In March 1979, the quiet community of North Biloxi, Mississippi became the center of an unusual series of events that captured local attention. It began with mysterious lights hovering over the area on March 13, followed by a startling discovery made by resident V.B. Phelps the next morning. While clearing his backyard, Phelps stumbled upon strange prints in the mud – a single five-inch footprint with claw-like toes and what appeared to be a tiny handprint.

The case deepened when Phelps' son Wallis found several holes in the ground near where the bright light had been observed, suggesting something may have landed there. What makes this incident particularly intriguing is its connection to similar unexplained phenomena, including the famous premonition experienced by comedian Red Skelton in 1963, when he discovered he had unconsciously written a prediction about President Kennedy's assassination. These incidents remind us that some mysteries remain beyond conventional explanation.

Key Takeaways

Unexplained lights over Biloxi in 1979 were followed by the discovery of strange prints and possible landing evidence in a resident's yard.
Local media documented the incident with photographs, dubbing it the "Littlefoot from outer space" case.
Unexplained phenomena continue to fascinate people because they challenge our understanding of reality and what might exist beyond our perception.

Unexplained Lights and Strange Prints in Biloxi

The Mysterious Illuminations of March 13, 1979

On the evening of March 13, 1979, residents of North Biloxi reported unusual bright lights hovering in the sky above their neighborhood. This phenomenon caught the attention of several locals who witnessed the strange illumination that seemed to remain stationary over the area. The sightings were significant enough to be documented by local media, with reports extending to nearby Hancock County as well.

Discovery of Unusual Tracks and Indentations

The following morning on March 14, a North Biloxi resident made a puzzling discovery while performing yard work. In the muddy ground of his backyard, he found what appeared to be a single five-inch footprint with claw-like protrusions where toes would normally be. Despite searching the surrounding area, no matching prints or continuation of tracks could be located.

Near this peculiar footprint, the resident also discovered what resembled a tiny handprint pressed into the mud. Both impressions featured clearly defined details that didn't match any known local wildlife. When the area was further examined, numerous straight holes were found in the ground near the prints, approximately 6-8 inches deep, arranged in an unusual pattern pointing toward an undefined center point.

VB Phelps's Encounter

VB Phelps, who resided on Dallas Street in the Paluxy River Estates, was awakened around 10:30 p.m. on March 13 by bright light streaming through his trailer windows. Assuming it was just a neighbor returning home, he quickly went back to sleep without investigating further.

The next morning while clearing overgrown weeds in his backyard, Phelps discovered the unusual prints. As an experienced outdoorsman, he told The Daily Herald, "I've been a woodsman all my life and never have I seen anything that resembles the footprint." Phelps initially didn't connect his experience to UFO activity until hearing local reports later. He then recalled that the bright light had come from behind his residence where no neighbors lived.

Phelps's son Wallis, visiting from Tennessee, helped investigate the yard and discovered the peculiar holes in the ground. Later, Wallis carefully removed the footprint section of soil, hoping to preserve it by creating a cast. The Daily Herald documented the findings with photographs taken by their chief photographer Vernon Matthews, and the case became locally known as the "Littlefoot from outer space" incident.

Investigation and Mysterious Findings

The Biloxi Herald Documents Strange Occurrence

On March 19, 1979, The Daily Herald published an article about unusual events involving VB Phelps in North Biloxi. The incident began on March 13 when residents reported strange lights hovering over the area. Phelps was awakened around 10:30 p.m. by bright light coming through his trailer windows, which he initially dismissed as a neighbor's lights.

The next morning, while clearing his backyard, Phelps discovered something puzzling in the mud - a single five-inch footprint with claw-like toes instead of normal human toes. Nearby, he found what appeared to be a tiny handprint. As an experienced woodsman, Phelps told Herald writer Jimmy Bell that he had never encountered anything similar and dismissed the possibility of a child making the prints.

Physical Evidence Examination

Phelps's son Wallis, visiting from Tennessee, conducted a thorough inspection of the area where the footprint was found and where the bright light had been observed. His investigation yielded additional evidence - multiple holes in the ground that appeared to have been made by metal rods inserted at various angles. These holes were approximately six to eight inches deep and seemed to point toward an undefined central point.

Vernon Matthews, the Daily Herald's chief photographer, documented the scene by taking several photographs of the prints, with one featured prominently alongside the March 19 news report. In an effort to preserve the evidence, Wallis carefully removed the section of earth containing the footprint, hoping to create a plaster cast of it.

