Monsters and Mysteries in America (2013–…): Season 2, Episode 6 - Southeast Gulf - full transcript

Narrator:
ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS CLAIMS
OF ALIEN ABDUCTION --

TWO MEN FISHING
BY THE PASCAGOULA RIVER.

[ TELEPHONE RINGS ]

BOTH OF THEM WAS VERY SHOOK UP.

GOT PICKED UP
BY THE UFO

SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED TO THEM.

Narrator:
POLICE INTERROGATION RECORDINGS,
LONG KEPT SECRET,

CAPTURE THE FIRST MOMENTS
OF THEIR ORDEAL.

A YOUNG MAN IN THE WOODS

CAR-JACKED
BY A GIANT, REPTILIAN BEAST.

YOU COULD SEE IT WELL ENOUGH
IN THE MOONLIGHT



TO SEE THAT IT WAS
A HUMANOID-TYPE FIGURE.

[ HISSES, SCREECHES ]

Narrator: FLORIDA'S
FOUL-SMELLING SWAMP CREATURE.

Falconer: ALL OF A SUDDEN, I SEE
THESE EYES LOOKING AT ME --

THESE GLOWING EYES --

AND I JUST KIND OF WENT,
"AM I REALLY SEEING THIS?"

[ GROWLS ]

Narrator: AND A NEW VIDEO
OF THE SKUNK APE,

BROADCAST ON TV
FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.

IT'S HUGE, ISN'T IT?

THEN IT STOOD UP
AND I COULD SEE IT AGAIN.

YOU FEEL IT IN YOUR STOMACH,

'CAUSE YOU KNEW
YOU WERE LOOKING AT SOMETHING.

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS



Narrator: THE GREEN SWAMP
IN CENTRAL FLORIDA --

MILES OF MARSHLAND,

DOZENS OF DANGEROUS PREDATORS,

AND, AMONG THE GATORS,
SNAKES, AND WILD HOGS,

A MYSTERIOUS MONSTER
IS RUMORED TO LURK.

Volz: THE SWAMPS OF FLORIDA
COULD PRESERVE A POPULATION

THAT COULD
EASILY BE UNKNOWN TO US.

THE INDIANS HAVE SAID SO --

THERE'S TRADITIONS
THAT GO BACK 1,000 YEARS.

THIS SWAMP PROVIDES
THE EXACT KIND OF TERRITORY

THAT A SKUNK APE
WOULD LIKE TO LIVE WITHIN.

IT'S IN A RURAL AREA,
THERE ARE NO SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS

LIKE DISNEY WORLD
OR OTHER THINGS,

AND IT IS DENSE,
AS FAR AS THE FOREST GOES.

NOT A PLACE, NORMALLY,
THAT MOST PEOPLE WOULD GO.

Falconer: YOU KNOW, THE TERM
THAT YOU HEAR, "SKUNK APE" --

I'VE MADE FUN OF PEOPLE WHO
HAVE CLAIMED TO HAVE SEEN IT.

I SAW IT, SO...

I DON'T DOUBT IT ANYMORE.

Narrator:
RUMORS OF THE APE-LIKE CREATURE
CAME ALIVE IN THE 1960s

AFTER A RASH OF SIGHTINGS ALONG
THE EDGE OF THE EVERGLADES.

[ DEEP GROWL ]

[ BABY CRYING ]

[ SNIFFS ]

WHAT IS THAT SMELL?

IS THAT THE BABY?

NOPE. ALL CLEAN, HERE.

[ RUSTLING ]
[ DEEP GROWL ]

THE MONSTER'S
MOST NOTORIOUS FEATURE?

ITS AWFUL SMELL.

A VERY FOUL STENCH IS ASSOCIATED
WITH THIS CREATURE.

Narrator:
SO FOUL, FEW THINGS COMPARE.

ROADKILL,

A WET DEER THAT ROLLED IN DUNG.

THE SMELL'S PRETTY NAUSEATING.

A HORRIBLE STENCH.

Narrator:
IN THE PAST TWO DECADES ALONE,

OVER 100 SIGHTINGS,

MAKING FLORIDA
THE SECOND HOTTEST SPOT

FOR HAIRY HOMINIDS IN AMERICA,

AFTER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST.

Houser: THIS CREATURE
IS ALMOST HALF APE, HALF HUMAN.

IT WALKS LIKE A NORMAL HUMAN
UP ON ITS TWO LEGS,

BUT IT'S COVERED IN HAIR
LIKE AN APE.

SOME BIG FOOT
ARE PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE,

OTHERS ARE VERY AGGRESSIVE,

AND THIS FITS THE SOUTHEASTERN
MODEL OF THE SKUNK APE.

Robinson: COMPARED TO BIG FOOT,
IT'S A LITTLE BIT SMALLER,

AND IT'S SAID THAT
BECAUSE OF THE SWAMP AREA HERE,

THE ANIMAL IS
A LITTLE BIT MORE AQUATIC,

IT HAS BEEN SEEN
GOING THROUGH THE WATER.

Narrator: THE LEGEND DATES BACK
HUNDREDS OF YEARS.

IN THE EARLY 1900s, DISCOVERIES
OF GIANT BONES AND SKULLS,

SOME UNEARTHED IN FLORIDA,

FUELED SPECULATION THAT
A RACE OF HAIRY, BIPEDAL APES

MIGHT STILL EXIST
SOMEWHERE IN THE SWAMPS.

IF THE SKUNK APE WAS OUT THERE,
NO ONE REALLY KNEW.

ONE MAN
WAS DETERMINED TO FIND OUT.

RETIRED ARMY M.P.
ROBERT ROBINSON

IS A TEACHER
AND FATHER OF FOUR.

Robinson:
BEING IN THE MILITARY

HAS HELPED ME
WITH ATTENTION TO DETAIL --

I WAS IN MILITARY POLICE,

SO I QUESTIONED
EVERYTHING THAT I SAW.

Narrator:
ROBINSON'S INVESTIGATIVE EYE
WOULD BE PUT TO THE TEST.

AND HE ENLISTED HIS OWN FAMILY

TO HELP HIM
SEARCH FOR THE BEAST.

Robinson:
MY WHOLE NIGHT'S ADVENTURE
ACTUALLY STARTED

WHEN I GOT WIND OF A SIGHTING
THAT HAD TAKEN PLACE

BY A HUNTER OUT THERE.

HE HAD SEEN THE SKUNK APE.

