Podcast Summary: The 1973 Pascagoula UFO Abduction Case with Philip Mantle

New Thinking Allowed Audio Podcast
Host: Jeffrey Mishlove
Guest: Philip Mantle, UFO Researcher, Author of multiple books on the Pascagoula case
Original Air Date: September 6, 2025

Overview

This episode centers on the legendary Pascagoula UFO abduction case from 1973, involving Calvin Parker and Charles Hickson in Mississippi. Renowned UFO researcher and author Philip Mantle provides a deep dive into the event, the primary witnesses, investigations by major UFO researchers, newly discovered witnesses, and the broader impact and uniqueness of the case. The conversation is rich with detail from his decades of work, and Mantle shares updates from his new book, "Pascagoula Uncovered."

Episode Structure & Key Discussion Points

Introduction to the Case and Guest (03:13–03:49)

• Philip Mantle’s background: Veteran researcher in UK UFOlogy circles, author of three books on Pascagoula.
• Importance of the case: Mantle highlights its historical notoriety and the lasting intrigue it commands.

The Night of the Abduction: Detailed Timeline (03:49–16:15)

• Who: Calvin Parker (18, newcomer to Pascagoula) and Charles Hickson (42, shipyard foreman).
• What: After work, the two men went fishing along the Pascagoula (Singing) River.
• Experience description:
  • A blue light, a “rugby ball” (oval/American football)-shaped craft with two bright lights, descended near them (~18 inches from the ground).
  • From a right-side opening, a dazzling light and three humanoid figures emerged.
  • Creatures: Around 5–5’4”, bulky, head but no neck, pointed protrusions, long arms with pincers or mittens, legs together, skin like "wrinkly elephant skin."
  • Parker and Hickson were paralyzed, injected with something to calm them, and floated (not carried) into the craft.
  • Calvin was placed on a transparent table, examined by a cell-phone-sized device, and visited by a more human-looking female who communicated telepathically: “We’re not going to hurt you. Don’t be scared.” — (14:41, Calvin’s report via Mantle)
  • Charlie, meanwhile, was suspended in air, examined by a basketball-sized “big eye” device.
  • Both were returned to the pier, terrified. Calvin, especially, was traumatized. Their car’s glass shattered. Calming down, they debated who to contact.
  • Police involved: Sheriff's department performed sobriety tests, interviewed them separately, secretly recorded their conversation to test their veracity.
  • By morning, the story had reached the media and spread worldwide, much to the dismay of Calvin.

Memorable Moment:

“Out of this opening floated, I mean literally floated, three humanoid figures... Their arms were a bit long and they had other like pincer appendages or mittens… their skin, if that what it was, they described it as being like elephant skin, you know, gray and wrinkly.”
– Philip Mantle (10:44)

Immediate Investigations and APRO Files (16:15–22:20)

• UFO researchers arrive: Dr. James Harder (hypnosis specialist), Dr. J. Allen Hynek on scene quickly.
• Key actions: Harder hypnotized Calvin successfully (for 11 minutes); less success with Charlie. Both researchers declared the men should be treated as genuine and worthy of respect.
• APRO archives: Mantle describes the discovery and transfer of original paper and audio records from the now-defunct APRO, crucial for reconstructing the case's early history.
• New Book: Mantle’s work assembling these documents is compiled in "Pascagoula Uncovered."

Notable Quote:

“Before they left, [Harder and Hynek] held a press conference saying these guys are the genuine article, you know, and they should be treated with, with respect and not open to ridicule."
– Philip Mantle (18:17)

Hunt for Corroborating Witnesses (22:20–28:10)

• Mantle recounts efforts to confirm that others saw the phenomenon:
  • Contacted by Greek UFO researcher Stefanos Panagio Takis who had previously interviewed a local pastor, Emmanuel Segalas (who, along with others, saw a UFO that night).
  • Tracing the third passenger of that sighting—Joanne Hallmark—who confirmed the event and became a previously undocumented corroborating witness.

Notable Moment:

“Hey presto, we got a new witness to these events... This lady had never spoken to anyone ever before and it kind of surprised us.”
– Philip Mantle (25:22)

Adverse, Neutral, and New Witnesses (28:10–40:59)

• “Negative witness": Originally, a toll bridge worker claimed to have seen nothing, but later walked back his certainty.
• New witnesses: Charles "Rusty" Anderson, a driver on the bridge, and his cousin Pamela Rayleigh Eaves, both saw the blue lights that night.
• The Blairs: Maria and Jerry Blair, waiting by the river, saw the UFO up close and encountered one of the gray beings. Years later, Jerry, on his deathbed, admitted they had both been abducted.
• Hypnotic regression: Maria Blair, under hypnosis, described the creatures seeking her "eggs," suggesting targeted abductions. She speculated her and Jerry were the intended abductees, and Calvin and Charlie were "collateral damage."
• Calvin’s regression: During hypnosis, Calvin noted "two figures on the other side of the river," possibly the Blairs.

