72: The Tujunga Canyon Contacts with Rich Hatem

There is a place in Southern California that feels as alien as the surface of the planet Mars would. The Tujunga Canyons was first inhabited by the Tongva people, the Native tribes of the Los Angeles basin. The name, Tujunga, is believed to mean “old woman’s place,” a reference to mother earth.

In 1953 the area that comprises the Tujunga Canyon region was much less developed today, home to a smattering of homes. It was in one of those homes, on March 22, 1953 that two women, Sara Shaw and Jan Whitley, had a harrowing experience in the bedroom they shared. It started with a light and soon developed into a case of missing time.

The event remained with the witnesses for a number of years, until Sara reached out to investigator Ann Druffel. Over the course of five years, the investigation would expand to include three additional witnesses.

What follows is one of the most unique series of abduction events on record, involving women who were all part of the LGBTQIA community, but otherwise not related, shattering a common myth about abductions: they run in the family, and the ability to fight off the beings from taking them.

For additional analysis of this case, check out this blog post from Professor WHAM!

I’m joined by Rich Hatem to break down the Tujunga Canyon Contacts case.

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