Podcast Summary: So Supernatural – ALIEN: 1989 Manhattan Abduction

Podcast: So Supernatural
Host: Audiochuck | Crime House (Rasha Pecorero & Yvette Gentile)
Episode Title: ALIEN: 1989 Manhattan Abduction
Date: January 16, 2026

Episode Overview

This gripping episode delves into one of the most famous and controversial urban alien abduction cases: the 1989 Manhattan abduction of Linda Napolitano. Unlike stereotypical rural UFO encounters, this alleged abduction occurred in the heart of New York City, with numerous witnesses, physical evidence, and a tangle of government intrigue. Through storytelling, first-hand accounts, and commentary, hosts Rasha Pecorero and Yvette Gentile examine Linda's experiences, the bizarre aftermath involving mysterious agents, and the case's enduring controversies—culminating in renewed scrutiny following a 2024 Netflix documentary and subsequent lawsuit.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Challenging UFO Stereotypes (00:02–01:53)

• UFOs in the City: The hosts introduce the episode by challenging the cliché of isolated, rural UFO encounters, setting the stage for an abduction amid the bustle of Manhattan.
• “Every now and then, you get a UFO story that turns the stereotype on its head. Like today's case.” – Yvette Gentile [00:58]

2. Linda Napolitano's Abduction: The Night of November 30, 1989 (03:18–10:39)

• The Incident:

  • Linda, a mother of two, awakens at 3:15 am, paralyzed except for her arms.
  • She sees several small, gray, childlike figures at her bed.
  • Panicked, she tries to fight back but is fully immobilized.
  • Remembers floating out of her 12th-floor window—despite metal grilles—towards a blue light and beings.
  • Remembers flashes: inside a spaceship, examined against her will.

• “Her toes feel numb… but she suddenly finds she can’t move… She’s terrified, but also filled with the urge to fight back.” – Rasha [03:33]

• “She realizes she’s levitating.” – Yvette [05:32]

• Shipboard Experience:

  • Alien language communication; Linda instinctively replies in a language she doesn't know.
  • “She yells something right back at them. But she's surprised when the words coming out of her mouth aren't English... the aliens, they understand her.” – Rasha [07:35]
  • Physical examination with unfamiliar instruments. Telepathic words appear in her mind; she chooses to ignore them.
  • “Dear God, please let me sneeze right in their cold little faces.” – Linda, quoted by Yvette [08:28]

• Aftermath:

  • Returns home, finds it's 4:45 am—only 90 minutes have passed.
  • Noted: Similar physical sensations from childhood experiences (numb toes), suggesting abductions weren't new for Linda.

3. Involving Bud Hopkins & Early Investigations (10:39–13:18)

• Contacting Bud Hopkins:
  • A prominent UFO researcher, Bud uses hypnosis to help Linda recall memories—including earlier childhood sightings.
  • “Bud believes Linda’s story might just be another piece in a much bigger puzzle about alien abductions.” – Yvette [12:34]

4. Eyewitnesses Step Forward – Dan & Richard (13:18–20:29)

• “Police” Letters:

  • A year later, two men, Dan and Richard (claiming to be officers), write to Bud with their eyewitness account.
  • They were parked near the Brooklyn Bridge, saw Linda’s abduction, including childlike entities, and watched the craft dive into the East River.
  • After months of guilt and fear about coming forward, they reach out to Bud, expressing concern for Linda’s wellbeing.

• “You would think that…but how exactly do you help someone mid alien abduction?” – Yvette [14:57]

• Personal Confrontation:

  • Dan and Richard visit Linda at her home—offering sympathy, but also subjecting her to aggressive questioning.
  • Linda is unsettled by their demeanor and doubts their claim to be police.

5. The Mystery Deepens – Changing Stories & Diplomatic Intrigue (20:29–27:26)

• Ongoing Correspondence & Strange Behavior:

  • Both Dan and Richard send Bud tapes and letters corroborating Linda’s story, describing increasing paranoia.

• “Dan describes how he started sleeping with a sledgehammer… Richard starts putting a dummy in his bed.” – Yvette [20:53]

• Bud cannot verify their police backgrounds, wondering if they're government agents.

• Confessions & a “Third Man”:

  • Richard admits they were actually security guards, not police, and that a “third man”—a high-level, possibly diplomatic figure—was present during the abduction.
  • Theories arise that these men may be intelligence agents (FBI, CIA, or NSA) and the third man a foreign dignitary.

6. Human Threats: Linda Targeted by “Agents” (27:26–33:20)

• Linda’s Kidnapping by Dan and Richard:

  • On April 29, 1991, Linda is forced into a diplomatic Mercedes, interrogated, and accused of being an alien herself.
  • Eventually released, but the use of diplomatic plates adds layers of fear and conspiracy.

