Kelly-Hopkinsville Encounter

<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

The Kelly-Hopkinsville Encounter began on August 21, 1955 in Kentucky.

 "The Kelly-Hopkinsville case, if considered entirely apart from the
 total pattern of UFO sightings, seems clearly preposterous, even to
 offend common sense.  The latter, however, has not proved a sure guide
 in the past history of science."
 --J. Allen Hynek, writing in The UFO Experience: A Scientific Inquiry
 Page 172

1 Overview
2 The Encounter
3 Investigation
4 Accounts
5 Books
6 External Links

Overview

A rural family and friends were allegedly attacked by goblin like creatures, who would come up to the besieged farmhouse. The strange creatures were apparently unhurt by shotgun blasts and rifle fire. The local police investigated, and the case was given a number in the Air Force's Project Blue Book files.

The Encounter

In rural Kentucky, near the towns of Kelly and Hopkinsville, a bizarre event was reported to local police.

The lcoation: a farmhouse, with no telephones. Billy Ray Taylor, of Pennsylvania, is visiting "Lucky" Sutton and his family. Billy Ray goes to get some water from the well. While outside, he sees a flying saucer apparently land nearby.

He runs back into the house, and tells his tale. The other people in the house don't believe him, and give him some ribbing for it.

Shortly thereafter, the family dog begins to bark outside. "Lucky" and Billy Ray go outside to see what's got the dog riled up. They see a glowing light, which approaches them and resolves itself into a non-human being.

As described later, the creature is very roughly humanoid. It has large, bat-like ears. It is bald, and about three to four feet (one metre) tall. It has large eyes. The "thing" approaches with its arms raised (this has been interpreted by some people as a way to show that it had no weapons). Earth's de facto ambassadors opened fire with a .22 rifle and a shotgun. The sound of the impact was metallic, and the being flipped away.

After Lucky and Billy Ray get back in the house, another (or the same) being approaches the house. It appears at a window, and shots are fired through the screen (the bullet hole was visible later to police).

Now begins a siege. The visitors approach, the Suttons and friends fire on them. One being floats to the ground after being hit, another does a somersault.

Several hours after the incident starts, 11 people pile into two cars and make a break for the nearest police station, the one in the larger town of Hopkinsville.

The police return to the farmhouse. Evidence of the shooting is present, but no evidence of the weird beings. The police would comment that drinking did not appear to be involved, and that the witnesses appeared to be sincere.

After the police leave, the creatures reappeared. About ninety minutes before sunrise, it was all over.

Investigation

Accounts

Books

The UFO Experience: A Scientific Inquiry - This book, by J. Allen Hynek, leant credibility to the tale by its simple inclusion, and by the fact that Hynek gives it more than six pages.