A former police officer who retired from the FBI due to post-traumatic stress disorder linked to her role in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terror attacks has written a book about seeing legions of angels guarding the Pennsylvania site where a hijacked airliner crashed.

Lillie Leonardi served as a liaison between law enforcement and the families of the passengers and crew members killed in the United Airlines Flight 93 crash. She arrived on the scene about three hours after the crash.

Although Leonardi’s book, “In the Shadow of a Badge: A Spiritual Memoir,” centers on her vision of angels, she argues her life has been changed more by what she didn’t see that day.

“The biggest thing for me is that that there were no bodies,” she said.

Leonardi, 56, remembers the burning pine and jet fuel stinging her nostrils. She said she also remembers a smoldering crater littered with debris too small to associate with the jetliner or 40 passengers and crew on board.

“I’m used to crime scenes but this one blew me out of the water. It just looked like the ground had swallowed up” the plane, Leonardi said.

“That’s when I started seeing like shimmery lights … and it was kind of misty and that’s when I first saw, like, the angels there,” Leonardi said. “And I didn’t say anything to the guys because you can imagine if I would have said, ‘I just saw angels on the crash site,’ they’d have called the office and they’d have said, ‘She lost her mind and tell her to go home.'”

……

“To this day I know I saw those angels, I’ve never doubted that. What I doubted was, why me?”

Sorry, I got nuthin’.



  1. deowll says:

    Be happy. You might have seen legions of the dammed being hauled off in chains. You have fun now.

  2. TheLateGreat says:

    I think George Carlin said it best –

    “…What is all this shit about angels?…I think it’s a massive, collective, psychotic chemical flashback for all the drugs smoked, swallowed, shot, and obsorbed rectally by all Americans from 1960 to 1990. Thirty years of street drugs will get you some fucking angels, my friend!”

  3. dave 1001 1001 1001 says:

    Seems like Satan or the throng off virgins, depending on your religious persuasion, would have been there too for the hijackers.

  4. She was PMS’ing – I saw the Hell’s Angels once when I was PMS’ing.

  5. ECA says:

    uMM,
    3 hours AFTER??
    about NOON??
    With all the vehicles and traffic??
    They removed 99% of it.
    (if anything really happened)
    Corp of engineers, and everyone they could get, was there INSTANTLY..
    Piled/stacked/and SHIPPED out.. no cops, no pictures, no crime scene..

  6. Tisme says:

    600 mph vertical dive. They’re there. You just wouldn’t recognize them. Imagine: no piece larger than a quarter. Quite frequent in high speed collisions with terrain.

    • bobbo, the ONLY true Libertarian on this blog, all others being dogmatic posers says:

      How to tell shit from shinola:

      …… anything with “spiritual” in the title.

    • George says:

      Remember KE = 1/2 mv^2. Imagine those poor souls who fell from the WTC. They hit at maybe 80-100mph. The energy of a body in a plane crash at 500mph will be 25 times as great as at 100mph. At impact speeds at which that plane was traveling, the human body acts more like a water balloon than something solid.

      One other thing. Planes aren’t solid either. They are hollow tubes that pancake on impact. Don’t confuse crashes of planes that slide off a runway into fairly forgiving trees and buildings at 170mph with those of planes that rocket into the ground at 2-3x that speed.

      • I'm ugly and my mother dresses me funny says:

        Thanks George. Mossad or CIA? You must be working from home today.

    • The Colonel says:

      Please cite just one other example of this happening , just one, (the Pentagon doesnt count, obviuosly) and I just might buy into your bullshit.

      If you can’t do that, I undestand.

      • anonymous coward says:

        You call physics bullshit???

        • So what says:

          Conspiracy and religious idiots are usually lacking in science knowledge.

      • LibertyLover says:

        I suggest you read up on frangibility and shaped charges. At high velocities, normally rigid materials act like liquids.

        This is not new math.

        At the speed this plane hit the ground, a person of 180 lbs had 3 MJ of energy stored up.

        It had to go somewhere.

      • Jeff Roe says:

        There was a similar story about a plane crash into the Florida everglades years ago; came straight down into shallow water and disintegrated into the solid ground under the water. Divers found no bodies or pieces of bodies, nor was there very much (metal) debris. I did not understand how this was even possible at that time, but now, after years of education in physics, mathematics and mechanical engineering, I have a much better understanding of the dynamics and tremendous destructive energy created in that type of impact. I agree with one of the other comments that, in that scenario, the human body acts like a water balloon or bag of water. Scary thought, but there it is.