WHAT DO YOU THINK'S
OUT THERE, DAD?

I DON'T KNOW,
BUT WE'LL FIND OUT.

SO, GRABBED UP THE FAMILY
AND WE CAME OUT THERE

WHERE THIS CREATURE WAS SIGHTED.

THIS IS
KIND OF CRAZY, DAD.

Narrator: IN THE WINTER,
THE SWAMP GOES DARK EARLY.

Woman: LET'S MEET UP
IN ABOUT 20 MINUTES, OKAY?

WE'LL GO THIS WAY.
GIVE ME A CALL ON THE RADIO.

Robinson: I BROKE THE FAMILY UP
INTO TWO GROUPS.

I HAD MY WIFE
AND MY STEPDAUGHTER --

THEY WERE GONNA GO AHEAD
AND TAKE THE MAIN ROAD.

Narrator: ROBINSON AND HIS SON
WENT DOWN A DIFFERENT TRAIL.

Robinson: IT WAS PITCH-DARK.

I DON'T LIKE TO USE FLASHLIGHTS.

I LIKE TO KEEP IT
AS DARK AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.

I HAD A NIGHT-VISION CAMERA
THAT I JUST GOT AHOLD OF,

AND I WANTED TO
SEE HOW IT WORKED.

[ SNIFFS ]
SMELL THAT?

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN,
WE GET A WHIFF OF SOMETHING

THAT SMELLS LIKE A DEAD ANIMAL.

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, I NOTICED
EVERYTHING JUST WENT QUIET.

USUALLY, YOU CAN HEAR CRICKETS,

YOU CAN HEAR
SOME KIND OF MOVEMENT GOING ON.

IT JUST GOT DEAD QUIET.

Narrator:
SO QUIET ROBINSON WASN'T AWARE

WHEN HIS SON
DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW.

[ LOW GROWL ]

SON?

SON!

SO, I'M SITTING THERE,
DEBATING WHAT TO DO,

'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW
WHERE MY SON IS.

SON?!

THEN I HEARD SOMETHING
MOVING OFF INTO THE WOODS,

AND IT SOUNDED REALLY LARGE.

[ RUSTLING ]

SOUNDED LIKE
SOMETHING ON TWO LEGS MOVING,

AND IT SOUNDED VERY HEAVY
COMPARED TO ME.

[ LEAVES CRUNCHING ]

WHATEVER IT WAS, IT SOUNDED LIKE
IT WAS GETTING CLOSER.

I PULLED UP
MY NIGHT-VISION GOGGLES

AND I POINTED IN
THE DIRECTION OF IT

AND I SEE THESE EYES
LOOKING AT ME,

AND I JUST KIND OF WENT,
"AM I REALLY SEEING THIS?"

I'M LOOKING AT IT,
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN

I SEE IT BLINK
AND A CHILL WENT DOWN MY SPINE.

Narrator: CUT OFF
FROM HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTER,

HIS SON MISSING,

ROBINSON WAS NOW CLOSE TO PANIC.

Robinson: THERE'S
NO QUESTION ABOUT IT NOW --

I'M SEEING SOMETHING REAL.

[ CRUNCHING CONTINUES ]

I'M HEARING THIS CREATURE
COMING CLOSER

AND TRYING TO
LOOK AROUND FOR MY SON.

Narrator:
ALL OF HIS SENSES WERE ALERT
TO THE HORRIBLE PROSPECT --

THE MONSTER WAS RIGHT THERE.

[ HEAVY BREATHING ]

Robinson:
I COULD HEAR IT BREATHING.

INSTINCT WAS SAYING, "THERE'S
SOMETHING BIG OUT THERE."

[ GROWLING ]

Narrator:
ONLY, ROBINSON CAN'T LEAVE,

NOT WITHOUT KNOWING
HIS SON IS SAFE.

Robinson: AND THEN
I HEAR A NOISE BEHIND ME,

AND I'M THINKING, "OH, GREAT,
THERE'S ANOTHER ONE."

[ LEAVES CRUNCHING ]

IT'S MY SON.

AND I COULD SEE
THE LOOK ON HIS FACE.

DAD, WHAT IS THAT?

I DON'T KNOW.

IT STARTS MOVING AGAIN,
TOWARD US.

I DIDN'T HAVE A GUN
OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

[ GROWLING ]

MY SON KIND OF LEANS OVER,
HE GOES,

"MAYBE WE OUGHT TO LEAVE NOW."

WE START
BACKING UP A LITTLE BIT.

I DIDN'T KNOW IF THIS ANIMAL
WAS GONNA COME OUT AT US.

AND THEN I HEAR A SCREAM.

[ SCREECHES ]

I'VE NEVER HEARD A SCREAM
LIKE THAT BEFORE.

I'VE HEARD THE PANTHERS,
I KNOW WHAT A BEAR SOUNDS LIKE,

BUT THAT WAS SOMETHING
ENTIRELY DIFFERENT.

Narrator: RUNNING TOWARDS
HIS CAR, ROBINSON PRAYED

HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTER
WERE ALREADY THERE.

I WAS WORRIED
ABOUT EVERYBODY OUT THERE.

I LOOKED OVER AND I COULD SEE

MY WIFE AND MY DAUGHTER
STANDING OUTSIDE OF THE CAR.

WE WERE
SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU!

[ SCREECHING ]
AND THEN, ALL OF A SUDDEN,

WE HEARD THE SCREAM AGAIN,
AND IT WAS LOUD.

IT ECHOED
ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE SWAMP.

THAT WAS THE SKUNK APE.

[ SCREECHING CONTINUES ]

IT LEFT A LASTING IMPRESSION
ON ME.

IT'S SOMETHING
I'LL NEVER FORGET.

Narrator: SKUNK APE HAS A HABIT
OF SURPRISING THE UNWARY.

A JUNIOR SCOUT LEADER
DECIDED TO TRY A SHORTCUT

ON THE WAY BACK TO CAMP.

THAT TRAIL LED DIRECTLY TO THE
BULKY BEAST OF THE SWAMP GRASS.

[ GROWLS ]

IT STOOD UP TO BE AT LEAST
MY HEIGHT, PERHAPS MORE.

I FOUND THE CREATURE
STARING ME STRAIGHT IN THE EYE.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

[ GROWLS ]

Narrator: 50 MILES NORTH
OF THE GREEN SWAMP,

GILCHRIST ISLAND,

ANOTHER FLORIDA WILDERNESS.

