Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Personnel

Law Enforcement Officers

In October 1973, the Jackson County Sheriff's Office personnel involved in investigating the famous Pascagoula alien abduction claim included Sheriff Fred Diamond, Chief Deputy Barney Mathis, Captain Glen Ryder, and Captain/Detective Jack "Puddin'" Broadus.Key personnel and their roles included:Sheriff Fred Diamond: Led the department. Initially skeptical, he ordered deputies to secretly record the two abductees (Charles Hickson and Calvin Parker). When the tape revealed the men were genuinely terrified and not pranking them, his stance shifted to empathy.Chief Deputy Barney Mathis: The lead spokesperson for the department during the investigation. He handled the initial media inquiries and announced that authorities found the men's accounts compelling.Captain Glen Ryder: The investigator who initially took the distraught men's statements. Because he initially doubted their story, he convinced Sheriff Diamond to leave them alone in a room with a hidden microphone to catch them in a lie, but was surprised to find they stayed in character and were visibly scared.Detective Jack "Puddin'" Broadus: One of the investigating officers and detectives who handled witness interviews and observed the scene along the Pascagoula River