The Unexplained Visitor Case

The media dubbed the incident "The Littlefoot from Outer Space," though the case remains relatively obscure in UFO literature. Even noted UFO historian Albert Rosales doesn't include it in his comprehensive catalogs. The connection between the strange lights and the unusual prints became more significant to Phelps after he learned about UFO sightings reported in North Biloxi and Hancock County.

"I thought nothing about the light until I heard about the UFO sightings," Phelps explained. "I then recalled the bright light came from the rear of my residence and no one lives in that direction." This realization led him to wonder if an unidentified craft had landed on his property and if the mysterious prints were evidence of its occupants exploring his yard.

No follow-up investigations to the Phelps case have been documented, leaving the true identity of whatever left those distinct prints in the Mississippi mud an enduring mystery.

The Red Skelton Enigma

Red Skelton's Life and Paranormal Interests

Red Skelton, one of America's beloved comedians, entertained audiences for over five decades from 1937 to the late 1980s. His career included nearly 50 films and a successful television variety show that ran for 20 years (1951-1971). While most remember Skelton for his comedic talents, fewer know about his fascination with supernatural phenomena. In 1970, he published "Red Skelton's Favorite Ghost Stories," a collection that showcased his interest in the paranormal realm. This collection represented more than casual curiosity—it reflected Skelton's own unexplained experiences.

Skelton's Mysterious Beach Experience

In July 1963, following a demanding television season, Skelton traveled to Hawaii for a much-needed vacation. During a relaxing afternoon on the beach, he experienced something truly inexplicable. Lying on his stomach with a notebook and pencil (which he carried habitually to capture spontaneous comedy ideas), Skelton dozed in a state between wakefulness and sleep.

When his arm grew numb, he shifted position and glanced down at his notebook. To his astonishment, he discovered a sentence written in his own handwriting—one he had no recollection of writing. The message read: "President Kennedy will be killed in November."

The peculiar circumstances left Skelton bewildered. He hadn't been thinking about the president prior to this incident, and the thought of Kennedy's death had never entered his mind. Yet somehow, the ominous message appeared in his own handwriting.

The Kennedy Premonition Fulfilled

The eerie prediction written through Skelton's hand in July 1963 came to fruition four months later. On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, while traveling in an open-top limousine. The motorcade tragedy occurred at 12:30 p.m., forever changing American history.

Skelton kept the notebook page containing the mysterious message for years afterward. "I've still got that page and every time I come across it, I wonder about it because how it happened I still don't know," he later confided to columnist Dick Kleiner. The experience bears similarities to what parapsychologists term "automatic writing" or "psychography"—a phenomenon where a person produces written words seemingly from a subconscious or supernatural source.

Though Skelton never claimed psychic abilities, this unexplained incident suggests that something beyond ordinary consciousness briefly took control of his hand to deliver the prophetic message. The comedian remained puzzled by this experience throughout his life, unable to explain how he could have predicted such a significant historical event.

Reflections on the Mysterious

Examining Skelton's Unexplained Prediction

In July 1963, celebrated comedian Red Skelton experienced something that defied rational explanation while vacationing in Hawaii. Following the completion of his television season, Skelton had traveled to the islands seeking relaxation after a demanding filming schedule.

While resting on the beach in a half-awake state, Skelton had placed his notebook beside him with a pencil in his right hand. After shifting his position due to his arm falling asleep, he noticed something startling - a sentence written in his own handwriting that he had no memory of writing: "President Kennedy will be killed in November."

This message appeared four months before President John F. Kennedy's assassination in Dallas on November 22, 1963. The comedian later expressed his bewilderment about the incident, saying, "I've still got that page and every time I come across it, I wonder about it because how it happened I still don't know."

The phenomenon resembles what some call automatic writing or psychography - a purported ability where a person produces written words unconsciously, allegedly from a supernatural or subconscious source. What makes this case particularly noteworthy is that Skelton, primarily known for his extensive comedy career spanning nearly five decades, never claimed any psychic abilities before or after this incident.

Though famous for hosting "The Red Skelton Show" from 1951 to 1971 and appearing in nearly 50 entertainment productions, Skelton did show interest in the paranormal, publishing "Red Skelton's Favorite Ghost Stories" in 1970. However, this singular unexplained experience stands apart from his fictional storytelling work.

The Bizarre Biloxi Littlefoot Incident of 1979: Mysterious Footprints and Unexplained Lights