BLACKWATER CANALS
CARPETED WITH LILY PADS,

SHROUDED BY
CYPRESS AND PALMETTO TREES --

PERFECT COVER
FOR A CUNNING CRYPTID.

Volz:
THAT TERRAIN IS VERY THICK,
DENSE, HARD TO NAVIGATE --

NOT A PLACE, NORMALLY,
THAT MOST PEOPLE WOULD GO.

IN MARCH, 1961,

CHARLES VOLZ
WAS ON GILCHRIST ISLAND.

STAY IN YOUR TENT!

HE WAS A JUNIOR SCOUT LEADER...

HEY, LIGHTS OUT, GUYS.

...WITH
ADVANCED WILDERNESS SKILLS...

STAY IN YOUR TENT.
...AND BADGES TO PROVE IT.

NOTHING COULD HAVE PREPARED HIM

FOR WHAT HE WAS
ABOUT TO ENCOUNTER.

WHILE EVERYBODY ELSE
HAD BEDDED DOWN FOR
THE NIGHT, ABOUT 11:30,

I DECIDE TO
TAKE MY EVENING WALK,

AS I ALWAYS DID, DOWN
THE CENTER TRACK OF THE ISLAND.

IT WAS
A WONDERFULLY COOL EVENING,

NO RAIN AND A LOT OF MOONLIGHT.

ABOUT HALFWAY BACK,
I DECIDED TO TAKE A SHORTCUT

AND CAME UP ON A CLEARING,

AND IN THE CLEARING
I APPROACHED A STUMP.

I HAD PLANNED TO EITHER
WALK AROUND IT OR STEP OVER IT.

[ GROWLS ]

IT STOOD UP TO BE AT LEAST
MY HEIGHT, PERHAPS MORE.

I HAD NO IDEA, REALLY,
WHERE I WAS.

IT STOOD UP,
LOOKING DIRECTLY AT ME,

AND IT WAS COVERED WITH HAIR,

SMELLING LIKE
A FOUL ODOR OF ROADKILL.

[ GROWLING CONTINUES ]

I DO NOT DO ANYTHING.

I STAND PERFECTLY STILL,

MOSTLY BECAUSE
I COULDN'T MOVE ANYWAY.

I WAS PRETTY FRIGHTENED
AT THE TIME.

Narrator:
IN 1961, FEW HAD EVER STOOD

A HAIR'S BREADTH AWAY
FROM SKUNK APE.

Volz: AND WHILE I
LOOKED AT THIS CREATURE,

IT VERY SLOWLY MOVED ITS BODY --

THE WHOLE TIME
KEPT ITS EYES STRAIGHT ON ME --

AND WHEN ITS BODY GOT AROUND TO
A POSITION WHERE IT COULD RUN,

IT DID SO.
[ LEAVES CRUNCHING ]

ABOUT TWO OR THREE BOUNDS, IT
HAD CLEARED THAT 30-FOOT AREA...

[ ROAR ECHOES ]

AND I COULD HEAR IT
FOR QUITE SOME TIME

IN THE PALMETTOS
BEFORE THAT SOUND STOPPED.

Narrator:
VOLZ REPORTED THE ENCOUNTER
TO THE SCOUT MASTER.

HIS STORY WAS DISMISSED.

Volz: I STAYED AWAKE
MOST OF THE NIGHT.

I HAD CONCERNS
ABOUT THE FACT THAT

THERE WERE UP TO 20 OTHER BOYS,

MUCH YOUNGER THAN MYSELF,
ON THE PROPERTY.

Narrator:
SOME 50 YEARS LATER,

VOLZ STILL PONDERS THE DETAILS
OF HIS MYSTERIOUS ENCOUNTER.

HE ALWAYS
ARRIVES AT THE SAME CONCLUSION.

LOOKING BACK NOW,
I'D HAVE TO RULE OUT

BEAR, HUNTER,
AND THE OTHER ITEMS,

AND I ACTUALLY BELIEVE THAT

I WAS LOOKING
RIGHT DEAD AT A SKUNK APE.

Narrator:
OVER MANY DECADES,

FLORIDA RESIDENTS HAVE CLAIMED
TO SEE THE ELUSIVE SKUNK APE.

FINALLY, ONE MAN MAY HAVE
CAPTURED THE CREATURE ON VIDEO.

60 MILES SOUTH OF TAMPA,

MYAKKA CITY SITS ALONGSIDE

ONE OF FLORIDA'S
LARGEST WILDERNESS PRESERVES.

OCCASIONALLY,
SOMETHING MONSTROUS

EMERGES FROM THE MARSH GRASS.

I LIVE ON THE BACK SIDE
OF THE MYAKKA STATE PARK,

AND I TRAVEL THROUGH THERE
SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK.

Narrator:
ON ONE OF THOSE TRIPS,
MIKE FALCONER AND HIS SON

SAW THE CREATURE
BELIEVED TO BE SKUNK APE

AND CAUGHT IT ON VIDEO.

MARCH 2, 2013.

Falconer:
THIS WAS A SATURDAY NIGHT,
WE WERE HEADING TO DINNER.

THERE WAS A TRUCK PULLED OVER
LOOKING AT SOMETHING.

I WAS JUST GONNA GO AROUND THEM.

THERE'S
SOMETHING OUT THERE!

AND I JUST HAPPENED TO GLANCE
OVER WHERE THEY WERE LOOKING.

THAT'S WHEN I SAW IT
AND PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY.

MY SON AND I BOTH SAW SOMETHING

WALKING THROUGH
THIS TAN, DEAD GRASS.

WE HAD OUR CELLPHONES
IN OUR POCKETS,

SO I STARTED VIDEOTAPING IT,

BECAUSE I
KNEW I WAS LOOKING AT SOMETHING.

IT WAS A GOOD DISTANCE.

YOU COULD SEE SOMETHING WALKING,

YOU COULD MAKE IT OUT
WITH THE NAKED EYE.

IT'S HUGE, THOUGH.
IT'S HUGE, ISN'T IT?

Woman: OH, YEAH.
OH, YEAH, THERE. WOW.

Boy: YEAH, YOU SEE IT?
HUGE.

IT LOOKS
ALMOST LIKE A PERSON.

WE WANTED TO GET CLOSER,

SO WE STARTED TO RUN TOWARDS IT.

HEY, WAIT!

I GOT A GOOD LITTLE WAYS
OUT THERE.

THAT'S WHEN IT STOPPED, TURNED,
SQUATTED BEHIND THE GRASS...

