The Kelly-Hopkinsville Encounter

On the night of August 21, 1955, the Sutton family and their guests endured hours of terror as small, glowing humanoid creatures besieged their remote Kentucky farmhouse. The family’s frantic flight to the police station launched one of the most investigated and debated UFO encounters in American history.

The Setting

The Sutton family farmhouse sat near the small community of Kelly, about seven miles north of Hopkinsville, Kentucky. The property had no telephone, and the nearest neighbors were not visible from the house.

On the evening of August 21, the household included:

• Glennie Lankford (50), family matriarch
• Her sons Elmer “Lucky” Sutton and John Charley Sutton
• Their wives Vera and Alene
• Lucky’s friend Billy Ray Taylor and his wife June
• Three children

The Sighting

7:00 PM - The Light

Billy Ray Taylor, visiting from Pennsylvania, went to the backyard well for water. He rushed back claiming he had seen a bright light streak across the sky and descend into a gully about a quarter mile away.

The family dismissed his story - Kentucky was full of shooting stars in August.

8:00 PM - The First Creature

About an hour later, the family dog began barking frantically, then hid under the house and refused to come out. Lucky and Billy Ray went to investigate.

In the darkness, a strange glow approached the house. As it neared, they could make out a small humanoid figure:

• Approximately 3-4 feet tall
• Large, rounded head
• Enormous, pointed ears
• Large, glowing eyes (yellow or silver)
• Long arms ending in clawed hands
• Short legs
• Silvery, metallic-looking skin
• Appeared to glow from within

The creature raised its arms above its head. The men grabbed guns and fired. The creature did a “flip” and scurried away into the darkness.

The Siege

Multiple Creatures

Over the next several hours, the family faced what appeared to be multiple creatures:

• They appeared at windows
• They climbed onto the roof (family heard scratching above)
• They reached through doors
• When shot, they would flip backward but showed no injury

The Family’s Response

The men fired repeatedly with a .22 rifle and a shotgun:

• Direct hits produced a metallic sound “like shooting a bucket”
• Creatures were knocked down but seemed unhurt
• They would retreat, then return

One creature grabbed Billy Ray’s hair through a window; another was shot off the roof and reportedly floated to the ground rather than falling.

Trapped Inside

The family barricaded themselves inside, too terrified to leave. The creatures never attempted to enter but repeatedly appeared at windows and on the roof. The ordeal continued for approximately four hours.

The Police Report

Flight to Hopkinsville

At approximately 11:00 PM, the entire family fled in two cars to the Hopkinsville police station. They were visibly shaken - police noted their genuine terror.

Investigation

Police took the report seriously enough to dispatch:

• Hopkinsville Police Chief Russell Greenwell
• Multiple officers
• Kentucky State Police
• Eventually, military personnel from nearby Fort Campbell

At the farmhouse, investigators found:

• Numerous bullet holes and spent casings
• No bodies or physical evidence of creatures
• A glowing patch where creatures were reportedly shot (later attributed to luminescent wood fungi)
• The terrified dog still hiding under the house

The creatures did not appear while police were present.

Aftermath

Return of the Creatures

After police left around 2:00 AM, the creatures returned. The family endured several more hours of appearances until dawn, when the beings finally departed.

Media Frenzy

News spread rapidly. By the next day:

• Reporters descended on the property
• Curiosity seekers trampled the grounds
• The family faced skepticism and ridicule
• The farm became impossible to live on peacefully

Physical Evidence

Investigation revealed:

• The family’s ammunition expenditure matched their account
• Their terror was genuine (confirmed by all investigators)
• No evidence of hoax motivation (they refused money offers)
• Accounts remained consistent across all witnesses over decades

The Creatures

Descriptions remained remarkably consistent across all witnesses:

• Height: 3-4 feet
• Head: Large, round
• Ears: Large, pointed, elephant-like
• Eyes: Huge, luminous, widely spaced
• Arms: Long, nearly touching ground, ending in taloned hands
• Body: Thin, silvery or metallic
• Glow: Entire body emitted soft light
• Movement: Could walk, run, and apparently float short distances

Theories and Explanations

Owls/Great Horned Owls

Skeptics suggest the family misidentified aggressive owls, whose ear tufts and reflective eyes could appear otherworldly. However:

• The family were rural people familiar with wildlife
• Owls don’t glow or make metallic sounds when shot
• Multiple creatures acting in concert is unusual for owls

Hoax

The family had:

• No history of seeking attention
• No financial gain (refused offers)
• Consistent accounts for 50+ years
• Genuine terror witnessed by police

Mass Hysteria

Once Billy Ray’s sighting primed the group, fear could amplify misperceptions. However, 11 witnesses of different ages maintaining identical accounts undermines this.

Actual Encounter

UFO researchers note:

• The case has withstood decades of scrutiny
• Witnesses never changed their story
• Physical evidence (shots fired, genuine fear) corroborated accounts
• The creatures match no known species

Legacy

The Kelly-Hopkinsville encounter became:

• One of the most investigated UFO cases of the 1950s
• Inspiration for the Kelly “Little Green Men” Festival (held annually)
• Possible inspiration for Spielberg’s friendly aliens in E.T.
• A touchstone case in UFO literature

The surviving witnesses maintained their accounts until death, never profiting from or sensationalizing their experience. Lucky Sutton, interviewed decades later, remained visibly disturbed recalling that night: “I know what I saw, and no one can tell me different.”

Whether extraterrestrial visitors, unknown creatures, or mass misperception, something terrified that Kentucky family - and the mystery has never been solved.