah. Why don't you tell me where you're calling from?
VOICE: Who is this?
GARY: What do you mean who is this? You should know who it is. It's me, Gary... (Long pause) Wait, let me ask you this question. Where are you calling from? (Long pause) Okay, I'll be back...
VOICE (interrupts): Keep an eye on the skies.
GARY: Excuse me?
VOICE: Near Orion.
GARY: I can't hear too well.
VOICE: The full moon.
GARY: Yeah there's a full moon out, that's true.
GARY: Could you identify yourself?... Identify yourself.
DAD: Ask him what's the purpose of the call.
GARY: Why are you calling me?
VOICE: Keep an eye on the skies.
GARY: Excuse me?
VOICE: Near Orion.
GARY: I cannot hear too well.
DAD: Get on the other phone; it's better.
GARY: Hold on, let me switch phones... Okay. Okay hold on. Now who are you?
VOICE: Keep an eye on the skies.
GARY: (To Dad) Keep an eye on the sky he said.
DAD: Keep an eye on the sky?
GARY: Yeah.
VOICE: Orion.
DAD: Ask him can I talk to him. I had a sighting already.
GARY: Okay, hold on. Say that, repeat that again? Please repeat?
VOICE: Keep an eye on the skies.
GARY: Okay.
VOICE: Near Orion.
GARY: Near Orion.
DAD: Holy Mackerel. Tonight or this a when...
VOICE: The full moon.
GARY: The full moon?
VOICE: Show double of you.
DAD (in background): Keep an eye on the sky near Orion.
GARY: Repeat?
DAD: Tell him I'd like to talk to him.
GARY: Okay repeat last word?
GARY: I'm hearing static.
DAD: Tell him I'd like to talk to him.
GARY: He hung up.
DAD: He hung up?
It's interesting that Gary's father obviously has an open mind about aliens and had a "sighting". He and his brother Tom did indeed see a flying saucer in 1989 which was investigated by Dr Bruce Maccabee. The two men became active with a local UFO group. As a result, Gary's father is taking the caller far more seriously than his son. Gary is still convinced this is a prank by Steven. The second call also appears to be a series of recordings, but they are very different to the first. Once it has stopped asking for Gary, it continues with three main phrases: "Keep an eye on the skies", "Orion" or "Near Orion" and "The full moon". It wants them to look up at the sky and gives them basic instructions for when and where. The next full moon was an entire month away on March the 8th. "Show double of you" makes no sense.
 
Just eight minutes later the phone rang again. Here is the third call:
GARY: Okay. Yeah, it's taking time for him to talk. Who is this?
GARY: Steven, I'm going to... this is not funny you know.
VOICE: Who is this?
DAD: Gary, it's not Steven.
GARY: How do I know it's not Steven?
DAD: It's not Steven.
DAD: Hello? I had a, er... UFO experience in West Virginia, which you probably know. And I know that you're inter... er... an intergalactic person.
VOICE (very low, unintelligible, possibly "Who is this?")
DAD: Can you speak a little louder? Sir? Can you speak a little louder?
VOICE: (even lower, unintelligible)
DAD: Louder?
GARY: Let me speak to him, Dad. I guess, I don't know…
DAD: Okay I'll hang up so you can talk to him. He wants to talk to you.
GARY: Okay... Hello? Can I help you?
VOICE: Hello?
GARY: Yes.
VOICE: Is Gary Sudbrink there?
GARY: Yes, that's me.
VOICE: Here is Gary Sudbrink.
GARY: Yes, could you please identify yourself?... Identify...
VOICE (faint, interrupts): Are you back from Texas?
GARY: Yeah I'm back. I'm in Texas right now. (To Dad) Well, he asked me a question.
VOICE: (very low, unintelligible, possibly "How are long are you?")
GARY: No I'm in New York right now. You know that. Why are you asking me such a question?
DAD (in background): Assuming he's going to call back three times in a row, what are you going to do?
VOICE: Is this Gary Sudbrink?
GARY: Yes... Steven if this is you, I swear to God I'm going to be pissed.
VOICE: Who is this?
GARY: Huh?
DAD (in background): It's not Steven.
GARY: I'm trying to listen to him. Who are... excuse me?
DAD (in background): You keep playing games with Steven and it's not Steven.
MUM (in background): Well, shut the hell up.
GARY: Okay. Eventually I'll be back from Texas. Could you speak more? Please speak more.
VOICE (barely audible): Eye on the skies.
GARY: I guess it's not Steven. I believe it because I'm getting static.
DAD: Steven would not leave three times.