Falconer:
THERE HE IS.

...THEN IT STOOD UP
AND I COULD SEE IT AGAIN.

YOU FEEL IT IN YOUR STOMACH,

'CAUSE YOU KNEW
YOU WERE LOOKING AT SOMETHING.

I'M GONNA
GO GET MY CAMERA.

YOU COULD SEE IT WALKING,
AND IT LOOKED LIKE

A LARGE, LARGE, VERY THICK,

HAIRY CREATURE WALKING.

WE KNEW WE WERE
LOOKING AT SOMETHING

THAT'S DESCRIBED AS A SASQUATCH,
BIG FOOT, MYAKKA SKUNK APE --

THAT'S WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT.

IT HAD MOVED ON
FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM US,

IT WAS HEADING TOWARDS
THE TREES,

AND WE DIDN'T SEE IT ANYMORE
AFTER THAT.

THIS IS THE AREA
WHERE WE PULLED OVER.

THIS IS WHERE
WE FIRST SAW IT WALKING.

WE PULLED OVER RIGHT HERE.

THIS WAS ALL BROWN, DEAD GRASS.

RIGHT NOW IT HAS WATER IN IT,

BUT WE WERE LOOKING
HALFWAY ACROSS THIS FIELD

AND YOU COULD SEE HIM WALKING.

YOU KNEW IMMEDIATELY --

THAT'S WHY I
PULLED THE TRUCK OVER SO QUICK.

I DIDN'T HAVE TO SAY,
"WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS?"

I DEFINITELY BELIEVE
THERE'S SOMETHING OUT THERE.

AFTER YOU
SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT,

YOU JUST THINK DIFFERENTLY.

Narrator:
400 MILES WEST, ACROSS THE GULF,

IS THE PORT TOWN OF PASCAGOULA,

MISSISSIPPI'S FLAGSHIP CITY
ON THE GULF COAST.

WHILE ALL KINDS OF BOATS
COME AND GO IN THESE WATERS,

NOTHING COMPARES TO
THE VESSEL THAT LANDED HERE

SOME 40 YEARS AGO.

IN 1973, TWO SHIPYARD WORKERS
CLAIMED THAT

A SPACESHIP SUDDENLY APPEARED
OUT OF NOWHERE.

THEIR STORY
WOULD MAKE ALIEN ABDUCTION

AN AMERICAN PHENOMENON.

NOW, POLICE INTERROGATION
RECORDINGS,

LONG KEPT SECRET,

BRINGS THIS CASE ALIVE
AS NEVER BEFORE.

Narrator:
PASCAGOULA, MISSISSIPPI.

ON AN AUTUMN NIGHT IN 1973,

TWO MEN WERE
SPENDING A RELAXING EVENING

TRYING THEIR LUCK
WITH ROD AND REEL.

UNIDENTIFIED CREATURES
SUDDENLY TOOK THEM BY SURPRISE.

THEY CLAIMED
THEIR CAPTORS WERE FROM SPACE.

THE STORY
IS COMPLETELY FASCINATING.

THEY BELIEVE SOMETHING
ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO THEM,

AND IT'S NEVER BEEN DISPROVEN --
EVER.

Narrator: GLENN RYDER
HAS WORKED IN LAW ENFORCEMENT

FOR OVER 50 YEARS,

A FIRST-HAND WITNESS
TO THE GRUESOME AND THE TRAGIC.

YET, ONE EVENT
STILL HAUNTS HIM --

SOMETHING
HE CAN'T EXPLAIN OR FORGET.

Ryder:
IT WAS AN UNUSUAL STORY,

BUT SOMETHING HAPPENED TO THEM.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS --
I WASN'T THERE WITH THEM --

BUT THEY HAD AN EXPERIENCE.

Narrator: IN 1973,
42-YEAR-OLD CHARLES HICKSON

AND 19-YEAR-OLD
CALVIN PARKER JR.

WERE CO-WORKERS
AT A PASCAGOULA SHIP YARD.

Ward:
MR. HICKSON WAS A FAMILY MAN.

HE WAS MARRIED
AND HE HAD THREE CHILDREN.

MR. PARKER WAS 19 YEARS OLD,
AND THEY WERE AVID FISHERMEN.

THEY PUT IN A HARD DAY'S WORK

AND THEY WENT FISHING
AFTER WORK.

Narrator: FISHING ON THE EVENING
OF OCTOBER 11, 1973

WOULD TURN THEIR LIVES
UPSIDE DOWN.

[ TELEPHONE RINGS ]

LATER THAT NIGHT,

JACKSON COUNTY SHERIFF
DISPATCHER MICHAEL ROBICHAUX

PICKED UP AN EMERGENCY CALL.

HE WAS THE FIRST TO
HEAR CHARLES HICKSON'S
DISTRESSED VOICE.

I NEED TO
TELL YOU SOMETHING.

Robichaux: HE WAS UPSET --
YOU COULD TELL IN HIS VOICE.

DISPATCHING,
YOU CAN PICK UP A PERSON'S --

CERTAIN THINGS
IN THEIR VOICE AND WHATNOT.

AND HIS VOICE WAS QUIVERING
AND RAISING UP AND DOWN.

Narrator:
RYDER WAS THE CAPTAIN IN CHARGE

ON THE NIGHT IT ALL WENT DOWN.
CAPTAIN.

THIS DISPATCHER TOLD ME
THERE WAS SOMEBODY ON THE PHONE.

THIS IS CAPTAIN RYDER,
HOW CAN I HELP YOU?

MY NAME'S
CHARLES HICKSON --

[ SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY ]
Shh! Shh!

JUST TELL THEM --
JUST TELL THEM WHAT HAPPENED!

CHARLES HICKSON, YES, SIR.

I-I NEED TO
TELL YOU SOMETHING.

I SAID, "WELL, IF YOU WANT TO
TELL ME SOMETHING, MR. HICKSON,

GO AHEAD AND TELL ME, NOW."

HE SAID, "NO, YOU'LL LAUGH."

AND I SAID, "NO, I WON'T LAUGH.
GO AHEAD AND TELL ME."

[ CLEARS THROAT ]
I GOT PICKED UP BY A UFO.

I LAUGHED.

HE SAID,
"I TOLD YOU YOU'D LAUGH."

[ CHUCKLES ]

YEAH.
LOOK, JUST TELL THEM --

AND I KEPT HEARING THIS BOY
IN THE BACKGROUND,

I SAID, "WHO IS THAT
TALKING IN THE BACKGROUND?"

