In its waning hours, this God-forsaken bad acid trip of a year is refusing to go gently into that good night.
Behold: NBC News is reporting that federal investigators are looking into whether the man who is suspected of detonating a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device in Nashville on Christmas Day may have believed that alien lizards in disguise are trying to overrun Earth.
VIDEO: Pentagon releases Navy videos showing “unidentified aerial phenomena,” formerly known as UFOs
Anthony Quinn Warner, who is believed to have been killed when his recreational vehicle exploded, may have spent his free time hunting aliens, and he may have believed that alien lizards posed as prominent politicians and Hollywood celebrities in an attempt to take over society, two unnamed senior law enforcement officials told NBC.
“Believers in the unfounded conspiracy theory believe that politicians, including the Clintons and the comedian Bob Hope, who died in 2003, were actually lizard-like creatures sent to earth and are responsible for a number of historic tragedies,” the NBC story says. “Justin Bieber and the Obamas have also been named in the conspiracy theory.”
For the record, Bob Hope spent years entertaining U.S. troops, including a trip to what is now Wonsan, North Korea, before the Marines had come ashore. There is no proof that he was extraterrestrial intelligent life, just a national treasure. Task & Purpose also has no indications that Justin Bieber can be described as “intelligent life.”
When asked about NBC’s reporting, an FBI spokesman declined to say whether investigators are pursing the extraterrestrial lizard angle.
“The investigation is not complete and though the evidence has been collected it must now be processed and analyzed in the context of other information and intelligence uncovered by our team,” said Special Agent Jason Pack, of the FBI’s Knoxville Field Office.
Right now, investigators are working to construct a timeline of events leading up to the blast that will include any possible motives for the incident, said a spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
“The complete overview of the motive has not been completed as there are many theories and speculation based on pieces of information,” said Special Agent Michael Knight.
As it turns out, the possible lizard people conspiracy theory is not the only element of this case that sounds as if it were lifted from science fiction.
Before Warner’s vehicle exploded on Christmas, it reportedly broadcast the 1964 song “Downtown” by Petula Clark, which was also prominently featured in The X-Files Season 10 episode “Home Again.”
It is unclear whether the song was a reference to the episode, which did not feature incognito alien lizards. Instead, it was about a trash monster, or something. And Scully’s mom died.