Alternate Names: Hopkinsville Goblins / Kelly Green Men Case) Report Type: Close Encounter of the Third Kind with multiple beings / Alleged Siege Date: August 21–22, 1955 Time: Approximately 7:00–8:00 PM start (sighting of object), lasting ~4+ hours into the early morning hours Location Name: Sutton Farmhouse, Kelly (near Hopkinsville) Country: United States GPS Coordinates: Approx. 36.85° N, 87.50° W (rural farmhouse ~8 miles north of Hopkinsville, Christian County, Kentucky; specific site often noted near Old Madisonville Road / Kelly Church Road area)
What Happened: On the evening of August 21, 1955, two families (seven adults and several children, totaling around 11–12 people) were gathered at the rural Sutton farmhouse in Kelly, Kentucky. Billy Ray Sutton (or Taylor in some accounts) stepped outside and reportedly saw a bright, metallic, disc-shaped object with colorful lights descend and land in a nearby gully or field.
Shortly after, small (about 3–4 feet tall), glowing, goblin-like or gremlin-like beings with large heads, big eyes/ears, thin legs, and silvery/metallic skin appeared. The creatures approached the house, peering in windows and doors. The terrified family fired multiple rounds from shotguns and rifles at the beings for several hours. Witnesses claimed the bullets had no apparent effect—the creatures were knocked down or floated/hovered but quickly recovered and continued their approach without injury or retaliation. No blood or remains were found.
The family eventually fled to the Hopkinsville police station around 10:30–11:00 PM, reporting the siege. A large group of law enforcement officers (city police, state troopers, deputies, and military police from nearby Fort Campbell) responded to the scene. They found bullet holes in windows/screens and signs of gunfire but no evidence of the creatures or craft. The family returned home but the beings reportedly reappeared briefly before dawn. The case gained national media attention and remains one of the most detailed and well-documented alleged close encounters involving physical interaction in UFO history.
Additional Details: The Sutton/Lankford family stood by their account consistently. No conventional explanation (such as owls, monkeys from a circus, or mass hysteria) fully satisfied investigators or the witnesses, though skeptics often propose great horned owls or other misidentifications. Project Blue Book classified it as a hoax. It influenced popular culture, including Steven Spielberg’s works like E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and helped popularize the “little green men” trope. Local festivals and ongoing interest (including 70th anniversary events in 2025) keep the story alive.