HE WAS HYSTERICAL.

PICKED UP BY --
TH-THAT'S CALVIN PARKER.

HE SAID,
"THAT'S CALVIN PARKER.

HE WAS WITH ME WHEN WE
GOT PICKED UP BY THE UFO."

I SAID, "WAIT RIGHT THERE,
I'M COMING OVER.

I WANT TO TALK TO YOU."
YEAH.

ARE THEY COMING?
THEY'RE COMING.

UFO SIGHTING.
[ LAUGHS ]

I THOUGHT HE WAS CRAZY.

YOU DON'T GET
THAT MANY CALLS LIKE THAT.

Narrator:
WHEN THE OFFICERS PULLED UP,

HICKSON AND PARKER WERE STILL
TALKING ABOUT UFOs.

OFFICER, LISTEN.

PARKER
COULD BARELY CONTAIN HIMSELF.

A SHIP CAME OUT OF
THE -- LITERALLY CAME
OUT OF THE SKY...

Ryder:
I COULD SEE FEAR IN THE BOY.

THE BOY WAS REALLY UPSET.

Robichaux:
BOTH OF THEM WAS VERY SHOOK UP.

VERY VISIBLY SHOOK UP.

VOICE AND DEMEANOR --
THEY WERE SCARED.

SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED TO THEM.
A-AND ALIENS CAME OUT!

Y-YES! TH-TH-THERE WERE
THREE OR FOUR --

SMALL CREATURES,
LITTLE CREATURES,

AND THEY
TOOK US UP THERE!

I KNOW THIS SOUNDS CRAZY,
BUT WHY WOULD WE CALL YOU?

WE WOULDN'T CALL YOU
FOR THE HELL OF IT!

THESE LITTLE CREATURES
CAME OUT...

WHY DON'T WE
COME BACK TO THE STATION

AND WE'LL
TALK THIS THING THROUGH?

Narrator: THE TWO MEN WERE
BROUGHT TO THE STATION

AND SEPARATELY QUESTIONED.

WE TOOK THEM BACK INTO A ROOM
THAT WE INTERROGATED PEOPLE IN.

GIVEN THE FANTASTIC CLAIMS
HICKSON AND PARKER WERE MAKING,

CAPTAIN GLENN RYDER SECRETLY
TAPED THEIR INTERROGATION --

A SET OF RECORDINGS
THAT GIVES US

AN UNPRECEDENTED WINDOW
INTO THE EVENT.

IT WAS A WARM, OCTOBER NIGHT
ON THE PASCAGOULA RIVER.

SEE? TOLD YOU.
YEAH, YEAH.

[ HUMMING ]

WHAT'S THAT NOISE?

AS HICKSON AND PARKER
WERE FISHING,

THEY BOTH HEARD A NOISE.

THE NOISE WAS STRANGE.

WHAT FOLLOWED WAS UNBELIEVABLE.

HOVERING
JUST ABOVE THE WATERLINE,

A GLOWING SPHERE.

THE SPHERE OPENED.

ONCE THE ALIENS
STARTED MOVING TOWARDS THEM,

HICKSON AND PARKER WERE GRIPPED
BY A PARALYZING FORCE.

Narrator:
IN 1973, IN ONE OF THE FIRST

AND MOST FAMOUS CASES
OF ALIEN ABDUCTION,

TWO MEN CLAIM
A UFO APPEARED IN THE SKY

ABOVE THE PASCAGOULA RIVER
IN MISSISSIPPI.

LATER THAT NIGHT,

CHARLES HICKSON
AND CALVIN PARKER JR.

WERE PICKED UP
BY THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.

THEIR INTERROGATION
WAS SECRETLY RECORDED.

THEY WERE HAVING AN EASY TIME
CATCHING CATFISH.

THEY DIDN'T REALIZE
THEY'D BE THE NEXT ONES SNARED.

[ WHOOSH ]

Ward:
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, HE SAID
HE HEARD A WHOOSHING NOISE

AND HE LOOKED UP,
AND THERE WAS A SPACECRAFT

RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM,
HOVERING OVER THE WATER,

WITH TWO BLUE LIGHTS ON IT.

AND THEY WERE KIND OF
GLOWING AT HIM.

Narrator:
HICKSON AND PARKER WERE STRUCK
MOTIONLESS WHERE THEY STOOD.

Ryder:
HE TRIED TO GET UP AND RUN

AND HE WAS PETRIFIED --

HE COULDN'T MOVE,
HE WAS PARALYZED.

Narrator: TWO OF THE ALIENS
SEIZED HICKSON.

WHEN THE THIRD GRABBED PARKER...
AAH!

...THE YOUNG MAN
FAINTED WITH FRIGHT.

ONCE ONBOARD,
THEY FOUND THEMSELVES

IN A BRIGHTLY LIT ROOM.

Ryder:
CHARLES SAID THERE WAS GAUGES
ALL OVER THE WALL IN THAT THING.

SAID THERE WAS NO TABLES
OR CHAIRS OR ANYTHING,

SAID THEY JUST WAS
SUSPENDED IN THE AIR.

Narrator:
HICKSON DESCRIBED THE ALIENS
AS HAVING A HUMANOID FORM.

THEY EXAMINED HIM WITH A DEVICE
THAT LOOKED, TO HICKSON,

LIKE A GIANT EYEBALL.

Ryder: HE'S FLOATING, AND THEY
TOOK THAT EYE-LOOKING THING

AND SCANNED HIS BODY WITH IT --

WENT UP ONE SIDE
AND DOWN THE OTHER.

AND HE COULD NOT MOVE ANYTHING,
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF HIS EYES.

HE COULD GO FROM RIGHT TO LEFT
AND THAT WAS ABOUT IT.

HE WANTED TO RUN,
BUT HE COULDN'T, OBVIOUSLY.

Narrator: THEY HAD NO IDEA
HOW LONG THEY WERE GONE.

THEY WEREN'T SURE
WHAT HAD HAPPENED

OR HOW THEY GOT BACK ON EARTH.

THE NEXT THING HE REMEMBERED,

THEY WAS OUTSIDE,
SITTING ON THE GROUND.

AND THEY LOOKED BACK AND
THE SPACECRAFT WENT TO THE EAST.

CAL!

WHEN MR. HICKSON
WAS RELEASED ON THE PIER,

HE IMMEDIATELY STARTED
LOOKING FOR MR. PARKER.

