The Kelly-Hopkinsville Encounter

On the night of August 21-22, 1955, the Sutton family and their guests at a farmhouse near Kelly, Kentucky, spent hours in a siege against small beings that appeared after one witness observed a UFO land nearby. Their frantic report to police launched one of the most famous UFO cases in history.

The Beginning

Billy Ray Taylor stepped outside and saw a bright object streak across the sky and land behind the tree line. He told the others, who laughed. An hour later, a strange being appeared at the window.

The Beings

The creatures were described as about three feet tall, with large pointed ears, glowing eyes, long arms ending in claws, and silvery metallic skin. They seemed weightless, floating rather than walking, and when shot, would simply flip and float away.

The Siege

For approximately four hours, the family shot at beings appearing at windows and on the roof. Despite multiple direct hits with shotguns, the creatures seemed unharmed. The family eventually fled to the Hopkinsville police station.

The Investigation

Police found no beings but noted the family’s genuine terror. Expended shells littered the property. Investigators from Project Blue Book and civilian groups examined the site but found no conclusive evidence.

Assessment

The Kelly-Hopkinsville encounter became famous for the duration of the experience, the multiple witnesses, and the unique description of the beings. Whether aliens, misidentified owls, or mass hysteria, the case remains unexplained.