Notable Quote:

“She said, out of the water came this gray man. And it stood right up to her face, nose to nose and then went back in the water and was gone…”
– Philip Mantle (33:40)

The Uniqueness of the Encounter (57:50–62:04)

• Creature description: No known other cases match the robotic, featureless, wrinkly-skinned creatures described in Pascagoula—neither in UFO literature nor contemporary science fiction of the time.
• Nature of beings: Both primary witnesses described the entities as robotic from day one, due to their movement and lack of facial features.

Notable Quote:

“To the best of our knowledge there isn’t [another similar case], and if anyone knows differently, please get in touch. We’d love to know.”
– Philip Mantle (58:39)

Recurring Woman Figure and Further Accounts (44:36–47:26, 61:56–66:10)

• Calvin’s recurring “female examiner”: Unlike other witnesses, Calvin repeatedly encountered a telepathic, more-human female entity in 1973, 1992, 1993, and earlier in childhood. This being provided ominous visions and was described as attractive but perhaps “wearing a mask.”
• Comparisons: Other cases (Travis Walton, Chris Bledsoe, "Mojave Incident") feature female entities, but rarely prior to Pascagoula.
• Polygraph controversy: Skeptics failed to discredit the witnesses—polygraphs administered by a reputable, if out-of-town, examiner all supported Charlie’s veracity.

Notable Quotes:

“She opened Calvin’s mouth and put her fingers inside and it hurts. And she said he heard in his head, you know, 'we’re not going to hurt you. Don’t, don’t be scared.'”
– Philip Mantle retelling Calvin’s testimony (14:41)

“The female is unique to Calvin’s testimony... All four of these encounters featured this female.”
– Philip Mantle (47:26)

Skepticism, Media, and Legacy (66:10–71:36)

• Philip Klass’s attempts at debunking: Klass focused on questioning polygraph credentials, not the substance; Mantle found Klass’s file contained little research, mainly attempts to discredit.
• Media exposure: Calvin was wary; Charlie engaged with the press, which led to the story spreading worldwide.
• Historical preservation: Mantle has ensured archiving of rare first-generation interviews, documents, and testimonies, some transcribed in his latest book.

Memorable Moment:

“[Klass] was not trying to research it... if you throw enough mud, some of it sometimes sticks. And he couldn’t find anything wrong with it, you know, as simple as that.”
– Philip Mantle (69:37)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 03:13 — Main introduction and background
• 03:49 — Full narrative of the abduction
• 16:15 — Arrival of professional UFO investigators
• 18:17 — APRO files, press conferences, historical records
• 22:20 — Tracking down witnesses, including new and international testimonies
• 28:10 — Conflicting witness accounts, bridge and neighborhood sightings
• 33:40 — Maria Blair’s dramatic close encounter
• 44:43 — Details of the Blairs’ abduction recollections
• 47:26 — Calvin’s unique experiences with a female alien
• 57:50 — Discussion of uniqueness of Pascagoula entities
• 61:56 — Other cases with human-like non-human intelligences
• 66:10 — Skepticism and the polygraph controversy
• 71:36 — Final reflections and Mantle’s concluding thoughts

Notable Quotes & Insights

• “I first seen Calvin when he got abducted. I could see what was happening on the other side of the river, not just the blue light. But she said, I thought it was men, you know, something to do with… I didn’t know anything about UFOs or aliens or anything like that.”
  — Maria Blair (recounted by Mantle, 39:38)

• “Both Charlie and Calvin describe these creatures as robotic. That wasn’t something that came out years later… it was right from the very beginning.”
  — Philip Mantle (59:18)

• “If you saw her in a bar, you’d buy her a drink, you know, she’s pretty, she was attractive… I’m sure there was, what I was seeing was a mask, you know, so she was the common denominator.”
  — Philip Mantle quoting Calvin Parker (50:42)

• “He blamed Charlie for letting the story out in the first place. But I don’t, I think he was wrong… he got a tipoff directly from the sheriff’s department.”
  — Philip Mantle (54:22)

Conclusion

Jeffrey Mishlove closes by commending Philip Mantle for his persistence, thorough documentation, and decades-long quest for overlooked witnesses and evidence. Mantle emphasizes that, despite unique aspects and skepticism, the Pascagoula case stands out for its abundance of witnesses, the singular descriptions of the entities, its historical documentation, and the deep emotional impact on those involved.

“This has been a fascinating excursion into one of the most important cases in UFO history. You’ve done a very commendable job over many years tracking down so many witnesses, so many documents, so many recordings.”
– Jeffrey Mishlove (71:36)

For those interested in firsthand sources, transcriptions, and rare audio, Mantle’s new book “Pascagoula Uncovered” compiles many of these primary documents.