Yukon’s Supreme Court quashed allegations of conspiracy and theft of extraterrestrial life forms brought forward by an Empire Creek placer miner nearly a decade ago.
Twenty-five years ago, Daniel Sabo found a strange rock on his mining claim near Mayo.
It was a meteorite, he said.
Thirteen-years ago, something green and coral-like started to grow along a line on the rock.
It was an extraterrestrial life form, Sabo said.
Later that same year, he gave the rock to an American, paying him to give it to his parents in Silver City, New Mexico, so they could sell it.
Meteorites can make good money.
$50,000 US per gram, Sabo discovered.
Sabo’s parent’s never got the rock from the American.
It wound up with the Geological Survey of Canada.
The next year, the Geological Survey of Canada returned the rock to Sabo.
He brought the rock back to Ottawa in May of 1999, for studies.
By February 2000, Sabo revoked his permission for the government to keep the pieces of the rock they had cut off for studies.
The rock that was returned to him was a fake, he decided. An exact replica, but with the extraterrestrial life form removed.
According to Justice A.W. Germain’s decision, Sabo claimed the seven different officials from the Geological Survey of Canada, the RCMP, Natural Resources Canada, Federal Mines and Minerals and even a US Forensic expert – whom Sabo hired before including in the litigation – all knew there was extraterrestrial life on the rock. They took more of the rock than he permitted, have continued to keep what they took and knowingly returned to him a man-made replica.
Sabo was unable to prove this on a balance of probabilities, said Germain.
“I don’t accept Mr. Sabo’s evidence that the growth he described on his rock formation is any type of extraterrestrial life form,” his decision read. “I also conclude that Mr. Sabo has not proven that he sustained any damages.”
Sabo was suing the combined defendants for $12 million US – the sum of the weight of the original rock, multiplied by $50,000 US per gram.
Sabo made “scurrilous accusations” about the honesty and integrity of the defendants, Germain said. “That was completely unfair and inappropriate.”
Sabo’s claims were dismissed against all defendants and they are entitled to costs, Germain ruled.
Sabo represented himself throughout the entire nine-year case.
Contact Roxanne Stasyszyn at roxannes@yukon-news.com