        God bless all of the people and their families who lost love ones in both of these crashes.

        Jeff Roe

        • orchidcup says:

          A plane crashing straight into the ground at supersonic or near-supersonic speed would be very similar to an asteroid impact.

          Asteroids do not “disappear,” nor do they get “swallowed up” by the earth. They are virtually vaporized by the energy of the impact, and very small pieces can be found in a radial pattern emanating from the center of the impact, or crater.

          Not much would be expected to be seen after such a high-velocity impact, except perhaps small bits of paper and seat cushions.

          • I'm ugly and my mother dresses me funny says:

            Are you suggesting that meteorites and passenger planes have similar velocities?

            There was no huge flash of light when that plane hit the ground, bubba.

          • So what says:

            Well yes you are ugly and your clothing options leave something to be desired. As far as conspiracies go, I suggest you stick with the simple one, like where do your missing socks go.

            The remains and effects were identified and returned to the families.

            http://tinyurl.com/c5bbq7m

    • I'm ugly and my mother dresses me funny says:

      Exactly. No change, no jewelry, no watches, no solid aluminum wing spars, no rubber, no plastic, no cloth, no leather shoes. Those things all just disintegrate when they hit grass and dirt at 600 mph.

  7. Joe says:

    Really PTSD?

    • Sea Lawyer says:

      Yeah, what a scam. Especially if, as she claims there were no bodies to be seen, there was only a bunch of burning metal scrap laying around. Pathetic.

  8. overtemp says:

    Breathing the smoke from the crash site could have produced all sorts of hallucinations.

  9. kmfix says:

    Crazy people don’t know they’re crazy. Here’s another example.

    • Dallas says:

      True. Also the world around you is created in your mind and our senses provide a reference points. Feel free to fill in the gaps!

  10. AdmFubar says:

    >>A former police officer who retired from the FBI due to post-traumatic stress disorder linked to her role in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terror attacks has written a book about seeing legions of angels guarding the Pennsylvania site where a hijacked airliner crashed.<<

    uh huh.. let see post traumatic.., meaning bat shit crazy,
    but not that crazy as one can still write a book to cash in..

    i say follow the money, those arent angels…they are just green back… it is the american way!

  11. sirfelix says:

    Sounds like a movie called Millenium (1989), directed by Micheal Anderson. http://imdb.com/title/tt0097883/plotsummary

  12. The Watcher says:

    About 25 years ago, give or take, I was on the way to work when I noticed a Township Police Captain blocking traffic.

    Full uniform, at least, but an unmarked slick-top car, and the guy was a friend of mine. The problem – if this guy left the Station, another Unit would likely have to be sent out to help him find his way back….

    So, I stopped: “Roy, what happened?” “Big Explosion – go another way!”

    (Let’s just say he got his promotions before Civil Service….)

    Turned out that an illegal fireworks factory had blown up about a mile further up the road. Usually, I’d have been right there at about that time, but got delayed.

    ‘Bout all they found was a hole in the ground and bits of former workers in the trees. One of my buddies, and Insurance Agent told me that he’d gotten a call: “Am I covered for explosions?” My friend said “where was the explosion?”, and the caller said “Across the street”….

    I expect that the Shanksville crash would have had a similar result. No need for “cover up” people.

    As to the angels, I have no opinion. Be nice, though. I should hope that she’s right, but a bit more evidence might be useful.

  13. Rob Leather says:

    I tried to post this yesterday, the the anti-spam fascist hit me.

    I’m pretty sure I know exactly what this is, because I heard about a RAF mechanic who had the same problem.

    Some people are particularly susceptible to olfactory hallucinations brought about my jet fuel vapor. In his case it was “fireflies”. But I can easily see a religious person, overwhelmed by the scene around them, interpreting the visual affectations as something else. In her case she chose to see them as angels protecting the site. Which I assume gave her comfort.

    • Dallas says:

      Agreed. I also can see how religion facilitates mourning and explanation of things humans are illequiped to comprehend and will be.

  14. orchidcup says:

    Leonardi was apparently the only observer there who saw shimmering lights in a mist that she interpreted as “angels.”

    She did not say that she observed human forms with wings on their backs, which is the religious iconography associated with angels.

    Not enough information here to form an opinion.