CALVIN!

Ward: AND HE SAW MR. PARKER,
AND HE HAD HIS ARMS

REACHED OUT TO HIM
AND HE WAS CALLING FOR HIM.

Narrator:
THE EXPERIENCE WAS SO SHOCKING,

THEY FELT THEY HAD TO
REPORT IT TO THE AUTHORITIES.

HEARING THE STORY, CAPTAIN RYDER
WAS NATURALLY SUSPICIOUS.

Ryder: I DID SMELL ALCOHOL
ON CHARLES' BREATH.

I ASKED HIM --
I SAID, "DID YOU GET A DRINK?"

HE SAID, "YEAH, I HAD TO
HAVE ONE. MY NERVES ARE SHOT."

HE SAID, "I HAD TO
HAVE SOMETHING TO DRINK."

Narrator: WAS THE ENTIRE TALE
FUELED BY ALCOHOL?

SHERIFF RYDER
HAD A TRICK UP HIS SLEEVE

TO PUT THEIR SINCERITY
TO THE TEST.

Ryder:
TO SEE WHAT THEY WOULD SAY
WHEN WE LEFT THE ROOM,

WE HAD THE TAPE RECORDER ON.

WE THOUGHT WE'D FIND OUT
ONE WAY OR THE OTHER

IF THEY WERE LYING TO US OR IF
THEY WERE TELLING US THE TRUTH.

Ward:
IF, IN FACT, THIS WAS A HOAX,

IT WAS SMART TO
LEAVE THE TAPE RECORDER GOING.

Narrator:
IT WAS THE MAKE-OR-BREAK MOMENT

FOR THIS FAR-FETCHED TALE
OF ALIENS FROM OUTER SPACE.

Ryder:
WHEN WE PUT THEM IN THAT ROOM

AND PUT THE VOICE-ACTIVATED
TAPE RECORDER,

THAT PRETTY WELL SOLVED IT.

THEY BETTER WAKE UP
AND START BELIEVING.

THEY'D BETTER
START BELIEVING.

Narrator: OCTOBER, 1973.

PASCAGOULA, MISSISSIPPI.

CAPTAIN GLENN RYDER
OF THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT

SECRETLY RECORDED TWO MEN
CLAIMING ALIENS ABDUCTED THEM.

THE SECRET TAPE RECORDINGS
BEAR WITNESS

TO HOW FERVENTLY HICKSON
AND PARKER HELD TO THEIR STORY.

CAPTAIN RYDER WAS IMPRESSED
WITH THEIR SINCERITY.

IT DIDN'T SOUND LIKE
TWO MEN PUTTING ON A HOAX.

THEY HAD
SOME KIND OF EXPERIENCE.

NO DOUBT TO MY MIND
THAT SOMETHING HAPPENED.

I WASN'T THERE WITH THEM,
I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED,

BUT SOMETHING HAPPENED TO THEM.

Narrator: IT'S UNCERTAIN
WHETHER HICKSON AND PARKER

EVER HAD ACCESS
TO THESE REMARKABLE RECORDINGS

DOCUMENTING THEIR FIRST
IMPRESSIONS OF THE EVENT.

FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS,
THE TAPES WERE LOCKED AWAY

IN THE JACKSON COUNTY
SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.

OVER THE YEARS,
SKEPTICS CRITICIZE THEIR STORY.

SINCE THE FISHING PIER
WAS VISIBLE

FROM A NEARBY SHIPYARD
AND A HIGHWAY,

WHY WASN'T THE UFO LANDING
SEEN BY ANYONE ELSE?

NOBODY COULD CORROBORATE THAT

THIS SPACECRAFT
CAME DOWN, LANDED --

NOBODY SAW ANYTHING
TO THAT EFFECT.

Narrator: 20 YEARS LATER,
SUSAN RUDDIMAN WAS A REPORTER

WORKING AT A LOCAL PAPER
IN PASCAGOULA.

I DID RECEIVE A CALL
FROM A GENTLEMAN,

MIKE CATALDO,

AND HE WAS CALLING ABOUT
THE SIGHTINGS

THAT HE HAD
ON OR AROUND THE SAME NIGHT

AS CHARLIE HICKSON
AND CALVIN PARKER,

BACK IN OCTOBER OF 1973.

AT THAT TIME, HE WAS
CHIEF PETTY OFFICER IN THE NAVY,

STATIONED HERE IN PASCAGOULA.

Narrator: THAT EVENING,

CATALDO WAS JUST OFF DUTY

AND HEADING WEST ON HIGHWAY 90.

Ruddiman:
IT WAS WHILE HE WAS DRIVING HOME
ON THIS DARK, SWAMPY ROAD

THAT HE NOTICED
AN OBJECT IN THE AIR --

WHAT HE CALLED A UFO

Narrator:
TO CATALDO, IT LOOKED LIKE
A LARGE, GREY TAMBOURINE,

RINGED BY BLINKING LIGHTS.

IT HOVERED ABOVE THE SWAMP...

...THEN SHOT AWAY,
VANISHING FROM SIGHT.

[ ENGINE REVS, TIRES SQUEAL ]

Ruddiman: I WAS WONDERING WHY
HE KEPT QUIET ABOUT IT

ALL THOSE YEARS,

AND I THINK MAYBE HE WANTED TO
BE RETIRED AND OUT OF THE NAVY,

SO THAT'S WHAT PROMPTED HIM
TO FINALLY GO PUBLIC.

Narrator:
THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES,
BOTH HICKSON AND PARKER

MAINTAINED THE REPORT
OF THE ENCOUNTER WAS TRUTHFUL.

CHARLES WAS PUT
ON A LIE-DETECTOR TEST,

AND HE PASSED IT.

Narrator: CHERIE WARD
WAS ONE OF THE LAST JOURNALISTS

TO INTERVIEW CHARLES HICKSON
BEFORE HE DIED IN 2011.

Ward: I DID GO TO HIS HOUSE.

I SPOKE WITH HIM AND HIS WIFE,

AND HE TOOK ME THROUGH
HIS ENTIRE STORY.

HE WAS VERY OPEN
ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE.

THE MOST UNIQUE THING,

IN SOMETHING THAT'S COMPLETELY
UNBELIEVABLE LIKE THIS,

IS THAT HIS STORY STAYED SOLID

FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS.

HIS STORY NEVER WAVERED --
NOT ONE TIME.

