Daniel Speeter
Daniel Speeter
| Born | Daniel Andrew Speeter February 16, 1936 |
|---|---|
| Death | February 19, 1983 (Aged 46) |
| Cause of Death | Self inflicted gunshot wound to the head |
| Alma Mater | Yale University |
| Years Active | 1963-1983 |
| Children | Henry Speeter |
| Spouse | Velma Quinton (1958-1983) |
Daniel Andrew Speeter (February 16, 1936 - February 19, 1983) was an American Freelance Journalist active from 1963 to 1983. He is most well known for his involvement in the OV Sagittarius Orbital Flight Incident as a key investigator. He was a heavy advocate for freedom of speech, freedom of the press and equal rights for all. He was a proud proponent of ethical journalism and always ended his pieces with "To find the truth, we must be the truth."
Speeter was born in Lewiston, Maine and remained there his entire life before attaining a full ride to Yale University where he attained his Bachelor's in Politcal Science. He would go on to write extremely popular pieces on Watergate and Jonestown, but would not see major attention until his photo submissions of alleged photos of the OV Sagittarius Space Shuttle, which were later deemed to be be photos of an early prototype of the HMS Challenger. After receiving much public scrutiny, Speeter would take his life on February 19, 1983 with a gunshot to the head.
Career
Early Career
Speeter began freelance journaling in February of 1960, but would see no major traction until his first hit article on the Soviet shooting of an American U-2 plane, which launched him into the public eye. He would again find success with the masses due to his article on the Bay of Pigs Invasion in 1961, furthering his success. He would have many other popular articles, including pieces on Jonestown, and extrememly popular article on Watergate, and several critical essays discussing the U.S. Government's involvment in the assassination of Malcom X and Martin Luther King Jr. When asked if he intended to write about the assassinations of the Kennedy's, he said he didn't think he had any impactful statement on it, as "...anything that needed to be said on that has been said by better men than me."
After these articles, Speeter would write smaller articles until picking up traction for his interview with new NASA Administrator James M. Beggs in 1981. Throughout 1981 and the first half of 1982, Speeter was known to have very close ties with Beggs, and would often write artciles on NASA operations and their findings.
Sagitarrius Incident
In August of 1982, Piper Hpkins would cause public uproars with her stories about her twenty year old daughter, Jane Hopkins of the yet to be named Lost Stars being recruited by NASA for a Top Secret space expedition but failing to return well past the date expected. This lead to a social outcry from other alleged family members of The Lost Stars. Though unconfirmed, it is highly likely that Speeter got in contact with every family member who was made known. At a minimum, it's known that Speeter made contact with Piper Hopkins, likely around September of 1982, as she has spoken in interviews saying that Speeter became a close family friend in the months after the incident. It's believed that Speeter's serious investigation into the claims made by the families started sometime around November of 1982, as Speeter claimed he'd be taking a break from journalism for the time being to work on a personal project.
In the months to follow, it's assumed that Speeter cut his ties with NASA and began looking into Beggs and the operations being conducted. The public would not hear anything from Speeter until January 13, in which Speeter would release two images of photos he claimed to be the Sagittarius, the alleged ship that Jane Hopkins and the rest of the missing civillans went missing on, to various newspaper outlets. Initially, these photos caused mass uproar, provoking a second wave of scrutiny of NASA. However, NASA came out shortly thereafter, claiming the photos Speeter had taken were actually models of the HMS Challenger, a space shuttle set to launch it's first mission that upcoming April. This was backed by several trusted NASA associates and other independent journalists. Speeter faced massive backlash as a result of this, and was blacklisted from many major publishers.
Personal Life
Childhood
Speeter grew up in Lewiston, Maine, and remained there all of his childhood. Describe by teachers and friends as an avid reader, he would constantly write his own short novels for his classmates to read. He would eventually get a full ride to Yale University, where he graduated with a Bacherlor's in Politcal science. He has chosen to keep much of his childhood and teenage years private, as he feels it is the least important part of himself.
Marriage
While attending Yale, Speeter met Velma Quinton, a fellow Yale student. The two hit it off quickly, and began to date in their second year in college. The two married in the spring of 1958, and moved out to Washington D.C together, where Quinton began working as a Courthouse Clerk. Speeter often cited Quinton as being his editor and telling him when he was in over his head. They would have their first child, Henry Speeter, on October 27, 1971, and would relocate again to Silver Springs, Maryland, where they remained for the rest off their time together.
The two remained married until January of 1983. Fractures in the marriage started back in late August of 1982, when Speeter first caught wind of the Sagittarius incident. According to Quinton, he completely threw himself into his work, often neglecting the needs of her, and also their son. Quinton cites Speeter's unyielding devotion to his job as a major reason for the divorce, stating "His mind is fascinating, and I encourage him to chase those impossible ends. But I couldn't love him for it." The divorce was finalized on January 27, 1983, just 23 days Speeter would eventually take his own life. After the divorce, Speeter would rent hotels and motels as he continued his search into the truth of Sagittarius.
Death
On the evening of February 19th, Speeter's son, Henry, would go to Speeter's house to deliver a late birthay present to his father. Upon arriving, Henry noted the door was unlocked, which was unusual for his father. When Henry entered the kitchen of the home, he found Speeter with a bullet wound to the head, empty bottles of wine surrounding him. 911 was called and emergency services arrived on the scene quickly, but determined that Speeter had been dead for at least 2 days.
Speeter's death lead to a third resurrgence of interest into the Sagittarius Incident, with some of his colleauges stating that Speeter was killed because he was getting too close to the truth, a notion that was quickly dismissed shortly thereafter. Henry Speeter also went on record saying he found the death suspicious, as his father never drank alcoohol and never left his door unlocked. After a thorough investigation, however, no evidence of foul play was found and the death was ruled a suicide.