  15. Miguel says:

    Goin’ back to the Middle Ages….

    • orchidcup says:

      Speaking of the Middle Ages, there is a body of literature that describes little creatures that were known as “fairies.”

      Fairies were reported to be seen up until the early part of the last century.

      When was the last time anyone reported seeing a fairy?

      • Cap'nKangaroo says:

        Probably when the blue laws stopped bars from being open 24/7.

  16. gear says:

    Fumes from jet fuel (enough to make your nostrils sting) can make you see things.

  17. orchidcup says:

    The whole story does seem like a fairy tale.

  18. orchidcup says:

    I found this statement on her web site:

    In her first book, “In the Shadow of a Badge/A Spiritual Memoir” Lillie shares the story of what she witnessed at the Flight 93 crash site during the events of 9/11. The pages penned provide a personal account of her 13 days at Shanksville – including the tale of angelic visitations before, during and after 9/11 – revealed during her subsequent treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

    According to her statement, she was in treatment for PTSD when she recalled seeing the angels.

    I am wondering what kind of treatment she received.

    • orchidcup says:

      Also, according to her statement, she experienced angelic visitations before, during, and after 9/11.

      I suppose that talking about angels might help with selling a book she wrote.

  19. NewformatSux says:

    They didn’t find bodies from that Korean airliner that was shot down by the Russians. Some theorized that they actually forced a landing, captured the passengers, and staged the accident.

    Looks like others have a more physical explanation.

    Early on, the theory was that Bush or Cheney ordered a shoot down of Flight 93. Would have been a disaster if it was shot down after the passengers had retaken control. It appears since then that they have released enough to convince people that this is not the case.

    TWA 800 remains the covered up aircraft terrorist attack made to look like an equipment malfunction.

  20. orchidcup says:

    This lady has a number of stories.

    Here is an excerpt from the text of an article that was published September 6, 2011:

    “The first thing that hit me was the smell,” she recalled. “It was a combination of fire and the pine. The second thing that hit me was we’re in the middle of the wilderness and there’s no sounds of birds.”

    On that day, Leonardi was with the Pittsburgh division of the FBI as a community affairs coordinator.

    Aside from the blackened forest and smoldering crater, she says she saw something else – a rising mist with shapes inside and silver flickers.

    A devout Catholic, Lille wondered if they were angels or even the 40 heroic souls of those on United Airlines Flight 93 who’d fought their hijackers to the end.

    Then she, and two men with her, spotted a Bible, barely singed.

    “Again, I’m praying, and all of a sudden I said, ‘God just give me a sign that I haven’t lost my mind.’

    “And all of a sudden this huge wind came out of nowhere and flipped that Bible open and I remember it flipped open to Psalm 23, ‘The Lord is my shepherd…’ “

    In the days to come, Lillie was the primary liaison with the families of the lost, escorting them to memorial services at the site.

    “And so every story or every hug that was needed, had to be – and what you don’t realize – what I understand now is you absorb all of that,” she said.

    The past decade has been a personal struggle for Lillie, physically and emotionally. She recently retired from the FBI with a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder.

    She remains fragile but strong in her faith and has written a book due out in October about her spiritual journey from 9/11. She will be in Shanksville with her daughter this weekend.

    “I’m just hoping it’s going to be a healing day for us all,” she said.

    So there was a singed Bible laying on the ground, and a huge wind came out of nowhere and flipped open the Bible to Psalm 23.

    I am wondering how a Bible survived the crash virtually intact, except it was singed, presumably by the fiery explosion.

    I suppose a Bible could survive the crash while nothing else did.

    If I would only believe in miracles.

  21. The_Real_Dallas says:

    Fact:

    Obama was on board and killed all the terrorists with his bare hands, unfortunately, he couldn’t pull the plane out of it’s dive. Donning a parachute, he kicked out the cabin door, and with an “adios mofo’s” jumped to fulfill his future destiny of driving the rest of the country into the ground at 600mph.

    Ta-da!

  22. Skeptic says:

    I have a question.

    How many angels can you fit inside the head of a pin-head?

  23. orchidcup says:

    Here is a video that I found on her web site:

    Lillie Leonardi

    Copyright 2011
    All rights reserved

    “All video footage was obtained from Internet sources”

    • orchidcup says:

      According to her video, she has been seeing, since childhood, a blue apparition that told her his name is “Michael.”

      I am assuming this “blue man” must be the archangel Michael.