I MEAN, HE BELIEVES IT HAPPENED,
AND IT'S NEVER BEEN DISPROVEN.

TO ME, JUST ABOUT ANYTHING'S
POSSIBLE, NOW.

WE'VE HAD OTHER SIGHTINGS
AND WHATNOT SINCE THIS IN 1973,

AND THERE'S JUST SOME THINGS
THAT ARE JUST NOT EXPLAINABLE.

THIS MAY BE ONE OF THEM.

Narrator:
BISHOPVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA --

A TOWN THAT'S
NEARLY SURROUNDED IN SWAMPS.

MORE THAN A QUARTER
OF THE COUNTY IS UNDER WATER.

SOME 25 YEARS AGO,
NEAR THE SCAPE ORE SWAMP,

A YOUNG MAN
HAD A TERRIFYING ENCOUNTER --

ONE THAT BISHOPVILLE RESIDENTS
ARE STILL TALKING ABOUT.

Truesdale: IT'S ONE OF THE MOST
UNIQUE THINGS I'VE EVER SEEN.

A LOT OF IT JUST DON'T ADD UP.

YOU DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER
FOR IT.

Blackburn: SCAPE ORE SWAMP
IS DEFINITELY A PLACE

THAT COULD HIDE UNUSUAL
CREATURES AND UNKNOWN MYSTERIES

BECAUSE IT IS VAST AND RUGGED

AND OFF THE BEATEN PATH
OF CIVILIZATION.

Mitchell: YOU GET DOWN
TO THE SWAMP ITSELF,

IT'S REAL THICK.

SOMETHING COULD LIVE BACK THERE
AND NEVER EVEN BE DETECTED.

THE SWAMP
HOLDS A LOT OF SECRETS.

Narrator: AND IN 1988,

ONE SCALY SECRET
MAY HAVE SLIPPED FREE...

...THE LIZARD MAN.

IT MADE ITS PRESENCE KNOWN

IN AN EXTRAORDINARY ATTACK
ON A TEENAGE BOY,

CHRISTOPHER DAVIS.

DAVIS HAS SINCE PASSED AWAY,

BUT ONE MAN STILL
STRUGGLES TO MAKE SENSE
OF WHAT HAPPENED --

SHERIFF TRUESDALE,
LEE COUNTY SHERIFF.

OVER HIS CAREER,
HE HAS SEEN IT ALL,

YET NOTHING COMPARES
TO THE DAYS SURROUNDING

THE APPEARANCE
OF THE SCAPE ORE MONSTER.

WE HAD RECEIVED A COMPLAINT
FROM A HOUSE

IN THE BROWNTOWN SECTION
OF LEE COUNTY.

WE DISPATCHED TWO DEPUTIES
OUT THERE

TO INVESTIGATE THE COMPLAINT.

THEY CALLED BACK AND SAID,

"SHERIFF,
YOU BETTER COME OUT HERE.

WE'VE NEVER SEEN
ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE."

I MEAN,
LOOK AT MY CAR!

WHAT COULD HAVE DID THIS?

Narrator: WHILE PARKED
OUTSIDE THE FAMILY'S HOME,

THEIR VEHICLE HAD BEEN DAMAGED
DURING THE NIGHT.

IT'S STRONG,
THAT'S FOR SURE.

LOOK HOW WIDE
THE CLAW MARKS ARE!

Truesdale:
WHAT WE FOUND APPEARED TO BE

TRACKS ALL OVER THE CAR --

PRETTY GOOD-SIZED TRACKS --

AND THE FENDER WAS PULLED OUT.

SOMETHING HAD PULLED THE CHROME
STRIP OFF AND CHEWED IT UP.

WHATEVER IT WAS WAS REAL STRONG.

Blackburn:
THE CREATURE REPORTEDLY
HAD A TASTE FOR CARS.

THERE WAS CARS THAT WERE
FOUND MAULED OR ATTACKED.

IT WAS LIKE VANDALISM,
BUT IT LOOKED LIKE

IT HAD BEEN BITTEN
AND CHEWED AND TORN UP.

IT SCRATCHED THE PAINT,
IT BENT THE METAL...

Narrator:
THE INCIDENT MIGHT BE DISMISSED

IF IT WAS AN ISOLATED CASE.

IT WASN'T.
ARE THE KIDS SAFE?

IS THE NEIGHBORHOOD SAFE?

Truesdale: SOME OF THE PEOPLE
WAS TELLING US THAT

THERE'S AN UNUSUAL,
LARGE CREATURE

IN THE COMMUNITY.

[ HISSING ]

Blackburn: THE LIZARD MAN
WAS GENERALLY DESCRIBED

AS BEING SEVEN FOOT TALL,

IT HAD A HUMAN-LIKE SHAPE,

IT WAS LARGE, BULKY, MUSCULAR.

IT TYPICALLY WAS DESCRIBED
AS HAVING THREE FINGERS.

IT HAD LONG, BLACK
FINGERNAILS OR CLAWS,

IT WALKED UPRIGHT,
IT DID NOT HAVE A TAIL.

Truesdale: WE STARTED ASKING
PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD,

HAD THEY SEEN ANYTHING LIKE
WHAT WAS DESCRIBED TO US?

ONE PERSON SAID,
"YOU MEAN THAT LIZARD MAN?"

Narrator: THEN, THE CASE
TOOK AN ASTONISHING TURN.

A LOCAL TEENAGER
WAS FIXING A FLAT TIRE

NEAR SCAPE ORE SWAMP

WHEN HE REALIZED
HE WASN'T ALONE.

[ HISSING ]

HE COULD SEE IT WELL ENOUGH
IN THE MOONLIGHT

TO SEE THAT IT WAS
HUMANOID-TYPE FIGURE...

[ GROWLING, SCREECHING ]

...AND IT WAS MOVING
PRETTY QUICKLY AT HIM.

[ PANTING ]

[ HISSING CONTINUES ]

Narrator:
BISHOPVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA.

IN THE SUMMER OF 1988,

SHERIFF LISTON TRUESDALE
WAS INVESTIGATING CASES

OF PROPERTY DAMAGE AND ASSAULT

BY A
MOST UNLIKELY PERPETRATOR --

A LIZARD MAN,

SUPPOSEDLY LURKING
NEAR SCAPE ORE SWAMP.

Man: I'M GONNA CATCH
THE BIGGEST FISH, BOY.

YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW, MAN.

