Kelly-Hopkinsville Encounter
On the night of August 21, 1955, the Sutton family in rural Kentucky reported being terrorized for hours by small, goblin-like creatures with glowing eyes and pointed ears. The family fought back with shotguns before fleeing to the police. Multiple officers investigated. The 'little green men' incident became a classic of UFO folklore.
The Kelly-Hopkinsville encounter is one of the most dramatic close encounters in UFO history. For several hours on a summer night, a rural Kentucky family claimed they were besieged by small, alien-like creatures. They fought back with firearms before fleeing in terror to the police. The incident helped establish the “little green men” trope in American culture.
August 21, 1955
The incident occurred at a farmhouse in Kelly, Kentucky, near Hopkinsville:
The Family: The Sutton family - parents, children, and friends - were present.
Number of Witnesses: Approximately 11 people.
Setting: A rural farmhouse without telephone service.
Initial Event: Around 7:00 PM, Billy Ray Taylor saw a bright object streak across the sky and apparently land nearby.
The Creatures Appear
About an hour after the light was seen:
First Sighting: A small, glowing creature approached the farmhouse.
Response: The men grabbed shotguns and opened fire.
Effect: The creature was reportedly knocked down but got up and fled.
Siege: For the next several hours, creatures repeatedly appeared around the house.
Physical Description
The witnesses consistently described:
Size: Approximately 3-4 feet tall.
Head: Large, round, with large pointed ears.
Eyes: Large, glowing, wide-set eyes.
Arms: Long arms ending in claw-like hands.
Skin: Silvery or greenish, with a metallic sheen.
Movement: They could float or glide, and appeared to be unharmed by gunfire.
The Battle
The encounter was violent:
Gunfire: The men repeatedly shot at the creatures with shotguns and rifles.
Effect: The creatures were apparently knocked down or back but always recovered.
Persistence: Despite the gunfire, the creatures kept returning.
Hours: The siege continued from approximately 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM.
Terror: The women and children hid inside while the men fought.
The Flight
Eventually, the family fled:
Decision: Terrified and out of options, the entire group piled into vehicles.
Destination: They drove to the Hopkinsville police station.
Condition: They arrived clearly terrified and shaken.
Credibility: Officers noted their genuine fear.
Police Response
Local law enforcement took the report seriously:
Investigation: Police officers went to the farmhouse.
State Police: Kentucky State Police also responded.
Military: Nearby Fort Campbell sent personnel.
Evidence: Officers found spent shell casings but no creatures.
Conclusion: They found no hoax evidence but also no creatures.
The Return
After the police left:
Creatures Return: The family reported the creatures came back.
Until Dawn: Sightings continued until approximately 5:00 AM.
Final Departure: The creatures eventually left with the coming daylight.
Investigation Details
The official investigation noted:
Witness Demeanor: The witnesses were genuinely terrified.
Physical Evidence: Numerous bullet holes and spent shells were found.
No Alcohol: The family was not intoxicated.
No Motive: They had no apparent reason to fabricate.
Multiple Witnesses: Eleven people reported consistent observations.
Explanations Proposed
Various theories have been offered:
Great Horned Owls: Large owls with prominent ears and reflective eyes. However, owls don’t survive multiple shotgun blasts.
Escaped Monkeys: Circus or research animals. No monkeys were reported missing.
Mass Hysteria: The family shared a delusion. Eleven people maintaining consistent details for hours seems unlikely.
Hoax: The family fabricated the story. They didn’t profit and were subjected to ridicule.
Genuine Encounter: Something truly strange visited that farmhouse.
The Owl Theory
The owl explanation has supporters:
Supporting: Great horned owls are large, have “ear” tufts, and aggressive behavior around nests.
Problems: Owls don’t match the detailed descriptions, can’t survive shotgun blasts at close range, and don’t besiege houses for hours.
Cultural Impact
The case had lasting influence:
“Little Green Men”: Helped establish this phrase in UFO vocabulary (though the creatures were described as silvery).
Popular Culture: Influenced numerous movies and TV depictions of aliens.
Festival: Kelly, Kentucky holds an annual “Little Green Men Days” festival.
Classic Case: Became one of the most famous close encounter cases.
The Witnesses
The family maintained their account:
Consistency: Their story remained consistent over decades.
No Profit: They didn’t financially benefit from the encounter.
Ridicule: They faced mockery and unwanted attention.
Sincerity: All who met them found their fear and sincerity genuine.
Questions Remain
The case raises persistent questions:
What Were They?: No explanation fully accounts for all the details.
Why There?: Why would such entities appear at a random farmhouse?
The Invulnerability: How could they survive shotgun blasts?
The Departure: Why did they leave at dawn?
Legacy
The Kelly-Hopkinsville encounter matters because:
- Multiple witnesses over many hours
- Violent interaction with firearms
- Police investigation found genuine fear
- No satisfactory conventional explanation
- Lasting cultural influence
Whatever descended on that Kentucky farmhouse in 1955 terrorized a family for hours, survived repeated shotgun blasts, and departed with the dawn - leaving behind one of the strangest and most enduring encounter accounts in American history.
Sources
- Police investigation reports
- Witness testimonies
- Contemporary news coverage
- Kelly-Hopkinsville encounter - Wikipedia