Chapter 1: The Unexpected Phone Calls

In early December of 1966, Gwendoline Martino was busy preparing for a European vacation in her Cherry Hill, New Jersey apartment. Suddenly, her phone rang. When she picked up, a woman with a slight accent greeted her.

“Hello, is this Gwen?”

“This is Gwen, indeed.”

“Are you Gwen Stevens?”

“No, I’m Gwen Martino.”

“You’re not Gwen Stevens?”

“No, you must be mistaken.”

This same woman called back multiple times in quick succession, leading to the same frustrating exchange. Gwen found it somewhat annoying but dismissed it at first. It seemed the caller was possibly looking for "Jen Stevens." However, Gwen had no knowledge of anyone by that name. At that time, a Jennifer "Jen" Stevens was deeply involved in UFO investigations in the Albany-Schenectady area, coupled with a personal tragedy that seemed linked to her work.

One evening, when Gwen and her husband Peter returned home, they found their 15-year-old daughter, Jenny, extremely anxious. She reported that the phone had been ringing all night, and when she answered, she only heard heavy breathing on the other end. After two disconnections, she was also disturbed by high-pitched beeping sounds when her boyfriend called. These strange calls continued the following day.

Occasionally, the phone emitted odd mechanical sounds, and at times, a piercing beep that caused sharp pain in the mastoid bones. Their phone number was unlisted, making it impossible for anyone to have obtained it through normal channels. To avoid unwanted calls, they had already been filtering calls through a different number. When Gwen contacted the phone company, they thoroughly checked their line but found no issues.

The customer service representative speculated that their line might be tapped. A few days after the unusual calls began, Peter, a building contractor, visited a downtown Schenectady shop. While enjoying a coffee at the snack bar, he encountered a tall, tanned man who initiated a conversation.

“There are people watching the sky every night near the river in Scotia,” the man said. Peter, who had been one of those observers, felt a sudden chill.

“I beg your pardon?” Peter inquired.

The stranger continued to talk about UFOs, but when Peter pressed for his name, he cleverly avoided the question. Eventually, he left, warning Peter that those who look for UFOs should exercise great caution. This remark left Peter feeling uneasy.

Not long after, their home was broken into, but nothing was stolen except for Peter's sketches of the man he had encountered. Two months later, Peter died unexpectedly, leaving Gwen devastated. She had given up her UFO research, feeling that Peter's death was somehow linked to it, though she never learned the entire story behind his passing.

This strange phenomenon was not confined to urban areas; even individuals in remote communities with fewer than twenty-five residents received similar eerie calls during this time. Recordings of the heavy breathing revealed specific vocal characteristics. When slowed down, the breathing resembled the sound of a phonograph needle reaching the end of a record, producing a rhythmic pulse. The inconsistency of the heavy breathing was particularly unsettling.

Chapter 2: The Broader Impact

In this video, The Farmer's Daughter by Gwen Stevens Hanson, we delve into the personal narratives surrounding these mysterious calls and their psychological effects.

Explore why This Is Why Gwen Stefani Can't Stay Away From The Voice as we discuss the intertwining of personal narratives and broader societal connections.