Truesdale:
WE HEARD THAT IT RAN TWO FELLAS

OFF SCAPE ORE SWAMP.

[ HISSING ]

THEY SAW IT AND IT WAS TOO MUCH
FOR THEM, SO THEY RAN.

Narrator:
THEN, 17-YEAR-OLD CHRIS DAVIS

CAME FORWARD
TO REPORT A TERRIFYING TALE.

THIS WAS JULY THE 14th

OF 1988.

CHRIS DAVIS AND HIS DAD CAME IN.

SHERIFF,
THIS IS MY SON, CHRIS.

HE HAS
A STORY TO TELL YOU.

SO, YOU HAD AN ENCOUNTER
WITH THIS CREATURE?

Blackburn:
WHEN CHRIS DAVIS'S FATHER
SAW THIS IN THE NEWSPAPER,

HE PUT TWO AND TWO TOGETHER
AND THOUGHT,

"WELL, MAYBE THIS IS THE
CREATURE THAT ATTACKED MY SON."

I WAS ON MY WAY HOME
FROM WORK, AND...

Narrator: THE INCIDENT
HAD OCCURRED TWO WEEKS PRIOR

TO THE CASES THE SHERIFF
WAS ALREADY INVESTIGATING.

IT WAS
SOME KIND OF LIZARD MAN.

I JUST COULDN'T BELIEVE
WHAT THE FELLA WAS TELLING ME.

THIS KID WAS A SUPER-GOOD KID

AND HIS PARENTS
IS VERY REPUTABLE.

I TRIED TO GET IN MY CAR
AND DRIVE OFF,

BUT BEFORE I KNOW IT,
THE LIZARD'S ON TOP OF THE CAR.

WE ASKED HIM, "WELL,
WHY DIDN'T YOU REPORT THIS?"

AND HE SAID BECAUSE EVERYBODY
WOULD THINK HE WAS A FOOL.

NOBODY WOULD BELIEVE HIM,
THEY'D THINK HE WAS CRAZY.

Narrator: ON JUNE 30, 1988,

CHRIS DAVIS
WAS ON THE LATE SHIFT

AT A FAST-FOOD BURGER JOINT
ON THE EDGE OF TOWN.

HE FINISHED UP AROUND 2:00 A.M.,

GOT INTO HIS CAR,
AND HEADED HOME.

HE WAS COMING HOME FROM WORK
AND HAD A FLAT TIRE,

AND HE STOPPED AT A LITTLE
DIRT ROAD TO FIX THIS FLAT TIRE.

Narrator: THAT LITTLE DIRT ROAD
WAS AT THE SCAPE ORE SWAMP.

STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE,
WITHOUT A SOUL FOR MILES,

DAVIS WOULD HAVE TO FIX THE FLAT
OR SPEND THE NIGHT.

Truesdale:
AND HE FIXED HIS FLAT TIRE

AND WAS PLACING THE TOOLS
BACK IN THE CAR.

[ HISSING ]

AND HE SAW SOMETHING,
WHICH HE DESCRIBED AS

A TALL CREATURE,
ABOUT SEVEN FEET TALL,

WITH BIG, RED EYES.

[ SCREECHES ]

HE LOOKS UP
AND HE SEES SOMETHING

COMING DOWN
THROUGH THE TALL GRASS.

OF COURSE, THIS KID IS PANICKED.
HE TAKES OFF.

[ HISSING, GROWLING ]

[ HISSES ]
[ GASPS ]

[ TIRES SQUEALING ]

[ SCREECHES ]

HE COULD SEE ITS HAND
HANGING BY THE WINDOW,

AND HE SAW THAT
IT HAD THREE FINGERS,

IT HAD LONG CLAWS
THAT HE DESCRIBED

HAVING BLACK FINGERNAILS.

Narrator:
DAVIS SWERVED WILDLY,

TRYING TO
SHAKE THE MONSTER FROM HIS CAR.

[ TIRES SQUEALING ]

[ TIRES SCREECH ]

[ HISSING, GROWLING STOPS ]

THE NIGHTMARE WAS OVER.

[ HISSES ]

OR SO HE THOUGHT.

[ PANTING ]

Blackburn: IT GOT UP
AND STARTED CHASING HIM.

HE ESTIMATED THAT
THE THING WAS RUNNING

AT LEAST 35 MILES AN HOUR
AS HE SPED OFF,

AND HE COULD SEE IT
IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR

UNTIL IT DISAPPEARED
INTO THE DARKNESS.

Truesdale: HE WENT HOME
AND DROVE UP IN THE YARD

AND JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR,
CRYING, SCREAMING, AND YELLING,

AND HIS PARENTS SAID IT TOOK
TWO HOURS TO SETTLE HIM DOWN.

THAT'S HOW AFRAID HE WAS.

Blackburn: HIS PARENTS ARE
TRYING TO ASK HIM WHAT HAPPENED.

HE'S EXPLAINING THAT HE SAW
A SEVEN-FOOT, GREEN,

RED-EYED DEVIL,
AS HE DESCRIBED IT.

AND THEY SAW THE FEAR
AND THE EMOTIONS

IN CHRIS' EYES.

Narrator:
DAYS AFTER THE ENCOUNTER,

CHRIS DAVIS
DREW A SKETCH OF THE CREATURE.

IT WAS A VERY CRUDE DRAWING,
BUT IT BASICALLY SHOWED

A LARGE, HUMANOID-TYPE CREATURE

THAT HAD THREE FINGERS
AND GLOWING EYES.

Narrator:
IN 1988, IN THIS ONE SMALL AREA
OF SOUTH CAROLINA,

THERE WERE
MORE THAN A DOZEN SIGHTINGS.

THE RASH OF REPORTS TAPERED OFF,

YET EVERY FEW YEARS,
SOMEBODY SAW SOMETHING.

[ HISSES ]

AT THE TIME, LISTON TRUESDALE
WAS SKEPTICAL OF THE STORY,

BUT HE DID FEEL THAT
SOMETHING HAPPENED TO THIS BOY,

THAT HE SAW SOMETHING --
SOMETHING THAT WAS TRAUMATIZING.

Narrator: WHATEVER IT WAS
MAY STILL BE OUT THERE.

BISHOPVILLE HAS A MONSTER

HANGING AROUND
SOMEWHERE IN THIS AREA.

I USED TO LIKE TO GET OUT AND
JUST WALK AND LOOK AT THE STARS,

BUT I DON'T WALK IN THE WOODS
NO MORE.