• “If Linda was scared before, she's beside herself now. Two men with who knows what top secret clearance just kidnapped her.” – Rasha [27:26]

• “At this point, it feels like aliens are the least of Linda's problems.” – Yvette [27:54]

• Ongoing Harassment:

  • Linda continues to encounter Dan and Richard, including being chased and injured in Manhattan’s streets.

7. Fragmented Memories: The “Lady of the Sands” & Further Incidents (28:31–35:04)

• Shared Hypnotic Memories:

  • All three men (Dan, Richard, the third man) and Linda recall a bizarre scene: Linda digging in sand with aliens, speaking their language, holding up a dead fish, and being addressed as “Lady of the Sands.”
  • Linda’s separate hypnosis session matches these recollections, raising questions of authenticity vs. confabulation.

• Escalation – Dan’s Breakdown:

  • Dan kidnaps Linda again, drives her to a remote beach, forces her to don a white nightgown, and behaves erratically and threateningly.
  • Richard intervenes; photographic and audio evidence corroborates Linda’s account.

• Physical Evidence:

  • Linda’s cousin, a podiatrist, x-rays her head after a nosebleed, revealing a mysterious metal object in her nasal cavity—later disappears before removal.
  • Past medical exams reveal unexplained scars.

8. The Public Story: Bud’s Book, New Documentary, and Legal Battle (35:04–43:59)

• Witnessed:

  • Bud Hopkins publishes an exhaustive account of the case in his 1997 book Witnessed, hoping for public breakthrough.
  • Despite a media splash, the case fades from attention, questions unresolved.

• Netflix Documentary & Lawsuit:

  • In 2024, Linda files a lawsuit against Netflix, the filmmakers, and Carol Rainey (Bud's ex-wife, now deceased), following a new documentary that revisits her story but casts doubt—Carol suggesting Linda fabricated the entire case.
  • “According to Linda, it’s just the latest attack in Carol Rainey’s campaign to call her a liar.” – Rasha [37:42]

• Rival Narratives:

  • Carol Rainey is portrayed as skeptical and critical, questioning witness authenticity and the reliability of hypnosis.
  • Bud and the hosts defend Linda, citing multiple writers’, voices, and physical evidence, emphasizing the impossibility of orchestrating such widespread deception.

9. Enduring Questions & The Human Element

• Skepticism vs. Belief:

  • The hosts ponder the difficulties victims face in being believed when their stories defy social norms.
  • “It seems far more likely that Linda’s account was true. Or at least it was to her. And that alone is worth validating.” – Rasha [43:44]

• Linda’s Perspective:

  • Linda claims continued alleged victimization by both aliens and humans, with the added insult of being misrepresented in the media and, as she humorously protests, forced to wear unflattering clothes on camera.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with timestamps)

• “If I told y’, all, pack your things. We're going UFO hunting, where do you picture us going? ...But every now and then, you get a UFO story that turns the stereotype on its head. Like today's case.” – Yvette Gentile [00:02–01:09]
• “Dear God, please let me sneeze right in their cold little faces.” – Linda, quoted by Yvette [08:28]
• “At this point, it feels like aliens are the least of Linda's problems.” – Yvette [27:54]
• “Now that, that is a twist.” – Rasha [36:12] (after Richard claims Linda's son might be his)
• “To me, it seems far more likely that Linda’s account was true. Or at least it was to her. And that alone is worth validating.” – Rasha [43:44]
• “She can’t be a fashion victim, too. I’m just saying.” – Yvette [43:52]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Urban UFO Intro & Case Setup: 00:02–01:53
• Abduction Recounted: 03:18–10:39
• Hypnosis & Childhood Ties: 11:18–13:18
• Dan & Richard’s Eyewitness Accounts: 13:18–20:29
• Confessions and the “Third Man”: 21:43–27:26
• Linda’s Human Kidnapping: 27:26–33:20
• Lady of the Sands & Additional Memories: 28:31–35:04
• Physical Evidence Discussed: 33:20–35:04
• Book, Documentary, and Lawsuit: 35:04–43:59
• Closing Thoughts: 43:59–45:09

Tone & Structure

The episode balances suspenseful, sometimes humorous, storytelling with sincere empathy for Linda’s ordeal and skepticism towards skeptics. The hosts challenge listeners to consider the social cost of telling unbelievable truths and leave the lingering question: Is truth defined by evidence, consensus, or personal experience?

Final Reflection

“So Supernatural” transforms a notorious UFO story into a mystery layered with trauma, skepticism, and human drama. The case of Linda Napolitano, with its compound mysteries, questionable agents, and recurrent public skepticism, remains unresolved—reminding listeners that when navigating the truly bizarre, “the truth lies somewhere in the unknown.”