Cases & Events1947
Roswell UFO
A short FBI file built around a July 1947 teletype describing the Roswell debris as a balloon and radar reflector.
Unclear or mixedRead the guide
Category
FBI Files on Famous Cases & Events
Some of the most-searched FBI Vault files are not about one person but about an event: a crash, a break-in, a massacre, an escape. These guides explain what the Bureau actually recorded, why it was involved, and what people commonly get wrong.
4 files
Cases & Events1972–1975
Watergate
The FBI's own investigation of the Watergate break-in — the case that brought down a president.
InvestigatedRead the guide
Cases & Events1978–1979
Jonestown
The FBI's RYMUR investigation into the murder of Congressman Leo Ryan and the Jonestown mass deaths.
InvestigatedRead the guide
Cases & Events1962–1979
Alcatraz Escape
The FBI's 17-year manhunt for the three men who escaped Alcatraz in June 1962.
InvestigatedRead the guide
How to read these files
FBI files and public records may include verified facts, allegations, third-party claims, redactions, press clippings, public complaints, surveillance notes, or correspondence. A file does not always mean the person was investigated or accused of wrongdoing.
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