      You really need to see the video to understand what she is saying.

  24. Sheila says:

    they won’t quit selling this bull shit till everyone in Amerika is woken up.

    Angles/????, why not a good hobgobblin or gremlin seems to me they are ‘ angle/centric.

    survivingsurvivalism.com

    • TK says:

      They’re Angels, not angles, which is a geometry term; the word is “until”, not “till”, which is something you do to a garden; it’s “has awaken”, not “is woken up”; and most importantly, it’s spelled “America”, not “Amerika”. If you plan to bash someone’s beliefs, the very least you could do is get the grammar and spelling correct. If you’re an American, shame on you for not knowing how to spell your own country’s name.

      • victoria says:

        Thank you for the correction…I thought the same thing about this dudes comment but you put it so much more succinctly than I could.

      • JFK says:

        Thank you TK! Very well said!

      • god of magog says:

        Then the LORD said unto thee… “Thou shalt not commit ad hominem attacks or other logical fallacies.”

  25. Sheila says:

    PS

    well that convinces me, now I’m sure that was really was a plane crash and also having seconds thought that 911 was an inside job.

    why don’t we end the TSA and let this woman screen passengers, if she see any angles around any persons they must be a terrorist.

    survivingsurvivalism.com

  26. Glenn E. says:

    As a non-investigator, I seriously this FBI “agent” would even be sent to the crash scene. There’s no reason for her to be there, getting a first hand glimpse of the wreckage. And then going to were the relatives are, to console them. It just doesn’t make sense. So I suspect she’s imagining that her dreams of the event, are real. I’ve heard this happening to some highly imaginative aerospace employees. Who just happen to paint or draw, as a hobby. And some of them believe aliens kidnapped them in their sleep. And so you’re suppose to take then dead serious, just because they’ve got this job with Lockheed or Boeing. Creating company poster art, designing aircraft decals, or whatever. Same with the FBI agent who sees angles. Probably not one of their more level-headed employees. Not a field agent. So she wouldn’t have been “in the field” to observe what she said she did.

  27. orchidcup says:

    Here is a photo gallery of the Shanksville crash site:

    Crater Photos

    There were dozens of people at the site shortly after the event occurred.

    Smoke can be seen in the photos, but no angels.

    Nobody else has reported seeing any angels.

    Apparently, the only person that saw angels at the site has been seeing angels since childhood.

    I don’t wish to sound skeptical, but it seems to me that one or more of the angels that were observed by Lillie would have been seen by other people at the site.

    And then there is the story about the Bible that survived intact and a huge wind suddenly opened the Bible to Psalms 23.

    My instincts tell me that somebody could have made up the whole story.

    I am not pointing any fingers.

  28. orchidcup says:

    Actually, this article that appeared in the Washington Post mentions that two Bibles were found in the debris, although they were not exactly intact.

    Interestingly, about 600 pounds of human flesh were recovered eventually.

    Hallowed Ground

    Excerpt:

    As coroner, responsible for returning human remains, Miller has been forced to share with the families information that is unimaginable. As he clinically recounts to them, holding back very few details, the 33 passengers, seven crew and four hijackers together weighed roughly 7,000 pounds. They were essentially cremated together upon impact. Hundreds of searchers who climbed the hemlocks and combed the woods for weeks were able to find about 1,500 mostly scorched samples of human tissue totaling less than 600 pounds, or about 8 percent of the total.

    Excerpt:

    Miller says he is often asked how he copes emotionally with the work he must do. He says he is not sure. Then he tells the church audience that, remarkably, two heavily damaged Bibles were found in the wreckage of the flight; a white one at the crash site that belonged to a passenger who was a practicing Buddhist; and a second one, black, of uncertain ownership. Miller says he ran across the second one on the floor of the warehouse where victims’ belongings were being kept. The second Bible was scrunched up and was lying open, he says, to the 121st Psalm, which is customarily read at funerals. He says he has no idea who left the Bible in that position.

    The Bibles were heavily damaged, according to the article.

    It seems difficult to imagine that a sudden huge wind would open a heavily damaged Bible to Psalm 23, as Lillie claims.

    The coroner reports one of the Bibles found on the warehouse floor was laying open to Psalm 121.

  29. NewformatSux says:

    Pretty sure this was the plot of an X-Files episode?

  30. JimD, Boston, MA says:

    9/11 looking more and more like an INSIDE JOB !!!


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