GARY: Let me go on this phone because I could never hear on this phone. Hold on... Okay. Okay, please speak. Hello?
VOICE: Keep an eye on the skies.
GARY: Okay, should I go out right now?
VOICE: Orion.
GARY: Right now?
VOICE: The full moon.
GARY: Okay, see... I'm not sure where Orion is now, but we'll go outside.
VOICE: Show double from you.
GARY: It will show double from me?... Repeat that again?
(Caller hangs up.)
The third call consisted of repeated phrases from the previous two. The quality was much lower this time with a lot of interference and some of the Voice's messages were indistinct.
 
Afterwards there were no more mysterious phone calls that evening. The Sudbrink family might have hoped that this was the last they'd hear from their enigmatic harasser, but the following evening at 10.21 PM, the landline began ringing again.
VOICE: Is Gary Sudbrink there?
GARY: Yes, this is me. Can I speak to... can I ask why...
VOICE: Is Gary Sudbrink there?
GARY: Yes, can I ask why you're calling? Can I please ask...
VOICE: Is this Gary Sudbrink?
GARY: Yes, this is.
VOICE: Gary Sudbrink.
GARY: Yes, that is me.
VOICE: We come. To be within this planet
GARY: Say that again?
VOICE: In this planet.
GARY: Leave?
VOICE: We come.
GARY: I'm standing right here.
VOICE: To be within this planet.
GARY: Is this a joke or what?
VOICE: To visit the many. To be contacted. As the same. With you.
GARY: Erm... I have to think about that. I'd like to see you.
VOICE: To visit the many. To be contacted. As the same. With you.
DAD: Hey, let me tell you something. I've been listening to you. And I've had contacts with you.
VOICE: Beware. Government interference.
GARY: Government interference?
VOICE: You...
GARY: You have? Please explain what type of interference.
VOICE: Beware.
GARY: Okay.
VOICE: Government interference. Visitations to be disrupted by them. (unintelligible, faint) ...appears. The sun will rise on... dark side of moon. World. Know.
DAD: The sun will rise on the dark side of the moon?
GARY: Okay, er...
VOICE (very low, unintelligible, maybe "on the moon")
GARY: What branch of the government?
VOICE: Show double from you.
GARY: What should I do?
VOICE: Beware. Government interference. Visitations to be disrupted by them.
GARY: Okay. Is that good for me or bad?
(Caller hangs up.)
That was the last weird phone call the family received. This fourth one is the most interesting. It contains completely new phrases; and for the first time there is the hint of a conversation. At one point the Voice repeats a statement when Gary asks him to: "Voice: To be within this planet... Gary: Say that again?... Voice: In this planet." The caller was never identified despite over thirty years of investigation. It was not Steven. (Strangely Steven reported an encounter with a doppelgänger of Gary while driving two years earlier.) The recording was put through a modulator and the Voice's pitch was raised until the tone became natural. Nobody in the family recognized it. It is possible somebody knew of Gary's movements because of the clipboard people harassing him on his journey, but who were they? Why did they do this, if they even did? How did they know so much about Gary? The phrase: "You're being impersonated by the other voice" in the first call could refer to the call Mike received on the 7th which he mistakenly thought was Gary. Who is impersonating Gary and why? Why is the Voice not more specific and helpful? Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgD2S-eBHM8. There are some similarities in this case to others I have reported on such as the girl who made a call with her "imaginary friend", the "Vrillon" TV broadcast and the Twitter voicemail received by Ty, see background links below. Strange and unidentified phone calls do happen; alarmingly, there are many examples of them coming from people recently deceased, for example see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIYDmeRqqbU. It could be this phenomenon is related to the electronic voice phenomenon, see: https://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.com/2023/03/hpanwo-tv-evp.html. Phone calls from the dead are usually almost as cryptic and garbled as EVP's. Psychical researchers think spirits might be able to use electronic media as a communication gateway to the physical world. Were the clipboard people Gary ran into men-in-black? We don't know; he does not describe them in much detail. He just said they were annoying and intimidating, demanding lots of answers from him. There are no firm solutions to this mystery, but it does not seem to be a hoax, or at least no hoaxer has ever been caught for over thirty-one years. Maybe more information will come to light.
See here for more information: https://hpanwo-radio.blogspot.com/2022/06/third-rail-radio-programme-121.html.
And: https://hpanwo-radio.blogspot.com/2022/08/third-rail-radio-programme-123.html.
And: https://hpanwo-tv.blogspot.com/2023/10/cold-case-twitter-voicemail.html.
And: https://hpanwo.blogspot.com/2008/03/vrillon-broadcast.html.